Chapter 59

“Smartass.”

“Are you really okay with my dad dropping us off at the movies? It makes me feel like a turd, and if you—”

“Turd my ass.” Jasmine giggled at her pun and continued, “Don’t worry about it. I don’t care about how old you are. You treat me better than any guy, including that guy I call my father.” She paused as if contemplating her words. “Keep loving me and I’ll be happy. Even when I’m crying on your shoulder. Which seems to happen a lot.”

I grabbed Jasmine’s wonderfully rounded ass and pulled her against me. Our lips pressed together and my heart grew more sure of my deep love for this troubled girl. She was changing before my eyes. I hoped my love could put all the broken pieces of her heart back together.

I stared at Jasmine’s face in the moonlight, trying to memorize every freckle, beauty mark, curve, and groove. Her dimples grew as two tears overflowed from her mending heart. I wanted the expression on her face, and the look in her eyes to be burned into my memory. This would always and forever be the night before Jasmine’s sixteenth birthday when we met in our special spot behind the house.

“You’re so pretty I almost can’t look at you.” I wanted to make love to her, but I couldn’t settle for another quickie without a nice place to lay her down. “I love you.”

Jasmine didn’t say the words, but I felt it in the tender kiss she gave me.

“Tomorrow will be your best birthday ever,” I said. “Good night my princess.”

The next morning, I stuffed a folded-up piece of paper through the slat into Jasmine’s locker. It said, “Happy Birthday. I got something special for you. Meet me at lunch.”

When Jasmine came out of the back door of the cafeteria, I held my hands behind my back and gave her a kiss. “I got you something special.” I held out a bowl of what we called, Friday’s surprise. We were sure the old ladies with their warts and net heads mixed everything leftover from the week in one pot and served it on Friday.

“Why thank you, my lord. Shall we let the peasants eat cake?” Jasmine’s pain from the night before was gone, or at least well hidden. She’s good at hiding her emotions.

I was so excited about my gift for her that I had carried it with me, in case I couldn’t wait until our date to give it to her. Although, even my excitement didn’t blind me to the matching bracelet for Susan. I was sure I loved Susan, too, but my dad’s whole love and in love conversation had been chewing on me like a rabid dog.

Even after days of not seeing or talking to Susan, I still loved her the same. I had hoped the time with Jasmine would have made it clear to me, but it had only helped me love her, as I loved Susan. I wanted Jasmine to have her special birthday present as much as I wanted Susan to have her special Christmas present. Maybe, I should have gotten them two different bracelets? My brain and my heart had been going back and forth all week. I even had a dream that I had given Jasmine the bracelet with Susan engraved on it. Now, I wasn’t sure when to tell Jasmine about Susan’s matching gift.

Jasmine sat on the grass, crossed her legs, and placed her hands on her knees. With her eyes closed, she took a deep breath and tilted her head back. Sunlight reflected off her dangling earrings. A gold loop, a gold heart, and three strands of glittering silver hung from each of her perfect earlobes. I couldn’t wait; I placed the wrapped box on her hand. Jasmine’s eyes opened. She looked at the box, and a huge smile spread across her face. “Happy Birthday. I can’t wait any longer. Open it.”

I wondered if this was how my parents felt on Christmas morning when I was staring at a pile of presents? “You really got me something. I didn’t expect anything, really.”

“Of course I did, now open it, please, just open it.”

As the lid on the box folded back, I realized Jasmine was far more beautiful than I had ever known. I’d seen her smile thousands of times, even laugh, but until now I had never seen Jasmine’s genuine joy. Her face was glowing. She looked up, looked down, and looked up again. Tears pooled on the rims of her eyes. When she looked down again, two large drops of happiness hit her legs. Whatever I felt could only be described as the most powerful thing that had ever happened to me. If I hugged Jasmine, I was sure she’d need to be rushed to the hospital with a crushed rib cage.

Jasmine scrambled to her feet and pranced, and kicked the tree. “Oh shit, my god, it’s beautiful. It matches my earrings. Fuck, how did you know? Who helped you pick it out? I can’t believe it. Oh, put it on me, please, you have to put it on me.”

Had I just dragged Jasmine from a burning building, or bought her a bracelet? I took the box from her outstretched hand, and Jasmine hurled herself at me. Hanging from my neck, she kissed all around my face. “I love you, Joe, I really do love you.”

I knew how hard those words had been for her to say, so I did my best not to run straight up the tree and scream, She loves me. “Hold out your arm.”

The clasp clicked shut, and sunlight reflected off the soft curves of the small hearts as they circled Jasmine’s wrist. The large heart twirled as it hung under her arm. Jasmine held her arm up in the air and watched the heart turn. “I’ll always have your heart with me.” Jasmine sighed. “I hope I never break it.”