The Bubblegum Motto ✓

-13-

After freshening myself up in my bathroom and gently padding down the creaky stairs, I found myself standing in front of the kitchen table staring at a pot of flowers that had an almost fluorescent blue as its center and deep purple at the edge of the petals.

"Those are really pretty, aren't they?" I heard a voice appear from behind me and I whirled around, coming face-to-face with my mother sauntering over to me.

"What is this for?" I questioned, cocking up my eyebrow.

"What else? It's June 30th," my mother pointed out matter-of-factly, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the calendar. It was indeed my birthday.

"Is this from..."

My mother didn't speak, but she smiled brightly before pointing at the index card sitting next to the clear vase. I eyed it before picking it up, flipping it over. It read: 

Dear Kaia,

Those are tie dye dendrobium orchids. They're a real beauty, aren't they? Kind of like you. Actually, scratch that. It is like you. Anyway, I found that orchids actually represents beauty, love, and strength, so that's why I decided on these types of flowers. Because you're the most beautiful person I've ever laid my eyes on, and you're the strongest person I've ever gotten to know. And while you might not agree, you are filled with love, especially for your sister. Happy Birthday, sweetheart.

Love, Nixon

I didn't realize a bright smile had taken over my own face until my mother pointed out, joking that I should look at myself in the mirror. I rolled my eyes at that comment, feeling a weird, warm, fuzziness bud at the pit of stomach and flower through my chest.

"He's a really sweet boy, isn't he?" my mother mused, seating herself on one of the chairs around the dining table and inspected the beautiful tie dye dendrobium orchids.

"You read it?" I queried, sounding slightly horrified before setting the card back down on the table, still grinning on it.

Mom nodded like it was the most natural thing ever, as if she didn't just intrude on our privacy. "I was the one who let Nixon in. I asked if I could read it, and he agreed."

"When did he come in?"

"Around seven in the morning."

Listening to that time made me grimace. "That's early."

"Well, yeah. That was more because you wake at around eight, and he wanted it to be more of a surprise," my mother shrugged. I pulled out a chair next to her and sat down, clasping my hands in front of me, my cheeks slightly rosy.

"Sounds like Nixon," I chuckled.

"Has he asked you out yet?"

I blinked. "What?"

"I mean, he clearly likes you, and you clearly like him back..."

I felt guilt flood in my stomach, so I kept my gaze off my mother. She wasn't an expert on face reading, but she told me she got a lot better when she had to learn how to read her daughters' expressions. After all, teenagers have a tendency to hide things.

But, I couldn't quite hide much from my mother because I was definitely the type to lie back in my teenage days, so she was particularly good at reading me.

"You rejected him, didn't you?" her voice was soft with no tones of accusations. Her eyes gauged my expression carefully.

I wet my lips before nodding slowly, the guilt taking over me again.