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“I hope so, because I think she’s the key to finding out who my mother was.”
26
Beth
Happy Birthday
My doorbell rings and I glance at the clock. It’s after eleven PM. I pick up my phone. Carter still hasn’t called me back. He didn’t come over today and I haven’t heard from him at all.
The doorbell rings again and I put my pencil down and rush to the kitchen to check the monitor before I answer it. No one but Dina and Carter would come here unannounced, but I’m not expecting either of them.
A balloon of happiness swells in chest when I see Carter standing on my doorstep. But I squash the urge to run and throw myself at him. He can’t ignore me all day and just show up here whenever he wants.
I yank the door open with an irritated frown. “Do you know what time it is?”. If he sees my scowl, he doesn’t acknowledge it. He smiles, coy and excited. “Sorry, I just got back from Austin. I brought you something. Here.”
I look down at the hand he thrusts at me and eye the package wrapped in brown paper and tied with a bright multicolored ribbon.
“What’s this?” I ask. I take it from him with a wary smile.
He groans and snaps her fingers. “Oh shoot, I got ahead of myself. One second, I need to run back out real quick.” He turns and runs back down my walkway to where his motorcycle is parked.
“Carter, I’m just getting ready for bed,” I call after him.
“Be right back. Go wait for me inside.” he calls his shoulder and disappears down the drive.
I stand right where I am, and peer out into the dark trying to see what he’s doing. When he steps back into the light that illuminates my doorstep, my jaw drops.
He’s holding the string to a bunch of pink and white balloons in one hand and is balancing a small pink balancing with her other hand.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s a surprise,” he winks and that mischievous smile on his face blooms into a grin as he squeezes past me through the door.
I stick my head outside and frown when I only see his motorcycle in the driveway. I close the door and turn around in time to see him turn toward the kitchen.
“Carter, what is happening?” I demand when I walk in.
“I want to celebrate you being born and I get that you can’t enjoy the original date, so I figured we’d pick a new one.”
I look from him to the cake and back again three times. “A new what?”
“A new birthday.” His grin is ear to ear.
“We can’t do that.” . My protest is like a reflex, but the way my heart is bubbling in my chest that feels a lot like…happiness.
“Of course we can. Pick a day that’s yours alone. That you can celebrate every year”
“So, today?”
He shrugs. “It can be. Or you can choose a date that means something. Or that makes you happy to think about. Whatever makes sense to you…and start over.”
Start over…God, how amazing would that be.
“So?”
“Yes. And it’s today. .”
“Wonderful, July 2nd is a great day.” He claps his hands together and sets the cake up and tops with it a candle in the shape of a crayon. “Make a wish.”
