Choices (29 page)

I head downstairs to find my father, mother and Tyler in the
kitchen, sitting at the table. “Hey, sweetheart. You look beautiful.” My mother comments on my outfit. Kylie starts doing kicks in my belly, making me laugh.

             
“Hey, she was talking about me silly.” I never get tired of the feeling in my belly when she goes crazy, except at night when I am trying to sleep and she is more active. It seems to happen to most women I talk to. I know the moment I stop moving around so much, she feels the need to get me going again. Oh, I do love her. “Are you guys ready to go?” I ask, eager to get this party started.

             
“Yeah, we’ll be ready in a few minutes. I need to grab my stuff and go to the bathroom real quick.” My mom leaves the kitchen as the doorbell rings. I look at my dad in confusion.

             
“Who is that?” I ask my dad slowly getting out of my chair I just got comfortable in.

             
“Why don’t you answer it?” Nice, thanks dad for making me get up. But I do anyway; slowly making my way to the door. As soon as I open it, my face lights up like the Fourth of July.

             
“Happy birthday beautiful.” Carter is standing there dressed in khaki slacks and a light blue button down shirt. His hair is gelled, bangs to one side of his face. He smiles. I smile, as he hands me a bouquet of roses and kisses my cheek.

             
“What are you doing here?”

             
“I’m here to pick you up for dinner.” I look back in the house and then back at him. “They know I’m taking you.” I look at the flowers and my heart rate picks up speed. I finally throw myself at him, catching him off guard. “Careful of the baby.” I kiss him for a long lingering few minutes, so happy to see him.

             
“Thank you. They’re beautiful. Let’s go put them in some water.” We walk in the house and meet my mom at the bottom of the stairs.

             
“Hi Carter, you look very handsome.” They share an embrace.

“Thank you Mary. You look amazing as always.” I roll my eyes at his attempt to be chivalrous. It’s not like he has to suck up to her. She pats him lightly on the cheek, clearly flattered. I roll my eyes again.

              “Get a room you two.” I joke. Carter quirks his eyebrows at me and I stick my tongue out at him. I find a glass under the cabinet and fill it with water. Carter sits at the table and starts conversing with my father. I feel a smile tug at my lips as I stick the lovely flowers in and set it on top of the counter. Then I briefly smell them.

             
“So, is your mother meeting us there?” My dad asks him.

             
“Yeah, she’ll be there and my sisters are coming too.”

             
“Oh good. It will be a nice evening.” I walk up beside Carter and he wraps his arm around my shoulder.

             
“Ready?” He asks. I nod, ready to get on with the night. “Okay, well we’ll see you guys there.” We say our goodbyes and head out the door.

             
“What? No, Honda?” I ask as he helps me into the truck. He laughs, walking to his side and gets in.

             
“No, not tonight. Sorry.” Oh shucks. I pretend to pout and he grabs my bottom lip, pinching it. I playfully hit him in the arm. “How are you feeling?”

             
“Good. Better now that you’re here. I was beginning to worry when I didn’t hear from you all day.”

             
“Oh please. You really think I forgot your birthday? You’re a silly girl. I mean, young woman now. Geez, you’re old.” I punch him in the arm and cross my arms over my chest.

             
“You’re a jerk.” He laughs, holding my hand. The tingles that shoot up my arm are noticeable, causing me to squirm. “I love you though.” At a red stop light, he leans over and kisses me, reluctantly pulling away only when the light turns green.

             
We end up going to a steak house, which is perfect. I love steak. My parents are there with Carter’s mom, waiting on a table.

             
“Happy birthday Gracie. You look amazing.” I give Sylvia a hug and compliment her nice flowery dress she’s wearing. She has very little to no makeup on and her long dark hair is pulled back. Finally Cassie and Candice show up with Maddie. Right away she runs into Carter’s arms as if she hasn’t seen him for months. It makes me smile and feel a sense of joy being around these people. She sees me and gives me a shy wave. I start tickling her, making her squirm in her uncle’s arms and laughing.

             
When we’re finally called for a table, we all follow the hostess and find a seat. I order a mouthwatering strip steak and mashed potatoes. Dinner consists of small talk, silverware clanking and lots of laughter. It’s a wonderful and more than I anticipated kind of night.

             
“Oh, I have something for you.” Cassie says, reaching under the table.

             
“What? No way. I don’t need presents.” She waves her hand at me and I shut up. She hands me a gift bag and I peer into it, eager to know what it is. In it is a bag full of bath oils, soaps, massage oils, lotions and bubble bath wash stuff. Just what I’ve needed. I haven’t taken a bath for a long time, and now I get to take a bubble bath. Oh the joys of being a woman. “Thank you Cassie. That’s awfully sweet of you.” I notice Carter quietly speaking to my parents and his mom, so I try to open my ears and hear the conversation, taking sips of my soda. The restaurant is busy and loud and Kylie starts going crazy in my belly. I play with her while everyone else talks amongst themselves.

             
“Hey, ready to go?” Carter nudges me. I give him a sidelong glance, unsure what the hurry is.

             
“Why? What about dessert?”

             
“We can get our own. I just wanted to take you out, just the two of us.” I feel bad for just taking off but a part of me is thrilled to be spending the rest of my birthday alone.

             
“Okay, we can go if you want.” He gets up and helps me out of my chair. Apparently he’s more than ready, which makes me laugh and smile. I wonder what he’s up to that he’s in such a hurry. Once we say our goodbyes to everyone, we get back in his truck and take off.

             
“So, what are we doing?” Silence. As we’re driving, I’m trying to make out the scenery but since its dark it’s hard to see much. I rest my head back and close my eyes for a minute. The next thing I know, I’m being shaken. My head jerks up taking in my surroundings. Shit. I fell asleep. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t planning on sleeping.”

             
“It’s okay. We’re here.” I look around and realize we’re in the parking lot…the driving lessons parking lot. I look at Carter in confusion.

             
“Are we having more driving lessons? In the dark?” I ask, half joking, half serious. He laughs, opening his door.

             
“No, come on.” I get out and follow him as he grabs a blanket out of the back seat. A blanket? Oh, this is starting to make me excited. He walks to the back and opens the bed and spreads the blanket out.

             
“You know, I’m starting to suspect something here.” He looks at me and smirks.

             
“What do you think is gonna happen?” I notice a cooler in the corner and wonder how I’m going to climb into the bed.

             
“First of all, how am I supposed to get up there? I mean, you’ll have to lift me up.” And so he does just that. He literally lifts me up and sets me in the bed of the truck. I’m pretty surprised by how easily he was able to do that, not that he’s weak or anything.

             
“Okay, thanks.” I lie down, using my coat as a pillow.

             
“I brought soda to drink and your favorite cheesecake.” I glance in the cooler and see strawberry cheesecake. My God, he did have this all planned out.

             
“You were busy planning, weren’t you?” I find lying down is hard and uncomfortable. I try sitting up, wishing I had a pillow to put beneath my legs. Carter jumps up and sits beside me. I toss him a soda and lean back, looking up into the night sky. There are more stars than I can count. “It’s beautiful out here at night.”

             
“Yeah, my dad and I used to come out here sometimes. I came here a lot after he died, just to wallow in my misery. And to think.” I glance at him looking at the sky, a sad look in his eyes. I wonder if he’s up there, wherever they go when they pass. I hope so. I grab his hand and squeeze it, resting it in my lap.

             
“I’m sorry. I wish he was here with you.” He looks at me and gives me a small smile.

             
“I’m sorry for talking about it. This is your night. So let’s celebrate.” I lay my head on his chest and he covers me up with another blanket. We stay like that for a while, just gazing at the stars and a feeling of contentment overwhelms me. Kylie starts moving, making herself known. Carter looks down and notices but keeps his hands on my belly, moving it around when she moves.

             
“Hey are you flirting with another girl? That might make me jealous, you know. I don’t like to share.” I say, jokingly.

             
“Really? Maybe I should reassure you that there’s no need to be jealous. You’re the only girl I want.” He leans down to kiss me making me forget what we were talking about. I sit up and wrap my arms around his neck continuing our kisses. He weaves his hands through my hair and I can’t help the tingles that are crawling all over my skin. I sit cradled in his lap, our breaths ragged.

             
“What were we talking about?” I ask pulling away, smiling.

             
“I don’t know but I’d rather keep doing what we were doing.” I don’t argue as our mouths find each other again like a magnetic force.  We makeout for, I don’t know how long but I feel like a young teen again. He makes me feel young and alive and that life is worth living, no matter what it throws at you.

             
When we finally let up and just relax in each other’s arms, Carter swiftly moves out of my embrace. “I got you something.” My eyebrows rise in surprise. I thought this was my gift, it’s better than any materialistic item I can imagine.

             
“What? You did not have to get me anything Carter.” He opens the truck door and retrieves the gift from the dashboard.

             
“Psh, it’s your birthday. I am entitled to getting my beautiful girl a present if I want.” He winks at me. I cross my arms over my chest and wait for him to return. He jumps up in the bed and hands me a wrapped box with a little purple bow on top. My heart races with a bunch of scenarios forming in my head. What could this box hold? I move it from one hand to the other. I suddenly can’t take the anticipation and tear at the gold paper. I rub my thumb over it, staring at the plain white box.

             
“Aren’t you going to open it?” His expression is hopeful. I smile and nod, as I open it. My eyes are wider and tears brim the lids. In the box is a gold heart-shaped locket-one like my Grammy gave me years ago. My mouth hangs open and I stare at him speechless. “Take it out and open the locket.” I take it out and pry it open with my fingers, but my vision becomes blurred from the tears. “Here, let me help you.” He takes it from my grasp and opens it, handing it back to me. My eyes widen more at what I see.

             
“Oh my God, Carter.” It’s a picture of him and me together on the right side, then a picture of my sonogram on the left. Tears are fully falling down my cheeks while I’m staring and smiling at the beautiful sight before me. “When did you do this?” My eyes finally meet his.

             
“I had it done soon after you found out she was a girl. I just got these pictures copied and bought the locket and put them together. It wasn’t hard. Not too hard anyway. I didn’t realize how small those things are.” I’m still holding the locket, stunned. “Here, let me put it on you.” I dazedly hand it to him and turn around. He clasps the necklace together and it rests perfectly against my skin. I reach up and grip the gold between my fingers. Now I couldn’t imagine a better gift. Carter wipes tears from my eyes with his thumb, peering into my face. I can’t help the emotions that have taken over. No one has ever done something so amazing for me. I grab him and kiss him hard.

             
“I don’t know what to say. Really, this is just incredible. You are incredible. I love you Carter. Thank you for the best birthday ever.” He smiles, tucking my hair behind my ear.

             
“Happy birthday my girl. I love you.” He kisses me and I get lost in his taste. His hands grip my waist pulling me closer. In this moment, I want to show him my appreciation for his thoughtfulness, for everything he has done. And just for being the amazing person he is. He’s made my life so much better. I may have complained about the situation I’ve been in but he continues to make me see that anything is possible. Love is possible and the choices we make are worth taking risks.