Delphic Song

Chapter One

So I guess that was why my birthdays always brought me down. I could enjoy them, but it took more effort than it should. And every year I got older was another year that I had to remember I was given up. That my own mother hadn’t wanted me.

That’s why Liam is acting so weird, I realized. He knows how I feel about my birthday, so he was probably treading carefully around the subject while trying to gauge my reaction. I smiled to myself. He was such an amazing friend. He actually cared about me, and didn’t try and force huge birthdays on me like some people. I glanced over at Dad, who was scrutinizing the broccoli. He and Liz had been throwing huge parties for me since they had gotten together, and it was now a Connolly family tradition. I had never had the heart to tell them that it was the polar opposite of what I wanted, because they enjoyed planning them so much, so the parties had escalated and escalated until I really couldn’t go back. My Sweet Sixteen birthday last year… I shuddered inwardly. That had not been fun. At least during the party part of it. Afterwards, Liam had taken me on a simple picnic with my favorite chicken wraps and given me a T-shirt with a quote from my favorite book for a present. It was had been perfect.

My dad’s big whoop knocked me out of last year and back into this one with a jolt. He was dancing around with his wooden spoon waving in the air, oblivious to the strain over the current topic. "My baby girl's turning 17!" he shouted. "You're almost an adult, sweetie pie," he said, ruffling my hair.

I glared at him. “You sure don’t treat me like it.”

He laughed, tweaking my nose. “You’ll always be my baby girl in my mind.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t hold back a smile.

“So, Liam,” my dad started. “Are you staying over for dinner? You’re certainly welcome!”

“Um…” Liam glanced back at the calendar. Even from here, I could see where Liz and Dad had decorated my birthday square with balloons and confetti and, in Liz’s big, swirly handwriting, the words: GWEN’S GREAT BIG 17!!!!! With five exclamation points. Yikes.

Liam turned away, his jaw twitching again. “No,” he said firmly. “I can’t stay. I’m sor – “

"Actually,” Dad interrupted, “It was a rhetorical question. You are not going anywhere," he said sternly, pointing his wooden spoon at Liam for emphasis. "I tried a new recipe for my marinara, and you need to taste it."

“But, I -” Liam broke off, frustration flashing across his face before vanishing back under his masked expression. “I have… a thing.”

“Oh really?” Dad spread his arms open wide. "Please, share with us."

Liam opened his mouth to respond, but apparently whatever his excuse was, it wasn’t good enough, because he mumbled, “Fine, I’ll stay.”

“What was that?” my dad held a cupped hand to his ear. Oh, my God, he was so embarrassing. Why did he have to be so pushy?

“I said, I’ll stay,” Liam said. He smiled, but it seemed tight. I winced inwardly. Time to move on.

“So, where are Liz and the kids?” I asked, changing the subject. I hadn’t seen them all day. I had two step-siblings; Joshua, my eight-year-old brother, and Alyssa. She was three years younger than me, but she liked to act three years older.

Dad looked up from where he was over at the stove, explaining the complexities of the new marinara sauce to Liam. “She’s taken them out to get a gallon of ice cream for dessert tonight,” he said. “It’s not a steak dinner without ice cream!”

“I second that,” Liam and I said at the same time. We laughed, jinxed each other simultaneously, and then broke down laughing again. 

Dad shook his head. “I swear, sometimes it’s like you guys share a brain.”