I stop.
Ava walks on, not noticing, but I stand frozen in front of it, stunned. I touch the clock’s face lightly, as if it might wake. But it remains silent. I had never realized how loud the beating was—not until it was gone.
I let my fingers fall away, and then I follow Ava.
We make our way toward the living room, but as soon as we reach the doorway, I hesitate. The room is dark. Completely dark. No lights. No candles. Just shadows folding in on themselves.
“Ava?” I murmur.
But before I can say anything else, she flips the switch.
And the room explodes into light.
“Happy Birthday!” a chorus of voices shout from behind a long table piled with snacks and decorations. Streamers dangle from the ceiling, gold and silver balloons bobbing just above the fireplace. There’s a big, uneven banner strung across the wall that saysHAPPY BIRTHDAY ADDIEin bold, mismatched letters. One of the D’s is upside down. The second A is falling off.
It’s perfect.
I blink, stunned, rooted to the spot.
And then Ava turns to me, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice almost shy. “Happy birthday,” she says.
Something inside me softens, and I smile back. My first real, genuine smile in a long time.
I step into the room, slowly, and Liam is the first one to reach me. He grins and places a glittery birthday hat on my head. It’s way too small, the elastic pulls at my jaw, but I don’t care. I let out a breath of a laugh that turns into a hiccup, then something else entirely.
Tears.
Before I even realize I’m crying, Bea is pulling me into a hug. Along with Lilia, who wraps her arms tightly around both of us. And after that, Bea even manages to get Christian to join.
Kym stands just behind them, awkward as ever, but her eyes are soft. Liam’s parents are here, too, waving gently from across the room.
Someone cares.
They all care.
“You did all of this?” I manage, wiping at my cheeks with the sleeves of my jacket.
Bea steps forward, holding a cupcake. “Of course we did. You only turn eighteen once.”
“And don’t worry,” Lilia adds with a small smile, “we didn’t try to make you a speech or anything cringe. Mostly.”
“Speak for yourself,” Liam says, holding up a wrinkled sheet of paper. “I had five pages ready.”
Kym laughs, and it’s the most emotion I’ve seen from her in months. “We burned it.”
Liam pouts. “Rude. You’re always so mean.”
I stand there in the middle of it all, my throat tight, eyes stinging. No one has ever done this for me before. Not once.
“You okay?” Christian asks quietly.
I nod. “Yeah. I just… I’ve never had a birthday party.”
The room quiets a little at that.
Bea touches my arm. “Well, it’s about time, then.”
We talk for a while. We laugh. I cry again. But then, through the chatter, a voice begins to sing.
