Chase nods solemnly in understanding and is rewarded with hugs from them both. When Chase turns toward me, his face is filled with emotion. He reaches his hand out to me and says, “I think one of those people needs to help me choose my birthday cigar.”
As I take Chase’s hand, our eyes lock, and I can picture this very scene someday in the future—him and Damon passing on the tradition to one of our children.
“How am I supposed to choose?” I finally say.
“I’d suggest a lighter-colored cigar,” my dad replies. “They tend to be milder.”
I point out a few, and Chase picks one up and sets it on the counter.
His dad says, “Grab four. One for you, Dani, Jennifer, and your mom.”
“Mom is going to smoke a cigar?” Chase says with a laugh.
“You really think she’s going to miss out on a moment like this?” my dad replies.
“Oh, probably not. But what about you two?”
His dad smiles and then lifts up the shelf, revealing another layer of cigars. “Your mom had this box filled when we got married. Danny and I have celebrated quite a bit since then, but these are some of the originals, and we only smoke them on very special occasions.”
“What kind of occasions?” Chase asks.
“The births of our children,” my dad says.
“Three championship wins,” his dad says. “Angel’s passing, to celebrate her life.”
“The day Phillip sold his company,” my dad adds.
“And the night Danny married Jennifer,” his dad says. “And today, as our oldest son turns eighteen.”
My dad looks at me and throws his arm around my neck. “I just realized that isn’t very fair, is it?”
“It is a little sexist,” I reply.
“I agree,” Phillip says. “If it’s okay, Dani, we’ll celebrate your adulthood and your going to college as we celebrate Chase’s birthday. And when it’s Damon’s and Haley’s turns, I hope you will both be here to pass on the torch.”
Emotions well up in me again. “I’d love that.”
On the way to the country club, Jennifer is giving us instructions on how to properly smoke a cigar, so we don’t get sick. Who knew she was such an expert?
“So, you’re going to suck in air gently, which will fill your mouth with the cigar’s smoke. What you don’t want to do is fully inhale. You don’t want it going down into your lungs. You want to relish the flavor and aroma of the smoke for a second and then blow it out.”
“When did you learn how to smoke a cigar?” I ask her curiously. “Did my dad teach you?”
“I’m afraid not.” She starts laughing. “Maybe once you turn twenty-one, I can tell you about the night Knox Daniels and Riley Johnson took me to Vegas.”
“Epic story?” Chase asks.
“You could say that.” She laughs again.
At the country club, Damon is complaining about the whole thing.
“Are you telling me I can’t have one?” he whines.
“Yes. It’s a rite of passage,” my dad says firmly. “We’ll do it for your eighteenth birthday, too. Let Chase enjoy this.”
I can tell Damon isn’t happy about it, but at least he stops putting up a fuss.
While I was hoping to be Chase’s partner, we do a scramble instead of keeping score the usual way, and we are constantly switching up partners, which makes our time on the course really fun.
It’s good to spend time with our families like this again. Feeling fully a part of it all.
And I realize that it’s not just my relationship with Chase that has suffered because of our breakup, but also my relationship with everyone. I’ve distanced myself from them emotionally, even when I was physically present. And as I slowly suck in smoke from my first cigar, I realize that needs to stop.
Today.
Birthday boy.
Chase
Golf was fun.
Seeing Dani prance around in a sexy little golf skirt, smoking a cigar, made it practically epic.
And although I don’t know what our future holds romantically, knowing that we can be friends regardless makes me feel like my life is back in balance. Brighter. Sweeter. Happier.
After changing clothes in the locker room, I head toward the bar’s big stone patio, where we’re all meeting back up for appetizers before dinner.
Screeches of laughter catch my attention, causing me to turn in its direction.
I see my mom and Danny laughing hysterically over something Damon just did or said. I think about how close they are. How close they have been since they were kids. I know that Danny took my mom to prom, and I know that they kissed—and probably more. It’s weird to think of your parents having lives before you knew them, but in this case, it’s reassuring. If they managed to cross friendship lines at some point and still be friends today, there’s got to be hope for Dani and me.
I’m standing there, watching their interaction, when I’m pinched on the back of my arm. I turn around to find Haley. She’s pinched me numerous times today.
“I still owe you seven more,” she says with a grin as she quickly pinches me again. “Make that six.” She tosses her arm around my neck. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.”
“Golf was fun,” she says.
“Yeah, it really was. We used to do stuff like this all the time, but we haven’t as much since the babies were born.”
“And it was fun, having Dani with us.”
“It really was. Felt like old times.”
“Don’t screw that up, birthday boy, because here she comes,” she says as she walks away.
And boy, does Dani ever make an entrance.
Her hair glistens in the sun as she walks down the path toward me, wearing a long, flowing skirt that hits about mid-calf in a deep rose-colored silk with a matching midriff top. Strappy heels on her feet make her closer to my height, and gold chains of varying lengths encircle her neck.
She pretty much always takes my breath away, but this is different. Because, for the first time in a long time, she’s walking toward me, and I can’t help but walk toward her, my arms outstretched.
“Birthday boy.” She says the same words my sister just said to me but in a totally different context. The words roll off her tongue in a sexy tone as she steps into my arms and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “You’ve always cleaned up good.”
I’m wearing club attire—navy dress slacks, blue-striped spread collar, and a rose-navy-and-emerald-green tie.
“Your dress matches my tie,” I say, a grin on my face. “You plan that?”
“Just a lucky coincidence, it would appear,” she says, tugging on it and pulling me closer to her. “Is it okay if I kiss you—like, really kiss you? Right here?”
I don’t bother replying. I’d much rather show her the answer.
And I do, by sweeping my arms around her, pressing my lips against hers, and then deepening our kiss with my tongue.
Always had a crush.
Chase
After we have cake and I open presents, Dani goes home to change. She’s supposed to come back over to hang out later.