Was the elevator out of service again and out of service all day today? This meant I had to take the stairs, knowing the fact that my office was on the fifth floor. The company seriously needed to put some money into getting that elevator fixed instead of throwing it all at unnecessarily grandiose and pretentious events for investors. Just last week, a poor old lady was stuck in there for an entire hour until they finally bothered to send a rescue team to help her out. Suddenly, a voice jolted me out of my thoughts.

“Have a good evening, Mrs. Corbyn,” said Cecily, the receptionist, as she walked out of the conference room toward her desk.

“You too, Cecily,” I replied, forcing a smile. I couldn’t help but notice the knee-length white dress she wore, perfectly accentuating her tiny waist, almost as if Michaelangelo had sculpted it. There was a time I had a waist like that, in my 20s, when I had every guy chasing after me. Now, the only curves remaining on my body are the ones from cellulite; only God knows how time changes.

Even though Cecily was genuinely sweet, seeing her every day, always looking picture-perfect, evoked a sense of rage and envy within me. No one would ever catch her on a single day when she didn’t look her best. She was always impeccably done, from her clothes to her hair and makeup. It was stupid, but I would wait for that one day when she would slip up, yet she never did. It was as if she never had a bad day.

After walking what seemed to be an endless set of stairs, I got to the garage and stepped inside my car. I caught my reflection in the rearview mirror. The bags under my eyes looked more pronounced in the harsh, fluorescent light. Maybe my aesthetician, Dr. Park, was right about finally considering Botox.

Starting the car, I drove straight to Chili’s at 915 W North Ave, which wasn’t far from my office. We would have this monthly family get-together at Chili’s. Mike’s car was already in the parking lot as I pulled in. The windshield of his car was still cracked around one corner, despite countless times I had reminded him to get it changed.

As I walked into the restaurant, I noticed the place was unusually crowded for a Wednesday.

“Mom, over here!” Samantha’s voice called from across the room. I instantly spotted them sitting at a corner table and made my way over.

“Hey babe,” Mike stood up and leaned in to kiss me. I almost instinctively dodged it, going for a quick hug instead. His lips brushed against my cheek, evoking an irresistible sense of repulsiveness.

“Sorry, I’ve got lip gloss on,” I said, playing it off with a smile without looking him directly in the eye. It was hard to even look at him and not be reminded that he was a cheater. The only reason I was even with him was because of our kids.

Then Samantha reached in for a hug, and I hugged her back, noticing the strapless top she had on, which quickly shifted my mood and thoughts.

“What are you wearing?” I asked, trying to mask my disapproval.

“Come on, Mom. It’s a cool top, and we’re celebrating today,” she replied. Samantha always had her way of convincing me.

I sighed.

“Hey, Mom!” Kyle greeted unenthusiastically, not even bothering to get up. With him, it had never been easy. I just nodded and smiled, grateful for his minimal effort to at least acknowledge me.

“Have you guys ordered?” I asked.

“No, we were just waiting for you,” Mike responded.

I flipped through the menu and decided almost immediately. “Ok, I’m going to get a Bacon Ranch Burger with fries.”

“Weren’t you on a diet, Mom,” Samantha quipped, always knowing how to get on my nerves.

“Today is my cheat day,” I said jokingly, fully aware that I had been on cheat days for the past month.

The food arrived quickly, and we settled on our meal. The chatter and laughter of other diners filled the air around us.

As we dug into our meals, I turned to Samantha, trying to make conversation. “So, how’s college going, Sam?” I asked, hoping to hear some enthusiasm about her studies or campus life.

“It’s fine,” she replied, not looking up from her phone as she picked at her salad.

I sighed inwardly. “Just fine? Any interesting classes or projects you’re working on?”

“Not really,” she said with a shrug, finally glancing up. “Just the usual stuff.”

At times, the thought would strike me that both of my children had been terrible students, and this made me feel as though I had failed as a parent to pique their interest in academics. But then I would distract myself by thinking of the many gifted people who were also bad at their studies to feel better about it.

Mike, sensing the tension, tried to help. “Sam, your mom and I were really involved in campus activities. It’s a great way to meet people and make the most of your college experience.”

Yeah, meeting new people, I thought to myself. He would want that.

“Yeah, maybe,” she muttered.

The conversation lulled, and I turned my attention back to my burger, feeling a pang of disappointment. I missed the days when Samantha was little, and she would excitedly tell me about her day, sharing every little detail. Now, it felt like pulling teeth just to get a few words out of her.

Mike tried to fill the silence. “So, Kyle, what are your plans for next year?”

Kyle, quietly eating his chicken tenders, looked up briefly. “I’m not sure, but I’m probably going to get a new game system.”

Mike and I exchanged glances, both of us feeling the same frustration. Kyle had said that college wasn’t for him, that his passion lay elsewhere, and yet he still hadn’t figured out where, even at 23.

As we finished our meal, I couldn’t shake the feeling of disconnect. I wanted to bridge the gap, to find a way back to the closeness we once shared, but I didn’t know how. At that moment, a waiter suddenly approached our table, holding a large plate of molten chocolate cake topped with a candle. Behind him trailed several other staff members, all with cheerful expressions. I felt my stomach drop as they began to sing “Happy Birthday.”

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Gloria, happy birthday to you!” they chorused, my children and husband also joining them as their voices filled the restaurant.

How could I forget my own birthday? Have I grown that oblivious to everything? I noticed the candle on the dessert. Fifty-nine? How could that be true? It’s crazy how fast time flies. It feels like only yesterday I was in my twenties, having the time of my life with my dream body and perfect hair. Now, when I look at myself, I see wrinkles and sagging skin everywhere.

The waiter beamed as he set the dessert in front of me. “Have a lovely 59th birthday, Miss Gloria!”

Ugh! It feels awful to be called fifty-nine. What’s next? Sixty? By then, I’d probably be senile and in hospice care, I wondered.

“Thank you so much!” I forced a smile, feeling my cheeks burn.

As the staff dispersed, I turned to my family, shaking my head. “Ok, whose idea was this?”

Samantha giggled. “It wasn’t us, Mom. I swear!”

“It’s free birthday dessert,” Kyle snickered.

Samantha reached below the table and pulled out a small bag, passing it along the table. “I got you something.”

Mike grabbed a larger bag and passed it along, too. To my surprise, even Kyle, who normally never gave presents, handed me a gift bag.

I looked at the three of them, my heart swelling with a mix of emotions. “You guys didn’t have to do this.”

“Of course we did, Mom,” Samantha said, her eyes twinkling. “Open mine first.”

I carefully unwrapped the small bag from Samantha and found a delicate silver bracelet with a small heart charm. “Oh, Sam, it’s beautiful. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Mom.”

Next, I opened Mike’s larger bag. Inside was a luxurious cashmere scarf in my favorite shade of caramel brown. “This is perfect, Mike. I love it,” I said out loud, momentarily forgetting about his infidelities.

Mike smiled.

Finally, I turned to Kyle’s gift. Opening the bag, I found a framed photograph of the four of us from a family vacation years ago, all of us smiling and carefree. “Kyle, this is wonderful. Thank you.”

Kyle shrugged, trying to hide his smile. “Thought you might like it.”

I felt tears welling up but blinked them back, not wanting to ruin the moment. “You all mean so much to me. Thank you for making this birthday special, even if I did forget it myself.”

Samantha reached over and squeezed my hand. “We love you, Mom. And you don’t look a day over fifty.”

I laughed, feeling a warmth spread through me. “You’re too kind, sweetheart.”

Mike raised his glass. “To Gloria, the best wife and mother. Happy birthday!”

We clinked our glasses together, the earlier awkwardness forgotten. Despite the initial shock and my mixed feelings about aging, this impromptu celebration reminded me of the love and connection that we still shared.

We all grabbed our forks and dug into the cake, the awkwardness of the moment slowly melting away with each bite of the rich, gooey dessert.

As we finished the cake, I noticed Samantha’s expression soften. She looked at both Mike and me with a seriousness that caught me off guard. “So, Mom and Dad, now that you both are here, I have some news.”

News? What news could Samantha have to share at this moment? My mind raced through possibilities. Had she flunked an exam? Was she in some kind of trouble? Samantha was unpredictable, a trait that oddly reminded me of my own youth.

“I’m pregnant.”

“What?” I croaked, though I had clearly heard her the first time, but I convinced myself I must have misheard.

“I’m pregnant, Mom and Dad.”

I heard her well this time, yet I remained in denial. “What? How did this happen?” I felt a surge of mixed emotions and disbelief.

“That’s amazing!” Mike exclaimed, his face lighting up.

“Amazing? Seriously, Mike? She is twenty, for God’s sake,” I groaned, feeling frustration rise.

Samantha looked down, fiddling with the napkin in her lap. “I don’t know how it happened. I probably skipped the morning-after pill when I was with Jacob. It’s been a while since I’ve had my period, and my friend Virginia suggested I take a pregnancy test. I just found out last week.”

“Wow!” Kyle chimed in sarcastically.

“Stop it, Kyle! And you’re telling us this now?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.

“I thought it was better to tell you guys in person.”

“Did you tell Jacob?”

“He wouldn’t want to know. He’s already with another girl. I was thinking of moving back in with you guys and taking a break from college for a while.”

The weight of her words settled heavily on me. I looked at Mike, who seemed lost in thought. “Samantha, we need to talk about this. This is a huge decision.”

“I know, Mom,” she said softly. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I just... I need your support.”

Mike reached across the table, taking Samantha’s hand in his. “We’ll figure this out together. You’re not alone in this, baby.”

I took a deep breath, trying to process everything. Despite my initial shock and frustration, I knew Samantha needed our love and guidance now more than ever. “Alright, we’ll work through this as a family. But we need to discuss everything in detail, understand?”

Samantha nodded, “Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad.” She checked her phone and said, “Oh, I have to head back now; Virginia is picking me up. I’ll see you guys this weekend.”

Just like that, she got up, hugged Mike and me, and left the restaurant.

On my way home, alone in the car, I found myself lost in thought, reflecting on my life and the choices that had brought me to this moment. What had my life become? What could it have been if things had turned out differently?

Despite being fifty-nine now, I felt a deep sense of failure as a mother. My daughter, barely twenty, was pregnant, and I hadn’t even noticed the signs. My son, now twenty-three, had no clue what he wanted to do with his life except play video games. I worked a job I despised, climbing endless stairs in a building where the elevator was perpetually broken and attending pretentious company events that only served to remind me of how far I’d strayed from my dreams.

My marriage was another source of sorrow. I was stuck in a loveless relationship with a man who had cheated on me. The intimacy and connection we once shared had long since faded, replaced by a cold, distant cohabitation. We were more like roommates than partners, living parallel lives under the same roof.

Most painfully, I felt I had lost myself. I used to be an enthusiastic, fun-spirited girl full of dreams and ambitions. Now, I hardly recognized the woman staring back at me in the mirror, her face marked with the lines of time and weariness.