The Summer Solstice ~ Enchanted by K.K. Allen Read Free Book Online Page A

will laugh. But now it makes sense. Maybe
my mom had something like this laying around the house. That would mean I’ve
seen it before and that’s why they’ve been appearing in my dreams. “Is it
special?”
    Rose nods, widely. “Yes, dear. It’s a very rare and
precious stone. Our family has held that crystal in our family for hundreds of
years. It is a symbol for the spiritual world. Being gifted with this stone is
said to attract prosperity through strength of mind, emotions and will. The
stone carries healing powers too.”
    The thought of a stone containing all of these
powers seems ridiculous but there is a part of me that longs for all of these
traits.
    Rose places a hand on my shoulder, as if reading my
mind. “Have a seat, dear.”
    I take my seat, across from her again, waiting
silently for her speak. My eyes are transfixed on the crystal. “Have you given
much thought to your birthday? Next week is the big day.”
    Surprised, I search my grandmother’s face,
wondering why this year she is taking an interest in my birthday after 16
years. “What do you mean?”
    “Well, it’s a big day. You’re turning 16. It marks
a big time for change in a young lady.”
    I shake my head, frowning. “I don’t think I’m up
for anything this year. I’m in no mood to celebrate, and I have no friends
here. Please, don’t go to any trouble for me.” Not that I have friends back
home, I think sadly.
    Rose breaks through my thoughts. “Don’t be silly,”
she says incredulously. “Do you realize what a celebration this day is? Not
only is it your 16 th birthday but the day of the Summer Solstice. As
a Summer, you have a special right to celebrate this day, especially because of
your birthdate.”
    “But I’ve never celebrated it before.”
    “This is the perfect
time to start!” The determination on Rose’s face is apparent. The sight of this
is overwhelming, taking me back one year ago to another memory of my mother.
    It
was one week from my 15 th birthday when I was assigned a project at
school that required me to know my blood type. I had never known my blood type;
I had never needed to know. That day I came home from school and searched my
mom’s office for my hospital records. I searched everything, curious now to see
it all. I started looking over my birth certificate and read the name of my
father, a name that I already knew but never wanted to look at again. There it
was, staring me in the face on the birth certificate, I almost threw it down but
something else caught my eye. It was the date of my birth that threw me. I read
over it for what seemed like hours, trying to figure out why the date was
different from the date that I’d celebrated for the past 14 years, I was angry.
At first, I confronted my mom with the idea that I was adopted or abducted by
her at birth, anything to explain the lie. She comforted me and eventually told
me the truth about myself. I was not born on June 20 th , but June 21 st .
She explained that she was superstitious and the date of my actual birthday was
the day of the Summer Solstice. She never did explain things further, even
after all of the demanding and begging. She left it at that and over the course
of the year I struggled to forget it but something about the lie nagged at me.
    My mom had kept
the secret of my real birthdate from me for my entire life. I’ve never actually
celebrated my birthday on its actual day and here my grandmother is determined
to have a celebration.
    “Rose, thank you for the thought but I do not want
a 16 th birthday party. I’m sorry.”
    Rose frowns. “Katrina, I know things are hard right
now. I know that. But this is important. I know you won’t understand why now.
And I understand that with your mom passing, you aren’t in the mood for a
celebration. But you are a part of this family and this is a day worth
celebrating, no matter what.” She
sighs. “And besides, it’s my birthday too.”
    We share a birthday? That’s