Chapter 8

Work occupied me for the next week. I was energized and creative and productive. My life found balance. During the day Keira would keep me smiling with a flow of text messages detailing her day or funny observations. It sounded like she had a true friend in Jenny. Those two seemed to get into trouble wherever they were. Evenings would bring a phone call and we'd chat.

Unfortunately, as happens in the advertising business, a last minute project ruined our plan to meet on the weekend. Keira was upset. I was upset. I missed her rather badly.

The week after, Wednesday, was Keira's fifteenth birthday. I'd bought her a small present and, being locked up at work again, couldn't drop it off. I FedEx'd it.

Later that evening, still at work, I received a text.

'OMG! THANK YOU! Luv ya :)'

It made me smile. But the last little bit really affected me. Like a teenager I saved the message so I could read it again and again.

KEIRA STOOD IN FRONT of the mirror inspecting it. It glowed yellow and felt heavy around her neck. The slender chain was sleek, intricately constructed to look almost like it was one continuous molten piece of gold. Hanging at the end, resting on her chest was a narrow vertical gold rectangle about an inch long. Inside the rectangle five hieroglyphs were embossed by hand. According to the birthday card that came with it, they were Egyptian hieroglyphic symbols spelling her name, Keira.

She adored it. It was beautifully made, simple but elegant and, truth be told, much nicer than the gold cross Mom and Dad had given her years ago.

Seb was so thoughtful! In a rush of affection, she reached for her iPhone and sent him a text, 'OMG! THANK YOU! Luv ya :)'

She went back to admiring the necklace, her fingers stroking the warm gold. It was so pretty. The buzzing vibration of her iPhone drew her attention. She read the text message.

'U deserve it. Luv u too.'

Could her birthday get any better? A thoughtful, gorgeous present from Seb and he loves me. Oh! He loves me! Seb loves me!

Keira threw herself on her bed, one hand fondling the necklace, the other pressing the screen of her iPhone. She found the number and called.

"Jenny," she said breathlessly, "You'll never guess what just happened!"

Absorbed in confiding with her best friend, giggling, laughing at some of Jenny's comments, time flew. A knock on her bedroom door finally interrupted her, the door opening, Mom sticking her head in.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

"Gotta go, Jen. See you tomorrow. Uh-huh ... Uh-huh ... Kay. Bye." Keira sat up. "Sure."

Her mother entered and sat on Keira's bed. "How's the birthday girl?" she asked.

"Great. Thanks for the clothes, Mom. They're really beautiful; just what I wanted," Keira answered.

Her mother smiled and glanced at Keira's neck. She reached out and touched the necklace with a finger. "This is beautiful. Is this what came by FedEx?"

"Yeah. It's from Seb," Keira responded.

"Keira, honey, is there anything you want to tell me?" her mother inquired, still touching the necklace.

"No."

Her mother paused, smiled gently, "Keira, don't lie to me. I don't deserve it."

Keira wrestled with the urge to tell and fear that divulging her relationship with Seb would ruin everything. She looked at Mom and sighed. Mom was right. Keira had never lied to her on anything important, and Mom had never been unfair on anything important either. "We're sort of seeing each other. Seb and me," she added.

"Thank you. I knew that, Honey. But thank you for telling me." She caressed her daughter's cheek lovingly. "Have you and Seb... ?"

"No, Mom!" Keira interjected, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"But you've thought about it, haven't you?"

Keira looked away. "Maybe ... yeah. How did you know?"

Her mother smiled softly. "Believe it or not, I was fifteen once. Should we be getting you birth control?"

Keira spoke, told her mother about Sebastian, how she felt, his humor and wit, his smiles. She talked about him refusing to do more than a simple kiss, how he thought she was too young. Keira talked, a mother listened, commented, and smiled at memories of her own. Together they grew closer than they'd ever been through shared feelings. It was late at night when Keira's mother bent and kissed her daughter's cheek softly.

"Happy birthday, Honey," she said softly.