After an exhilarating night with Wesley, it’s my birthday, and I’m sitting around a campfire with him and Taylor, two of my three favorite people. We’re grilling fish that I caught a bit earlier with my other favorite person, my dad. He’s on a walk with Taylor’s mom.
The police have finished their investigation, and have cleared me of any wrongdoing. They’ve also assured me that Christian is going to be behind bars for a very long time.
“This walk that my dad took your mom on is really lasting a long time,” I tell Taylor.
“I guess it’s extremely romantic,” she replies.
“Well, I’d wanted to wait until they get back, but that might never happen,” Wesley says. “And perhaps it’s a good thing that it’s just the three of us.”
“For what?” I ask, looking at Taylor’s face to see if she’ll reveal anything, but she’s just smiling her wide, beaming grin.
“For your birthday present,” Wesley answers. He reaches into the backpack by his chair and pulls out a wrapped gift. “This is from Taylor and me, together.”
“Oh you guys,” I say. “You shouldn’t have.”
But I’m smiling.
I peel back the paper, and squeal in surprise.
“Oh my god,” I shout. “Is that what I think it is?”
My Spanish still isn’t that great, but Pablo Neruda’s name is the same in both languages, and I know that a loose translation of the book’s title from Spanish to English is The Lost Poems.
“This is the only book my mom didn’t have in her collection!” I exclaim.
“I know,” Wesley says. “You told me about it. And I happened to know that your BFF Taylor here is a Latin American literature major…”
“…who is doing a research work- study job with a Chilean professor,” Taylor finishes for him. “So it all worked out quite nicely, to be able to have my boss call in a special favor with some family members of his back in Chile. Apparently this book is all over the used bookstores there. All I had to do was ask.”
“Is that all?” I say, with a grin still filling up my entire face.
The missing connection with my mom was right there within my reach the whole time. I just had to have Wesley and Taylor’s help to get it.
“That you guys so much,” I say. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Happy birthday,” they shout in unison.
“Whatever helps you feel closer to your mom,” Wesley says. “We know that she will always be a very important part of your life.”
“And so are you guys,” I tell her. “I never want to not have either of you in my daily life ever again.”
“I’m sorry I got in the way of your happiness with Wesley,” Taylor says.
“I know you didn’t mean it. You were just trying to look out for me.”
“Well,” Taylor says, looking as if she doesn’t know if she should say anything further, but deciding to anyway. “I guess there was an aspect of jealousy there. I kind of went out of my way for a while to find and focus on reasons I thought Wesley wasn’t good for you, instead of the obvious reasons why he was. I guess it’s just hard sometimes and a little lonely, being the third wheel.”
“I understand,” I tell her.
And I really do. For most of our friendship it’s been Taylor who has had a lot of dates and a revolving door of boyfriends. I’ve been the one on the sidelines.
“There were quite a few suspicious things that you had every right to be wary of,” I say. “I’m just glad you came around and realized how awesome Wesley is.”
“And I’m glad you did too,” Wesley says to me.
“Oh my god,” Taylor exclaims. “I just got a text.”
“How weird,” I tell her. “My phone hasn’t had reception.”
“Mine either, but a bunch are randomly coming in now.”
She looks at her phone. “One of them is from Mandy’s mom. She texted me because she hadn’t heard back from her texts to you. She says Mandy is out of her coma and starting to recover. We can go visit her next week, as soon as we get back. She also said that no one knew how serious of a problem Mandy’s partying had become or that it had gotten so out of hand. Mandy has agreed to seek help and stop drinking and doing any other kind of drugs.”
“That’s awesome,” I say. “I’m glad she’ll be okay. And I know she can do whatever she sets her mind to. Her discipline in cheerleading is awesome. But I wonder when or if she’ll be able to come back. I just can’t believe all of this has happened.”
“Me neither,” Wesley says. “I thought I was leaving drama behind when I left Huningdale, but I didn’t realize I’d run right smack back into it at Calton.”
“But you’ve managed to avoid being the one to cause the drama. Congratulations,” I say.
Both Wesley and Taylor laugh.
Then I decide to face the facts and address the obvious elephant in the room, which I hadn’t even had the courage to face last night when Wesley and I were alone, because I just wanted to enjoy being reunited with him, and the hot sex too of course.
“I bet you can’t wait to get back to playing for a good team,” I tell him. “Now you’ll probably be able to go back to Huningdale in time for next year’s season, since you’ve gotten back into the administration’s good graces.”
“I already do play for a good team,” Wesley says.
“What?” I ask, incredulous.
“And that’s why I told Coach Thompson I’m going to stay at Calton for good and play for the Wildcats for the rest of my college career.”
“Really?” I can’t believe it, but from his mischievous, handsome smile I know it’s true.
Just then I hear my dad’s voice, as he and Taylor’s mom come up to us, having finished their walk.
“Did I hear my name?”
“Wesley just told Taylor and me the good news,” I tell him. “That he’ll be staying at Calton.”
My dad beams happily. “And let me just add on to the good news while we’re at it,” he says.
Taylor’s mom holds up her ring finger.
“I want to be the one to tell them,” she shouts. “He proposed!”
“Yay!” says Taylor, and runs over to hug her mom.
Now I see what all her excitement has been about. I’ve never seen her mom so happy. My dad either, for that matter— not since my mom died, at least.
Wesley and I join them for another group hug.
This is the best birthday I ever could have asked for.