MY BIRTHDAY

I blew out the candles but the wish hadn't come true. Mom and Dad were still standing far apart. I hadn't expected the wish to work. It hadn't for the past two years, and I was starting to think it would never work.
I opened some presents and pretended to be excited. Then it was time for Dad to leave. As I watched him walk down the street my Mom told me he was going to go have a cold one at the corner bar to celebrate my birthday. I wanted to go with him.
It was hot outside so I laid on the floor near the screen door and let the breeze cool me off. I kept watching the street. Mom came over and told me it was time for my bath. She gave me all my favorite bath toys because she said it was still officially my birthday and I could have whatever I wanted for another few hours.
"Can Dad stay here tonight then?" I asked, then wished I hadn't.
Mom got that sad look on her face and then she just got up and left me in the tub. A little while later I heard her on the phone. She was using her angry voice. She used the angry voice when she was talking on the phone to Dad. I couldn't make out any of the words because she was downstairs, but I heard her say something about a “good for nothing drunk.” Then something fell in the kitchen and broke.
Mom came up and put me to bed. She was sad enough and I didn't want to make her mad at me, so I didn’t ask. Then, she reached down and pulled my night-light out of its place and told me I was getting too big for such things. I didn't argue, but then she looked at my teddy bear and I almost screamed. If she took Bear away I wouldn't be able to fight off the mean old clown that slept under the bed. She must have known what I was thinking, because she left Bear pinned under my arms and kissed me on the forehead.
I couldn't sleep. Me and Bear knew that mean old clown was under the bed and waiting for us to look for him. We wouldn't. I held Bear so close that I was scared his stuffing might come out. The last thing I needed was for him to fall off the bed and roll under it, because then I'd have to go after him. Without the night-light everything was twice as scary. Something hit the window. I thought my heart was going to pop out of my chest because it was beating so fast. Something hit the window again. Little tap-tap-tap noises that could only be from monsters. I hugged Bear close and jumped off the bed. I was going to shut the curtains, but then I saw Dad down in the street. He had been tossing little rocks up to get my attention.
"Hey!" he called. "I wanted to say happy birthday once more and show you this."
My dad held up his hands. In his fist was the mean old clown.
"I know you hated this thing," Dad called up to me. "But you won't ever have to be afraid of him again."
My Dad waved goodbye and stumbled down the street, still holding the mean old clown in his hand. My Dad was the strongest man in the world. And even though he didn't stay at our house anymore, he still made me feel safe.