A Distant Memory

Chapter 33 - Happy birthday!

Everyone enjoys their birthday, right? 

Well, I don't.

My birthday is close to when Rowan went missing, so I never felt like celebrating. Instead, I used the excuse that I had too much work. Everyone gave me pity looks and I hated it, but at the same time I didn't care. They didn't know what it was like, they couldn't judge me.

That fifth of November was like every other fifth of November since 2017. I stayed up until late in my office, I didn't notice but it started pouring.

It was about midnight when I went to the lobby, I picked up my coat and keys and closed everything, I drove back home dreaming the moment where I would be in my cozy, soft, warm and white bed. 

Agnes was watching over Rose, as soon as I arrived, she left. I kicked my shoes off and when I turned the lights on, there was a red velvet cupcake on the kitchen island with a birthday candle on it. On the table there were a few gift boxes and some helium balloons, I stared at everything in awe. Who did it?

I walked a few steps forward and stopped, admiring everything that was set out. I recognized Anderson's touch when he hugged me from behind. I felt that fuzzy feeling and unconsciously smiled, knowing that he did all that for me. 

"You didn't have to" I muttered while turning around, Anderson placed his arms in my lower waist, picked me up and put me on top of the counter. "Olivia, you're ridiculous if you think that I will let you not celebrate your birthday. You're alive and well, you have a beautiful daughter, a successful business and a bunch of people that care for you. Oh, and you also have me. That's worth celebrating, ain't it?" He spoke softly, I pecked his cheek and hopped off the counter.

"I'm not gonna let you go to bed without singing happy birthday to you" he stopped me, "Put it to rest, Anderson. This is a really nice gesture, but I don't celebrate my birthday." 

"Why?" he asked, holding me by the wrist, I turned to face him and he let go of me. "My birthday isn't that far away from when... from when Rowan went missing. I never felt like celebrating, it doesn't feel right, you know? What if he's dead in a ditch while I'm hosting a party?" I chuckled at the last bit.

"I can't force you to let go, okay? All I want to ask you is this; what would Rowan say if he knew that you stopped celebrating your birthday because of him?"

Want to know the answer? He'd hate it. He'd hate that I stopped doing things that I loved because of something related to him. Before his kidnapping I used to love my birthday, I would make really big parties or go out until it was morning. I grew to stop caring about something I loved, he would hate that he was the reason for it.

I sighed and rubbed my temple, "you're right" I muttered, he smirked. "Say that again?" he teased, I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "No" I refused, he chuckled and turned on the candle with his lighter.

He sang happy birthday, and just when he was finishing, he had a massive voice crack. It sounded like he went through reverse puberty. We laughed about it as silently as we could until we couldn't breathe, until there where tears forming on our faces.

Anderson smacked my arm softly; "you- you- you have to m-make a wish" he breathed, I contained another fit of laughter from coming through. I took a deep breath in and thought of three wishes:

1. To have this happiness always.

2. For Rose to never stop smiling.

3. To experience true love until the day I die.

I blew the candle, "what did you wish for?" he asked as he hugged me from behind. "You're so needy, Anderson" I chuckled while taking the candle out. "With you as my girl how can I not?" he teased, I smiled and shook my head. I unwrapped the cupcake and took a bite out of it.

"You didn't answer my question, hermosa." He let go of me and I missed his warmth, he leaned on the counter. "If I tell you then it won't become true" I chuckled, "You're right, you're right" he accepted. 

After I swallowed the second bite I took out of the cupcake, I spoke up; "Didn't you have Eve for the week? Where is she?" I asked.

"In Rose's room" he told me, giving me the eyes. I felt how a blush crept onto my face. "Makes sense" I shrugged before taking another bite. I put the half left of the cupcake down and stared at the gifts.

"You know that you didn't have to, right?" I grinned at him while reaching for a box. "I know, I wanted to" he shrugged while taking a bite out of my cupcake.

I unwrapped the box where a jewelry box for a necklace was. I side-eyed him, confused, and opened the box. Inside there was an absolutely gorgeous gold necklace with a small 'M' letter, I chuckled and held it up. "For real? A necklace with your initial?"

"Yeah, and I'll wear one with yours" 

"Help me?" I handed him the necklace for him to put on me, I put my hair up and felt how his hot breath fanned over me, my breathing went faster and the tension between us could be cut with a knife. 

After what seemed like an eternity, he backed away. The subtle necklace glimmered in the midnight light of my apartment. I turned to him only to realize that he had not, in fact, backed away.

I looked a bit up at him, he cupped my cheek and pecked my forehead. I cleared my throat and picked up another gift.

I opened it and there were a bunch of different lip glosses, lipsticks and what not. I checked them all out briefly, they were all items that I had told Anderson I was interested on getting, all of them were designer. It must've costed him well over four hundred dollars. 

I gasped, "this is just-- way too much. I can't accept it." I handed him the box. "You want me to use it?" he chuckled. "I bought it for you. Whatever you want, I'll make sure you get it, hermosa." he pecked my lips in an excruciating slow kiss, I enjoyed every millisecond of it.

"You genuinely didn't have to" I grinned at him, I couldn't believe that he just wasted all that money on me. "I make more with the bar that you can even begin to imagine. Open the last one, yeah?"

The last box remaining looked like a box of chocolates, I opened it and they were chocolate covered strawberries. "To tone it down a bit?" I chuckled while I held one up, he smirked my way.

"I read somewhere that they where the sexiest chocolate slash fruit to gift, really romantic. Thought I'd give them a shot" He shrugged while eating one, I slapped his hand in disbelief while exaggeratedly gasping.

"Hey! You gave those to me! They're mine!" 

He put his arms up in surrender. Ha! Looser!