Page 52 of Full Circle

“Wesley, this is so amazing!”

Grinning, I didn’t even care that her whole family could see. I pulled her to me by her waist, locking my lips on hers. Mr. Hendricks cleared his throat loudly behind us, and Celeste giggled as she pulled away.

“Sorry, Daddy!” she called over my shoulder while maintaining eye contact with me. She didn’t look sorry, however. She looked happy and carefree, green eyes full of mirth. Just as she deserved to be.

I gestured to Maggie, telling both of them to smile wide so I could take a polaroid of them in their gear. Celeste had never looked more beautiful to me than she did in that moment; her brown hair hastily pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck, cheek to cheek with her best friend as they sported matching beams and wetsuits.

She needed a day like today. A birthday full of laughter and memories, because that was what the Hendricks family had always given me.

CHAPTER 22

PRESENTS AND PRESENCE

CELESTE

Colors.

Colors were everywhere.

Being underwater, surrounded by a wide array of fish and sea creatures was pure magic. Our guide, Mira, was just up ahead of us, pointing towards the unique fish that were exclusive to the aquarium. She told us before we entered the water that their aquarium housed some of the rarest sea animals in the world. Maggie and I watched in rapture as she demonstrated how to use the scuba gear, then cursed her for how heavy the equipment was. It was a relief to fall back into the tank and let gravity do the work.

Now, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. Wesley had gone out of his way to make my birthday spectacular. It was a day I would never forget, from riding my very first roller coaster to playing with sea lions to seeing my father laughing out in the world like his normal self. I knew the value in memories because someday memories were all you had.

Maggie and I spent an hour underwater, exploring the enormous tank with Mira. I was afraid to even blink in case I missed something. Floating weightlessly made me feel like Ariel and I found a new dream blossoming in my chest to go out to the ocean and scuba dive for real. Maybe someday. It seemed like the kind of dream Wesley would manifest.

When we emerged back at the surface, Desiree and her kids were gone. Daddy looked crestfallen and Wesley looked furious. Dread turned my skin to ice and I had a sudden desire to go back under the water. I would take any escape, really.

Mira helped guide me to the shallow platform where Maggie and I could take off the tanks on our backs. Clambering off the ladder, I immediately went to Daddy’s side.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, anxiety spiking.

Daddy just shook his head. I glanced at Wesley, who minutely shook his head.

“I think it’s best if we get Mr. Hendricks back to the hospital,” Willow announced. She and the nurse hung back from the festivities as much as they could while still monitoring Daddy. Judging by his ashen face, however, I agreed with them.

His departure brought a dark gray cloud over the remaining guests. Wesley had arranged for a custom birthday cake from a famous Atlanta bakery, but their rendition of the happy birthday song was hollow without my daddy’s voice in the mix. I wanted to be delighted with the two tiered, sparkly cake, but found myself pushing the slice around on the plate rather than eating it. Whatever made Desiree leave had clearly put everyone in a sour mood, but I was more worried about the effect on Daddy. When I pulled Wes aside to ask him, he simply whispered, “Later.”

The night came to a close, and a separate driver pulled up to take Nana, Marla, and Maggie back to the airport. They would be returning to River’s Run tonight, but I elected to stay behind. We only had one more day of school until spring break started anyway and at this point, it hardly mattered if I missed another day. My transcripts would look like a joke to college admissions.

My heart was heavy and my mind preoccupied when Wesley and I loaded into another car to head back to his father’s penthouse. It wasn’t until we walked inside that I realized we didn’t have a chaperone. Nana was already on her way back home.

Sensing my thoughts, Wesley offered a slightly sheepish, slightly smug smile. “I told her that my dad was home tonight,” he explained. “I just needed a night alone with you. And I didn’t want any of them to see your present.”

I furrowed my eyebrows in a frown. “Wesley, you spent an obscene amount of money making today happen for me already. I think a physical gift is a little unnecessary at this point!”

He smirked, but didn’t contradict me. Instead, he wove his fingers through mine and led me down the hall. Rather than sitting on his bedroom couch or going up to bed, he led me out onto the private pool deck. Hundreds of lights were strung up to create a dimly lit canopy while the pool itself was filled with tiny candles and rose petals. A small, gift-wrapped package sat on top of the table behind him.

My breath caught in my throat. It was gorgeous, far more romantic than I ever anticipated. “Wes…” My voice trailed off, too awestruck to know what to say.

Wesley picked up the package and held it up in the palm of his hand like an offering. “Happy birthday, Celeste Renee Hendricks. I love you.”

For some reason, his words felt intimate, like a caress ghosting across my skin. I blushed as I accepted the package and delicately unwrapped the glossy paper. A square blue box marked Tiffany and Co. opened on a hinge to reveal a white gold heart necklace. I squinted as I held the necklace closer to my face.

For my whole life.

“It’s actually a locket,” he offered after a few moments. I was still too overwhelmed to respond.

Gently he pried the locket from my hands, removing it from the box, and opened it up to reveal a photo of Daddy on one side and Mama on the other. “This way you know they’ll always be close to your heart,” Wesley explained in a whisper.

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