Another day had passed at school and for Lindsey Willows, it was another night of loneliness. She’d stayed late at the library at school before making her way to the local library, just to have people around today. It wasn’t that her family didn’t like her, or didn’t care about her. No, far from that. Her father, Eddie Willows, had died in a car accident. Her mother worked in the Las Vegas Crime Lab and her shifts were usually unpredictable. Her Uncle Grissom -- who wasn’t so much her ‘uncle’ any more -- was the same way.

That still didn’t make Lindsey any happier about having her mother work on her birthday.

She tried, year after year, to make sure she had her daughter’s birthday off. This year, however, something hadn’t worked out according to plan. Her mother couldn’t get her birthday off.

Lindsey trudged up the steps to her house, head hung. She was fourteen now, more than old enough to stay home by herself. She slipped her key in the lock and turned it, sighing as the lock gave way and she opened the door.

She remembered the conversation she’d had about her birthday that morning on the phone, just before she’d left for school.

“Mom, its my birthday. You can’t work double,” Lindsey pleaded, carefully placing her school binders into her backpack.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, it’s a time sensitive case. They need me to pull a double shift,” her mother responded, sounding dejected and upset.

“Mom! Beg Uncle Grissom to let you off. You have to come home,” Lindsey said, tears filling her eyes and affecting her voice.

“I’m really sorry sweetie.”

“Its my birthday,” Lindsey whispered, hanging up the phone after she heard the soft click of her mother hanging up.

She walked through the dark living room, not bothering to turn on the lights and up the dark staircase. Her desk lamp was the only light she turned on in her bedroom as she dropped her bag on the floor at the end of her bed. She flopped on her bed, tears running down her face.

“I’m supposed to have a happy birthday,” she whispered into her pillow. The phone rang. Lindsey sniffled, wiping tears off of her face and picked up the phone.

“Hello,” she said, keeping her voice as firm as possible.

“Ever watched the stars?” Lindsey had to smile at the voice through the phone.

“All of the time,” she responded.

“In the back yard?” Lindsey grinned wider, as she walked back down the dark stairs to the back door, picking up her coat on the way. She hung up the phone and opened the door. Her mother was standing there, in the arms of her Uncle Grissom. The rings glinted off of their fingers and Lindsey smiled even wider.

It never snowed in Vegas, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t cold for the residents of the city. Jackets were needed for the January nights

“That was mean, Mom, and you can’t watch stars at 4:30” she said, stepping onto the grass and over to the blanket that was set in a square of Christmas lights.

“You’ve lost track of time, sweetheart. Look up.” Lindsey did, noticing the small spattering of stars beginning to sparkle in the darkening sky. She then glanced down at the watch on her wrist. She had lost track of time.

On the blanket was a pizza, something her family would only indulge in on a special occasion and a birthday cake, complete with fourteen candles. A stack of presents rested just off of the blanket, ribbons and cards set on top. She motioned for her mother and stepfather to join her on the blanket. They did, and he helped her mother sit down much more carefully than normal.

“Pick a present,” he mother said, handing out pieces of Lindsey’s favourite pizza. Pepperoni and mild sausage. She did, choosing a purple wrapped package. The wrapping came off quickly, revealing a clothing box. Lindsey carefully lifted the lid and gasped.

“You got this for me?” she asked in awe, lifting out the wine-coloured jacket. It was one much like her mother’s -- her favourite jacket of her mother’s. Her mother shrugged.

“I know how much you love mine…” she said, not bothering to finish the sentence. She picked up another, smaller, box. She unwrapped it carefully, much the same as how her mother opened her gifts, and lifted out the forest green velvet box. She looked up into her parents’ faces. Her mother’s was confused and mildly surprised. Her stepfather’s was calm and collected. It didn’t take a genius to figure out whom this was from.

She lifted the lid and gasped again. Resting on the white satin of the inside of the box was a heart necklace. She lifted the silver chain to get a better look at the locket. She looked back up at the pair in front of her. The silver glinted in the Christmas lights and reflected off of the four small stones set in the silver vines engraved on the silver. There was her own stone, a red garnet, her mother’s – aquamarine – and her stepfather’s, peridot. The last stone, however, she couldn’t identify. It was a white stone, opaque, that tended to reflect a rainbow every time the Christmas lights hit it.

“Okay, four stones, three of them are family birth stones…” she trailed off confused. Her stepfather waved her to the last package. She lifted the box, checking the tag.

“Happy birthday, love Alison? Who’s Alison?” Her mother waved her to the package, leaning into her husband. Inside the wrapped box was a t-shirt.

“I’m a big sister? But, Mom, you know I don’t have any…” she trailed off once again, putting the behaviour of her parents and the changes in the family together.

“Alison’s my new baby sister, or going to be new baby sister,” she stated. They grinned.

“That’s why Mom’s been sick and why you’ve been so protective of her and why Mom’s been wearing less tight fitting stuff. I see her in a lot more track pants and floaty tops.” Lindsey grinned widely.

“You’re serious? I’m going to be a big sister?” Both nodded.

“Happy birthday, Lindsey.”