Page 90 of The Chances We Take

but it’s your BIRTHDAY

your day of BIRTH

Reid

I’m not a huge fan of my birthday, tbh

It’s not important to me. Just another day

that’s sad…

Reid

Eh, it’s fine

At least at that point we had gotten over the friendship miscommunication at the Houston Rodeo, or at least didn’t talk about it, so it wasn’t uncomfortable. I had pretty much shut down any kind of conversation about it. I didn’t need that kind of rejection from him.

But now it was only a few days until his twenty-seventh birthday.

hey

Reid

Hey

your birthday’s coming up

Reid

Yep

you never told me why you don’t like your birthday

i mean, you don’t have to

Reid

…

I waited as the three little dots appeared and disappeared, telling me he was typing out a response. This went on for a few more minutes before they completely stopped.

Part of me was worried I’d struck a nerve, but the other part wanted to believe he was just busy and couldn’t respond.

Reid

My mother’s an alcoholic.

i’m sorry…

Reid

She has been for the past fifteen years. I don’t like my birthday because I never celebrated it. She ruined it every year.

I wasn’t sure what to say. I didn’t think there was a proper way for me to express my…condolences? Sympathy?

My finger hovered over Reid’s phone number. I didn’t know if he even wanted to talk about it, but maybe he wanted to try since he was willing to text about it.

I hesitated for another moment, debating whether it was the right thing to do, but before I could hit the button, my phone flashed with an incoming call from him.

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