North Star

27. Gifts

"What the–what?" I ask as I whisk the flying confetti away from my face.

"Happy birthday! Well, it's actually your belated birthday. Your birthday was actually two days ago while you were gone but we're celebrating now," Alice chirps in and Rose excitedly flounces next to me.

I missed my own birthday? I know I would forget that my birthday is nearing before but I don't think I've ever actually forgotten my birthday on the actual day.

"What are you wearing? I've never seen you wear anything like this before," Rose asks as she observes my attire.

"Oh, I just wanted to try something new. I was never allowed to wear things like this. Does it look bad?"

"No, no. It looks good. It looks like you," she assures me with a warm smile.

Everyone else does little murmurs of approval as well and I feel much better about it. We stay in silence and I notice that no one brings up anything about my weekend away, maybe it's for later. But I'm just glad it's not now.

"So, how does it feel to be no longer nineteen?" Rose asks as she sides hugs me.

"Oh, um–" That's right, this is a birthday party. And I'm no longer nineteen! Oh my gosh, I'm twenty years old, I don't know how to feel about that.

I also don't know what to say about this surprise. I'm touched that they remembered; actually, I'm shocked that they knew at all. I don't think I told them about my birthday at all since I met them, have I?

Birthdays, back when I was human, were a big deal with my family. Every year, the same thing that she did with Aileen, my mom did with me. She would wake up at the exact time she started giving birth to me and come into my room and cuddle me to tell me the story of what happened.

Then when she finished the story, the rest of the family would come in with breakfast and sing Las Mañanitas in full blast. The best thing about how we celebrated, the birthdays lasted the whole week until the end of the weekend; it was just how we did things.

"Don't tell me you don't like celebrating birthdays either. I don't want to hear no buts about anything as we give you gifts and show you how much we love you," Nessie sternly commands as she comes up to hug me, bringing me out of memory lane.

"No, no. I'm just surprised. Thank you all," I say, hugging her back, smiling at everyone in front of me and holding back a laugh at the silly looks of them in the party hats. "And why would you think I don't like celebrating my birthday? Who doesn't like celebrating them?"

We both release each other, but no one answers. Then everyone silently glances towards Bella in unison. She rolls her eyes and leans into Edward as he chuckles into her hair.

"Okay, okay! So, who wants to go first?" Ness jumps excitedly as she races to the table and grabs an envelope.

"What are we doing?"

"We're opening presents, silly. Not everyone can enjoy food and cake on birthdays, remember?" She teases me. I laugh, somewhat in sadness but also in good humor.

"You guys can't but we'll sure enjoy the heck out of it all. Look! We even have finger foods!" Seth says as he and his pack mates stuff their faces with food.

Jake just huffs a short laugh and stares out the window, as though he were watching out for something.

"Well, I guess we'll go first," Tanya volunteers, rolling her eyes at the pack and steps forward with a beautifully wrapped present in her hands. Ness pouts but steps back to wait for her turn. "This is from both me and Kate."