JimDaddy and Baby Lucy stood right inside the living room under the chandelier that sent sparkles of light like fairies onto all the walls. The guests included—how could it be—my very own best friend Pearl from where we used to live what seemed an eternity ago!
Pearl squealed and ran at me. We hugged so tight I thought my eyeballs might pop outta my head.
“What are you doing home?” I said, breathless. My face was going to break in half I smiled so much.
“I’m here for this, of course,” Pearl said, spreading her arms wide. My best friend is named Pearl on accounta she was born with a mouthful of teeth that looked just like pearls. Her momma said to my momma (who was in the delivery room because her momma and my momma are best friends too), “Gotta make the best of it,” about all those teeth. My momma had agreed and told me later Pearl scared the bejesus out of her every time the baby smiled until she was two years old and was supposed to have some of those chompers.
“Love your makeup,” Pearl said now. Her teeth gleamed. They look great, seeing she’s grown into them. “Aunt Carol did the same look for me one hour before you got in there.” Pearl’s been calling my aunts her aunts all our lives. She closed her eyes and I saw silver sparkle through the purple and pink.
“Beautiful,” I said, and hugged her tight again, whispering, “I am so glad you are back from Wilderness Camp.”
JimDaddy said, “Evie, you know Buddy. This here is Vera, Charles, and that there is Julius.”
“Hey, y’all,” I said, and they all mumbled back a hey except Buddy, who said, “I get the first kiss.”
He was so good-looking and his eyes were so brown I almost said, When do we start? but Momma stared at me with a fake smile on her face and JimDaddy pulled Buddy to the corner where my stepfather had set up his electric guitar and microphone. The two of them talked until it was time to sing “Happy Birthday.” Buddy nodded like a bobblehead.
No Gift and no birthday kiss tonight. How could it be? Life was only half fair.