Living Without Dreams

Chapter 16 - Susan's Birthday

It took them slightly longer than the forty-five minutes Susan promised to get ready to go out to dinner, but by the time she came downstairs, the back of the car contained IKEA bags with mysterious looking contents, and everyone else in the family was appropriately dressed and ready to go.

“Do I look all right?” she asked her husband and she turned around. She was wearing the low heels and the skirt she’d worn to church, but she’d paired it with a low cut, dressy looking black sweater with a black lace camisole peeking out the top. She’d dressed it up even further by the jewelry she’d chosen. It might not be his favorite silk dress, but she did look very nice.

“You look lovely,” he told her truthfully. “Shall we go?”

Greg locked the door behind them then escorted Susan to the passenger side of the car.

“You’re driving?” she checked.

“I’d have to tell you where we’re going if you drove and that would spoil the surprise,” Greg said. “Come on, get in. I don’t want to be late.”

Susan did as he said as the kids got in the back, and they set off through the canyon towards Malibu.

“Are we going to Richard’s first?” Susan asked.

“No. Richard and Marion are meeting us there,” Greg said, and he turned left onto the Pacific Coast Highway instead of right.

Susan thoroughly enjoyed the ride down the coast, pointing out landmarks to Jessie and the boys as they came to them. Greg was surprised by how familiar she actually was with the area along the coast. He generally had to give her directions for where to go each time they’d been in Burbank over the past couple of weeks.

“Susan, did you always live in the hills when you lived in Southern California?” Greg asked.

“No. We lived in west Los Angeles, near the beach until I was fifteen. Then my parents decided to move out of the city. They thought it would be healthier for us to be away from all the congestion and the smog and everything,” Susan explained. Then on a hunch she asked, “Is the restaurant we’re going to in West Los Angeles?”

“No,” Greg told her, pleased to be able to answer truthfully and still keep the surprise. Venice Beach was more or less surrounded by areas considered to be West Los Angeles but thankfully was not considered part of it.

Susan continued speculating for the rest of the drive, but she looked genuinely pleased and surprised when he pulled into the parking lot of an Italian restaurant, not far from where her family once lived.

“How did you know about this place?” Susan asked in amazement. “Have you been here? It’s a bit off the beaten path for you to have chosen it at random.”

“I have not been here before, but you are correct. The choice was not random. I had help,” Greg admitted as they got out, retrieved their packages from the back, then left their car with the Valet parking staff for the restaurant.

Susan looked at him in mild confusion until he escorted her into the building. Her expression cleared as she saw her parents there waiting for them.

“Mom! Dad! What are you doing here?” Susan asked before she could stop herself … “But of course Greg called you, didn’t he?”

“We are here to celebrate your birthday dear,” her mother said as she kissed Susan on the cheek. “Happy belated birthday, Susan; and of course, your wonderful new husband called me. But he spoke to your father.”

“This was your favorite restaurant when we lived here,” Mr. Abernathy said. “I hope it still is Susie. We wanted this birthday to be special.”