Sam and Dolly both sought me out Monday morning to complain about staying up too late to help me finish the flyers. They explained in vivid detail how tired they were and what would happen if I interfered with their beauty sleep again.
I told them it was for something important and they had plenty other opportunities to get a good night's rest in the future. They were only satisfied after I promised not to disrupt their sleeping patterns unless they were equally willing and planning on it anyway.
It surprised me how quickly and easily Sam and I came to like Dolly. She was soft-spoken and the epitome of Southern hospitality. And in the words of Sam, she was "too polite for her own good." But we recognized the good in her and how genuinely kind she was, so we bonded with her without any true hesitancy. By the end of the night, Sam told me, "She's like the well-behaved sister I never had."
Even though Dolly was a bit upset she got less than four hours of sleep, she did thank me, too. She explained she probably wouldn't have slept that great anyway, and I did a great job keeping her mind off things at home.
No one asked her what had happened back home to force Dolly to come here, and she didn't hint a word about it either. She didn't even mention anything to Kae. Even though we were curious, we respected her decision to keep her mouth shut and never once brought the subject up.
Before I headed to my shift at Hope for Youth, I picked up the flyers and looked them over with a smile. I stuck the stack into my book bag with careful precision and waved goodbye to my household of five—the busiest it'd been in a while.
Iggy had memorized when I arrived, for he stood at the front doors, looking as suave as ever in his aviators. When he heard my footsteps approach and caught my scent of coconuts and plums, a smirk spread across his face and he turned towards me.
I ran up to him, making him brace for possible impact, and, jumping, announced, "I have flyers!"
An eyebrow perked and, according to his facial expression, he thought I was insane. Confused and concerned, he asked, "Why?"
"To pass them out," I stated, as if it were obvious. "What else do you do with flyers?"
He didn't look amused. He crossed his arms over his chest and pried further, "What are they for?"
A broad smile bloomed on my face as I explained, "I'm inviting people to a party on Friday, so I figured flyers would be a great way to get the word out."
"So they're invitations?" he asked, smirking slightly. He found the door handle and held it open, waiting for me to go through first this time.
I was about to hand him one when I remembered he wouldn't be able to read it. I let out a soft sigh, and then Iggy snatched the paper from my hand with his signature smirk. He prompted me to describe it to him, so I complied: "It basically says, 'Angela would like to invite you to a summer barbeque this Friday to celebrate her eighteenth birthday.' It gives the date, address, and time."
His eyebrows rose as he questioned in surprise, "Your birthday is this Friday?"
"Mmhm," I answered with a nod. A teasing smile grew on my lips as I jeered, "My boyfriend is supposed to know when my birthday is."
He gave me a smirk. "Sorry for not realizing it hadn't happened yet." His mouth fell open when he noted, "Hey, your birthday's two days after the Fourth of July."
I looked dryly at him. I replied, sarcastic, "Really? I had no idea!"
His lips pursed. When I laughed, he inquired, "Do you do fireworks with everyone else or do you wait until your birthday to fire 'em off?"
Taking another flyer from my bag, I put it on Taylor's desk and weighed it down with a pen. I explained as we headed down the hall, "Most of the time we wait until my birthday. But sometimes we shoot off a special firework on my birthday because I was invited to see fireworks in the park with a group of friends."
Before I disappeared into the ladies' locker room, Iggy told me, "Sometimes the volunteers here all go out in a group to see fireworks."
"I'll be back," I assured him. I dropped my bag into my locker, threw my hair up into a ponytail, and returned to his side. My eyes grazed over his features as I inquired, "Do you like fireworks?"
I was so unaccustomed to thinking about things in the sense of not being able to see them. The simplest movie had to be accompanied by commentary, and video games were off the table. Holidays such as Independence Day seemed almost pointless when you couldn't see the fireworks. I wondered what Iggy did instead.
He shrugged a shoulder as we walked towards Mrs. Gibbens' classroom. He admitted, "Since I can't see them, I don't exactly get the same effect as you do. I have to rely on my other senses. The smell is kinda cool, with fire and ash. But I can't handle the sound. I like to listen to subtle, quiet sounds—I have to in order to assess my environment. Fireworks are too loud and too unexpected. It's a bit rattling." He chuckled shortly. "If I were a dog, I'd definitely be barking all night long."
I offered a small smile. "That makes sense. So what do you do instead?"
His chuckle lasted longer this time. Shaking his head, he responded, "My family stays home and does whatever. Normally, we eat a cake or some dessert my mom felt like baking. My brothers and Dad play a game on the Wii while Mom knits and I read. Then we tell stories and my brothers decide to randomly make firework noises in an attempt to scare me."
My smile broadened as I mused, "You're probably a difficult person to scare." With his super-hearing, I wouldn't be surprised if he could hear a fly in the next room.
He leaned closer to me as he growled, "Oh, very difficult."
I pushed his head away and when he groaned, I told him, "I have to get to work, Mr. Dilly-Dally. See you at lunch."
He gave me a smirk before traveling through the halls like an old pro.
* * * * * *
Taylor came up to me with Lourdes in tow. She held up the flyer with a smile and gushed, "I can't wait! I love barbeques!"
I smiled in return. "I'm glad." I pulled a flyer from my bag and handed it to Lourdes, saying, "Don't think I forgot about you. Here's yours."
She beamed at me, happy to be included. She remarked, "You already look eighteen."
Taylor interrupted before I could respond, "Do we need to bring any food or gifts?"
"We've got the food covered," I informed her, "and you don't have to get me anything if you don't want to. If you choose to get me something, I suggest a five dollar gift card of some sort. But if you want to help out, I'm sure my family would love some help decorating."
Taylor and Lourdes exchanged a look of excitement and agreement. They promised to arrive an hour beforehand to help set up and then left, chatting animatedly about fireworks and summer barbeques.
Iggy set his tray down and cocked his head toward the sound of my approaching footsteps. When he heard the rustle of papers, he sighed and assumed, "We aren't gonna eat lunch together, are we?"
I sent him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but I really want to get these out to people by the end of the day, and the best time to do that is now."
He smiled crookedly and waved his hands, ordering, "Go, spread the word! Before you explode in excitement."
Without another word, I scampered about the cafeteria, handing flyers to volunteers I had spoken with before. I specifically sought out Matt and Zilch, who said they wouldn't miss it. Almost everyone in the room had a flyer by the time I finished, and only a few I didn't invite because I wasn't sure if it was acceptable to invite those of higher authority.
"So how many are coming?" Iggy asked once I sat across from him at the table. He had already finished and sat with his empty tray in front of him. He smirked and folded his arms over his chest.
I scooped up a massive forkful of macaroni and cheese and stuffed it into my mouth. After three swallows, I told him, "Eight, I think. So it'll be about twelve, excluding me."
"Not bad," he commented, shaking his head to ruffle his hair. "More than I've ever had. The largest I've had was a total of six, and that was my family plus an estranged cousin."
Even though I felt sorry that he wasn't popular, the expression on his face said he didn't mind—he might have even preferred it that way. So I let the remarks on my tongue fade away before I recalled, "In high school, I had quite a few more friends I could invite. I could get the RSVPs up to thirty. But most of my high school friends left the state once summer started to settle in at college, and the ones left behind I'm barely tolerant of."
He smirked, looking like he had a naughty thought cross his mind. He clicked his tongue in mock pity and teased, "God, it must be so difficult to be popular."
Between bites, I informed him, "It's a lot more hard work than you'd think."
He chuckled and sent me a heart-stopping smile.
* * * * * *
"Angie," my brother called once I arrived home. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the side, his eyes sparkling in excitement. "What do you say about us going to see fireworks in the park on the Fourth?"
I asked skeptically, "Is 'us' referring to you and me, or everybody?"
He shook his head and answered, "Just you and me."
A broad grin spread across my face and I hollered in enthusiasm, jumping. I clapped my hands and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, that would be amazing!" I gave him a tight hug. "Is everyone okay?"
He knew I was referring to Dolly. He gave a soft smile and explained, "I talked it over with everyone, and they're perfectly fine with it, even Dolly. She said she knew how important it was for us to spend time together, so on the Fourth of July, I am devoted to you." He bent in a mocking bow.
All worry erased as I hugged him again and then proceeded to shriek in unbridled zeal, which caused Mom to yell at me to keep it down.
Finally, I was getting to spend time with Kae, and on my favorite holiday, too. We could catch up and share our inner thoughts and bring up jokes that were only funny to us. I couldn't wait.
Sam came over again that night, which wasn't a big surprise to anyone—we were used to her constant company. However, her appearance did cause Dolly to comment, "You practically live here, don't you?"
As Sam and I washed dishes after dinner, I announced mischievously, "Guess what I'm gonna do on the Fourth."
"Do it with Will while the fireworks explode behind you?" she asked, her tone serious but the smirk on her face suggesting otherwise.
My nose scrunched. "No."
She looked at the ceiling, pensive. "I'm not sure how romantic that would be," she mused. "I mean, with all the bangs in the background while you bang?" She sucked in a breath. "I'm just not feeling it."
I splashed her with the sink water, soaking her shirt. As she glared at me, I stared back incredulously and said between slightly hysteric chuckles, "That's disgusting, Sam. I did not need to hear that."
She let out a loud laugh once she got over the unexpected cold and hugged me. When she pulled back, she took the plate from me to dry it off and urged, "So what are you doing on the Fourth?"
Turning to her, I smiled so wide my cheeks began to hurt. I screamed, "Going to the park with Kae!"
Sam screamed, too, embracing me roughly again. "That's awesome, Angie!"
Mom, Kae, and Dolly ventured into the kitchen to investigate the sudden commotion, already cued in on what we were yelling about. Kae wrapped his arm around Dolly's waist and she leaned in to him, and it looked so natural I couldn't help but smile.
Sam faced Kae and told us, "Niam is taking me to the park for the firework show, too, for a tres romantic date. No worries, we'll say our hellos and be on our way to snuggle in the shadows so we won't take away from brother-sister bonding time."
With a soft chuckle, Dolly guessed, "You're a hopeless romantic, aren't you?"
She gave her a giant grin, not bothering to argue it. She gloated, "Yes, I am."
My gaze fell onto my brother's girlfriend's face and I wondered aloud, "What will you do on the Fourth?" Even though she had given us permission, I still didn't want her to mope around at home by herself.
Mom wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Dolly elucidated, "Your mom and I are going to shoot off fireworks in the yard."
"And when we run out, we'll watch the firework show broadcasted on TV," Mom added with a smile.
I smiled in return. I would spend the Fourth of July with my brother; Sam would be with Niam; and my mom could bond with Dolly. Then, two days later, my birthday. This would be a great week.
* * * * * *
"Is William okay being alone today?" Kae questioned as we piled into his car after putting the picnic basket and blanket into the trunk.
As I slid into the passenger seat, I told him with a smile, "Yeah, he said he wasn't planning on anything today aside from spend time with his family so he thought I should do the same. Besides, he doesn't like fireworks."
He started to drive towards the park, attention split between the road and our conversation. Eyebrows drawn, he asked, incredulous, "Seriously? He doesn't like fireworks?"
My head shook and I pointed out, "He can't see them so the effect is kinda lost on him. And he can't stand how loud they are."
His mouth formed a wide 'O'. He groaned, "God, it's so hard to think like that, you know? I'm so used to doing everything, like watching TV, without a second thought. I wonder how hard it is for him."
With a shrug, I assumed, "I don't think it's too hard. Yes, there's the constant reminder that he can't see and that's unquestionably difficult. But on the other hand, he doesn't know any different. He's never been able to see, so things are probably normal to him like they are to us, just to a different degree."
Kae sent me a smile. "He's lucky he found you. I mean, you can't get much better than a saint," he teased, chuckling.
My eyes rolled in response. "I'm far from saintly," I insisted.
"So were the saints," he countered, a smug gleam in his eyes.
I mocked him before we burst into laughter. When it ended, we settled into a comfortable silence. I watched out the window as the little town streaked by while Kae focused on driving.
Finally, I noted, "Mom's certainly taken a liking to Dolly."
My brother grinned, pleased by that fact. "Well, she's easily likeable," he bragged. "But I think Mom's attracted to her girl-next-door persona and Southern hospitality. That's what I was easily attracted to anyway." He glanced warily at me. "Do you like her?"
Chuckling shortly, I assured him, "Yes. She's very sweet. She seems almost too perfect at times though."
"She only seems perfect because she's perfect for me." Suddenly, his eyes widened and red blotches mottled his complexion. His grip on the steering wheel tightened in response to the wave of embarrassment coloring even his ears red.
I looked at him, a jeering look in my eye but my inner romantic squealing. "Aww," I exclaimed. "Are you in love?"
He hesitated in his retort, which made my inner romantic squeal even more. He tried to turn away but it was a bit difficult in the car. He replied, "I—I don't know."
"Kae's in love! Kae's in love!" I sang, causing him to glare at me. When I collapsed into amused laughter, he couldn't help but join in.
He pulled into a parking space at the park, which remained fairly empty since it was only late afternoon. We left the car and walked to an ice cream vender, buying two cones.
When we began to walk about the park, my brother inquired, curious yet alert, "What about you and your new boyfriend?"
I gazed at the beautiful trees growing throughout the park and sighed softly. I admitted, "I feel like we're moving pretty fast. I mean, we've kissed a lot and he's already gotten me a gift. We've only been dating a week!"
Kae sent me an empathetic smile. He pointed out, "Well, obviously there's a physical attraction between you two and as young adults, you often act on it." When he saw my crinkled nose, he chuckled. "But you're controlling it. I mean, it's not like you're making out in darkened corners or touching excessively. Right?" He shot me a stern look.
With wide eyes, I shook my head vigorously. "No! Of course not."
He chuckled again. "Then I don't think it's too bad. Besides, he's never dated anyone before. He may have liked someone before but he convinced himself it could never be because he's blind. Now he's met someone he has a chance with, so he's just enjoying it the best he can," he mentioned. "He doesn't want to lose you."
My eyes fell to the ground, watching my feet. I finished my ice cream and wished I had a napkin. I settled on wiping my sticky fingers on my jeans. I murmured, "That makes sense. I guess it just scared me a bit, but maybe I was just being dramatic."
"It's fine to think you're moving too fast," my brother assured me, smiling in understanding. "But make sure you tell him that. If he cares for you, he'll respect your wants."
I laughed, shutting my eyes briefly. "You're so profound, O Wise One," I teased with a smirk. Blushing, I confessed, "I did tell him how I felt, but I do like kissing him so . . ." My voice trailed off.
Kae finished the last of his waffle cone and almost choked. Chuckling uneasily, he catcalled, "Whoa there, sis. I don't need to know that."
My face heated even more and I rammed my shoulder into him playfully. He pushed me back and we walked on in laughter.
Until we grew hungry again, we wandered the park, talking about his college experience and the one I was soon to receive. We recalled times from our childhood and laughed about our silliness. We traded ridiculous secrets meant to make us chuckle and teased each other.
Once our stomachs began to growl, we headed back to the car and grabbed the picnic basket. We settled down on one of the park benches and ate, making small talk all the while. We saved some food for later, in case we got hungry again before the fireworks.
We barely left any time for our bodies to digest the food before we ran to the playground and chased each other around, like we used to do when we were younger. When a couple of children started to watch us with curious eyes, we invited them to play with us. We played together until they had to leave, and by that time, the sun had begun to set.
Because the park was filling with people to watch the firework show, we brought out the picnic blanket and laid it down, claiming our portion of the park for the fireworks. We sat there, talking like old times before Kae left for college, until it was dark out.
Sam waved to us once she spotted us but did nothing more, for Niam looked at her adoringly, sent us a smile, and dragged her away to their share of the shadows.
Then, we heard something fire into the air and a small flicker of light exploded into a million flares of colors that cascaded to the ground, popping along the way. Three more lit the sky, and a smile formed on our faces as we watched the night sky burst with vibrant fire.
* * * * * *
Iggy arrived earlier than I had expected. It was right after lunch when the doorbell rang, and he sent me his dirty secret smirk, saying, "Happy birthday, Angie."
An hour before the festivities were to start, Taylor and Lourdes showed up. They helped Dolly and Sam decorate our backyard and occasionally lent Kae a hand when moving the tables and chairs outside. When Dolly decided her assistance was no longer needed with decorating, she went inside to help my mom prepare the food.
Since I was the birthday girl, everyone shooed me away from the work needed to be done. When I tried to help my mom with the food, she pushed me out of the kitchen, saying I wasn't allowed in there because my cake was to be a surprise. When I attempted to thread streamers through the tree branches, Sam slapped my hands and told me the birthday girl was supposed to do nothing on this day but eat cake and get presents. Kae told me the same thing when I tried to help him with the tables.
Because I was essentially banned from both outside and the kitchen, I decided to lead Iggy about the house. This greatly fascinated me, to watch him run his slender fingers along the walls and décor. When he brushed picture frames, he'd ask me to describe the photo inside. He told me to head up the stairs first so he could gauge the distance between steps, and followed after me. I let him explore my room on his own, and watched as a smile creep across his features when he felt my fluffy pillows. He counted the number of doors in the hall and added them to memory. He enjoyed wandering Mom's studio, feeling her creations under tender hands. The tour concluded with his remark, "Your mother's an amazing artist."
The rest of the guests arrived within minutes before the actual time to start, and only two came in five minutes late. We went outside to the backyard, which had been completed during Iggy's tour.
Food covered the tables, with my brother manning the barbeque. Another table was piled with gifts, coats, and purses. I could tell which seat was mine, for it sat at the head of the center table, with balloons tied to it and a plastic tiara on the plate in front.
The decorations looked amazing as well. A banner spanned the space between two trees, with the words, "Happy Eighteenth Birthday, Angela!" sprawled across it in Sam's recognizable handwriting. Streamers and balloons fell from the trees and lined the tables. Even a piñata hung from a branch. Music played from a stereo in the corner of the yard, providing upbeat background noise.
While Kae finished the last of the hamburgers and hot dogs, everyone socialized. Sam and my brother introduced themselves to the volunteers at Hope for Youth. Everyone teased Iggy and I when they saw his arm wrapped around my waist.
When Kae announced he was done, we lined up to pile our plates with the delicious food. It was a unanimous vote that I go first, with Iggy behind me and Sam in tow. Once we grabbed our food, we sat at the tables and held about seven different conversations simultaneously as we ate.
Afterwards, Sam, Kae, Dolly, and my mother cleared the tables and let the rest of us converse. Then, they brought out the large red velvet cake, along with a cheesecake, and sang the usual birthday song to me as loud as they could. As soon as I stopped laughing, I blew the candles out and everyone went wild, clapping and shouting.
The cake was delicious, so much so I had two slices of red velvet cake and one piece of cheesecake. Everyone agreed my mother's baking was amazing, and when she informed us Dolly had made the cheesecake, we praised her as well.
Even though my stomach churned nauseatingly from all the sweets, the sugar still brought a buzz to the back of my skull, making everything three times funnier. So when they suggested breaking the piñata, I volunteered without a second thought.
I failed miserably when it came to hitting it, and after five minutes of slashing nothing but air—but managing to make everyone laugh—they pulled me out of there. Sam, Zilch, and Kae all tried but they, too, failed. When Iggy volunteered, everyone shared an odd look but I cheered him on. They were hesitant when he pointed out there was no need for him to wear the blindfold but insisted to wear one anyway, out of irony. Within a minute, he smashed the bat into the piñata and sent candy tumbling to the ground. We celebrated his victory by pouring handfuls of the candy over his head.
After dancing for a solid hour, Kae announced it was time for presents. We shuffled to the table and shouted loudly in excitement. I stood facing them while my brother handed presents to me.
The volunteers from Hope for Youth bought me mostly gift cards for clothes, music, and books. But Taylor gave me an angel figurine as well, since she noticed the 'angel' in my name and personality. Then, it was time to open the presents from those most important in my life.
I unwrapped a vanilla-scented candle from Dolly, and she explained with a soft smile, "I know it's cliché, but I didn't realize I'd be here for your birthday. Had I known, I would have gotten something much better for you. This is a gift for all of you, actually, for welcoming me—a stranger—into your home. But since it's your birthday, I figured you should be the one to open it."
"Thank you." I gave her a sincere smile. I took in a deep breath of the candle before setting it down beside the other gifts. "It's lovely."
Kae slid the next gift to me—this one came from my mom. I greedily ripped off the wrapping paper and stared in shock at the digital camera I held in my hands.
Mom smiled at me, her eyes glistening with tears. She told me, "I knew you'd want a new one." She was referring to the old one I had stuffed in the attic to collect dust when Hank and I broke up, since there were so many photos of us on it. "So now you can take pictures of the memories you're going to make, since you're off to college."
I ran over to her and gave her a tight hug. A single tear ran down her cheek but she still smiled lovingly at me. She smoothed down my hair as I whispered, "Thanks, Mom. It means a lot to me."
Suddenly, Sam appeared at the table and shoved a gift in my hands with a wide, animated grin. "Mine next! Open mine next!" she instructed with a squeal, making everyone chuckle.
I tore off the paper and looked at the plain white box with a quirked brow. I lifted the lid and removed the tissue paper with slow hands. There, folded skillfully, was a new outfit. It was a white cotton skirt with a bow across the top and a white V-neck top to match. It was beautiful, and perfect for a summer day.
My eyes landed on her face and I smiled. I hugged her, saying, "It's adorable, Sam. Thank you."
"I knew you'd love it," she replied triumphantly.
Kae put his hand on Sam's shoulder to keep her from walking away. He informed her, "You may want to stay here." He turned to me and put a small box in my hands. "This is from me."
It wasn't wrapped and reminded me of a jewelry box, so I assumed it to be a necklace or a bracelet. But when I opened it, a pair of concert tickets beamed at me. They were my favorite band, playing here in a few weeks.
Sam's eyes were as wide as mine. Simultaneously, we screamed and jumped and hugged Kae and each other.
"Oh my gosh," I breathed, "Kae! Do you know how long I've wanted to see them in concert? I tried to get tickets, but they were already sold out."
He smiled at me. "I know. But I worked my magic and managed to get two tickets, since I knew Sam would want to go, too."
We hugged him again, and as I pulled back, he whispered, "Does this make things up to you?"
"Absolutely," I answered, my tone hushed. I beamed at him before I looked at Iggy. But he had no gift—there were no more in sight. My heart sank. I knew once he had told me he wouldn't get me any gifts, but I thought he'd at least get me something for my birthday.
Mom put her arm around my shoulders and, sighing, said, "Now I can't stop you from buying tobacco."
I laughed.
We returned to dancing, and Sam became the life of the party. She danced in the center of a circle, swaying her hips and whipping her head back and forth. A smile spread across my face when I saw her, and I shook my head and chuckled. I charged into the center beside her and danced as crazily as she. Eventually our dancing morphed into simply jumping up and down, but it was fun nonetheless.
After about an hour, I emerged from the blob of people, breathless and sweaty. I chuckled as I made my way over to the punch bowl for a drink. Once I drained the cup, I caught sight of a man in aviators.
He smirked, leaned casually against a tree. A passing breeze ruffled his blond hair, and I heard myself sigh dreamily. Then, I noticed the package he held cradled in his arm—my birthday present.
I ran over to him, calling out, "Iggy!"
He adjusted, turning towards the sound. He continued to smirk at me and when he moved his arm, a light pink flushed his cheeks. He held the gift out to me almost dismissively and said, "Here."
With a smile, I took it from him and eagerly ripped the wrapping paper off. A gasp escaped my throat as I looked at the beautiful picture frame. It was silver, with wrapping and extravagant designs at the corners and snaking ivy along the sides. I put a hand to my mouth and felt relief bring tears to my eyes.
I whispered, "It's beautiful, Iggy. Thank you."
He shifted, looking almost uncomfortable. He admitted, "I had no idea what to get you for your birthday. I couldn't very well get a card with brail and I couldn't see much else at the store. But when I felt this picture frame, I thought it might be something you'd like." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You can put whatever photo you want in there."
I knew exactly what photo I wanted to go into the breathtaking frame. "Wait here," I ordered before I scampered back to the table of unwrapped gifts. I set the frame down gingerly and scooped up my new digital camera. I returned to him and snuggled in close, causing him to smirk. I smiled at the lens, and took the picture.
His eyebrows lowered at the sound of the click. "What was that?" Did you—did you take a picture?"
"Yep," I told him elatedly, chuckling.
It was the perfect picture for the perfect frame.