Another Summer | C.F

Chapter ten

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ADDISON ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

Every summer, Belly and I spend our birthdays in this beach house. I've never really liked my birthday. Belly, on the other hand, always eats pancakes and then opens her gifts. But for me, it's just like a normal day as I get older.

Today is my birthday, and in four days, it will be Belly's. I've always said that she was my birthday present.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ADDS!" I heard Belly screaming. She's always done that to wake me up.

"Gosh, Belly, someday you will kill me for doing that." I stand up and hug her. "Thanks, though."

"Come on, let's go and have breakfast." I follow her downstairs where everyone is waiting, well everyone except Conrad.

"Happy Birthday," they all say at once.

"Thanks, all of you. But I just want to spend this day like the others. I don't want something special," I said, looking directly at Susannah.

"Don't be silly, sweetheart. Today is your day. At least let's have breakfast and then open your gifts. The rest of the day you can spend it as you want, deal?"

"Deal," I tell her smiling. I love Susannah. She is like a second mother to me. She loves all of us as equals, and she will always do her best to keep us happy.

We all ate breakfast together, and after that, we went to the living room so they could give me my birthday presents.

"Why isn't Connie here?" Susannah asks. Thank God, Jere saw how I get tense after hearing his name, so he responded.

"He was sleeping. He was drinking yesterday."

"Oh, okay," she looks sad to know that her son was drinking constantly. "Anyway, let's open the gifts. I am going first." She passed me a small box. In it, there was a gold bracelet. "My parents got it for me when I was around your age. I wanted you to have it. You see that it has a small key because it is complemented with the one that is going to be Belly's gift."

"Susannah, it's so beautiful. Thanks."

"My turn," said Belly. She gave me a beautiful copy of my favorite book Pride and Prejudice, but it was all annotated with my favorite quotes.

"Oh my god, Belly. I loved it. Thank you."

"Here, take mine." Jere threw a box to me. In it, there were flower-shaped earrings.

"They are beautiful, Jere. Thanks," I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Addi, this is mine," my mom said to me. I took the bag, and in it was our favorite book of poetry. We learned it one of those many summers ago.

"Mom, where did you find this?"

"I spent almost three months looking for it, and I will never reveal my secret."

"Thanks, Mom. I loved it."

"Take it." Steven threw a bag at my face.

"What a nice brother, Steven."

"Just open it." It was a hoodie for the college we both were going to.

"Steve, I can't believe you spent money on me. I think I'm gonna cry."

"Oh, shut up. I just bought it so you wouldn't steal mine," that made us laugh.

"Thanks." I went to hug him, and he hugged me back. "You are hugging me? This is a miracle. Belly, record this moment. Steven is hugging me."