The Boy in the Woods (2014 Wattys Winner, Wattpad Version)

Chapter 20 - Silhouettes

On the day of Doug's sixteenth birthday, Jess went downstairs carrying the wrapped after shave lotion.  The whole house was filled with the delicious smell of Doug's favorite roast chicken dinner that Annie had been cooking all day.  When she walked into the dining room, her uncle was already seated looking through his mail.  There were wrapped presents at one end of the table arranged around Doug's birthday cake, a devil's food cake with vanilla icing, but Jess was most surprised to see an extra place set at the table next to her seat. 

Setting her gift near the others, she went to her chair, looking at the extra place setting.  She wondered if her uncle would let her know who was joining them, but he ignored her as usual while he sorted through his envelopes.

"Is someone eating with us?" she asked finally.

"Annie always joins us on Douglas's birthday," he replied distractedly.

"Oh," she said, and dropped her head to hide her smile while she placed her napkin in her lap.  It was the first time that Annie was going to eat with them.

Doug came in just as Annie pushed through the swinging door with the last of their food, beaming at him. 

"It looks good, Annie," Doug said heartily as he sat.

"Thank you, Doug," she said, taking her seat next to Jess. 

The three of them smiled at each other before Uncle Jonathon held his hand out for Doug's plate, but Jess thought even he seemed happy.  While they ate, Annie told stories about Doug, recounting the funny things he used to say and do when he was little while Doug pretended to be embarrassed, but Jess could tell he was enjoying it. 

Afterwards, Annie lit the candles on his cake and Jess turned out the lights.  They sang 'Happy Birthday', and then Doug blew out his candles.  While they ate their cake, Doug opened his presents between bites, starting with his father's gifts, two sets of cuff links. 

"Thanks, dad," Doug said, admiring them. 

"I don't want you wearing them to school.  Those are solid gold," he explained, sitting more erect when he said it.  

"Really?" Doug said, his eyes widening with excitement.  "They're swell!"

"Now when you go to the office, you'll be able to dress the part," he said imperiously.

"I can't wait to wear them," Doug said.  Watching him gaze at them adoringly, Jess fought back the familiar jealousy.  She wasn't surprised her uncle would give him such an expensive gift, but it still hurt he fought over every dollar he spent on her.

Then Annie handed over her present, and when he opened it, Jess was even more excited than he was.  It was a large stack of 45's, all of them rock and roll.

"I thought this year, you and your friends were old enough to have a dance party," Annie said, beaming at him while he looked through the records.  "Now you'll have the music."

"Yeah!" Doug said excitedly.  "That'll be fun!  Thanks, Annie." 

"You're welcome," she said, and quickly wiped her eyes with her napkin.

"Here Doug," Jess said, handing over her gift.  When he pulled off the paper, he looked at it quizzically, and Jess suddenly worried.

"I hope you like it," she added weakly.  Doug opened his mouth to reply when his father interrupted him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"After shave lotion," Doug said, holding it up. 

"That's – a very nice gift," he said, his eyes traveling from the box to gaze at Jess.  Immediately feeling uncomfortable by the intensity of his stare, she turned her attention to Doug.  From the way he'd said it, she knew her uncle didn't mean it.  Maybe he thought it should have been more expensive.