Dance In The Rain

~19~Core Memory

2024 has already been hard for me, but I'm believing that it will turn itself around. I know I promised that I would post a chapter in January, but hopefully you will accept the first day of February. Thank you for being patient and continuing to be the BEST READERS ON WATTPAD.

I won't post tomorrow like I normally do on Fridays, but plan on resuming my weekly updates next Friday. Thank you for understanding that though I want to stay in this world more often, my real world needs me more.

Love you guys ❤️

Julianne's POV

Bright flames flicker against soft buttercream, making the little cake glow like a thousand fireflies. It's imperfect with a lopsided top and uneven layers. The frosting clumped in certain areas along with the shaky 'Happy Birthday Tate' in blue icing isn't anything that will be deemed Instagram worthy.

But you can see all of the love that Holden poured into making it.

As we are singing 'Happy Birthday' to Tate, I smile at how uncomfortable he looks. The glimmer of the candles hide his flushed cheeks a bit, but they're there.

Along with his joy

He and I have never had anyone sing us 'Happy Birthday' before....At least since Holden left. Cook would make us crème brûlée every year, and that was fun. But whenever dad was around for our birthday, he just handed us a credit card and had our driver take us to the mall.

We never had a lopsided cake, with possible eggshells hidden inside the overcooked layers.

We never had our birthday mean anything before.

"Make a wish!" Holden grins, enjoying Tate's awkwardness as much as I am.

"Uh....what do I wish for?" He asks as the wax starts dripping onto the frosting.

"Whatever, but don't tell us. Hurry before we're eating candles!"

Tate stares at his cake for a moment before he nods and blows, leaving two candles still lit.

"Whoop! Two girlfriends for you, ya lucky dog," Holden grins.

"Excuse me?" Sylvie asks as she raises her eyebrows.

"For Tate. I only want one girlfriend, baby."

"Uh huh," she chuckles.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tate asks as he blows out the other two candles and starts picking them off the cake, licking the ends.

"You've never heard of blowing out the candles to see how many boyfriends or girlfriends you get?"

When we all just look at him, he shakes his head. "I swear it's a thing. Sylvie, back me up!"

She shrugs. "I always thought that if you blew them all out in one breath, your wish came true.
Otherwise, better luck next time."

Holden shakes his head. "No, if you tell the wish it won't come true...."

"Does it really matter?" Tate asks

"Yes...It's tradition!" Holden argues.

Tate looks at Holden like he's crazy as he takes off all 16 candles and puts them on a paper plate. Sylvie stands up and starts cutting the cake, and gives the first piece to Tate.

Holden leaves the table for a minute, and comes back with a gift wrapped in blue and red paper.

"Happy Birthday, Rex. I love you."

Tate stares at the box in astonishment for a minute as he swallows his bite of cake. "I thought your taking me to the DMV this afternoon was my present."