A gentle knock at the door and I stir awake stretching slightly.

"Happy birthday Alex," my parents greet me and I jump out of bed to hug them. A tender moment but I wouldn't know till much later how special they are.

"Ready to open your presents or would you like breakfast first," That's a tough choice.

"Pancakes!"

"Of course Alex, anything you want," my father hugs me close again and heads downstairs to get started I race down after and my mother follows much more relaxed. I see the presents piled on the living room table as I race to the kitchen.

"Careful now, you know the rules," he smiles, those gentle eyes and I smile back taking my seat. My mother is laying the table as the cutlery floats over along with everything else, she sits next to me smiling sweetly.

"Do I get magic now?" giddy as they dance around a little before they are placed down.

"Not quite yet Alex, your magic needs to stabilise a little more. It should be settled by the time you are ten,"

"Ten that's ages away!" I see the first pancake flip, no magic there just my father's handy work.

"It could be any day now. You know that it is somewhere between five and ten,"

I feel a little sad and swing my legs a little under the table. I really wanted my magic to settle today on my birthday just so I can be like my mother fighting angels and demons like the magic girl shows on TV.

"First one's ready," my father calls as he flips a pancake over his shoulder and magic guides it to my plate. I just rush to pick up my cutlery starting on it instantly. Soooo good...

I pause. That feels odd.

"Everything okay Alex?" My mother noticed I stopped and I open my mouth a little and feel a tooth with my tongue, a little wiggle.

"Seems like another loose tooth, you are growing up so fast," She places a hand on my head ruffling my hair and I smile before getting back to the tasty pancake. Moments after another pancake flies over gently guided onto my mother's plate and she starts eating too. I am still not halfway done before the next one is guided to my father's plate and a bit later there are a few more spread around and he joins us.

You wouldn't really know that my mother is a witch from looking at us from the outside and with how natural my father acts in such a magical house you also wouldn't guess he isn't a warlock and yet everything just goes so smoothly. I can't wait for my magic to be ready and I can lay the table, fill the dishwasher and do every little chore that people hate and I will be able to do it all without even touching anything.

Breakfast is finished and I race out of the room rushing upstairs to get dressed and then straight back down, turning on saturday morning cartoons. My father joins me next as my mother tidies up and when she joins the presents start.

I rip open the wrapping unable to contain myself, toys, books, and then a big teddy bear, my mother moves it with magic as I give it a hug and it hugs back. Witches must never get lonely when their teddies can hug them back. I finally finish the presents and start on the cards, I laugh at the one auntie Charlotte sent. The grandparent ones are less fun ones but they shower me with love and praise. We are finally done when my mother waves her arm and all the rubbish is swept away. My father putting the cards up on the mantle and I feel like the luckiest girl alive.

There is a knock on the inside of the front door and I race to see who has appeared.

"AUNTIE CHARLOTTE!" I call out racing into a hug

"Happy birthday Alex, look how much you have grown,"

"Soon I will be using magic to visit you,"

"I look forward to it," she comes in a bit more and plays with me while talking to my parents. The game she got me is really fun and we are all playing without a care in the world. It doesn't take long for another little tap from inside the house and I shoot up to greet them. My grandmother and father give me a hug and I pull on them to come to the living room eager to show them my new toys. Why don't they make games for more people? I want to play with everyone at once.

The phone rings and my father answers it, something something, too many people to play with.

It isn't long until a car parks on the driveway and I rush to the door fiddling with the lock but my father gets it open before I can. With my other grandparents arriving the magic stops, why do we have to keep it a secret? Wouldn't it be better if everyone could use magic? They bring balloons with them and see the card and gift they sent already in the living room as they fill the last seats. We all play games together until lunchtime where we take a walk down the road to a restaurant. A big table with everyone I love.

Racing home, more playing, lots of hugs. We split into teams and our home wins a lot. Laughing talking more hugs and kisses.

Finally, my mother and father head to the kitchen while everyone else makes me feel so special.

I notice the cake finally no candles lit and while everyone is looking away my mother lights them with magic making me smile. She always makes it special. The lights go off as my aunt closes the curtains and they sing. I blow out the candles in one go, everyone clapping, I wished for magic. The cake is served everyone has some. I wipe some of the chocolate from my mouth as I finish getting back to laughing and having fun with everyone.

It starts to get dark outside and the car drives away and then soon it is just me and my parents. We play more but soon it is dinner time and things have to calm down. Bath time plenty of bubbles and finally ready for bed and waiting for a story. My mother is sitting near me, my father enters a bit after joining us.

"What story would you like today Alex?"

"Magic!" is all I can manage.

"I know just the thing," she holds up her hands and then the biggest surprise yet. A wrapped present appears, she hands it to me and I rapidly open it and just ...

I don't even know what to say, a new book on magic. It is unique. I can see all the things that my mother has on her books there but when I open it there is my father's handwriting. Tears in my eyes as I hug them. Definitely the happiest girl in the world. They take it from me after tucking me in and take turns reading me the stories of magic, every one of them true until I feel my eyes grow heavy, the book closes gently and is placed on my bookshelf, the first of many magic books and they each kiss me good night.

I would forever look back with memory magic on that day. It was my favourite birthday and I wonder just how much magic I didn't see. Was my mother secretly helping us get lucky with magic on the dice rolls? I will never know since I couldn't sense the magic back then. All I know is how innocent I was and how loved I was...