Vanilla cake with white frosting, the pair of six bright red cherries and a corresponding candle set ablaze encircled the top of the cake perfectly. Conspiracy to keep me 6 forever? Left unbarred, the centre of the cake under the shadow of the fire read, 'Happy Birthday Wanangwa'. One of my first vivid memories stretched so far from today that not only is that not so little girl not little anymore but she also prefers velvet cake. "Surprise!," echoed. The light from the candles fade, the cheer and loud singing go still and my eyes open to a girl still but certainly not 6, and she's besides herself with how far she's come. She no longer cries when a door clumps her finger as she recalled doing every other day on drop off at school. Nor has the foot that leaves space in a size 2 shoe. The very foot size that her niece proudly sliped into her slipper a couple sizes bigger, pretty big shoes to fill, "It's going to take years and even then I don...