Happy Birthday to Me Again (Birthday Trilogy, Book 2) by Brian Rowe Read Free Book Online Page A

asked.
    I made my way
over to the kitchen island and grabbed one of the maple scones we had brought
along for the trip. “I don’t think it matters, does it? I mean, my dad won’t be
walking me down the aisle.”
    “Yeah, I guess
you’re right. I just don’t want to offend any of your family with this seating
arrangement. I want everything to be just right. I want everything to be perfect .”
    “I know you do,
honey.”
    It had been
unexpected, to say the least, to see how much Liesel had involved herself in
the wedding preparations. In December I questioned if she was interested in
getting married. Now I watched as she had become a mini wedding planner,
constantly obsessing over every detail, from the perfect Reno church, to the
dress, to the cake, to the seating arrangements. I was more than grateful that
she had two girlfriends from Uncle Tony’s to bother with the details; I took
part in some decisions, but for the most part, all I had to do was remind
myself the day and time I had to show up in a tuxedo to kiss the beautiful
bride. Saturday, April twenty-ninth. Three weeks after Liesel’s birthday. One
week after Easter. Two days before the honeymoon I hoped my parents would pay for.
    I sat down at
the table and started scarfing down the scone, while Liesel, who still looked
beautiful sans make-up, and with the frizziest red hair I’d ever seen,
continued outlining the seating arrangements. We had sent out invitations to
about eighty-five people a week and half ago, with only six of those
invitations going to Liesel’s acquaintances, and the rest going to my family
and high school friends. Obviously we couldn’t have one side of the church
empty, so we decided to arrange it so that people could sit on either side.
    Liesel appeared
to be in a good mood on this Saturday morning, smiling as she continued with
her work, so I thought it’d be a good time to start asking some pertinent
questions. I decided to begin with a goofy one. “You don’t have me sitting down, right?”
    “Ha-ha.” She bit
down on her lower lip and sketched in some names of my parents’ friends in the
sixth row back. Then, surprisingly, she put the pen down and turned to me. “You
know, your mom’s been really great through all this, Cam. I know your dad’s had
kind of a hard time with it. But your mom’s finally coming around. She just
took me to try on some dresses the other day, and we had a lot of fun.”
    I leaned over
and kissed her on the mouth. She didn’t seem appreciative, considering I was
still eating my scrumptious scone.  
    I decided to let
it rip. Here we go. “Speaking of
moms…” She stared at me, not knowing where I was headed. “You know, Leese,
you’ve never really told me about your mom.
I know you never met your dad, but what memories do you have of your—”
    “She’s dead,”
Liesel said, abruptly. “She’s gone. Can we talk about something else, please?”
    “Really? But I
thought—”
    “She’s dead,
Cam.”
    I could see she
was holding something back. “What was your mom like?”
    She scooted back
and crossed her arms. She started banging her head lightly against the wood
door behind her. “You really want to know?”
    I nodded, trying
not to laugh in frustration. “You’re going to be my wife, Liesel. I want to
know everything about you, including your family.”
    “My mom was…
uhh… what can I say? She was OK, I guess. She had red hair like me. She had a
fiery temper.”
    And now the big question. “Was she…”
    Liesel shook her
head slowly. “Was she what?”
    “You know. Did
she have powers ?”
    Liesel grinned
subtly before returning back to her seating arrangement, which I figured she’d
be agonizing over for another hour, at least. “If she had powers like me, I
don’t think I’d be sitting here talking to you right now.”
    “What do you
mean?”
    “Just… I don’t
know… things would be different.”
    “How so?”
    “ CAM .” She shook her head fiercely