“Happy birthday to you...”

The people were clapping while singing in Russian, smiling at her, and loosening up. Anna smiled shyly at everyone singing the birthday song while she awkwardly sat in the middle in front of her three-tier princess cake. Her body’s stiffness immediately relaxed upon feeling a peck on her cheeks. She grinned at her father and clapped her hands too. “Happy birthday, Anna!”

“Thank you!”

She was grinning all day. Her parents had the best 10th birthday ...