The Summer I Fell

diamonds

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Everyone grabbed their gifts for Belly, getting situated on either of the couches or the floor. Her mom was the first to go, Belly tearing the wrapping paper that lined the gift. She pulled a book from the paper, lined with a sandy white color.
"It's a first edition. I got it from a rare book dealer." Laura told her, watching as Belly forced a smile.
"Thanks, Mom." She spoke, seemingly unenthusiastic about the present. 
"Turn to the bookmarked page." Laura explained, rolling her eyes. They watched as she flipped the book open to the desired page, Laura leaning into Susannah.
"It's your favorite poem." Laura told Susannah, a smile spread across her face.
"Oh, yeah. I remember Susannah teaching us to recite this. "For whatever we lose...Like a you or a me...It's always ourselves we find in the sea." She read, the entirety of them joining in by the end on the poem.
"Thank you. I love it." Belly chuckled, happy with the present from her mom.
"You're welcome." Laura smiled, Susannah handing her a black jewelry box.
"Okay, open mine now, Belly." She told her, Belly pulling the lid of the box open. A pearl necklace sat inside of the box, Belly's eyes widening slightly.
"Oh, wow. They're gorgeous. Thank you, Susannah." She said, Susannah moving to sit beside her on the couch.
"My mom gave me these pearls for my sweet 16." She explained, picking up the necklace from the box and clipping it around Belly's neck.
"Radiant, isn't she?" She complimented, walking back to the couch to take her place beside Laura.
"They look great on you, sweetheart." Laura complimented, Jere moving to grab his gift from the table.
"Oh, I'm next. Here." He perked up, reaching forward to give her his gift. Belly opened the box, a small key charm resting inside. She quickly put it on her bracelet, holding up her wrist to watch it shine in the sunlight.
"It's a good-luck charm to help you pass your driving test." Jeremiah said, explaining the significance of the charm.
"Perfect. Thank you." She smiled, a light laugh in her voice.
"Think fast, Belly." Steven said, abruptly throwing the present at her. Laura scolded him for throwing it as Belly ripped the paper off of around it, holding up a grey Princeton sweatshirt.
"Wow, Steven, I can't believe you actually spent money on me." She teased, smiling at the gift.
"Relax. I just didn't want you stealing mine next year when I get in." Steven said, despite everyone knowing it was an honest gift.
"I didn't know you were still considering Princeton." Laura spoke up, creating a little bit of tension in the room.
"You know, I think I'm gonna apply for some scholarships, and Dad thinks I can get some financial aid. I...I don't know. I'll see if I get in." He rambled, Laura unknowing of the news.
"Conrad, uh, do you want to give Belly your present?" Susannah intervened, not wanting anything to spoil the moment.
"Sorry, I forgot." Conrad hesitated, putting a halt on Susannah's plan. Awkwardness flooded the room, no one knowing what to say in the moment.
"Uh, that's... that's cool. I wasn't really expecting anything anyway, so..." Belly excused, despite being upset he had forgotten about her birthday.
"Oh, so I got to go. Um, I promised Cleveland that I'd show him some knots today, so..." Conrad explained getting up from his seat and walking toward the door.
"Happy birthday, Belly." He said, before walking out of the room entirely.
"Hey. Why don't we take my car and practice driving before we have to pick up Taylor from the bus station." Jeremiah proposed, wanting to turn the attention away from what just happened.
"Sure." She agreed, Susannah clearing her throat awkwardly.
"Okay, um, Jewel?" She asked, the girl grabbing the present sitting to her left.
"Here you go, Bells." Jewel spoke, handing her the small rectangular box. She watched as Belly opened it, seeing the phone case inside.
"You got me the custom phone case I wanted?" She smiled, Jewel nodding with a smile.
"Turn it over." She whispered, Belly seeing the two twenty dollar bills tapped to the inside of the case. Belly laughed at the sight, leaning forward in her seat to give her a hug.
"Thank you." She said, Jewel letting out a small laugh.
"Can you meet me in my room before we go pick up Taylor?" She asked Belly, the girl nodding with a smile. Laura and Susannah shared a look, theorizing why Jewel didn't want the attention that came with giving the final present. Jewel stood from her place, Belly following after thanking everyone for the presents. A small wrapped jewelry box sat on the bed, a yellow bow tied around it. Belly smiled at the sight, her eyebrows furrowing as she grabbed it from the bed. Jewel watched as she untied the bow, opening the box to reveal a small set of diamond earrings.
"They were my mom's." Jewel confessed, Belly's smile faltering as she looked toward the girl.
"Really?" She asked, a small nodded coming from the other girl.
"Are you sure you want to give them to me?" Belly questioned, feeling bad for receiving something that was her mother's. Jewel had found them in her mom's dresser while they were boxing up her stuff, the small box sitting wrapped with a bow.
"She always wanted two daughters, and when you were born, despite not being blood related, she knew you were her second. She always joked that a girl needed diamonds on her sweet sixteenth. I think she was going to give them to you this year. She bought them a couple of months ago." Jewel explained, Belly's eyes shifting back down to the box in her hands.
"Thank you, Jewel." She spoke softly, knowing that giving away something of her mom's was hard on her, whether she admitted it or not.
"Of course." She smiled, Belly moving forward to wrap the girl in a hug. Small tears lined both of their eyes, still grieving over the loss of Jewel's mother.
"Come on, let's go get Taylor." Jewel smiled, bringing back Belly's smile as well.