party.
Wanna gave me some wrapping paper decorated with bright colored flowers. It matched the tiny blue flower charm that was on the bracelet.
It was raining and the air was cool. I tucked the present box into my sweater pocket. I didn’t want to put it on the pile of gifts waiting for Ellie to open. I wanted to hand the gift to her myself.
Ellie had a fairy party and invited a few of her little friends. Wanna gave all of the children fairy wings and a wand. I did not wear the wings or carry a wand, but I did let Ellie put some silver fairy dust on my face.
Even though it was raining outside, it felt bright and colorful inside the house.
Daddy couldn’t come to the party because he had a work meeting to go to. He said it was very important and could mean good things for our family if it went well.
Wanna stood in the kitchen and offered food to all of the mothers who brought their children to the party.
The children were crazy and ran around our house swinging their wands and pretending to grant wishes or trying to turn our furniture into pumpkins. One little girl tried to turn me into a pony because she said it was her heart felt wish to have a pony. I tried not to laugh at her because she really seemed to think that it might be possible if she waved that wand hard enough.
Ellie looked happy. Her face was sparkling with fairy dust and her silver wings matched her silver and pink fairy dress. Everyone gathered together in the living room to watch Ellie open her presents. She opened her gifts so fast that I only knew what she received because after ripping off the wrapping paper, she would hold the present over her head and say—
This is a great present. Thank you very much!
Wanna told her before the party that she needed to thank the giver of each present before she opened the next one. Ellie did a good job and didn’t forget to thank a single person for their present.
When all of the presents were opened, except mine, she turned to Wanna, clapped her hands, and said—
Now, Mommy will tell my birthday story!
Wanna looked confused and said—
What story is that, Ellie?
And Ellie said—
You know, Mommy. Tell everyone about the day that I came out of your tummy and I was born!
Everyone stared at the floor or at their feet. The room became totally quiet.
I will tell you the rest tomorrow. I guess you already know that it didn’t go very well after that.
135
Dear Penny,
Ellie asked to hear about the day that she was born, and Wanna looked like she didn’t know what to do.
Finally, Wanna ended the silence and quietly said—
Ellie, don’t you remember how we talked about that you were born in China? Don’t you remember the books that we have read about children who were born in China and then they were adopted?
Ellie looked angry. I have never seen that look on her face before. She said to Wanna—
Those were books, Mommy. I am not a book.
Wanna said—
I know you are not a book, but the story the books told is like the story of your life.
Ellie became even angrier and she said with a loud voice—
I don’t want you to talk about books, Mommy! I want you to tell my friends about my day I was born!
Wanna looked like she was lost and she didn’t know which way to go. She looked around the silent room and tried to apologize to everyone with her eyes. She said—
Ellie. You were born in China and I wasn’t there, honey. You were born from your China Mama’s tummy…not mine. I don’t know the story to tell your friends. Only your China Mama knows the story of the day you were born. We have talked about this before. I think we should have cake now. Are you ready for some cake?
Ellie was not ready for cake. She fell to the floor and curled up in a ball and started screaming.
136
Dear Penny,
Nobody moved when Ellie started to scream. I was still in my chair and watching it all happen. Ellie was on the floor and there was a room full of people pretending that they weren’t there at
Wanna gave me some wrapping paper decorated with bright colored flowers. It matched the tiny blue flower charm that was on the bracelet.
It was raining and the air was cool. I tucked the present box into my sweater pocket. I didn’t want to put it on the pile of gifts waiting for Ellie to open. I wanted to hand the gift to her myself.
Ellie had a fairy party and invited a few of her little friends. Wanna gave all of the children fairy wings and a wand. I did not wear the wings or carry a wand, but I did let Ellie put some silver fairy dust on my face.
Even though it was raining outside, it felt bright and colorful inside the house.
Daddy couldn’t come to the party because he had a work meeting to go to. He said it was very important and could mean good things for our family if it went well.
Wanna stood in the kitchen and offered food to all of the mothers who brought their children to the party.
The children were crazy and ran around our house swinging their wands and pretending to grant wishes or trying to turn our furniture into pumpkins. One little girl tried to turn me into a pony because she said it was her heart felt wish to have a pony. I tried not to laugh at her because she really seemed to think that it might be possible if she waved that wand hard enough.
Ellie looked happy. Her face was sparkling with fairy dust and her silver wings matched her silver and pink fairy dress. Everyone gathered together in the living room to watch Ellie open her presents. She opened her gifts so fast that I only knew what she received because after ripping off the wrapping paper, she would hold the present over her head and say—
This is a great present. Thank you very much!
Wanna told her before the party that she needed to thank the giver of each present before she opened the next one. Ellie did a good job and didn’t forget to thank a single person for their present.
When all of the presents were opened, except mine, she turned to Wanna, clapped her hands, and said—
Now, Mommy will tell my birthday story!
Wanna looked confused and said—
What story is that, Ellie?
And Ellie said—
You know, Mommy. Tell everyone about the day that I came out of your tummy and I was born!
Everyone stared at the floor or at their feet. The room became totally quiet.
I will tell you the rest tomorrow. I guess you already know that it didn’t go very well after that.
135
Dear Penny,
Ellie asked to hear about the day that she was born, and Wanna looked like she didn’t know what to do.
Finally, Wanna ended the silence and quietly said—
Ellie, don’t you remember how we talked about that you were born in China? Don’t you remember the books that we have read about children who were born in China and then they were adopted?
Ellie looked angry. I have never seen that look on her face before. She said to Wanna—
Those were books, Mommy. I am not a book.
Wanna said—
I know you are not a book, but the story the books told is like the story of your life.
Ellie became even angrier and she said with a loud voice—
I don’t want you to talk about books, Mommy! I want you to tell my friends about my day I was born!
Wanna looked like she was lost and she didn’t know which way to go. She looked around the silent room and tried to apologize to everyone with her eyes. She said—
Ellie. You were born in China and I wasn’t there, honey. You were born from your China Mama’s tummy…not mine. I don’t know the story to tell your friends. Only your China Mama knows the story of the day you were born. We have talked about this before. I think we should have cake now. Are you ready for some cake?
Ellie was not ready for cake. She fell to the floor and curled up in a ball and started screaming.
136
Dear Penny,
Nobody moved when Ellie started to scream. I was still in my chair and watching it all happen. Ellie was on the floor and there was a room full of people pretending that they weren’t there at
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