Love, curves and heartbreak Chapter 53

I hate my birthdays... that's it. I say it.

Neve were a special day, my mom didn't have time to prepare something special, we usually don't have money for presents. She just says happy birthday, and that was all.

I remember staying in the school, praying that nobody knows that that day was my birthday. I didn't have many friends, so I was pretty sad.

Caroline usually loved to point out that none care about my birthday, that I rarely went out and had fun, that I had no boyfriend, and that I was not going out dancing with her friends like she was. Throw a party for what?

Until... I was with the Fairfax. Some years the bake a little cake and Lily and Ethan let me decide what we were going to play. They… were happy with me. They wanted to celebrate with me.

Sometimes they would come and give me a small gift, a book, some little thing that would make the day a little better. Maggie hugged me and told me to ask for a wish, because it was my perfect day.

And when I say to my mother that the Fairfax prepared a diner for me, with cake and some snacks, she would say something like...

"You shouldn't eat that... it's enough sugar for the day! Those carbohydrates were going straight to your hips and butt!"

Oh…Caroline enjoyed those comments so much. I didn't know that carbohydrates were such a bad thing.

Growing up, though, I came to appreciate my day a little more. Suzy and I would go out for dinner and dancing, and Tommy would join us when he was in town, and it was...fantastic. Life is wonderful when you share it with people you love. They made me want to celebrate my life.

And when this weekend arrives... I felt excited. As soon as Ethan were at my door, he greeted me with a kiss that made me dizzy for a moment, taking my lips with passion.

His hands are gentle on my face and in my hair, on my waist, then he walks along the edge of my jeans and plays with my back pockets, putting his hands in them and pulling me closer to him.

"This is my birthday present?" I ask, agitated, when the kiss ends.

"Part of... the first present you may say..." he adds.

I see that he has a small suitcase and is dressed in blue jeans, a simple t-shirt and a black jacket. I haven't quite figured out what's going on when he takes my hand and leads me back to the exit and into the elevator.

"Ethan..."

"More presents..." he kisses me again in the elevator. I haven't spent a minute here and we are already leaving.

He opens the door of his car, grabs our luggage, and we are ready to go.

"Ethan...where are we going?" I ask, I don't know where this spontaneous Ethan comes from, but I definitely like him.

"Hello to you too…" he tells me amused and gives me another kiss.

"You didn't respond my question..."

"It's a surprise, I told you" he says mysteriously.

Ethan doesn't give me a clue, no matter how much I insist. Finally, I give up and fall asleep in my seat without realizing it. When I get up, I'm wearing his jacket, and we finally stop. I guess it must be very late because we have been in the car for a long time.

He helps me out of the car, and immediately I know where we are.

"The beach house!"

We are in the Fairfax beach house. It was perfect... splendid, wood, light colors, right on the ocean. You could stand up and see the sea from the window.

"You say it was your favorite place. That you had your best days here..." he says.

"It is..." he hugged me from behind, around my waist, I felt his chest against my back and his face close to mine, his nose running from my ear to my neck to my shoulder.

"Happy birthday, my Princess," he whispers, and I can feel him smiling, pleased with my reaction.

"It's really happy day... thank you..."

"It's ours for the weekend. And look over there..." he says, pointing to an old house a few miles.

"I can't believe it... the house we always loved" I tell him, turning to look at his face.

"I remember, of course, that you said that was your castle. We can visit it tomorrow... what do you think?" he tells me, his face very close to mine.

I'm so impressed that I can't even react, and he laughs, he really surprised me and I already know that this is going to be one of the best birthdays I've ever had.

He remembered, our talks, me confessing secrets. Even our dreams when we were kids.

I am ecstatic and deeply touched. I hug him and kiss him and thank him a thousand times, and he seems to be as happy as I am.

The first thing I notice is that the house is incredibly spacious, the white color predominates with certain wooden details, everything has an organic feel. There are flowers everywhere, everything is clear and well presented.

"Just as I remembered..." I say impress.

The space is so cozy, with small colorful pieces of furniture in different places in the living room. It's so beautiful. Really Maggie has an excellent taste.

We stay in the balcony for a while, cuddling, listening to the sound of the sea, like a song to sleep, while the night lurks. Finally, we decide it is time to sleep.

"You... you are amazing Prissy" he says happily, as he looks at me like I'm a little girl, laughing at my excitement as he takes our things out of the suitcases.

When we go to bed, he's spooning me, holding his hands with mine, his cool skin next to mine, his face close to my neck until our breathing slows.

"Do you remember when we play in my room? I loved to play with you. You were always so curious and with an amazing imagination"

"I remember... I always remember you" I say.

“We play all day… we were so tired at night. I let you a light on… so you wouldn't be scared…” he adds.

“You say you will look after me, your Princess…”

“I will… I promise” he says, and I sleep with those beautiful memories.

Could there be more perfect days than being in his arms? Feeling his wonderful hands wake me up, caressing my hair, feeling his body breathing in and out so close.

Everything about him makes me feel like I'm where I should be, where I've always belonged. I'm ready to enjoy my birthday, this wonderful weekend with him.

I realize that I don't want to stay away from him. The moment I understand that his arms are my home, there is no going back. I just wake up when it is already a beautiful day, I remember where I am and who I am with, and I smile.

"Happy birthday, Princess... again" he tells me, smiling as he places his soft lips on mine.

"Good morning..."

"I promise we will have an amazing weekend..."

"My expectations never dreamed of such a surprise. Thank you for making it more than special. You, your family... are the only ones that really celebrated my birthday. Did you know?" I confess and his expression is sad.

"As long as you let me be with you... your birthdays will be the best day of the year" he says, caressing my hair.

As long as I let him...

"Deal..."

"Deal... he says" and gives me a smile that would melt an iceberg.

I smile at his display of happiness and stop to look at his beautiful face. God, even in the morning, he's incredibly beautiful to me. Neither the sun nor sleeplessness seem to diminish his beauty.

"You are so beautiful," I say in a whisper that I thought he would not hear. Why do I have to think aloud?

"Mmmm, really?" he says arrogantly.

"Oh god... don't get cocky!"

"You started Princess! Let's see ..... Let's talk more about it... Am I more beautiful than... I don´t know... Harry Styles?” He asks me.

"Pffff a thousand times" I answer and he laughs.

"More than Brad Pitt? I mean, he is a pretty attractive guy..." I follow the game.

"Certainly more than him," I tell him, caressing the wonderful path between his neck, his strong shoulders and arms, until he takes my hand. He looks very serious.

"Wow, more than that redheaded warrior from the show you like?"

"Mmmm Jamie from Outlander... this is a tough one"

"Really? You disappoint me, Princess..."

" I really don't think I can answer that question," I ask him, feigning doubt as I kiss his fingers and we both laugh.

"You woke up with a great sense of humor. I hope I had something to do with that," he laughs as he releases my hand and takes my face for a wonderful morning kiss.

The day is exceptionally beautiful. In the morning, we spend time on the beach, building sandcastles and strolling along the shore, dipping our toes into the chilly water.

During the afternoon, we explore the nearby town, taking in its historic landmarks, visiting art galleries, and browsing through bookstores. We find ourselves seated at a quaint café with stone pavement, savoring each other's company.

As evening approaches, we indulge in a magnificent dinner. Blowing out the candles on a small cake ordered by Ethan, I find myself at a loss for what to wish for. I already have everything I could hope for in life: a successful work, the opportunity to return to college, and the chance to relive these moments countless times.

Walking hand in hand with him, sharing a meal, I feel like a princess. And to make the evening even more special, he surprises me with a little box.

"For you..." he says... and I found a gold necklace with a golden hearth.

"Is so beautiful... thank you" I immediately cherish it, a treasure chosen just for me by him.

Though I haven't traveled much, I can't help but wonder if this is what couples do on their honeymoon. Regardless, I can't imagine anything more delightful and fulfilling than spending time like this with him.