When the Heart Falls(73)

"You didn't have to do this," Jenifer says. Tears are forming in her eyes, and I hope they’re happy ones.

"Of course I did. You're my best friend, Jenifer."

She squeezes my hand. "Thank you."

"Happy Birthday.”

Jenifer closes her eyes and then blows out her candle.

“What did you wish for?”

Tears fall from her eyes. “If I tell, it won’t come true, and it has to come true.” She passes me a fork and puts the cake in the middle. “Help me eat this?”

I can’t resist chocolate, so I take the fork and smile at her. “Chocolate cures everything.”

She laughs through her tears, chocolate crumbs on her lips that she licks off.



The sun is setting as we arrive at the Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte. It’s a grand estate, like a palace in fairytales, and it looks magical lit up at night.

"They use 2000 candles to light up the castle and garden,” I tell her. "They only do it on Saturdays though. Your birthday's perfectly timed."

"I never even knew about this place.” Her smile is genuine, with no trace of sadness. The chocolate did its work. “It's beautiful.”

"They built it for a king.” I point to its foundation. "And see, it's completely on a moated platform. And the doors are mostly glass so you can see the garden from the inside."

Jenifer giggles. "You sound like Cade.”

"I try. The research took hours."

"Soon you two will start to look alike, and then you’ll get those dogs that also look like you.”

The thought amuses me as I try to imagine us in the future.

Jenifer wraps an arm around me and squeezes. "Thank you.”

"Don't thank me yet. I haven't even given you your present." I pull out a gift from my backpack and hand it to her. “Happy Birthday.”

It’s wrapped in bright pink paper with glittery stars all over it and a big bow in the center. It’s so Jenifer.

“This is so me,” she says, reading my mind.

“Open it!”

She carefully peels the wrapper open and gasps as she reveals the giant golden star on a black plaque. She reads the inscription under the star.



Jenifer,



This is how I will always see you, as a star. Don't let anyone put out your light.



Your friend, Winter



She looks up, more tears in her eyes, this time happy tears. "You really see me this way?"

"Of course. You're always shining, filing others with your light. Thank you for shining beside me."

Jenifer hugs me, the kind of hug I usually back away from, but this time I give myself to the hug and connect with her more deeply than I have before.

We pull away from each other and spend time touring what I insist on calling a castle. The rooms are ornate and decked out for royalty, but it’s the underground passages that inspire my imagination. Stark, dreary, and scary, I wonder what memories those walls hold.

After we’ve spent a few hours taking hundreds of pictures, we head back to our dorms. “It’ll be time for dinner soon. Want to meet at Vincent’s for an encore of lunch?”

"I'd like that," she says, gripping her present in her hand. "I'll meet you there at nine. Maybe Duke will come.”

"He’d better." We arrive at the dorm, stopping at the door. "You want to play tennis?"

"Okay. Just don't cry to me when I whoop your ass."



It’s true, she whoops my ass, but at least I got a good workout. Besides, I picked the game knowing she’d win. She takes classes every week back home. I head back to our dorm, and Jenifer takes off to track down Duke and see if he’s free for dinner.

My stomach fills with butterflies as I near Cade's room, just knowing I’m going to see him again makes me feel like a lovesick teenager.

Cade is on the floor, leaning against his bed, laptop propped in front of him, sexy legs sprawled out across the room. When he sees me his smile melts my heart. "Hey, how was the birthday girl?"

"Great.” I drop my bag on the floor and sink to the ground next to him. “But I think Duke forgot her birthday."

Cade whistles. "He'll be getting an earful."

"She should dump him." I grab his hand, squeezing it, so grateful that I have him in my life.

"No one's perfect."

"He forgot her birthday!"

"Right." He smirks. "Hey, when's your birthday again?"

I pull a pillow from his bed and throw it at him. "Screw you."

He moves his computer and grabs my arms, pulling me closer for a kiss. "Screw me? Yes, you should."

“Naughty boy.” I kiss him again, enjoying his taste, then pull away enough to look at his computer. "You entered the contest?"

"It's ready to send. I was just waiting on you."

"What am I? A lucky charm?"

"Well, I get lucky with you, don't I?" He pokes my ribs, making me shriek.

"Shut up and send it already."

Balancing the laptop on his knee, he opens the browser that’s already showing the online application and hits send. "Thanks for encouraging me."