Reece's Haven

45

"Why do we have to be strangers just because we loved each other once...?"
– Nautica

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~ D O R O T H Y ~

January 1998

Reece and I enter Linda's dark bedroom. I carry the cake that Reece baked while Reece walks over to the curtains and pushes them apart. A groan graces our ears. Linda is shifting her body, covering her face with her duvet. Reece looks at me and then nods. We begin to sing with wide smiles, eager to see her reaction.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!"

She abruptly removes the duvet from her face and sits up. When her bright blue eyes land on us, she blinks a couple of times before she smiles widely, all traces of sleepiness washing away from her face. I hand Reece the cake as we continue to sing together.

"Happy birthday to mummy."

"Happy birthday to Linda."

He sits down next to her and moves the cake closer to her face.

"Happy birthday to youuuu!"

"Make a wish, mum," he then says, grinning.

Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath in and blows the candles out. Reece and I then cheer before Reece pecks her on the top of her head.

"Ah! Thank you so much! This is such a lovely surprise! Oh, I love lemon and raspberry cake!" she exclaims. "Did you two bake this?"

"More like Reece baked it. I just watched," I say, sheepish.

Linda laughs.

"I take it that you can't bake either, Dorothy?" she asks.

"I'm terrible at baking and cooking. Reece can actually attest to that," I inform.

"Really?" she asks, facing her son.

"She's not too bad," he says, looking at me. "She just needs a little practice."

"Well, I can't cook or bake either, Dorothy," Linda says. "Reece has been cooking for the two of us for years."

I look at Reece, surprised.

"Really?" I say. "That's so sweet!"

He shoots me a toothy grin. Linda then straightens her back, picks up the knife and cuts a slice out. Her son picks up the slice and feeds it to her.

"Delicious! Oh, I am so, so happy," she sighs once she swallows her first bite, smiling at the two of us.

"Really?" Reece says, grinning. "That's surprising. I could've sworn you were crying yesterday at the thought of turning 38."

"Oh hush. I am still upset about that. But seeing you..."

Linda then looks at me.

"...and you together cheered me up."

Reece and I look at each other and, somehow, we manage to get lost into each other's eyes, smiling. Linda observes us attentively and her smile grows.

"Is there something going on between you two that I should know about?" she asks, snapping the two of us back to reality.

My mind drifts to the photo that she and mum took of us. Immediately, my eyes drop as heat creeps into my cheeks. Reece, noticing my shyness, speaks up.

"We should let Dorothy go now, mum," he says. "She has to get ready for college."

"And so do you," I say quickly, looking up at him, grateful for the evasion.