Page 89 of Burn for Me

‘How did you know it’s my birthday?’

‘I wanted to know. It’s important. I need to be able to celebrate you, like you did on my birthday.’ Laura placed the cake on the counter, pushing a handful of brightly coloured candles into the top. I watched as she lit each one. Warmth filled my stomach at the sweet gesture.

‘Make a wish,’ she said, gesturing to the cake.

I leaned down, blowing the candles out in one swift move. I didn’t need to make a wish, I already had everything I needed.

‘Thank you.’ I moved around the counter to pull her into my arms.

‘Wait, one more thing.’ She practically skipped over to a drawer, and pulled out a garishly wrapped gift, the most colourful paper I’d ever seen. Joy pierced me at the giddiness in her eyes.

‘I hope you like it,’ she muttered, pushing it into my hands.

The taped corners came away in my fingers, revealing a photo frame. The world ceased to turn for a moment as I stared at the picture in my hands. My eyes grew glassy as I pressed my fingers to the glass, running them over their faces.

The four of us were there, cuddled together, wind in our hair and smiles plastered over our faces. Mum’s arm was outstretched, holding the camera. It threw me right back to the day by the seaside, we’d eaten sandwiches on the shore, picking errant bits of sand from their edges. May and I had run from the waves, our laughter filling the air despite the cold and windy day.

Laura had given me more than just a photo. She’d given me their faces back. They’d blurred over time, the details becoming foggy. And sweet little May. Her intact cheeks, the bright, silly smile. Safe. Happy.

Fuck. My fingers shook and Laura wrapped hers around them, steadying me.

‘It’s perfect,’ I whispered. ‘How did you find it?’

‘I hope you don’t mind, but I looked up the accident. It’s the image the papers were using. I traced it down, and there was a copy in an old box in their storage room.’

I couldn’t stop staring, memorising every line of their faces.

‘There’s more. They had an address for a woman, your father’s mother. I looked into it, and she’s still alive. I have her number if you decide you’d like it.’

My brow creased. Until a vague picture of a woman clicked into place. Devon Granny. We’d only seen her sporadically, and I’d lost all contact when my Uncle took me off grid. She was still alive?

‘You’re amazing,’ I whispered.

‘You might even have more family. Cousins, aunts, uncles. I don’t know for sure, but I’ll stand right beside you if you want to meet them.’ Laura took the picture and placed it onto the counter, wrapping her arms around my neck.

‘I don’t deserve you,’ I whispered into her hair.

‘But you’re stuck with me anyway.’

Laura

‘Is it just me, or is Muffin getting kind of fat?’ I asked, looking at Muffin’s widening stomach.

Phoenix looked up from the fire he was busy stoking, the ring of rocks containing it. He cocked his head before grinning.

‘Did you ever check that Muffin was a boy?’

I stammered, had I ever checked? How had I even decided it was a he?

‘I don’t know.’

Phoenix let out a laugh, the fire glinting in his eyes. ‘Seems like Muffin’s been getting some stuffin’.’

‘Phoenix,’ I groaned, pushing against him. ‘You think he… or she I guess… is having a baby?’

‘Well, the wild ponies have been here forever, occasionally they do make a new one.’

Excitement filled me. A foal! We were going to have a foal.

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