Chapter 20

Laura

I woke up on my birthday to a text from Chloe that said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY BITCH" in all caps with seventeen exclamation points.

I wrote back. "thank you. why are you yelling."

"BECAUSE IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY."

"you are going to wake up my parents."

"GOOD. THEY SHOULD BE AWAKE. IT IS YOUR DAY."

I put my phone down. Stared at the ceiling.

Eighteen.

I did not feel eighteen. I felt the same as yesterday. Same as last week. Same as last month.

My mom knocked on the door. "Wake up. Breakfast."

"I am awake."

"Then come downstairs."

I got up. Put on a robe. Walked downstairs.

The kitchen was decorated. Balloons. A banner. A pile of presents on the table. My mom was wearing a party hat. My dad was holding a camera.

"Happy birthday," they said together.

"You guys are ridiculous."

"We know. Sit down."

I sat down. My mom put a plate of pancakes in front of me. My dad took a picture. The flash was too bright.

"Dad. It is 8 AM."

"You will thank me later."

"I will not."

He took another picture anyway.

---

I opened presents.

My mom got me a necklace. Small. Gold. A tiny heart.

"It is beautiful," I said.

"It was your grandmother's."

I looked at the necklace. My grandmother died when I was twelve. I missed her.

"Thank you," I said.

My mom hugged me. She was crying. My dad was crying too.

"You are both crying," I said.

"We are not crying," my dad said.

"You are literally crying."

"Allergies."

"It is February."

"Winter allergies."

I laughed. He laughed. My mom laughed.

My dad got me a new phone. The latest one. My old one was cracked and slow.

"You needed it," he said.

"I needed it."

"You are welcome."

"Thank you."

I hugged him. He hugged me back.

---

At 10 AM, Chloe came over.

She was carrying a bag and a box and a balloon that said "18" in gold letters.

"Happy birthday," she screamed.

"You are going to wake up my neighbors."

"I do not care about your neighbors."

She put the stuff on the table. The bag was from a store I liked. The box was wrapped in silver paper.

"Open the bag first," she said.

I opened the bag. It was a hoodie. Soft. Grey. It said "Birthday Queen" on the front.

"You are going to wear that every day," she said.

"I am going to wear it right now."

I put it on. It was too big. I loved it.

"Now the box," she said.

I opened the box. It was a journal. Leather. Brown. My name was engraved on the front.

"Laura," I read.

"With a heart," she said. "Look."

There was a heart next to my name.

"Chloe. This is beautiful."

"I know. I am a great gift giver."

I hugged her. She hugged me back.

"You are crying," she said.

"I am not crying."

"You are literally crying."

"Winter allergies."

"It is February."

"Exactly."

She laughed. I laughed.

---

At noon, Rick came over.

He was holding flowers. Red roses. A dozen of them.

"Happy birthday," he said.

"Thank you."

He kissed my cheek. Handed me the flowers. I put them in water.

"Where is your present," I said.

"Patience."

"I do not have patience."

"I know."

He handed me a small box. Wrapped in blue paper.

I opened it.

A bracelet. Silver. Tiny charms on it. A heart. A star. A book.

"I picked the book because you like to read," he said.

"I do not like to read."

"You read all the time."

"I read for school. That is different."

"Same thing."

"It is not."

But I put the bracelet on. It was pretty. He was trying.

"Thank you, Rick."

"You are welcome."

He hugged me. I hugged him back.

He was not what I wanted. But he was here. He was trying. That counted for something.

---

At 3 PM, Chloe came back.

She was holding a cake. Chocolate. With "18" on top in pink icing.

"We are going to the park," she said.

"Why."

"Because it is your birthday and the sun is out and you need to touch grass."

"I touch grass every day."

"Walking from your car to the school does not count."

We went to the park. Chloe brought the cake. Mia brought drinks. Jess brought chips. Rick came. Jake came. A bunch of people came.

We sat on the grass. The sun was warm. The sky was blue. Someone had a speaker. Someone had a frisbee. Someone was trying to do a cartwheel and failing.

I ate cake. I opened more presents. Mia got me a candle that smelled like vanilla. Jess got me a gift card to the bookstore. Jake got me a hat that said "I graduated and all I got was this hat."

"Did you actually graduate," I said.

"Barely," he said.

"Same."

We laughed.

Chloe put her arm around me. "Happy birthday, Laura."

"Thank you, Chloe."

"Are you happy?"

I looked around. My friends. The sun. The cake. The stupid hat.

"Yeah," I said. "I am happy."

I meant it.

---

At 6 PM, I went home.

My parents ordered pizza. We ate together. Watched a movie. Something funny. Something with actors I did not know.

My mom fell asleep on the couch. My dad covered her with a blanket.

"Good day," he said.

"Good day."

"You are eighteen now."

"I know."

"Do you feel different."

"No."

"Good. Because you are still my baby."

He hugged me. I hugged him back.

I went upstairs. Sat on my bed.

There was a box on my pillow.

I did not put it there.

It was small. White. A ribbon around it. No name.

I opened it.

Inside was a necklace. A single star. Small. Delicate. Not gold. Not silver. Something else. Something that caught the light.

I picked it up. Held it in my hand.

There was a note at the bottom of the box.

"Happy birthday. You are exactly where you are supposed to be."

No name.

No signature.

But I knew.

I put the necklace on. The star rested just below my collarbone.

My phone buzzed.

Chloe: "did you get the necklace"

Me: "that was from you?"

Chloe: "no. i thought it was from rick."

I texted Rick. "did you get me a necklace"

Rick: "no. i got you a bracelet. remember?"

I stared at the screen.

Me: "yeah. i remember."

Rick: "why."

Me: "nothing. someone left a box on my bed."

Rick: "weird."

Me: "yeah."

I put my phone down.

I looked at the necklace. The star. The note.

"You are exactly where you are supposed to be."

I did not know what that meant.

But I kept the necklace on.