“Sorry we have to celebrate early, but on July fourth the place is going to be covered up. This way you can have Finnegan’s to yourself,” Havisham said.
The fact that Havisham had closed the bar for me gave me squishy feelings. I, however, did not like feelings, so instead of saying thank you, I said, “It’s a real pain sharing a birthday with America.”
Havisham studied me for a moment. But like knows like, so she wasn’t offended. “You think that’s bad, try having to share the spotlight with Jesus.”
“You were born on Christmas Day?”
She grinned. “And that’s your first birthday present because I usually don’t tellanyonethat.”
I surveyed the crowd: Trace, Havisham’s multimillionaire cowboy philanthropist, was there. Nana had brought Lucius Malone as her date. Salcedo came stag, but I knew she was now dating someone.
Odd to feel alone when with my favorite people.
“I can’t believe you shut down the bar just for me,” I said.
“Bah, I deserve a night off every now and again. Gives me an excuse to put up the ‘Closed for a Private Event’ sign, too. That usually entices someone to book an actual private party.”
The small number meant we could easily sit at two tables pulled together and chat. When Havisham disappeared, I leaned over to whisper in Nana’s ear, “Lucius Malone? Really?”
“He was my prom date back in sixty-four. Why do you think I’ve wanted to go to that gala all these years?”
I couldn’t deny that Nana looked happier than I’d seen her in a long while.
Havisham reappeared with a sheet cake that held forty candles, each of them aglow.
Forty glowing candles? Both a fire hazard and an impressive sight to behold. From my seat at the end of the table, I could feel the heat.
“Make a wish. Make a wish,” Salcedo started to chant, and Nana quickly joined her. Even Trace and Lucius eventually joined in.
I made a wish, an absolutely foolish wish, and then I did the best I could to blow out all forty candles. It took two tries.
“Aw, now your wish won’t come true,” Nana said.
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that snowballs in hell had a greater chance of not melting than my wish had of actually coming true. I refused to look at the door. My wish had been that Malone would show up and declare his love for me.
Instead, we had cake, and then Havisham declared it was time for my presents.
She placed three huge gift bags in front of me.
“Green, Malone? You boys may not want to stick around for this one,” she said gruffly. “This is not for the faint of heart.”
“I think I can take it,” her cowboy said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
In contrast, Lucius looked concerned but also clearly didn’t want to be shown up. “I think I’m worldly enough to handle anything you have planned.”
“Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Havisham, what have you done?” I asked.
“Me? We.We—Salcedo, your nana, and I—have created a survival kit for your forties,” she said. “You pull out the item, and I’ll explain. If I have to. Start with the bag that has balloons on it.”
I looked from her to the first gift bag. It seemed so innocent with its large balloons in primary colors and the brightly colored tissue paper sticking up from the bag, so why did I feel a growing sense of trepidation at what I would find inside?
I removed three sheets of tissue paper and drew forth a four-pack of reading glasses.
“Sometime in the next decade,” Havisham said, “your eyes are going to decide not to work. It’ll happen overnight. Then you’ll need a pair of glasses in the kitchen so you can read recipes. And anotherfor your purse so you can read menus. Another on the coffee table for when you want to look at your phone or read a book. And another—”
“I get it. What if I have trouble seeing distances instead?”
