“Guys,” Luke admonishes, sitting up and helping Adam out of the nest he’s gotten himself into. “You’re supposed to knock.”
“And you’re supposed to keep the door open,” Oliver sings, “like Mom said! Six inches!”
Luke stammers, and I dissolve into laughter. We got caught on his bed last week, and I thought Paula’s head was going to explode. She came up with the six-inches rule on the spot, which was actually pretty impressive.
Downstairs, Mom and Paula are working with Maddy to decorate the patio a little. Maddy bounces over and gives me a hug.
“Happy birthday, Sera.”
“Do you have the thing?” Paula asks her.
“Oh! I forgot it in the car!”
She turns and disappears around the corner of the house, and I catch Mom’s eye. She’s grinning, but she shrugs.
“Wasn’t me.”
Maddy comes back with a small box even though I asked for no gifts.
“From everyone who wanted to be here,” Maddy says, handing it to me. I’m just opening the edge when the porch door creaks open. I turn around and find Abbi hovering there, Cam just behind her. She barely has time to say hello before I’m out of my chair and crushing her in a hug.
“Hi.” She laugh-cries into my shoulder.
“Hi,” I say, getting a curl of her hair stuck in my mouth. I let her go and say hi to Cam too, taking the box of cookies he’s holding out for me. They join us at the table, and soon everyone’s laughing at stories about their hiking mishaps in Maine.
When we’re done with pizza, Abbi goes in for cake plates, and I follow. She pulls out the nice china plates that we never use, and shrugs when I ask if that’s okay.
“It seems like a thing to celebrate,” she says. “We weren’t sure you’d make it here, right?”
“Yeah, nineteen.” I smile. “Maybe I’ll finally get into that smoking habit I’ve been dying to try.”
“Sera!”
“What?!” I cross my arms, but she knows I’m joking. She looks at me for a beat, and suddenly her eyes fill with tears. I tell her about the new rule: Say what you’re thinking and feeling no matter what.
“I thought I might miss it,” she whispers.
“My death?”
“No, well. Maybe a little, but no, you growing up.” She hiccups, and I pull her into a hug again.
“Sorry I didn’t call,” I say.
“It’s okay. I think we needed that fight.”
I nod and tip my head back to the porch. “So you and Cam aren’t sick of each other after being stuck in a tent?”
She laughs. “We’re great. We’re actually getting a place together for next semester.”
“Really?! You’re not going to take any more time off school?”
She shakes her head. I hug her again.
“I’m so glad. I can’t wait for you to get way too smart for your own good and write a wordy dissertation I won’t understand.”
“I wish.” She swallows, tries again. “I hope you’ll be there for it.”
“Me too.” I hug her again, and we stay there for a few minutes, just two sisters sorry for hurting each other’s feelings. Then we wipe our tears and go outside for cake.
