Page 133 of The Circle

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

… THIS MORNING.

“Andra? Andra, hey, wake up.”

She rolls over in bed, long, blonde hair spilt all over her face, and wipes it away to see me sitting at the foot of her bed.

“Hey,” she mumbles, her hybrid Saffie/American/vestiges-of-whatever-British-embedded-its-way-into-her-developing-brain accent made even more curious by her still-waking voice.

“Happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” she sighs with a smile. Then she sees the wrapped gift I’m holding on my lap and sits up, becoming instantly more alert. “That for me?”

“What? This? No. I just found a festively wrapped box with your name on it lying on the beach and thought it was odd, so I wanted to show it to you.” I hold it up for her to see. “So, here it is. All right, I’ve shown it to you. See you later.”

I stand and she leaps forward from under the covers, grabbing it from me. “Dad!” she says in her sixteen-years-old-today way.

I hand it over and she grins, setting the box on the bed and looking at the card on the front, which has her name upon it, written in Christine’s handwriting.

“Where are Christine and Danny?” There’s a hint of a pout in it. A slight worry or disappointment perhaps at the fact that they’re not here with me, awakening her on her very special day. A very special day made even more special than all the other special days she’s enjoyed over the years because of what has been promised to her.

“They’re about. Danny had his dawn yoga on the beach and Christine wanted to wish you happy birthday with this.” I nod at the box with the sealed card. They’ll be here when we get back tonight.

“What’s Lizzy doing?” She seems suddenly nervous, like she’s having anxiety over what we’ve discussed and now wants to have buffers about in the event it proves more than she’s prepared herself for.

“Lizzy’s around.”

“Maybe she wants to come with us?”

“No. She’s still… We agreed that when you turned sixteen I’d tell you everything. Danny and Christine want to extend that same rule to Liz. This is your day to know all. Hers will come soon enough. Go ahead, read your card. Open your gift.”

She nibbles at her lip, unsure.

“We don’t have to—” I start, but she cuts me off.

“No. I want to… I want to.”

I nod, grin, and wait.

She opens the card first. I have no idea what’s written in it. Christine didn’t share it with me and I didn’t ask to see.

I watch Alexandria’s face as she reads. It starts worried, turns quickly to amusement; she laughs once, again, then I can see tears start to form around the edges of her eyes. She finishes reading it, puts the card back in its envelope, and tucks it away in her nightstand, where it will stay until and unless she ever decides to share it.

Then she starts to carefully peel open the wrapping paper. She’s cautious that way with everything. No rampant tearing into a thing just to see what’s inside. She approaches everything with a certain kind of measured caution. So very much like Danny in that way.

Once she has the wrapping paper pulled off and folded neatly to the side, she opens the box and, for the first time in over twenty years, I see it.

The yellow dress.

As we walk alongthe edge of the water, she waves to Danny, sitting on the beach, post-yoga, digging his toes in the sand. I look over at him as well, and though I’d never be inclined to call Danny Fortnight “a most happy fellow,” he seems to be at least content at the moment. I can only imagine what’s going through his mind, but I have to assume it’s some version of what’s going through my own.

His is very likely different than mine, but it is my version that Andra will hear today because I am the one, we all agreed, who should share it with her. She spins, showing off the dress that Christine gifted her, and Danny smiles, then just as quickly tries to pretend he didn’t. It’s a silly game. But we three know as well as anyone alive that if you are given the time and space to play a silly game… seize it.

I wave at him also, a gesture intended to signal We’ll see you later, and he waves back in kind, then closes his eyes and turns his face to the sun.

… LATER.

As we sit on the edgeof the bluff, cool sea breeze blowing around us and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks below, I see Andra’s curiosity, which has been on display since this morning, turn to brow-furrowing discontent.