Since quite a long time now, birthdays had lost importance to Layla. She saw no point in celebrating the day she was born when clearly it made no one happy. So, as she walked home that afternoon -- yes, she'd proceeded to call the abandoned flat her home for the time being --, fully aware what day it was, she felt nothing. No joy, not even annoyance like she used to.
She used the back door to penetrate the old, decayed building, avoiding unwanted attention. as she made her way towards the staircase, she stopped right before a box, wrapped in gift paper and with a ridiculous ribbon on top. It's probably not for me, she thought. But she was only one who used this hall to get to the stairs. But who could possibly know about the day? The only person who knew about that now was...
Automatically, she took the box and opened it. Inside, she first found a photograph of three kids, happy and smiling. She remembered this picture like it was taken yesterday. It was her, PJ and Eli, back at the orphanage. Back before everything went to shit. Face impassive, she set the photo aside and moved on the to the next item inside the box. A stuffed bunny. She recognised it the moment she saw it. It used to be Eli's. She'd always felt slightly jealous because he had a stuffed animal and she didn't. One time, Eli offered it to her, saying he was okay without it, that he'd rather her have it instead. She didn't take it, feeling bad for even wanting it to begin with.
With tears welling up in her eyes, she hugged the bunny to her chest. She hadn't given herself the chance to mourn Eli because of all the bottled up rage she had for both him and PJ. But seeing the bunny and photo had reminded her of all the good thing before they left, and she felt sad that she could never have them back.
The last thing inside the box was a note. She took it with trembling hands. The paper was folded once, and the front said To Layla. She opened it with one hand, still holding the bunny in the other. It said:
It's your birthday. But I guess you know that. I don't really know if you even care anymore. But I do. And so I just couldn't not do anything about it. I hope you don't just throw this away, although I understand if you did.
I can't apologise enough for everything that's happened to you. I've been regretting leaving you behind ever since we did it. But I still agree with Eli on that one: it was too dangerous. Look where it landed him. And I'm not too far either. We did some nasty things, Lay. You wouldn't approve, and you shouldn't, either. Looking back, we could've definitely done things differently. Starting with taking you with us.
But past is done. We can't change it. All I can do now is change the present. And so here I am, writing you a note to go with the presents I plan on giving you. They're not much, but I think you«ll see the value they have to me, because I think that, despite everything, they mean something to you, too. And is not, at least I gave it a try. That has to count for something, right?
Layla was speechless. Her heart was beating faster than it ever had and her breathing was fast and shallow. She backed up down the hall, towards the back door. When she reached it, she pushed it open and looked to both sides of the street. Knowing PJ, she figured he'd taken the side that led to the alley behind the building, a dimly lit stretch of pavement only a few feet long. She ran down it until she reached the alleyway, and there she saw a silhouette, leaning on the wall, waiting. Waiting for her. She wanted to say something, but the only thing that came out was, "I refused the bunny for a reason, P."
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