by Mercy Amare
Veronica walks inside and watches as I open the bag. Inside isn’t what I expected.
There are no high heels, but a purple pair of Converse.
There is no dress, but a purple tutu-tutu and a black leather jacket.
And there is no pearl necklace or fancy jewelry, but a tiara.
It’s exactly what I would have chosen for myself. And it's definitely not something Veronica would truly pick for me to wear.
When I look up at her, she has tears in her eyes.
“First of all,” she says, “I want to say that I am sorry. Since you moved here, I’ve been trying to make you into somebody that you’re not. I’ve forced you to wear expensive gowns, high-heeled shoes, and ridiculous jewelry. Part of me wanted to make up for all that you’ve missed out on by not being a part of Mark’s life all these years. I wanted to show you how awesome this life was. And by doing that, I really pushed you away. When you finally started wearing these pretty dresses, I was ecstatic. I felt like you and I were bonding so much, and I really thought that we were forming this amazing relationship. I knew that I could never replace your mother, but I thought that you were making room for me in your heart as a motherly figure.
“When I got the call about you having a stalker, I was completely dumbfounded. In my head, you were my daughter. I thought we were close. And I didn’t understand why you didn’t trust me enough to tell me. It broke my heart. Without realizing it, I started pushing you away. I tried to tell myself that it was normal. Mark and I were separated, so there wasn’t a reason to come here and see you. You’re his daughter. I didn’t think I was as mad as I was.
“I am sad that you didn’t trust me enough to come talk to me, but now I realize why. I wasn’t letting you be yourself. I was trying to force you to be like me, when you’re not. You are your own person. And it was selfish of me to be mad at you. I should have been here supporting you. I was so wrong to stay away, and I will regret it for the rest of my life. What I hope now is that we can both move forward from this. I’ve learned my lesson. And no matter what, I want to be a part of your life.
“Right now, I am asking for your forgiveness. I am so sorry. And I love you as if you were my own daughter… You are my daughter…”
I don’t even have to think about forgiving her. I already do. I put my arms around her, and I hug her. Tears are running down my face, and I realize how much I missed Veronica.
“I’m sorry too,” I tell her. “I should have told you. I was just scared.”
There is nothing else to say. Veronica made this day completely perfect. This was exactly what I needed.
“I promise that I won’t let anything come between our relationship from now on,” she says. “No matter what happens between your father and me.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
Veronica rubs my back, and then steps toward the door. “I’ll let you get ready. Tonight is going to be an awesome birthday party. I know you will enjoy it.”
Once she leaves the room, I can’t stop smiling. I’m pretty sure nothing could wipe the smile off of my face. I finish curling my hair and get dressed. The last thing I do is put the tiara on my head, which is the best part.
I won’t let circumstances control how my night will go.
Tonight is going to be perfect.
5pm
Bora Bora.
There is another knock on my door, and I’m expecting it to be Brian, but it’s not.
“Hey, Dad,” I say, surprised that he’s here. I know he said he’d be at my birthday party, but he does tend to ditch me more often than not. I’ve learned not to believe his promises. I’m not sure if that makes me a bad daughter, or him a bad father. What I do know is that I love my dad, and I will never give up hope that someday things will get better. They have to, right?
“Hey, Kihanna,” he says, smiling. “I’ve been trying to figure out what to give you for your birthday, and I just want to say it wasn’t easy.”
“I don’t need anything,” I tell him. “I have everything I need and could possibly ever want.”
“I know, and I love being able to give you the world. Sometimes the world isn’t enough. Everything has been a complete mess in your life, and it’s something that I can’t fix.” He lowers his head as he says it, and it breaks my heart.
“Dad, it’s okay. It’s not your fault that this is happening, and I know you’re doing everything you can to make things right,” I say. “I saw what you did on the news.”
“Well, Ty Newman hasn’t testified yet, but he will be soon. Senator Newman is caving under the pressure of the media. With the election coming up, he can’t handle any bad publicity right now.”
“That’s great,” I say. “Maybe we can get some answers out of Ty and figure out where Gabe is. Soon this will all be behind us.”
“It will. And when that day comes, I think it would be good for you to get away for a while. Go somewhere and put this whole mess behind you.” He holds out an envelope. “The summer between high school and college was one of the best summers of my life. It’s your last summer before reality hits, and I want you to enjoy it. So I got you this.”
I open the envelope and see a brochure inside. “Bora Bora?”
“Tahiti is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and Bora Bora is my favorite island in Tahiti,” he says. “You can take as many friends as you want and stay all summer long.”
I let out a squeal. Or a scream. I’m so excited, I really don’t know. I jump up and down and give my dad a hug.
“This is so perfect,” I tell him. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome,” he says. “I just hope your stalker is found before then.”
“They will be. They have to be.” I will go crazy if my stalker isn’t found before then. I can’t go to college and get a fresh start if they are still stalking me. “And because of you, I’m going to have the best summer ever.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it.” I put down the brochure. “Will you come too?”
“I can’t. I have to work, and Veronica will be close to delivering at the end of summer so it wouldn’t be good for her to travel.”
“Well, I will definitely be back in time for her to deliver. But can you at least come visit?” I ask. “If I’m spending the whole summer there, I’d at least like to see you.”
“Yeah,” he answers. “I don’t want to go all summer without seeing you either. I’m having a hard enough time with you starting college.”
“I’ll be living here while I go to college.”
“I’ve seen the way your boyfriend looks at you. I’m pretty sure you won’t be living here for long,” he tells me. “That boy is in love with you.”
“But that doesn’t mean you won’t still see me,” I counter. “Besides, nothing could keep me from coming over here as often as I can. I want my little sister to know me. I have to be a part of her life.”
Dad is quiet for a moment before he says, “I’ve been a terrible father to you.”
“No you haven’t,” I say, but we both know it’s not true.
“I have,” he says. “I just… don’t want to make the same mistakes with the new baby.”
“You won’t,” I tell him confidently. “It isn’t your fault that you missed the first seventeen years of my life. We can’t have that time back, but what we have is right now. We just have to make the most of what we have. And the moment that baby is born, she will have your heart completely. You are going to be a great dad to her.”
“I know that I’m not around much,” he says. “For that I am sorry. You deserve so much more than I give you.”
“You give me everything.” Well, things… He does give me every thing.
“Everything except love…” His voice breaks. “I do love you, Kihanna. And I can never say sorry enough for how I’ve acted since you’ve been here. I know I haven’t been around, and I know I make promises and I never keep them. I am going to try to d
o better… I’ve actually been thinking about selling Staying Connected and retiring.”
“Really?” I ask.
“Yeah. What do you think?”
“I think that is awesome,” I answer. “You don’t want to miss out on the baby’s life, and if you work all the time you will. Plus, you’d have more time to hang out with me and Toby. I will always make time for family.”
“And you’d want to hang out with me?” he asks. “After everything.”
“It would be my honor to hang out with you… Until you’re sick of me.”
“Which would be never.”
I laugh. “I don’t know. I am pretty annoying.”
“Just like your father,” he says. “I love you, Kihanna.”
“I love you too,” I say. “And thank you again for the trip. I’m excited to go.”
“You’re welcome,” he says. “By the way, you look beautiful.”
“Veronica bought it for me,” I say, motioning towards the outfit. “It’s very me.”
“That it is,” he agrees. “Veronica is a good woman.”
“She’s definitely a keeper.”
“Everything is going to turn out alright in the end,” he says. “I know that it will.”
“I know that everything will turn out the way it’s supposed to.” And that’s all I can hope for. A happy ending to all this… I want my stalker caught, I want my family back together, I want everybody safe, and I want Brian at my side.
Bora Bora is just a bonus.
A freaking awesome bonus.
7pm
Princess Kihanna.
Everything is set up for the party.
There is a temporary cabana up, which looks amazing. The roof is made out of palm tree leaves. Inside there is a purple day bed with candles lying all around. There are purple string lights strung over the pool, and the lights flash in a way that makes them look like they’re raining down. There is one long table set up with food, and in the middle of the table is my birthday cake. It’s three layers high, and is bigger than any cake I’ve ever seen. The bottom layer is light purple with diamond patterns in it. The next layer is white and black zebra print, and the top layer is the same, except purple instead of white. There is a big purple bow on the top, and the number “18” designed out of fake-diamonds.
On the other side of the pool, there is a temporary stage in place. There are instruments set up, spotlights, and amps lined all over. I can’t help but wonder who is going to be singing at my birthday party. I know whoever it is will be awesome.
“Your family goes all out for birthdays,” I hear from behind.
I jump for a second, then realize it’s Brian’s voice. “You scared me.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “So, I have to agree. They really did go all out. This is crazy.”
“You only turn eighteen once.”
“True. And I guess Dad is sort of making up for missing seventeen birthdays of my life,” I say, smiling. “You won’t believe what he bought me for my birthday.”
“Hmmm… Another new car?” he jokes.
“No. A two month trip to Bora Bora,” I tell him. “He booked four villas over the water, and told me I could invite whoever I want. It’s going to be amazing.”
“That’s just… crazy.”
“He says he wants me to enjoy my last summer of freedom before college.”
“Yeah, but the whole summer?”
“Will you come with me?” I ask.
“It’s not like I could last the whole summer without you,” he says. “But I have a job and an apartment. I can’t just leave.”
“My dad could take care of your rent while you're gone.”
He rolls his eyes. “Kihanna, I’m not having your father pay my bills.”
“It’s not like he can’t afford it.”
“That not the point,” he says.
“I know, I know. But Bora Bora… How often do you get the chance to go there for two whole months? And I was going to see if Olivia and Toby wanted to come, and we would have the best summer ever!”
“My lease is almost up.”
“And you can always get another job when you come back,” I say. “You’re so close to finishing college, so maybe you can get an internship somewhere this fall. My dad would help you, and it wouldn’t be a hand-out. Not really.”
He smiles, and I know I’ve won. “Dating you is a completely crazy experience.”
“But fun, right?”
“Very fun,” he agrees. “I still don’t understand what you see in me. You have this extravagant life, and I don’t have anything to offer you in return.”
“I don’t need anything else. Just you.”
“I got you something for your birthday,” he says. “But I’m kind of scared to give it to you now.”
“Why?”
“Because you might freak out.”
“Why would I freak out?” I ask.
“You just will,” he answers. “I think I’m going to wait until the party is over to give it to you. I want it to be just us there.”
“And until then I will just freak out, wondering what it is,” I say sarcastically. “I seriously hate surprises… Well, that’s not true. I love surprises. But I hate when I know there is a surprise, and I don’t know what it is.”
“It’s because you’re impatient.”
“I can’t help the fact that I’m impatient,” I say. “So do you think that Olivia will want to go to Bora Bora?”
Brian laughs. “Are you kidding? She will love it. I swear she was made for this kind of life. Though, I’m sure my mom will be sad that both of us will be gone all summer.”
“I’m sad that Olivia is going to college in LA. She’s still trying to talk me into going there,” I say. “I think we need the summer to mentally prepare. I can’t imagine not having her there every day.
“Well, I hope she isn’t convincing you to go to L.A.,” he says. “You need to go to Stanford. I don’t think I could handle having you so far away from me. That would seriously suck.”
“Yes, it would. I don’t think I could handle being so far from you either.”
“Good. By the way, you look really hot tonight,” Brian tells me. “This outfit completely captures your personality. Especially the tiara.”
“From now on you can refer to me as Princess Kihanna.”
We both laugh, and Brian shakes his head at me. “You are so weird.”
“I know.”
“That is one of the many reasons that I love you.”
“What are the other reasons?” I ask, even though I already know… But I’ll never get tired of hearing him tell me.
He pretends to think. “If I started now, I’d be talking all night.”
“Good thing I love hearing your voice.”
“I’m pretty sure I can think of something better to do with my lips.”
I can’t help it, I giggle. Brian makes me insanely happy. Happier than I ever thought another person could make me.
Brian leans closer and kisses me. The moment our lips touch there is no denying our chemistry. And when I think of the future, Brian is all I can see. The thought doesn’t scare me anymore. I love that he is my future, and I can’t wait to start forever with him.
He gently touches the small of my back and pulls me closer. I want every inch between us gone.
The thought of marrying Brian doesn’t scare me so bad anymore. And not just because I want to have sex with him now, but because I realize I could never get this feeling with anybody else. I’m ready to start my life with him now.
Forever is just the beginning for us.
8pm
I’ve heard stories.
There are way too many people at my party. Practically everybody from my school showed up, and I have gotten more hugs than ever before. There is also a room full of presents inside that is going to take me forever to open. It’s kind of nuts.
“As if your ego wasn’t big e
nough, somebody had to give you a tiara…”
I turn around and see Olivia. She’s smiling, and I know that she was joking. I throw my arms around her and hug her like I haven’t seen her in forever… Which is what it feels like. I haven’t seen her since Tuesday, and I’ve been bored out of my mind without her. It’s pretty much a requirement to see your best friend every day.
“What are your plans for the summer?” I ask her, because I don’t want to wait one more second to tell her about the trip. I’m so excited.
“I don’t know,” she answers. “I’ll probably watch TV, eat a lot of ice-cream, and get fat. And I’ll hang out with you when you’re not all over my brother. Why?”
“I have a better idea,” I say, pausing for dramatic effect. “How would you feel about spending two months with me on the beautiful island of Bora Bora?”
“Oh my God!” Her eyes get big. “If you’re messing with me right now, I will kill you.”
“I’m completely serious. It was a birthday present from my dad. We would be on the water in a beautiful villa.”
“Shut up! No way!” She jumps up and down and then stops. “Are being completely serious?”
“YES! Do you want to come with me or not?”
“Of course I want to come!” She jumps up and down again. “Oh my God. I can’t believe we’re going to freaking Bora Bora! For two months! Does Brian know yet?” She stops jumping. “Do you really think Brian will let you spend the whole summer without him?”
“Do you really think I would want to either? Brian is coming with me,” I tell her.
“Wow,” she says, excited again. “This is really happening! It’s about time you get a tan. You’re practically the only girl at school who doesn’t have one.”
“Yes, that is the only reason I want to go on vacation in paradise… to get a tan.”
She rolls her eyes. “Whatever. Seriously, though! We are going to Tahiti! I’ve never been anywhere besides the west coast. This is a dream come true!”
“You’re lucky that the west coast is awesome.”