April 26th, 2008-Max

I walk into the living room, decorated with balloons and streamers that sway gently in the breeze from the open window. The scent of pizza wafts through the air, a combination of cheese and tomato sauce that makes my stomach growl in anticipation.

“Happy birthday, Max!” my mom calls out, her voice cheerful as she comes over to give me a quick hug.

“Thanks, Mom!” I reply, returning her embrace. “Is everyone here yet?”

“Almost! Just waiting on a few more people.” She glances around, adjusting a decorative banner that reads “Happy Birthday!” in colorful letters.

As I scan the room, I spot Elio leaning against the wall, chatting with my dad. 

“Hey, birthday boy!” Elio calls out, his grin wide. “Feeling old, yet?”

I roll my eyes but can’t suppress a chuckle. “Old? I’m just getting started!”

“Sure, sure. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility,” he quips, winking at me. I throw a playful punch at his shoulder, and he laughs, the sound echoing through the room.

“Alright, everyone! Gather around!” my dad announces, clapping his hands to get our attention. “It’s time for the annual height measurement!”

Elio and I exchange amused glances. I can’t believe my dad still insists on doing this every year, even though both Elio and I stopped growing a couple of years ago. But I guess it’s a tradition now, especially since Gia is still growing some.

“Gia, come on over!” David calls, motioning for her. Gia steps forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement.I know she’s eager to see how much taller she’s gotten since last year.

“Am I taller than Elio yet?” she teases, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Not yet, shrimp,” Elio retorts, giving her a mock frown. “But keep eating your vegetables!”

As Gia stands against the wall, my dad pulls out his trusty measuring tape, the one he’s used for years. “Okay, let’s see how tall you are this time.”

I watch as dad measures her height, a look of pride etched across his face. “You’ve grown another inch! 5’4 on the dot. You’re going to be taller than your brother soon!” he exclaims, ruffling Gia’s hair affectionately.

“Finally!” she cheers, bouncing on her toes. “I can’t wait to be taller than both of you!”

“Dream on,” I chuckle, crossing my arms and pretending to look unimpressed. “You’ve still got a ways to go to catch up with me.”

Next, it’s my turn. Elio and Gia step aside, and I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me as I stand against the wall. My dad measures me, his expression serious. “Let’s see how you’re doing, big guy.”

“Still 6’1”, I assume?” I say, a grin tugging at my lips.

“Yep, still the same,” he replies, making a note on the wall next to previous measurements. “You’ve held your ground nicely, Max. No shrinking yet!”

Elio rolls his eyes playfully. “Gotta keep your dominance.”

“Very funny,” I say, shaking my head as I step back to let Elio take his turn.

Elio stands against the wall, and my dad measures him, a look of concentration on his face. “You’re still 5’9”, huh?” he says, almost teasingly.

“Yeah, guess I’m done growing too,” Elio replies with a shrug, though I can tell he’s not too bothered by it.

April 26th has finally arrived, and it’s time to celebrate my eighteenth birthday. The familiar warmth of home envelops me as I walk into the living room, decorated with balloons and streamers that sway gently in the breeze from the open window. The scent of pizza wafts through the air, a combination of cheese and tomato sauce that makes my stomach growl in anticipation.

“Happy birthday, Max!” my mom, Linda, calls out, her voice cheerful as she comes over to give me a quick hug.

“Thanks, Mom!” I reply, returning her embrace. “Is everyone here yet?”

“Almost! Just waiting on a few more people.” She glances around, adjusting a decorative banner that reads “Happy Birthday!” in colorful letters.

As I scan the room, I spot Elio leaning against the wall, chatting with my dad, David. Elio’s curls bounce lightly as he laughs at something my dad said. It’s such a comforting sight, seeing him so at ease. Even though he’s wearing his usual laid-back outfit—jeans and a graphic tee—he somehow looks effortlessly cool. I can’t help but smile.

“Hey, birthday boy!” Elio calls out, his grin wide. “Ready to get old?”

I roll my eyes but can’t suppress a chuckle. “Old? I’m just getting started!”

“Sure, sure. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility,” he quips, winking at me. I throw a playful punch at his shoulder, and he laughs, the sound echoing through the room.

“Alright, everyone! Gather around!” my dad announces, clapping his hands to get our attention. “It’s time for the annual height measurement!”

Elio and I exchange amused glances. I can’t believe my dad still insists on doing this every year, even though both Elio and I stopped growing a couple of years ago. But I guess it’s a tradition now, especially since my little sister Gia is still in the middle of her growth spurt.

“Gia, come on over!” David calls, motioning for her. Gia steps forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement. At 5’4”, she’s growing quickly, and I know she’s eager to see how much taller she’s gotten since last year.

“Am I taller than Elio yet?” she teases, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Not yet, shrimp,” Elio retorts, giving her a mock frown. “But keep eating your vegetables!”

As Gia stands against the wall, my dad pulls out his trusty measuring tape, the one he’s used for years. “Okay, let’s see how tall you are this time.”

I watch as David measures her height, a look of pride etched across his face. “You’ve grown another inch! You’re going to be taller than your brother soon!” he exclaims, ruffling Gia’s hair affectionately.

“Finally!” she cheers, bouncing on her toes. “I can’t wait to be taller than both of you!”

“Dream on,” I chuckle, crossing my arms and pretending to look unimpressed. “You’ve still got a ways to go to catch up with me.”

Next, it’s my turn. Elio and Gia step aside, and I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me as I stand against the wall. My dad measures me, his expression serious. “Let’s see how you’re doing, big guy.”

“Still 6’1”, I assume?” I say, a grin tugging at my lips.

“Yep, still the same,” he replies, making a note on the wall next to previous measurements. “You’ve held your ground nicely, Max. No shrinking yet!”

Elio rolls his eyes playfully. “You should start wearing platform shoes, Max. Gotta keep your dominance.”

“Very funny,” I say, shaking my head as I step back to let Elio take his turn.

Elio stands against the wall, and my dad measures him, a look of concentration on his face. “You’re still 5’9”, huh?” he says, almost teasingly.

“Yeah, guess I’m done growing too,” Elio replies with a shrug, though I can tell he’s not too bothered by it.

“Okay, okay, time to eat!” my mom calls out, breaking the playful tension. “Pizza is ready, and I even made your favorite chocolate cake, Max!”

“Now we’re talking!” I say.

“Now we’re talking!” I say, and I can feel the excitement bubbling inside me.

As we all head to the table, I can’t help but feel grateful for moments like this. Surrounded by family and friends, sharing laughter and joy, it’s everything I could have asked for on my birthday.

“Just wait until we blow out the candles. I’ve got a wish I’m planning to make,” I tell Elio as we take our seats.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“If I tell you, it won’t come true!” I reply, and we both laugh.