“It won’t be a secret anymore if I just tell you, will it?” His lips quirked as he made a turn on the dark street. He could see from the corner of his eyes that she was getting anxious, her curiosity was making her bounce in her seats. “Just trust me, okay? It’s just right around the corner.”
She was just about to ask if they were there yet when he pulled over at a dark and quiet spot on a hill, lit only by the crescent moonlight.
“You’re… not gonna stab me and then leave me here to die, right?” she semi-joked.
He chuckled as he got out of the car and opened her door for her. “Here, you can see for yourself.”
She took three cautious steps into the darkness. “Okay… uhm… what did you want to show me-”
“SURPRISE!”
“Eek!”
The lights turned on, revealing tables of her favourite food (oh, she loved food) and her beloved friends and family.
“Aww… you guys…”
“Happy Beth Day!” Courtney said with a flourish of enthusiastic jazz hands. “We know it’s not until tomorrow, but we thought it would be perfect to throw a little party at midnight for our Dr. Midnite!”
She looked around at the small crowd of her favourite people in the world. Courtney and Yolanda… Mr. and Mrs. Dugan… her Mom and Dad… and Mike and Jakeem (who even brought party poppers)…
… and of course, Rick.
Yolanda, hands full with Beth’s favourite strawberry cake, bent over to Beth’s ear and said conspiratorially, “It was actually Rick’s idea.”
“Happy birthday, Dr. Midnite,” he said, looking at her with the softest expression she’d seen on him. And for a moment, she just couldn’t bear to tear her eyes away.
“Oh! The candle’s almost burning out! Go on, Beth, make a wish!” Courtney said.
“Just make sure you don’t tell Jakeem what it is, or who knows what trouble we’ll have this time.” Mike joked.
“Hey! That was one time!” Jakeem protested.
Beth felt a fuzzy feeling in her chest, like it was bursting through the seams. She looked around at the people she loved and couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips as she knew exactly what to wish for.
She closed her eyes, put her hands together, and silently sent her wish to the lone candle and blew it out.
“Alright everyone, help yourselves to the food! We have plenty to go around here!” Beth’s Dad clapped Mike and Jakeem on the back and turned them toward the tables as everyone else began picking up their own plates.
Rick was the only one who stayed behind. “So, what did you wish for?”
She beamed. “It won’t be a secret anymore if I just tell you, will it?”
He let out a laugh. “Touché.”
As he turned and walked toward the tables, she looked at his retreating figure and silently repeated her wish in her heart.
“It won’t be a secret anymore if I just tell you, will it?” His lips quirked as he made a turn on the dark street. He could see from the corner of his eyes that she was getting anxious, her curiosity was making her bounce in her seats. “Just trust me, okay? It’s just right around the corner.”
She was just about to ask if they were there yet when he pulled over at a dark and quiet spot on a hill, lit only by the crescent moonlight.
“You’re… not gonna stab me and then leave me here to die, right?” she semi-joked.
He chuckled as he got out of the car and opened her door for her. “Here, you can see for yourself.”
She took three cautious steps into the darkness. “Okay… uhm… what did you want to show me-”
“SURPRISE!”
“Eek!”
The lights turned on, revealing tables of her favourite food (oh, she loved food) and her beloved friends and family.
“Aww… you guys…”
“Happy Beth Day!” Courtney said with a flourish of enthusiastic jazz hands. “We know it’s not until tomorrow, but we thought it would be perfect to throw a little party at midnight for our Dr. Midnite!”
She looked around at the small crowd of her favourite people in the world. Courtney and Yolanda… Mr. and Mrs. Dugan… her Mom and Dad… and Mike and Jakeem (who even brought party poppers)…
… and of course, Rick.
Yolanda, hands full with Beth’s favourite strawberry cake, bent over to Beth’s ear and said conspiratorially, “It was actually Rick’s idea.”
“Happy birthday, Dr. Midnite,” he said, looking at her with the softest expression she’d seen on him. And for a moment, she just couldn’t bear to tear her eyes away.
“Oh! The candle’s almost burning out! Go on, Beth, make a wish!” Courtney said.
“Just make sure you don’t tell Jakeem what it is, or who knows what trouble we’ll have this time.” Mike joked.
“Hey! That was one time!” Jakeem protested.
Beth felt a fuzzy feeling in her chest, like it was bursting through the seams. She looked around at the people she loved and couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips as she knew exactly what to wish for.
She closed her eyes, put her hands together, and silently sent her wish to the lone candle and blew it out.
“Alright everyone, help yourselves to the food! We have plenty to go around here!” Beth’s Dad clapped Mike and Jakeem on the back and turned them toward the tables as everyone else began picking up their own plates.
Rick was the only one who stayed behind. “So, what did you wish for?”
She beamed. “It won’t be a secret anymore if I just tell you, will it?”
He let out a laugh. “Touché.”
As he turned and walked toward the tables, she looked at his retreating figure and silently repeated her wish in her heart.
