did make love. And it was that, by then. Love. Because we’d fallen in love with each other and I was so glad that we’d waited to do it this way. And when we disembarked the next day and walked off hand in hand, we both knew that this was it for us. There was no him and me anymore, there was us. And we had a whole life spread out in front of us, a life where everything and anything was possible . . .
Two weeks later
“Happy birthday,” Noah said, pulling the chair out for me to sit.
“Thank you.” I sat down and looked around. My eyes immediately went to the photo of myself on the wall. I was smiling, red-eyed and red-lipped and with just the tinest bit of chili saliva on my chin.
“Hello! Happy birthday!” the waiter who’d brought me that chili just a little over a month ago said. God, it was amazing to think about how much my life had changed in such a short time. “Welcome back, welcome back,” he said happily, placing the menus down on the table.
I looked around the restaurant and suddenly noticed something.
“Are we here early?”
“Why?”
“It’s empty. Apart from us. Is this place open?” As I said this, the waiter’s face scrunched up into a strange shape and he pursed his lips together tightly and started shaking his head. He looked over at Noah, who seemed to shoot him some sort of warning look.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing! Nothing going on. No! Nothing wrong here. Nothing! No!” He looked back at me and started squeaking in a high-pitched, nervous-sounding voice.
“Obviously something is wrong. Or you wouldn’t be so red in the face and talking in such a high-pitched voice.”
He pursed his lips together even tighter and his face went red, as if it was about to explode.
“Noah, what is going on?”
“I’m so sorry, señora, I just couldn’t. I know I said I could, but I can’t. I’m no good at it.”
“Good at what? What can’t you do?” I looked between Noah and the waiter.
“What?” I asked, feeling a little desperate now.
“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Noah said.
“What was?”
“SURPRISE!” the waiter suddenly yelled, and then slapped his hands over his mouth again.
“It’s kind of early for that.” Noah shook his head at the waiter.
“Sorry, I know. I know you said they were all going to come in at exactly seven, but I just couldn’t wait. I’m sorry.”
“Who’s coming in? What?” I looked around, my head snapping back and forth, trying to make sense of this all.
Noah hung his head.
“Noah?”
He finally looked up at me. “I organized you a surprise birthday party with some friends and family. At exactly seven, everyone was going to burst through that door over there and surprise you.”
I looked at the door. “They were?”
“But the waiter over here has kind of ruined it! I might as well go and tell them.”
“I’m so sorry. I’m not good at secrets. I was too excited. I just can’t keep a secret, you know. I’ve always had this problem. If a secret goes in, it has to come out.”
“You haven’t ruined it! I’ve never had a surprise party before. Wait . . . don’t tell them. Don’t. I’ll just act surprised.”
Noah laughed. “You sure?”
“Yes!”
“So this hasn’t ruined it? You’re not disappointed?”
“No, oh my God!” I reached out across the table and grabbed him by the hands. “How could I be disappointed? No one has ever done anything like this for me before, and I love it! What’s the time?” I asked the waiter.
“Three minutes to seven!”
“Great, right, I’m ready to be surprised. Pass me a menu and I’ll pretend to study it.”
Noah laughed at me. “You, you.”
“Me what?”
“Just you.” He grabbed my hands again and pulled me across the table and into a kiss. “Just you, the way you are. You’re perfect!”
I kissed him back. I had kissed him hundreds of times over the last few weeks, but each time it still had the power to melt me. I pushed Noah away now.
“No more kissing. I need to act surprised.” I picked the menu up and stared down at it happily. I was excited to see my parents, Maxine and Sindi again. But when the door did finally open and people started streaming in, I didn’t need to act surprised at all, because I was. So surprised that I couldn’t help but cry when I saw who came through that door.
Mom and Dad, Betty, Tiaan and Mienkie, Cynthia, The Hoodies, the