Olive's P.O.V.
"Sorry I'm late, Auntie." Rachel's voice came from directly behind me. I turned to see her arm linked with Leo's. "Hello daddy." She greeted Kane. Of course, it would make sense that her father would be Kane, but it somehow surprised me.
She wore a cute high low dress that started off black at the neckline ending in white at the hem line. The black stretched into octopus tendrils over the white bottom. The wide waistband echoed with the lace-up sides perfectly highlighting her slim waist. The back was open, and the dip hem provided a figure-elongating silhouette. She wore black wedges to match. It was definitely her style while still fitting the occasion.
"Happy birthday, Aunt Sarah." Leo greeted her. I was surprised to hear him call her aunt. Are Lucas and Leo actually cousins and not just friends?
Leo looked dashing in a white button up shirt and black trousers. He matched well with Rachel. Honestly, I began to wonder if there was a color theme and I was clashing with it. I should have asked Lucas when buying my dress, but I didn't think about something like that. Leo took a seat beside me while Rachel took hers next to Lisa.
"Hey," he said, nudging me with his elbow.
"Hey yourself." I nudged him back with a smile.
The conversation never faltered with Rachel around. She had a way of steering the conversation in the right direction any time it got off course. Rachel kept the topics light and tried not to let me be the center of the questioning. I was very grateful that she was here today. Her presence definitely cut the tension in the air down.
"Rachel, how are you studies coming along? Are you still on the path to becoming a teacher?" Sarah asked her.
"Yes ma'am, I am. I start my internship next year. Everything is going great." Rachel answered with a while.
"I really wish you would have followed in your father's foot steps and became a doctor. Teachers have such a loudly job with a measly salary." Sarah's words surprised me. Hell, they seem to have surprised Rachel too.
"It's not always about the money. Being able to do something you love everyday and call it your job is a benefit in of itself. Being a teacher is noble and yes they don't have the highest paying job, but they make a decent salary." I am not sure why I wanted to dig my grave today, but I did. Sarah's attention was now fully on me. Rachel shot me a look of gratitude from across the table.
"Are you studying to become one as well?" Sarah arched a brow at me.
"No, actually, I'm studying to be a aerospace engineer."
Sarah seemed stunned by my answer as she held her fork, full of food, in the air, halfway to her mouth.
"That's very impressive." Kane commented in her stead. "What made you choose that?"
"I've always loved looking up at the stars, but I knew I would never want to go to outer space myself. I figured why not help build the things that take us there instead. The idea of knowing something I could create could one day be floating in space amongst the stars, makes me happy."
"So I'm sitting at the table with a future rocket scientist then?" Lisa smiled.
"I guess so," I laughed.
"Intelligent and beautiful." Lucas added with a wiggle of his brow, which only worked to widen my smile.
We all finished our lunch, following Sarah out to the shore. There were lounge chairs and beach umbrellas set up for us to use. Sarah kept her hand firmly in place above her head to hold her hat down form the cool blowing breeze. I had taken my heels off the moment we reach sand allowing my toes to sink into the soft warm grains.
"I know I apologize in advance, but let me say it again. I am sorry about my mom. She can be particular about things," Lucas whispered to me as he grabbed my hand.
We made our way to the chairs taking a seat. I clutched onto my purse wondering if perhaps I should just leave the small gift inside of it. I can't imagine she'd like it now. I wonder what she would think of it? It's probably best if I keep it.
"Happy birthday, Sarah." Kane pulled out a couple of tickets from his pocket, handing them to her. "They're concert tickets to the symphony. I figured we could go together like old times."
"This is perfect, thank you Kane." She smiled up at him like a small child. It was a sweet scene to see, making me feel a little better about her.
"Here you go, Auntie. It's from Leo and me." Rachel handed over a small, rectangular, velvet black box. Sarah carefully opened it, exposing a beautiful thin charmed bracelet.
"Oh it's beautiful. Thank you guys."
She quickly handed the bracelet to Kane, holding her wrist out for him to clasp it onto her. I could tell that Kane and Sarah had a very close sibling bond. She held her hand up, twisting her wrist as she examined the bracelet now dancing off her. It was really beautiful, a thin silver bracelet with two small thin charms. One charm was of a horse and the other of an ice skate. I wondered what they each symbolized. Were they tied to a memory or they did they stand for something else?
"Lucas and I did not give you something we could wrap. We had a hard time coming up with something to give you. You know, you're very hard to shop for," Lisa said with a playful tone. "We finally decided on a vacation. The three of us haven't gone on a family trip in years. We booked your favorite cabin and planned out a whole vacation for just the three of us."
Sarah's eyes began to turn pink as tears pooled, threatening to spill down her cheeks. She was emotional at the mention of her cabin. It made me happy to see how much she loved her children despite her odd comments. She seemed to hold them in high regard, expecting a lot of them, but loving them whether they met her standards or not. Now I feel like I have to give her my gift. I can't be the only one to not give her something. I knew I was coming to a birthday party. What kind of jerk wouldn't bring something?
I guess I'll choose being embarrassed over seeming like a jerk. My fingers almost shook from my nerves as I opened my purse and searched for small gift. It wasn't anything amazing, just a brown leather bound journal with a heavy gold pen. I held it out to her with a shy smile. I tried to fight the blush of embarrassment from my face, but it was practically impossible.
"Oh, is this for me?" She asked, seeming very surprised.
"I felt wrong coming without a gift. I am sorry it isn't much, I don't know what you like." I told her. "It's a journal for you. I wrote my favorite inspirational quotes on the top of each page for motivation. I've always found it therapeutic to write into a journal. My mother was the one that got me started."
I picture the millions of journals that are hidden away in a box in the back of my closet. I haven't touched or looked at them in a while. A lot of those memories are ones I don't want to revisit. Sarah took the journal with a polite smile. She opened it in front of me, running her hand over the saying I wrote on the front page.
"I love it, Olive. Thank you. It's very kind of you." She clutched the journal as she spoke. I think I actually believed her. "I haven't written in a journal since high school, I think it will be nice to do it again."
I gave her a light nod with a warm smile.
"I'm glad you like it."
The attention was drawn away from me as everyone began to have their own conversations.
"You keep a journal, Rose? Am I in it?" Lucas asked with a playful smirk and an arched brow.
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help the smile that played at my lips.
"Yes I write in a journal. As to whether or not you're in it, I'll never tell." I gave him an equally playful grin.
"Mmm, no fair. Maybe I'll find it and read it for myself," he said, making me lightly punch his arm.
"You'll do no such thing." I said sternly.
"Pretty please?" He gave me those puppy dog eyes as he asked.
"No way." I shook my head with my arms crossed.
"That's fine, Rose, one day you'll let me in." He whispered into my ear, causing my heart to race.
He sounded so certain about it. I stared deep into his eyes, not shying away from the intense feelings he was bringing out of me. I know I'm falling for him already and it scares me, but I'm going to trust him. I just pray he doesn't hurt me.
"I'll let you read my past journals. You can work your way up to your journal." I offered him, because I felt I could trust him with the most inner thoughts of my past.
"My journal? So I am in it." He smiled widely. "I will take whatever you are willing to share. Thank you, Rose."
He made me blush, not expecting him to thank me for offering him a journal I wrote when I was 8. Maybe I'll start him with my highschool ones instead. Those are the formative years after all. I felt a sort of excited nervousness at the thought of him reading my current journal. The one sprawled with my millions of thoughts about him. Honestly, it feel like this journal is dedicated solely to him.
"Yes, you're in it, but you don't get to read that one until you finish all my high school and previous college ones. You have a lot of reading ahead of you if you ever want to get to yours." I giggled at him.
"I can't wait." He smiled so sweetly my heart forgot to beat for a moment.
Don't hurt me, Lucas. Please, don't hurt me.