Rarely does Misty grace us in a dress. She’s wearing a floor-length green mermaid dress with a V neckline that makes her blue eyes pop. Her long blonde hair is half up in waves.
“How are you feeling? You don’t have to celebrate tonight. I understand if you want to go back to bed and rest.”
“Actually, I’m feeling a little better,” she replies.
“My girls are beautiful tonight,” Mom says, her voice cracking at the end.
Misty and I may not share the same blood, but she is my sister. Our parents adopted Misty because they didn’t think they could conceive, but Mom fell pregnant soon after adopting Misty as a newborn, which is why we are so close in age.
“Don’t get too excited. Look at these bad boys,” Misty says as she lifts her dress, revealing socks and black-and-white Vans.
Giggling at her, I shake my head and sneak a peek at Mom. She’s glaring at Misty, but then her shoulders drop an inch, as if she’s defeated. She knows as well as anyone that when Misty has made her mind up, nothing can change it.
Mom sighs. “Can you at least keep the dress down so no one can see your shoes?”
Misty looks up as if considering her response. “I can do that,” she says with a smirk.
“The guests are arriving.”
I turn to see Iris by the bedroom door. She rarely works this late but offered to stay back and help. My birthday wouldn’t be the same without her here. She’s like family.
Iris’s eyes dart between me and Misty, and she fans her face like she’s trying not to cry.
“Not you too?” I say. My family’s overly emotional today.
She holds up her palm to me. “I need a minute.”
Knox and Kane’s mom, Audrey, walks in past Iris. She claps. “Family photos. I have the photographer ready downstairs.”
Audrey’s wearing a long, elegant dark-blue dress and a necklace with large round diamonds, which glisten in the light.
The uninterested look on Misty’s face makes me laugh.
“Do we have to do photos too?” she whines.
“Misty...” Mom warns. “Before I know it, you two will be out of the house, living your own lives. It won’t kill you to smile for a couple of photos.”
Audrey steps closer to me. “Stunning.” She peers down at the ring on my finger, and her lips curve higher.
I smile back in appreciation.
Audrey glances at Misty, who pulls up her dress to show off her shoes to try get a rise out of Audrey. It works—Audrey’s face twists in disgust.
Audrey and I have always had a strong bond, but there’s been some tension between Audrey and Misty. They’re polite, but they’re not exactly best friends. Audrey doesn’t approve of Misty’s behavior and rebellious attitude. And because of that, she’s not thrilled about her son Kane dating Misty.
“Thank you. Are Knox and Kane here yet?” Anticipation at seeing Knox dressed up thrums through my veins.
“Yes, they are. Photos first!” Audrey warns. She knows me and Misty well.
Mom steps over to Audrey. “I can’t thank you enough for helping to make this a special day for Zara.”
“Helen, stop! I am your daughter’s godmother. Organizing this was easy.” Audrey shoos Mom away and swings her head toward us. “Girls, downstairs.”
We walk out of my bedroom and down the stairs to see Dad waiting for us at the bottom. When he sees us, a smile envelops his face. He spreads his arms wide, and when I reach the bottom stair, I step into them.
“Happy birthday,” he says when he pulls back out of the hug. “The both of you look beautiful.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Misty replies.
