day disastrous, how they ruined my birthday, how I hated them…I told them that they would never be allowed to be in my birthdays anymore. And it did happen.圀栀攀渀 䤀 琀甀爀渀攀搀 猀攀瘀攀渀琀攀攀渀Ⰰ 䌀愀爀漀氀椀渀攀 眀攀渀琀 漀渀 愀 琀爀椀瀀 琀漀 儀甀攀攀渀猀 眀椀琀栀 栀攀爀 昀爀椀攀渀搀猀Ⰰ 䴀椀渀搀礀 眀愀猀 猀攀渀琀 琀漀 戀漀愀爀搀椀渀最 猀挀栀漀漀氀 ⠀漀渀氀礀 琀漀 挀漀洀攀 戀愀挀欀 愀 猀攀洀攀猀琀攀爀 氀愀琀攀爀⤀Ⰰ 䰀攀椀最栀 眀愀猀 戀甀猀礀 眀椀琀栀 栀攀爀 洀愀渀礀 猀挀栀漀漀氀 愀挀琀椀瘀椀琀椀攀猀Ⰰ 䐀爀愀欀攀 眀愀猀 瀀爀攀琀琀礀 洀甀挀栀 琀漀漀 礀漀甀渀最Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀攀爀攀昀漀爀攀 眀愀猀 戀甀猀礀 眀椀琀栀 戀愀猀欀攀琀戀愀氀氀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 猀漀 䤀 最漀琀 琀漀 猀瀀攀渀搀 洀礀 戀椀爀琀栀搀愀礀 愀氀漀渀攀 眀椀琀栀 洀礀 瀀愀爀攀渀琀猀⸀ 䈀愀挀欀 琀栀攀渀Ⰰ 䤀 昀攀氀琀 猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀Ⰰ 氀椀欀攀 琀栀攀礀 氀漀瘀攀 洀攀 洀漀爀攀 琀栀愀渀 洀礀 猀椀猀琀攀爀猀⸀ 䤀 愀氀眀愀礀猀 眀愀渀琀攀搀 琀漀 戀攀 漀渀 琀漀瀀᐀攠瘀攀渀 愀琀 栀漀洀攀⸀ഀ
The following year, I was eighteen and was at college. You’d think I went to one of those crazy beer flowing parties, but I didn’t. I was alone in my room, studying. I even turned off my phone so as not to be bothered. Yes, it was lonely, but back then, I thought it was fine. I was fine. I thought studying, school, was life. I didn’t bother being in touch with my emotions, or my family. I didn’t bother making friends. Ellen was my only friend. She was the only one I can trust, the only one I depended on.ऀ䔀瘀攀爀礀 礀攀愀爀 愀昀琀攀爀 琀栀愀琀Ⰰ 䤀 眀攀渀琀 漀渀 琀漀 搀漀椀渀最 琀栀椀渀最猀 戀礀 洀礀猀攀氀昀⸀ 䤀 搀椀搀渀ᤀ琠 眀愀渀琀 愀渀礀 搀椀猀琀爀愀挀琀椀漀渀猀㬀 䤀ᤀ搠 爀愀琀栀攀爀 戀攀 愀氀漀渀攀 琀栀愀渀 戀攀 眀椀琀栀 洀礀 搀礀猀昀甀渀挀琀椀漀渀愀氀 昀愀洀椀氀礀⸀ 䔀猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀氀礀 愀昀琀攀爀 洀漀洀 愀搀洀椀琀琀攀搀 琀栀攀 琀爀甀琀栀 愀戀漀甀琀 䴀椀渀搀礀Ⰰ 椀琀 眀愀猀 氀椀欀攀 愀氀氀 漀昀 甀猀 戀攀挀愀洀攀 琀愀椀渀琀攀搀⸀ 䤀 挀漀甀氀搀渀ᤀ琠 攀瘀攀渀 戀攀愀爀 最漀椀渀最 栀漀洀攀 愀渀搀 戀攀椀渀最 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀洀⸀ 䤀 洀愀搀攀 洀礀 眀愀礀 漀渀 琀漀瀀 愀渀搀 搀椀搀渀ᤀ琠 氀攀琀 洀礀猀攀氀昀 搀漀眀渀⸀ ഀ
Looking back now, I realized I wasted so much time competing with them, competing with myself, when I could’ve just enjoyed life and enjoyed my now limited time with them.ഀ
“You okay?” Caroline asked, as the traffic went off and she started driving once more.ऀᰀ夠攀愀栀Ⰰ 礀攀愀栀Ⰰᴀ†䤀 猀愀椀搀Ⰰ ᰀ䤠 眀愀猀 樀甀猀琀 琀栀椀渀欀椀渀最☀ᴠഠ
“About?”ऀᰀ䰠椀昀攀Ⰰᴀ†䤀 猀愀椀搀Ⰰ ᰀ䠠漀眀 猀渀漀琀琀礀 愀渀搀 挀漀洀瀀攀琀椀琀椀瘀攀 䤀 眀愀猀 戀愀挀欀 琀栀攀渀☀䠠漀眀 䤀 琀栀漀甀最栀琀 礀漀甀 愀氀氀 眀愀渀琀攀搀 琀漀 戀攀 洀攀Ⰰ 琀愀欀攀 洀礀 猀瀀漀琀氀椀最栀琀☀ᴠഠ
“Kim,”ऀᰀ䤠 眀愀猀 愀 戀愀搀 猀椀猀琀攀爀Ⰰ 栀甀栀㼀ᴀഠ
“Well…” She said, “You were just you.”ऀᰀ夠漀甀 洀攀愀渀 䤀 眀愀猀 愀 猀琀甀挀欀ⴀ甀瀀 戀椀琀挀栀㼀ᴀठഀ
Caroline laughed, “We all have mistakes.”ऀᰀ䈠甀琀 礀漀甀ᤀ爠攀 洀礀 昀愀洀椀氀礀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 眀栀愀琀 栀愀瘀攀 䤀 搀漀渀攀㼀ᴀഠ
“You need to relax,” She said, “Come on, we’re having fun today, remember?”ऀ匀椀氀攀渀挀攀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀渀Ⰰഀ
“You think Mindy ever forgave me?”ऀᰀ䬠椀洀洀椀攀Ⰰ 猀栀攀ᤀ猠 欀椀渀搀 漀昀Ⰰ 氀椀瘀椀渀最 眀椀琀栀 礀漀甀 渀漀眀Ⰰ 栀攀氀瀀椀渀最 礀漀甀 漀甀琀Ⰰ 䤀 琀栀椀渀欀 琀栀愀琀ᤀ猠 瀀爀漀漀昀 攀渀漀甀最栀 琀栀愀琀 猀栀攀ᤀ猠 洀漀瘀攀搀 漀渀⸀ 圀攀 愀氀氀 搀椀搀⸀ 夀漀甀 猀栀漀甀氀搀Ⰰ 琀漀漀⸀ᴀഠ
I nodded my head, “Thank you,” I said, “Oh, wait, could we make a stop at the Pizza place first?”ऀᰀ圠栀礀㼀ᴀഠ
“I never treated you guys for Pizza before.”ऀ匀栀攀 氀愀甀最栀攀搀Ⰰ ᰀ䬠椀洀Ⰰᴀഠ
“Please?”ऀᰀ圠栀愀琀攀瘀攀爀 昀氀漀愀琀猀 礀漀甀爀 戀漀愀琀⸀ᴀ†匀栀攀 猀洀椀氀攀搀 愀渀搀 搀爀漀瘀攀⸀ഀ
ऀ⨀⨀⨀ഀ
ऀ䄀渀 栀漀甀爀 氀愀琀攀爀Ⰰ 眀攀 愀氀氀 愀爀爀椀瘀攀搀 愀琀 䌀攀渀琀爀愀氀 倀愀爀欀⸀ 䜀漀漀搀 琀栀椀渀最 琀栀攀爀攀 眀攀爀攀渀ᤀ琠 洀愀渀礀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 愀爀漀甀渀搀⸀ 䐀愀搀 眀愀猀 眀椀琀栀 䐀愀渀愀Ⰰ 䴀漀洀 眀椀琀栀 倀愀甀氀漀Ⰰ 䴀愀爀欀 栀甀最最攀搀 洀攀 愀猀 眀攀 愀爀爀椀瘀攀搀 愀渀搀 䤀 最漀琀 栀漀氀搀 漀昀 䬀愀琀栀攀爀椀渀攀Ⰰ 刀漀戀戀椀攀 愀渀搀 䌀愀爀漀氀椀渀攀 眀攀爀攀 栀漀氀搀椀渀最 䬀甀爀琀 愀渀搀 䴀愀爀挀椀愀Ⰰ 䰀攀椀最栀Ⰰ 眀椀琀栀 一攀椀氀 眀愀猀 氀漀漀欀椀渀最 最漀爀最攀漀甀猀Ⰰ 琀栀攀爀攀 眀愀猀 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀琀 眀椀琀栀 栀攀爀 爀椀最栀琀 渀漀眀☀匠栀攀 眀愀猀☀戠氀漀漀洀椀渀最Ⰰ 䐀爀愀欀攀 眀愀猀 眀椀琀栀 栀椀猀 ᰀ映爀椀攀渀搀ᴀⰠ 䌀栀攀猀欀愀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 䴀椀渀搀礀 眀愀猀 眀椀琀栀 倀愀甀氀Ⰰ 昀椀砀椀渀最 琀栀攀 昀漀漀搀 漀渀 琀栀攀 洀愀琀⸀ഀ
“Hey there, bugs,” Mindy said, “Come on and eat.”ഀ
In a matter of minutes we were having an animated conversation, and eating our hearts out. The kids were playing with some toys on the ground next to us.ऀᰀ儠 愀渀搀 䄀ᤀ猠Ⰰ 愀渀礀漀渀攀㼀ᴀ†䌀愀爀漀氀椀渀攀 漀昀昀攀爀攀搀⸀ഀ
“What’s this? Highschool?” Mindy laughed.ऀᰀ传栀Ⰰ 䴀椀渀搀猀Ⰰ 礀漀甀 栀愀琀攀搀 最愀洀攀猀 氀椀欀攀 琀栀攀猀攀℀ᴀ†䰀攀椀最栀 猀愀椀搀⸀ 圀攀 眀攀爀攀 愀氀氀 挀爀愀挀欀椀渀最 甀瀀⸀ഀ
Caroline smiled, “So,” She said, “Best birthday ever?”ऀᰀ传栀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 漀渀攀 愀琀 䄀甀渀琀 䴀甀爀椀攀氀ᤀ猠℀ᴀ†䴀椀渀搀礀 猀洀椀氀攀搀Ⰰ 最爀愀戀戀椀渀最 愀 戀椀琀攀 漀昀 栀漀琀搀漀最Ⰰ ᰀ匠栀攀 挀漀漀欀猀 猀漀 眀攀氀氀Ⰰ 椀琀ᤀ猠 愀眀攀猀漀洀攀 琀栀攀爀攀℀ᴀഠ
“And because you met me there?” Paul quipped.ऀᰀ匠栀甀琀 椀琀Ⰰᴀ†䴀椀渀搀礀 氀愀甀最栀攀搀Ⰰ ᰀ吠栀愀琀 眀愀猀 眀愀愀愀愀礀 戀攀昀漀爀攀 礀漀甀⸀ᴀഠ
Paul laughed, as well, “Mine would have to be when I was a kid and I got my first instrument set.”ऀᰀ䴠礀 搀愀爀氀椀渀最Ⰰᴀ†䴀椀渀搀礀 猀愀椀搀Ⰰ ᰀ䄠氀眀愀礀猀 欀渀攀眀 眀栀愀琀 栀攀 眀愀渀琀攀搀 琀漀 搀漀☀ᴠ†匀栀攀 猀洀椀氀攀搀 愀渀搀 倀愀甀氀 猀焀甀攀攀稀攀搀 栀攀爀 栀愀渀搀⸀ഀ
“Miranda always wanted to be an artist,” Dad said.ऀᰀ䄠渀搀 礀漀甀 猀甀瀀瀀漀爀琀攀搀 洀攀 愀氀氀 愀氀漀渀最Ⰰ 搀愀搀搀礀ⴀ礀漀℀ᴀ†䴀椀渀搀礀 猀洀椀氀攀搀⸀ ᰀ匠漀Ⰰ 眀栀攀渀 眀愀猀 礀漀甀
爀 戀攀猀琀 戀椀爀琀栀搀愀礀㼀ᴀഠ
“Well…back when I was ten years old, my dad gave me a piano set, and I composed my first song…”ऀᰀ圠栀漀愀Ⰰ 礀漀甀 渀攀瘀攀爀 琀漀氀搀 甀猀 琀栀愀琀℀ᴀ†䰀攀椀最栀 猀愀椀搀⸀ഀ
“I knew about that,” Mindy smiled, “You did something called “Mad hatters in the world”, right?”ऀ䐀愀搀 挀栀甀挀欀氀攀搀Ⰰ ᰀ删椀最栀琀Ⰰᴀഠ
“He always sang me that song!” Mindy laughed, “Well, I turned out to be a mad-hatter.”ऀᰀ圠攀ᤀ爠攀 洀愀搀 栀愀琀琀攀爀猀 琀漀最攀琀栀攀爀⸀ᴀ†倀愀甀氀 眀椀渀欀攀搀⸀ഀ
“Aww, you guys are too sweet!” Leigh said, “My best birthday would have to be last year, remember? At Robbie and Caroline’s place, and you all were there…It was really good to catch up.”ऀᰀ䄠渀搀 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀 䤀 眀愀猀 琀栀攀爀攀㼀ᴀ†一攀椀氀 猀愀椀搀⸀ഀ
“Neil!”ऀ圀攀 氀愀甀最栀攀搀⸀ഀ
“What? You were secretly in love with me!” Neil