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“That’s
too bad. I think you should be,” she said innocently. “I like having you both
here. If you come again, you could listen to Lexi read
Inkheart
out
loud. It’s so good. She makes all the characters have different voices.”

“We
will,” I said, stopping her from going any further. I was already embarrassed
enough. Enveloping her in a big hug, I added, “But we should let you get some
rest.”

“It
was very nice to meet you Ava Rose,” Jason said and pressed gently on her nose
with his fingertip.

“Did
you learn that from Lexi?” she said and rubbed her nose

“What?”
he asked and accepted the orca painting she handed to him.

“Lexi
usually pushes on my nose when she says good-bye.” She shrugged and smiled
brightly. “That’s okay, though; I like it.”

We
were strangely quiet as we walked back down to Hannah’s room. I didn’t know
what he was thinking, and he wasn’t sharing. Still flustered, I avoided eye
contact. Our little visit with Ava Rose had revealed way too many personal
things about me. He had to know I still had feelings for him.

We ran
into Jessica in the hallway, and the tension dissipated. “Quick Lexi, run in
and say good-bye to Hannah and Thomas. We gotta go. I just got a call from work
and somehow let them talk me into covering a four hour shift tonight.”

“Yuck.”
I stuck out my tongue.

“I
know, right. You’d better thank me for taking it too,” she said, jabbing me in
the ribcage, “because you were next on the call list. As a matter of fact, I
think I’ll let you buy me a chicken taco on the way home. As I see it, you owe
me big time.”She laughed, and I couldn’t help but join her. After a final round
of congratulations and hugs with Hannah and Daniel, Jessica and I hastened
towards the door.

As I
reached the door, Jason called out, “Hey, Alex.”

I spun
around and took in his big grin. “What?”

“Go Broncos
– huh?” he quipped.

I
laughed. “At 6-0, you better believe it!”

And so
the days flew by, turning quickly into weeks, and the weeks flew by too.
November took me by storm, and before I knew it Thanksgiving had arrived. With
my brothers in crunch mode at work and unable to get time off for the holiday
that left only me and my parents for our traditional turkey dinner. So, my
request to bring a friend home for the holiday was warmly received; the more
the merrier. Unfortunately for my parents, I wasn’t exactly forthcoming about
who I was bringing with me. Assuming my friend was female, they were completely
flabbergasted when I showed up with Ash.

The
first strike against him was that he was a guy. The second strike became
obvious during introductions when my dad, completely speechless, stared for an
interminable amount of time at Ash’s long hair. Only when my mom elbowed him in
the side did he snap out of his stupor and exchange an intelligible greeting
with Ash. The third strike hadn’t hit yet, but I knew it was lurking in the
shadows.

After
showing Ash to the huge guestroom downstairs and leaving him to get settled in,
my mother dragged me into the front courtyard so we could talk privately.
Grim-faced, my dad followed us out. Standing protected from the light drizzle
under the gazebo, which doubled as a tea house in my mom’s well-manicured,
Japanese garden, we faced each other. While she gave me a few choice words for
not being honest with her, my dad observed our exchange with a crestfallen face
and tight lips. He was either too stunned or too upset to join the
conversation; I wasn’t sure which.

Even
after explaining that Ash and I were just friends, I could tell they still
weren’t convinced he and I were not an item; although, I wasn’t sure why that
would be such a big deal anyways. Once I explained how Ash had lost his entire
family in a car accident when he was a kid and had nowhere to go for
Thanksgiving, my mother’s face fell and sympathy kicked in.

“Oh,
Alexandria. That poor boy! He doesn’t even have a family to go home to. Why
didn’t you just say so in the beginning?” she choked, thumping her chest above
her heart.

“Mom,”
I said quietly, “he doesn’t like to talk about it, and I didn’t really want to
bring it up in the first place. He’s very private about that part of his life,
but you two,” I said and nodded towards my dad, “wouldn’t stop with the guilt
trip. All I can tell you is that it took months before Ash told me about his
family, so please don’t bring it up.”

“Oh,”
she mumbled and nodded her head thoughtfully. “We certainly won’t. And you did
the right thing bringing him home with you. I’d just like a little forewarning
next time.” She patted my cheek. “I’m going to see if there’s anything he
needs…”She gave me a hug and scurried back into the house.

Gazing
intently at the Japanese camellia just outside the gazebo’s open-air window, my
dad shuffled his feet and sighed deeply. In due time, he turned and looked at
me tenderly with his deep brown eyes. Worry lines attacked his forehead and a
heavy frown settled over his face. “Alex, I understand why you felt the need to
bring this young man home with you for Thanksgiving. But I can’t stop wondering
why you weren’t straightforward right from the start. This secretive nature is
not like you. So I’m thinking there is more to this relationship than you’d
care to admit. Maybe there’s an issue you want to discuss with us but are
afraid to bring up?”

“No
dad,” I said loudly, hoping he wasn’t implying what I thought he was implying.

He
nodded but massaged his temple like he had a headache. “Okay, honey. If not
that, then I get the distinct feeling something else is going on with you.
Perhaps at school?” He stepped closer and grasped my shoulders with concern,
“Is everything all right with you?”

He
knew me way too well. Always so perceptive; I couldn’t fault him for being so
attuned to my emotions. He could sense when I was troubled, even when I was
doing my best to hide it. Actually, I was pleased he could ascertain so much
about my mood. That’s what made him a great dad, and that’s also what made our
bond so strong, even if he was completely off track in deciphering the root of
my problems.

Bestowing
my brightest smile, I gave him a huge hug and said in my best reassuring voice,
“Dad, everything’s fine with me. Mostly, I’m tired and overwhelmed, because
I’ve got some nasty finals coming up in about a week and a half. Getting a 4.0
is a lot harder in college than it was in high school,” I added.

“You’re
sure that’s all it is?” he asked and pulled away so he could study my face.

Chuckling,
I said, “Unequivocally certain.”

He
laughed with me. “All right, that’s my girl. But if you ever need to talk about
something, I want you to feel like you can come to me. No matter what the
topic.”

“I
will dad. Promise.”

Meowing
like a neglected pet, our orange and white tabby appeared at my feet and rubbed
against my leg. The most easy-going and laid-back cat I’d ever had, he allowed
me to pick him up and cradle him like a baby. Giggling, I held him upside down,
and he pressed his front paws into my leg and purred. “Lyon,” I said, “you
silly kitty. Don’t you get enough love anymore?”

My dad
grunted and reached out to pet him. “We all miss you Alex. Your absence around
here is profound. We’re really proud of you, though. Your dedication to your
studies and your job – you’ve become a responsible and dedicated young woman.”

“Thanks
dad,” I said with a grin. “That means a lot to me.” As I rubbed Lyon’s chin
rapidly, he purred like an out of control jack-hammer.

“Can I
ask you something, though?” He took a step back and gripped the doorframe.

“Of
course.” I diverted my eyes from Lyon to my dad. The rain was falling heavier
now, at an angle, and a few raindrops were hitting his cheek.

“Do
you ever see Jason?” A bird started chirping inside the camellia bush, and
Lyon’s ears stood on end. Setting him on the ground, I watched as he carefully
stalked across the smooth, stone pavers. Apparently, the bird was more
interesting than the rain was bothersome; Lyon’s natural instinct to hunt
reminded me of the Ray-pacs, and I shivered at the thought.

“Yes
dad,” I said, keeping my eyes on Lyon, a lump forming in my throat, “I do see
him occasionally. Why do you ask?”

Exhaling
slowly, he said cautiously, “He’s an impressive young man, and I was sort of
under the assumption you felt the same way…”

I
fiddled with my pinky ring. “Honestly dad, I did feel that way; I still do. But
I’m pretty sure those feelings are not reciprocated. We’re just friends,” I
said with a little more sadness than I’d intended.

Wrapping
one arm around my shoulder, he said, “Give him time Alex. I’m certain that
young man is captivated by you; he couldn’t take his eyes off you at dinner,
and he inquired all about you during our golf game. In my opinion, something is
holding him back, but he’ll come around eventually. Of that, I’m sure.”

“You
really liked him, huh?” I prodded, mostly because I was delighted in his
approval of Jason, and because it felt good to talk about him.

“Yes,”
he said, placing my cold hand between both of his warm ones, “and I haven’t met
many young men I think are good enough for my only daughter. But just maybe…”

“Stop
now,” I said embarrassed and rolled my head back. “I think it’s time to go back
inside,” I said to change the subject. “Dad, I hope you’ll make a real effort
to get to know Ash. He’s a good guy too.”

“All
right. All right. But how old is he?”

“Daaaddd,”
I groaned, and he raised a brow. “Okay, he’s 21 if you must know.”

“Hmph!
A couple years older than you,” he said rather severely.

“Umm…Jason’s
21 also.”

“Oh.
Well, that’s…different,” he said, and I just laughed. As we walked towards the
house he said, “But that long hair—”

“Don’t
say a word about it.” I poked him in the side.

“Okay,
okay.”In a playful voice he said, “Please don’t tell me he drives a motorcycle,
because if he does—”

“Will
you two hurry up and get in here,” my mom opened the slider and yelled out just
in time. “Otherwise you’re gonna be sopping wet. Besides, it’s my birthday and
Alexandria promised to bake me a cake.”

“What?”
I yelled back. “I did not.”

My mom
laughed and said, “Don’t worry sweetie, I wouldn’t let you near my oven.” My
dad winked, and we hurried along.

“What
did you get mom for her birthday?” I asked.

Smirking,
he said, “My lips are sealed.”

“Ah
ha! Does it have anything to do with a certain lighthouse suite?” I prompted.
His eyes bugged, and I knew that was it. “What about me?” I tried to coerce
information from him. “What did you get me for my birthday?”

“You’ll
just have to wait until Sunday night,” he scolded. Reaching over, he messed up
my hair. “That’s when we’ll celebrate yours.”

Between
Thanksgiving, my mom’s birthday celebration and then mine; although, mine
wasn’t official until Monday, the weekend zoomed by. My parents were friendly
with Ash, and our time together was laid-back and fun. When we left, it was
with my mom inviting Ash to come home with me and visit anytime. I didn’t allow
myself to contemplate the possibility there might not be a next time. I just
kept shoving the thought of death further and further from my mind.

*****

Somewhere
in the late afternoon on my birthday, Ally and I found ourselves blindfolded
and waiting outside on the front porch.

“Come
on you guys,” Ally called out with excited frustration as she bumped into me.
“Let us in already. It’s freezing out here.”

“Patience
Al,” Ben’s muffled voice called through the closed door. “Your surprise is
almost ready.”

For
the last several weeks, he and Ash had been secretly planning a dual birthday
celebration for Ally and me. Being only a day apart, hers fell on November 29
^th
and mine on November 30
^th
. Even though she was only one day older
than me, she loved to use that as an excuse to boss me around. One time she’d ripped
a page out of my daily word calendar and cradled it like it was a cherished
family heirloom. The word of the day had been “sagacious.” Cracking up, she’d
taped it to the bathroom mirror and would use it as a point of reference when
she wanted to win an argument, always saying she was older and sagacious.

A loud
“thump” sounded from inside the house. Shivering next to each other, we
giggled. The guys had been comical – sneaking around like undercover agents and
meeting clandestinely in the hallway; they seemed to think we were oblivious to
their rendezvous. Actually, we’d known something was going on, but they’d done
a good job not slipping up, because neither of us knew what they had planned
for the evening.

The
door squeaked open and Ben said, “Okay birthday ladies, I’m gonna lead you into
the house, but no peeking until I say so.”

“Peeking?”
I cried out as he grabbed my arm. I could hear Ash laughing in the background.
“This blindfold is so tight, I’ll be lucky if my vision returns by tomorrow,” I
joked.

Ally
giggled. “Tell me about it. Mine must be twice the size of yours, because I
can’t even breathe through my nose.”

“Now
ladies,” Ash scolded. “This will be worth all the hardship you’ve had to endure
over the last,” he paused and snorted, “five minutes or so.”

“Ready?”
Ben asked.

“Yes!”
Ally and I said simultaneously.

“Okay,
blindfolds off,” Ash said. His voice was very close to my ear, and while the
house smelled overwhelmingly floral, his bold and enticing scent was still
distinguishable.

Ripping
off our blindfolds, Ally and I gasped just as the flash from Ben’s camera
flickered several times. Colorful and vibrant flowers everywhere had completely
transformed the living room. Lining the coffee table and window sills sat
bouquets of tulips, sunflowers, daisies, and roses to name a few. Scattered
across the couches and along the walls sat multiple floral arrangements – some
simple and elegant, others huge and obscene. My eyes, round with wonder,
scanned the many vases…monstrous bouquet of yellow lilies, purple delphiniums,
and pink roses. The pungent smell of thriving flowers was exhilarating, and the
blasts of color were visually inspiring. Our house had been converted into a
world class floral shop.