Chapter 20 - Adam's Birthday Presents

Everyone was already sitting in the dining table. My grandfather and my Father sit opposite each other, Jack, Adam and My mother sits on the other side of the table. Grandmother sits next to grandfather, opposite Adam. Pinkie opposite to Jack. Only one left for me opposite to my Mom and next to my Dad. My eyes filled with all types of breakfast. My mom started the prayer holding hand to another, I hold Pinkie and my father's hand as they are the one sits next to me.

"Thanks for today, Thanks for the food served to us, Thanks for bringing the light and hope to the family, We are grateful for what we have," she said. We don't say Amen like all prayers. I forgot the reason too now.

We started eating after all the food served to us. "I'm really glad that we still follow the tradition of celebrating everyone's birthday here." my grandfather said eating the cookies.

"We always follow our Hunter's family tradition." my father said grinning. my mom agreed to it. We love celebrating our birthday here than in our parents. They don't fight in front of my grandparents. My grandmother brings the cake she and my mother made for Adam's birthday. it's sweet cherry and strawberry flavor. They always made a cake with their favorite flavors.

"No, God. I'd already said I'm not cutting cake for this birthday." Adam whined.

"We made this with your favorite flavor. and your grandma spent more time to make it. You should not talk like this." Mother said warningly.

"Okay, But no one supposed to apply any cream on my face." He said strictly. Last time, the cream went to his eyes gave him a bad pain for a week. Now everyone understands why he refused the cake for his birthday.

"Okay. Agreed. No more cake facial." Jack said sternly and moved to put the cake on the table and nodded towards me to get the presents. I went to his room and unpack his bag to get the ticket and laptop. I went to the room sharing with Pinkie to get the Shoes I bought for him. Altogether I put in one of the Credenzas in the great room. And everyone came to the great room. Jack already ready with the Camera to shoot the pictures. Once everyone gathered, Adam put a knife on the cake to cut but interpreted by my mother. "Make a wish, Adam." he rolled his eyes even his is facing the floor I noticed it. He closed his eyes, my guess he pretends to make a wish. Then he cut the cake and give the first piece to grandma, she fed him a piece of cake. It followed by Grandpa, Mother, Father, Pinkie, and Me. Jack was taking pictures of every moment. This is Hunter's family thing. We have a lot of pictures. My mother obsessed with those pictures and says it will always remember the sweet memory of that time. In our house everywhere you can see us grow even in the kitchen. Jack gave him a birthday fist hi-fi to him. A brother's of saying hello.

"It's time for your birthday presents" Pinkie chirped as she went to get her present for him.

"Father, you first," said my Father. My grandfather nodded and taking something from his pocket looks like a keychain. A keychain? No.its not just a keychain. It's a car key. Adam is mirroring the same surprise as me "A c..car?" he stuttered. "Yes, a car. Not just a car. It's my car. You are sixteen now, take a damn license, and drive safe." My grandfather said proudly as he handed the key to Adam. Which he took and mumbling thanks over and over as he hugged him. My grandmother gave him a sweater she knitted. It is maroon color and having an H letter for Hunter right above the heart. My dad and my mom gave him a digital watch with some cash to spend. Pinkie gave him a sketch pencil set "Little gift from your little sister." He thanked and hugged her.

"Now, it's your turn." Adam turned to me.

"Remember I said no presents after sixteen." I used my serious tone.

"C'mon. No one is gonna buy it." He said rolling his eyes.

"Stop rolling your eyes too many times. Your eyeball may fell." I said.

"Enough playing, We can give ours," Jack said standing next to me almost whispering.

"Okay," I said pulling the drawers and relieving the Tickets and shoe. Jack and I both gave our present.

"I got more cash to spend with," he said weight the white envelope thinking it is money.

"Open it." I chirped. He gave a confused look and tear the one side of the envelope to open. His eyes got wide "Oh my gosh, ****!" He said gave him a glare from my Father and Mother for using a foul language in the home and "Language, young man" from the old man. "Sorry." he immediately apologized and hugged me. "This is the best gift ever." Hugging again which I return and He hugged Jack thanking him, me us over and over.

"What gots my little son so excited?" My mother asked.

"A trip to Chicago for a week. only me" Adam said grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, my. That's must cost you a fortune." My mother said mimicking my Father's reaction after they share the look with each other.

"You went overboard." My father said but added "Enjoy your time in Chicago. You have always wanted to go there. Make it more memorable for your sweet sixteen."

Adam again hugged me and kissed me on the cheek, "Thank you both. Love you always and forever." We three hugged mumble love you too to each other and Adam let us go after a while.

"Pinkie, we got something for you too." Jack said opening the same drawer and took the laptop and handed it to her.

She utterly shocked by seeing the Macbook Air and couldn't come up with any words.

"You're welcome." I and Jack said at the same time.

"It's not her birthday or Christmas." the grandmother said thinking about we spent over 1000 dollars to buy the laptop for her.

"We missed her birthday, It was her birthday. We couldn't make it then. So now." Jack said trying to convince.

"But..." my grandmother started.

"She is one of us, remember?" I trailed her off. She's not completely convinced but she is a little okayish.

"Time for planting." my grandmother said walking towards our garden on the backside.

"This will be your first flight. So bad we couldn't go there with you. So, Be careful. I know you are grown up. well not much though. But we know you are smart and you can handle yourself well in a new city for a week." I said walking shoulder to shoulder.

We planted some plants and I gave the seeds and fertilizer I bought for them.

I and pinkie went to the kitchen to do the dishes, we were doing dishes someone hovered us. I turned to see Jack standing there in the doorway. "I'll help Idris, You go check your new laptop. I have already installed the basic application. If you need anything you can download and install it or tell me I'll help you." he said in his cool tone. She excited to explore her new Macbook Air and left. Jack came and stand next to me, helping with dishes. He is wearing a black shirt I bought for him. I haven't noticed it. Definitely he wasn't wearing it when we ate breakfast or cutting the cake. He must have changed after it. I get lost in my own mind as always I didn't hear him calling me.

"Idris." when he called me for the second or third time. I look at him. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I know I upset you." He said pleadingly in his eyes which I can never escape.

"It's okay. I forgot that. And it's true." I said shrugging resuming the dishes.

He stopped washing dishes and looking straight at me makes my heart pound in my chest. "You didn't." He said taking my hand and put one of his on other, made me look into his eyes. The second I look into his eyes, my heart is melting like butter on the pan. I put one free hand on his chin. "It's okay. really." looking straight into the eyes where I want to see mt future. "We can forget what happened," I said I don't know what else to say. As long as I look into his eyes, I want to tell him I love him more than a brother that I want to share my life with him. I leaned close my heart is pounding and My hormones are at a high level. We stand close too close, I look into his lips wanted to taste it one more time. But the consequence made my mind straight. He took my hand and kissed it, still looking in my eyes. I hugged him letting the hormones or whatever to control me. He returned the hug only for four seconds before he let me go. We resumed the dishes.

"We are going to the woods" he said putting all the dishes in the racks. "hmm-mmm," I said.

"you are coming," he said and with that, he left.

I have organized the plates and bowls everything on the kitchen shelves. And I took the vegetables out from the fridge to chop to make the lunch. Few minutes, later my mother and grandma came to the kitchen.

"We will do lunch. you can go with your grandfather and others to enjoy the weekend." my grandmother said. She is seventy-five years old yet she will do all the work and manage her health. I adore her.

"Where are they going?" I asked still chopping the vegetables.

"They are going into the woods to the lake." My mother replied.

"Remember? the cliff you wanted to dive when you were a kid." My grandma asked.

I nodded "Yes, It's so beautiful now than I can remember." I said.

"Then don't miss it. Your grandfather wanted to show some shooting lessons to Lizzie, You should go and enjoy it too. We can make lunch before you come, If needed we can take your father's help to cook and bring to the falls and we can eat there." My mother suggested eyeing my grandma for reassurance. She nodded.

"Okay," I said but before I leave I called my mother. "Mom, can I talk to you like for a second."

"Sure" she nodded as she follows me to the lounge. "What is it sweaty?" she asked in her sweet voice. Even at fifty years old, she still looks amazing.

"How are you?." I asked not sure how to start.

"I'm fine." She said laughing as I asked some silly question.

"Mom, you can tell me. How are you both doing? Are you getting well?" I said my voice is breaking.

"We are good sweetie. Nothing to worry about. We can talk about this later. you better start going or else you would have missed it." My mom said nudging me to go.

"But.. mom..." I cut off by her. "We can talk later. go have fun," she said and left.

I came to the deck on the backside and saw everyone is sitting there talking laughing.

"You took enough time sweet pea," My grandfather said as he stands and getting ready to go.

"Seriously he got this from you. When are you guys gonna run out of nicknames for me." I said pointing Jack who is sitting on the stairs.

"Never." Both Jack and Grandpa said I rolled my eyes.

"Stop rolling your eyes too many times. Your eyeball may fell." Adam said exactly what I said earlier.

"Am I target for everyone or what? everyone is pointing at me." I deadpan.

"No, sweetheart. You should her some respect. she is not a girl anymore. She is a woman now" my father said. before adding "Plumcake." he used his own. Now I'm the center of the target to everyone.

"Trust me, you got fewer names than mine." Pinkie said. Agreed I have a single name with god knows how many nicknames. But pinkie is called differently by each one in our family. My grandparents call her Beth after her mom. We call her pinkie she used to suck pinkie finger in childhood, Lizzie by Mom. Eliza by my dad. Elizabeth by Adam. I laughed and we left home with shooting guns and fishing guns. I'm not sure there will be fishes in the falls. I and Pickie already wore tanktop and inner shorts. so that we can swim without showing ourselves off.