Chapter 17
MOST FORGETTABLE
I’m so thankful that winter break is almost done.
I’ve had too much free time, not enough distractions, and everyone I care about went someplace snowy, leaving me alone in this eighty-degree weather with nothing but my Grinch attitude to keep me company.
It’s been hard filling my time. My mom’s been home from work, and she seems determined to make me miss Connor even more by the way she hangs all over Chad.
It’s gross to watch them together, but knowing that I have a boyfriend I can’t see makes it even worse.
I’ve spent most of my time in my bedroom trying to find ways to keep my mind off of him.
I take out the most recent letter from my dad. In it, he wishes me a happy birthday and tells me how much he misses me. I wish I could read through his letters and not get angry, but I’m still hurt by his decision. I shove it in the drawer where I keep them all.
Then, I pull up my email for the hundredth time looking for a college acceptance letter that isn’t there yet.
I won’t hear from my dream schools until later this month, but I can’t help but hope that maybe they’ll decide to send out their decisions sooner.
Alas, all I have are emails from different businesses wishing me a happy birthday.
I’m debating whether or not to go do the rounds for my free birthday food when my phone buzzes. I smile when I see Connor’s name.
Guess what I just remembered?
That you get to come home tomorrow?
Not that I’ve been counting down the days or anything,
Yes! But also, did you know that today is a special person’s birthday?
Lily is the only one who has wished me a happy birthday so far. Every year, she sends me a text at 12:01 AM just so she can say she’s the first one to wish me a happy birthday. I grin at my phone as I type out a response.
Oh, yeah? Who?
Tolkien.
My smile falls. He’s got to be messing with me, right? Connor’s and my birthdays are days apart. I made sure I sent his obligatory text on New Year’s Eve to wish him a happy eighteenth, and he’s telling me it’s one of the Inklings birthday? Not sure what to say, I type out three dots as a response.
I even have a joke for you to celebrate. What do you call a hobbit party?
What?
A little get together.
Did you come up with that on your own?
Nah, I used ChatGPT. Very helpful if you aren’t a nerd but want to impress your girlfriend.
You think I’m impressed?
If not, I have another fun fact for you. January 3rd is also the day Alaska became the 49th state.
Very cool.
I see what you did there. Because it’s so snowy.
I promise it wasn’t intentional.
But you should know that I saved the best fact for last. Today also happens to be my favorite person’s birthday.
There’s no way for him to know that I’ve been sulking all day, but I still hate that he made me wait for it.
As payback, I quickly go to my search engine and look up famous people who have a birthday on January third.
Other than good ol’ JRR, it’s slim pickings.
I don’t recognize any of the names, so I pick one at random.
Is it Bobby Hull?
I don’t know who that is.
I click the hyperlink and it brings me to his Wikipedia page. Apparently, Bobby was a hockey player back before we were even born.
Only the greatest NHL player of all time.
Didn’t realize you were such a fan. But there’s someone else who was born today that I think is even greater than the Golden Jet.
I laugh because I know he’s got to be looking at the same website as me. I’m currently staring at the guy’s nickname.
Not sure who else it could be.
Yes, you do. But not only that, I timed this text message so perfectly you’re going to be swooning the next time you see me for being the best boyfriend in the entire world.
In a move that only Connor could pull off, someone knocks on our door at that exact moment. I don’t get off my bed, but I listen as my mom answers the door. I can’t understand what is being said but hear a muffled exchange between her and whoever is on the other side.
What did you do?
The door shuts, and my mom cries, “Oh, my goodness. These are incredible.”
I leave my phone on my bed as I rush out of my room and see what could have my mom so giddy.
When I turn the corner into the living room, I’m met with the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen.
It’s a giant bouquet that covers my mom’s head.
I don’t know the names of all the flowers, but I recognize the gift tag immediately.
These are from the trendy florist downtown.
They name all of their arrangements after popular love songs—and everything costs a bajillion dollars.
I know this because Lily and I were going to order corsages from them for junior year, but after seeing the price tag, we decided to buy flowers from Publix and carry them instead.
I can’t believe he did this.
“Aren’t they gorgeous?” my mom says, still gushing. “Chad, where are you?”
I’m not sure why he needs to come out and see my flowers. Maybe she wants him to see what a teenage boy does for his girlfriend’s birthday and try to keep up. I pull the tag from the bouquet and open it.
Ella,
I’m sorry that I’m not there for your birthday. Hope these make up for it. I can’t wait until school starts and I get to show off my girlfriend to the entire school.
-Connor
It’s in his handwriting, so he must have planned this before he left.
He is unbelievable. My cheeks warm as I read the note a second time.
I hope my mom didn’t get a chance to see it before me.
She doesn’t know that Connor and I have started dating.
I don’t want to know what she’ll say when she finds out.
Not that I want to think about that right now.
This is the first time I’ve even been given flowers, and Connor set the bar high.
The bouquet is a kaleidoscope of vivid pinks and oranges, and the aroma coming off of it is to die for.
I reach for the vase just as my mom turns to Chad pulling the flowers away.
“An early anniversary present?” she says, putting her face into the blooms. “You shouldn’t have.”
In his defense, Chad has the decency to look confused. “Our anniversary isn’t until next week.”
“Late Christmas?” My mom shakes her head. “No, that doesn’t make sense.”
My heart sinks as I realize she forgot what today is. “Birthday,” I say, my voice flat.
“But my birthday isn’t until…” Her eyes widen before her expression transforms into one filled with guilt. Her shoulder slump as she lowers the bouquet. “It’s your birthday.”
“Every January third.”
She releases a shaky breath. “Your eighteenth birthday.”
I nod.
Tears well in her eyes. “Oh, Ella. I wasn’t paying attention to the dates. You know how time gets weird after Christmas. I really do know when you were born.”
I know she does, but it hurts that her thought was that these were from her deadbeat boyfriend. She didn’t even consider the possibility that someone cared enough to send them to me. I snatch the flowers from her. “Well, thankfully, not everyone did.”
I turn on my heels and storm back to my room.
My mom is right behind me. “Ella.”
I slam the door behind me and lock it. Flowers in hand, I lean my back against the door fighting the tears that threaten to fall.
A pain forms in my chest, and I hug the flowers against me in an effort to make it go away.
All I succeed in doing is poking myself in the eye with some of the greenery.
I’m crying, but I pretend it’s from the injury and has nothing to do with the fact that my mom forgot my birthday.
Someone knocks on the door.
“Go away,” I yell at her.
“You can’t talk to her like that,” Chad says on the other side.
“Yes, she can,” my mom says. Her voice is quiet.
Defeated. I know she’s sorry, but I can’t talk to her yet.
It hurts too much. There’s a pause before she adds, “I’m so sorry.
” I can hear her hand as she runs it down the other side of the door.
She stands outside my bedroom for a little longer before she taps on the door with her knuckles and walks away.
I let the tears run down my cheeks for a couple of minutes before I push off the door and set my bouquet on my dresser. The flowers really are so gorgeous. I just wish their beauty wasn’t marred by the fact that my mom forgot my birthday—my eighteenth birthday. At least Connor didn’t forget.
Oh, crap. Connor.
I run to my bed and grab my phone. There are a few unread messages from him.
Do you like them?
I just got a delivery notification.
I hope I got the address right. I used the school directory to look it up.
Ella?
I feel terrible. He planned out this sweet surprise, and he has no clue how much they meant to me. I wipe my cheeks with the back of my hands as I try to formulate a response.
Sorry. I passed out. Did you know roses put me in anaphylactic shock?
My phone immediately starts buzzing. It’s Connor, and I slide my finger across the screen to answer his call.
“Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“I’m kidding.” I snort and sit on the edge of my bed. “I passed out because the bouquet was so big it knocked me over and I hit my head.”
“Ella.”
“Connor.”
“Please don’t scare me like that. Could you imagine if I really sent you a death bouquet? People would think I was trying to kill you.”
I laugh. He’s right. No one other than Lily and probably Hardy knows we’re dating.
Who knows if anyone has been paying attention the last couple of months to see the change is how we act with each other.
“Could you imagine the assembly Dr. Freck would have to do after that? ‘Bullying has gone too far.’"
“‘We had to get rid of Citrus Scholar altogether because the competition got too intense.’”
“All because you sent me flowers.”
“That’ll teach me.” He sighs into his phone. “Man, it’s great to hear your voice.”
I smile at his words. I couldn’t agree more.
It’s amazing how just hearing him over the phone is enough to make me feel better.
And teasing him is almost enough to take the ache in my chest away.
“The flowers are so amazing. I’m sorry I didn’t respond right away. There was…a bit of a delivery problem.”
“Seriously? I knew I should have asked Lily about your address, but I was afraid she would ruin the surprise.”
I get up off my bed and pull one of the flowers out of the bouquet. I lift it to my nose and breathe in. I can’t believe he did this for me. “It was a surprise. Definitely my favorite birthday present.”
“Really?” He sounds like he doesn’t believe me.
“Really.” I try to put the flower back where it came from. “The only thing that could make it better would be if you were here. You’re not hiding any other surprise up your sleeve, are you?”
“I wish.” There’s some yelling in the background. “Sorry. I’m not supposed to be on my phone, but I wanted to make sure you were okay. See you soon?”
“Of course.”
We hang up, and I’m faced with my reality once again. At least I get to go back to school in two more days.