“You want me to try walking through the sand in this thing?” I asked, gesturing to the dress.
His eyes tore at where the dress hugged my chest and flounced up my thighs. “I have so many things I would like to see you do in that dress, but for right now, yes. Just a short walk. You can hold my hand for balance if you’d like,” he offered, grasping for my hand.
I let our fingers intertwine as I smiled at him. “Okay, fine. Lead the way.”
Trey was opening my door and showing me down tothe beach within moments. “You know,” he started, “you fight with me a lot less now. Why is that?”
“I don’t know. I guess there’s no point in giving you a hard time when you already won me over and made me yours,” I said, bumping my hip into his as we stepped onto the sand.
“It’s cute that you think there was a time that you weren’t mine.” He gave me a wry smile, wrapping his arm around my waist, graciously carrying most of my weight and balancing me out.
He led me to an area of sheer rock the waves clapped against and only a few miscellaneous people explored. I studied the leafy vines and pink flowers that climbed and wove themselves into the earth, and rock wall that cast a shadow onto the sand and—Penny?
Before I could ask or barely react, my best friend raced and collided with me. We staggered a few steps away from Trey, who smiled at the interaction.
“Oh, Belles! I’ll get out of your hair, I promise! I just wanted to make sure I saw you today and got to tell you I love you and happy birthday!” she squealed, and I almost choked.
My what?
My eyes darted after her wide-eyed, to Trey, still wide-eyed, and then to the quilted blanket Penny had been apparently sitting with.
Atop the blanket was a picnic basket, fancy glasses, and what looked to be a bottle of cider. Then a gorgeous blue cake frosted to sayHappy Birthdaywith one candle in the middle.
Penny squeezed me one last time. “Okay, I love you, have the best day!” She released me then launched herself at Trey, who caught her embrace with ease.
“Gosh, I love you two! Okay, I’m gone!” And she was. She skipped off to a parked vehicle, up the way, and drove off.
I finally looked to Trey, who grinned. “I asked her toset this up for me and watch over it until we got here.”
I turned slowly to the setup, my skirt catching in the salty sea breeze and my curls dancing across my face.
“It’s my birthday?” I asked, not really knowing what else to say.
He grabbed the fabric of the dress at my waist, pulling me against him as he brushed back a curl. “Yeah. Are you upset I didn’t tell you? I knew you’ve been busy and probably forgot, so I thought I’d surprise you. Was that, okay?” he asked, in all seriousness.
I paused, biting down on the inside of my cheek.
Was I mad at him? No, not at all.
What was upsetting was that I didn’t remember my birthday. Just another reminder of how much of a stranger I was in my body. Another reminder that even after all this time, other people still knew more than I did about myself.
I shook my head.
“No, I like surprises. What’s in the basket?” I asked, gesturing to the picnic set up, not willing to depress his efforts under my own personal drama.
His demeanor brightened as he led me to the blanket. I followed his lead taking a seat on the quilt, the basket and cake between us. He pulled out—pop tarts.
I glanced up at him, eyebrows raised.
“With how many of these you and Williams eat, I thought you’d want nothing more.”
I shrugged. “Touché. Gimme.” And I accepted a packet of pop tarts. “I didn’t realize you were such a romantic, Turner.”
I broke a chunk of my snack off and put it into my mouth. I studied Trey pouring us both glasses of cider with a tight grin on his face.
“Well, then, you aren’t very observant. I’m very romantic and sentimental.”
I continued to watch my cheery boyfriend, instantly recalling many accounts when he was romantic. Forgoodness’s sake, he waited by my bedside for an entire year without hope that I would wake.
