“A little,” she says. “We’re sailing to Maine first, and from there it will be about a month at sea, which is far beyond the longest I’ve ever gone without touching land. But we want to get out of the Caribbean before hurricane season. Anyway, enough about us. Were you surprised?”
“Completely. Mason was so stealthy that I had no idea.”
“I’m assuming,” Keane says, “since he contacted us himself that you’ve managed to … close the deal.”
I laugh. “You could say that.”
“Well done.” He gives me a little two-finger salute.
“We won’t keep you from your party,” Anna says. “Have fun. Happy birthday. I love you.”
I smile because she says it in English instead of German. “I love you too.”
I’ve barely pressed the disconnect button when Avery swoops in, linking her arm through mine and kissing my cheek. “Happy birthday!”
“This is truly the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“I can’t take much credit,” she says. “I arranged for a babysitter for all the kids and chose the party decorations because I wasn’t leaving that decision to Mason, but he planned everything else and timed the surprise.”
I glance at him again and catch him staring at me. He gives me another little grin that not only feels like a private conversation but also makes me want to drag him out of here.
“Don’t even think about it,” Avery warns, reading my mind. “If you two sneak out and leave me to entertain everyone by myself, I’m breaking up with you.”
I smile over at Mason. “We’re not going anywhere.”
“Then stop with the googly eyes.”
“Hey, you’re the one who wanted us to get together,” I say. “Now you have to take the good, the bad, and the googly.”
Avery laughs and leans against the bar. “Your mom and Mrs. Brown are about this close to exchanging friendship bracelets.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Mason’s mom makes this amazing rice casserole dish called curry doria,” she says, and it’s so random, I wonder where she’s going with this. “She keeps promising she’ll give me the recipe, but never does. Today I walked into the kitchen to find her writing it down for your mom.”
“She gave me her tonkotsu ramen recipe, so maybe you’re not worthy.”
“Rude.”
I laugh. “Sorry. Can I buy you a sympathy beer?”
“Rachel, it’s free. But yes.”
I duck behind the bar and pour a couple of glasses of Peach Babe, Mason’s new wheat beer made with fresh peaches from Bergman Orchards. It’s on a limited summer run because the harvest usually only lasts until September, but he’s got the rum stout and a pumpkin ale lined up for fall, and he’s already been experimenting with Glühbier for Christmas.
The peach scent is delicate, and the taste is slightly juicy.
Avery takes a long drink, then makes a sound that’s slightly orgasmic. “God, this is so good.”
“I’m going to give you and your beer a little alone time.” I nudge her elbow. “Besides, I need to go mingle.”
* * *
Walt has dragged me deep into a story about how he’s spent the past five years restoring an old Lyman—which is a boat, I think—when my mom and Yōko start setting up a buffet in the warming dishes. Schnitzel, sauerkraut, red cabbage, spätzle, and a small tureen of brown mushroomy jaeger gravy—all my favorites. A lot of people in northern Ohio have German roots, so I’m not surprised when Walt abandons me mid-story, and a buffet line forms almost immediately.
The night unfolds with eating and drinking, punctuated with karaoke tunes whenever someone feels like singing. We slice into the Black Forest birthday cake, but only after I’ve made a wish and blown out all twenty-nine candles. I don’t share, but my wish is to keep this island, these people, forever. Especially Mason.
Later I unwrap a carnelian pendant on a leather cord, which Avery says is one of my birthstones. Vivian and Lucy gift me a vintage globe from the 1950s. Mason’s family gives me a generous gift card for Etsy, and Laurel makes me promise I won’t use it on stuff for the hotel. The yoga class chipped in on a whole set of yoga equipment, including a mat, grippy socks, a block, and even a set of workout clothes. There’s a Led Zeppelin tank top specifically from Walt, who tells me I can stop wearing my ugly rosé shirt. He blushes under his bushy beard when I kiss his cheek.
Mom takes me aside when I’ve opened all my gifts. She hands me an envelope. Inside is a card, along with a small piece of paper on which my grandparents’ names, phone number, and address in Berlin are written.
“You and your sister have always been such brave girls,” she says. “And the two of you inspired me to forgive and ask forgiveness, so I called them. I also realized that it wasn’t my place to stop you from knowing your family, so if you want to contact them…” I hug her so hard, she squeaks a little and comes away wiping her eyes.
“Ich werde dich für immer lieben.”
“I’ll love you forever too, Mom.”
* * *
The guests begin trickling away after the presents are unwrapped. At some point, Mom heads for the house to sleep in Maisie’s room. Vivian and Lucy stay until they need to catch the late ferry. Until the only people left are Avery, Daniel, Mason, and me, sitting in the Adirondack chairs out back, sipping beer, quietly talking about random stuff and complaining about the mess we’re going to have to clean up in the morning.
Daniel keeps nudging Avery’s arm and saying, “Babe, we need to go home.”
But none of us moves. The crickets chirp in the grass around us, and every now and then a great horned owl will call out who-who-who who-who, and the saw-whet will pipe back that single repeated note.
“Mason.” Avery waves her glass of beer at him. “I didn’t see a gift from you on that table tonight.”
“Yeah, I didn’t get Rachel one single thing.”
I laugh, fingering the orangey-red carnelian stone around my neck. “A surprise party is a huge gift. I’ll never forget this.”
“Actually,” he says. “Your present is … out behind the barn.”
“You don’t have a barn,” Avery points out.
“Sex, babe,” Daniel says through a yawn. “Maybe there’s an actual present too, but he’s definitely talking about sex.”
She sits upright and grips his forearm dramatically. “We need to go home.”
He laughs as he unfolds himself from the chair. “Ya think?”
“Call us for cleanup duty when you’re … you know … tomorrow or whatever,” Avery says, kissing my cheek. “Happy birthday, have fun, and don’t forget to use bug spray.”
As soon as they’re gone, Mason takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. He leads me beyond the cabins, into the woods. No path, only a small flashlight to guide us as he weaves between the trees with a confidence that comes from years of experience. Before long, we reach a small clearing, and my breath catches in my chest. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of fairy lights are strung through the branches of the surrounding trees, and on the ground is a bed—a mattress fitted with sheets, pillowcases, and a faux fur blanket of deep forest green. Sitting in the middle of the bed is a gift wrapped in brown kraft paper with a twine bow.