ADVERTISEMENT
A child’s birthday is supposed to be a foundational memory of joy, a milestone of growth marked by the excitement of gifts and the simplicity of games. Instead, for the guest of honor and the young attendees, this day will be remembered only for the sudden, terrifying silence that followed the gunfire. It will be remembered for the weight of a parent’s grip, the coldness of a floorboard, and the sight of a world turning upside down. The trauma has robbed them not just of their safety, but of their innocence, replacing the wonder of childhood with the hyper-vigilance of a survivor.
