3: 3

3

My heart, already frozen over, quietly stirred with a little hope again.

The past few years, every time my birthday came around, Mom would sigh and shake her head.

"There's no telling whether Jonathan's taking care of himself out there. Let's hold off on your birthday for now."

"We'll celebrate together once Jonathan's back."

Maybe Mom and Dad just missed my brother so much, so far away overseas, that they'd overlooked me without meaning to.

I told myself that, and even the pouring rain felt a little sweet.

The whole way back, I couldn't calm down.

When I got home, there wasn't a soul in the house.

I ran into the neighbor. "Your family just went out to dinner together. How come you didn't go?"

Any other time, I would have quietly ached over that.

This time I lifted my head and answered lightly.

"Yeah, my brother's home, so everyone went out to celebrate."

I changed into clean clothes and jogged all the way to the seafood restaurant from the night before.

By the time I got there, they were nearly finished eating.

They glanced up at me, then went right back to their fun.

The letdown rose in me, but the thought of my birthday three days away made me quickly talk myself out of being petty.

After I'd filled my stomach with plain water, they finally stood up.

Cheryl looked tenderly at Jonathan beside her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, Jonathan hasn't been home in so long. I booked a photography studio just for this."

"Let's go get a family portrait taken. Something to remember it by."

Everyone agreed with the idea at once.

It hit me then. Back when Cheryl and I were secretly dating, she'd promised.

"Once you're done with your SATs, we'll get a set of couple photos taken and announce it to the whole world."

Was she planning to make it official today, with the whole family here?

I pressed down hard on the pounding in my chest and followed behind them in silence.

Inside the studio, Mom and Dad sat neatly in the front row.

Jonathan and Cheryl stood side by side, matched so well they looked like a wedding shoot.

I hesitated, then went to stand on Cheryl's other side, only for the photographer to point at me.

"You there. What you're wearing doesn't really go with the rest. It throws off the whole picture."

I looked down at my old school uniform, washed pale.

The rest of them had all arranged beforehand to wear light clothes in the same color family.

Only me. I looked like an outsider who'd wandered into the frame by mistake.

Mom turned to glance at me. "Sit this one out."

I twisted my fingers together. "Isn't this a family portrait?"

Dad knit his brows. "When we say step aside, you step aside. Why all the backtalk?"

Cheryl was leaning close to Jonathan, saying something to him, not noticing my embarrassment at all.

The hurt jammed up in my throat, and all I could do was quietly retreat into the shadows off to the side.

It's fine. Cheryl will announce it in a bit.

Once they'd finally finished the family portrait, Mom and Dad stood up, beaming at the two of them.

"Cheryl, why don't you take one alone with Jonathan?"

"You two are dressed so well together today. It'd be a shame not to."

Jonathan flushed. Cheryl smiled and pulled him over.

"Then let's take one."

I stood off to the side, holding my patience, watching them take one intimate photo after another.

At last it ended, and my heart was in my throat.

But she only gave me a faint glance, and then the whole group walked right past me and out.

The promise from before, she'd forgotten it completely.

I blinked hard, forcing back the wet stinging in my eyes.

Maybe she wanted to save it for my birthday itself, to surprise me.

I should trust her.

Over the next two days, cold as everyone stayed toward me, I tried my hardest to please every one of them.

I cleaned up the living room without being asked, washed the dishes piled in the sink, and carefully looked after the puppy Jonathan had brought home, Toffee.

The night before my birthday, I dug out the bank card I'd been saving on for years.

I quietly worked it out. If they gave me a birthday present tomorrow, what should I pick out to give them in return.

I tossed and turned all night, and waited for dawn with my heart full of hope.

4: 4

4

The second my summer shift ended, I rushed home.

Cheryl's car was already parked downstairs.

Someone was hauling things into the elevator, and I couldn't wait a single second, so I took the stairs, all six flights in one breath.

My heart pounded, and my hands shook with excitement.

I opened the door to a blaze of light, the living room strung with colored balloons.

"Mom, Dad, I'm ho—"

The words stuck in my throat, and the smile froze on my face.

Under all that lavish decoration, my brother Jonathan stood in front of a three-tier cake, holding Toffee, who wore a little birthday hat.

Mom recovered first and shot me a cold glare.

"What's with all the shrieking? You'll scare my precious granddaughter."

Dad looked just as displeased.

"Gone all day, no sign of you. The whole house is busy setting up and you don't even help."

Cheryl didn't spare me a glance. Smiling, she pulled a gift box from her arms.

Out of it she lifted a glittering little star pendant and hung it around Toffee's neck.

"Happy first birthday, little Toffee!"

That star pendant was the gift I'd bought her last year, with money I earned working.

And she'd just handed it to the dog.

Loss and grief crashed over me from every side.

Jonathan looked up at me. "Bert, what did you get for Toffee?"

Every eye in the room turned to me.

I stood there frozen, my throat aching.

I'd been so sure this party was for me. Who prepares a birthday gift for himself?

Seeing me say nothing, Jonathan's eyes went misty.

"Bert, is it that you don't want me and Toffee coming home?"

My parents' accusations came one after another.

"Bertram, how can you be so thoughtless? Jon finally comes back home and you haven't got a single kind gesture for him?"

Cheryl lifted her eyes to me, distant and cool.

"Bertram, you really are in the wrong here."

I kept my head down and bit down hard on my lip.

They'd gone to all this trouble, pouring their hearts into a birthday for my brother's pet.

And not one of them remembered that today was my birthday too.

"It's a good day. What are you doing with that miserable face?"

"Get back to your room. Stop embarrassing us out here."

Mom dragged me back to the storage room and locked the door from the outside.

Before long, laughter and cheerful voices drifted in from the party.

Tears soaked through the pillow.

I don't know how much time passed before thick smoke filled the air.

I jerked awake and beat on the door with everything I had.

No one answered. Choking, coughing, I grabbed the hammer from the toolbox beside me and pounded at the lock.

I was about to break out when the cabinet beside me toppled over and slammed onto my legs.

I crashed to the floor, unable to move.

"Help, someone help—"

The door to my parents' bedroom opened, and Mom stepped over me and shoved into my brother's room.

She carried him out on her back and ran, never once looking back.

The smoke thickened, and I coughed violently.

Then Cheryl came into view, and a spark of hope flared in me again.

"Cher, I'm here—"

Her steps paused. Then she turned and went into my old room instead.

Moments later, she hurried out with Toffee in her arms.

I closed my eyes, and tears slid down my cheeks.

At the edge of life and death, in her heart, the dog's life mattered more than mine.

Everything in me went cold.

I slowed my breathing, but the smoke still forced its way into my nose from every direction.

My breaths came faster and faster.

I clawed my way toward the door with the last of my strength.

There was movement at the doorway again.

Dad had come back, and I thought he'd finally realized I was still inside.

My throat couldn't make a sound anymore, so I just looked at him through my tears.

Instead he stepped past me and ran to Toffee's room.

When he came out, Toffee's kennel was in his arms.

"What are you lying there for? Fighting a dog for attention, and now you're faking injuries too? Have you no shame?"

Watching my father's back as he walked away, I couldn't help but laugh.

The smoke was dulling my mind.

At the edge of despair, I laughed at myself, bitter and hollow.

Fine, then. I'll give this life back to you.

From this day, the debt of being born to you is paid off. We owe each other nothing.