Black Roses

Chapter 12

I kissed Chris…ran through Bridget's head the whole day next day as she made her way to school. The smile on her face was contagious. It made everyone who saw her smile as well.

'Miss Cohen, could you step into my office for a moment?' Professor Helen Lloyd waved her over. Bridget nodded and practically skipped into the office. She sat down on one of the chairs and faced Professor Lloyd.

'Your term has ended, am I correct?'

Bridget nodded, not trusting her voice, afraid that she might blurt out the news.

'I have your results with me right now. Would you like to call your parents and have them here or should I just give it to you?'

'Have him, not them. I only have my dad but no. I'll give him the news once I get home.'

'Very well then. I just hoped that I could see your father's reaction to the news.' Professor Lloyd smiled as she handed the envelope to her.

Bridget took it and nodded. 'Thank you, Professor Lloyd. I better go then…goodbye!' she walked out of the room, not forgetting to close the door. She slipped the envelope inside her back pocket before going out of the campus.

The whole way home, Bridget couldn't help but notice that the flowers were in bloom and everyone outside looked really happy.

Her cell phone vibrated against her thigh and she dug it out of her pants pocket and answered it with a cheerful hello.

'Someone sounds happy,'

'I kissed Chris!'

The person on the other line was quiet.

'Hello?' Bridget frowned slightly.

'It's Chris.' The smile she had froze right then and there.

Blast.

'Bridget, you there?'

Bridget started laughing. 'I'm sorry! I'm just so happy.'

'Because you kissed me?'

She laughed again and nodded. 'No! I mean…that's one of the factors. I aced all my papers. I just got the marks.'

'Congratulations!'

'Thank you, thank you! Okay…I'm going to make reservations for dinner. Would you like to come? I'm inviting my family. Would you like to come? As a friend. I mean…I should always introduce my friend to my family I mean, they'd like to meet the teacher's assistant who made me ace my Psychology paper, come with me please? Would you like to come?' Bridget's insides were jumping and she didn't even realize she repeated the same question more than once. Really, what is wrong with her?

'I'd love to. Just tell me when and where.'

'I'll call you back with the details.'

'Okay.'

'Bye Chris,'

'Bye Bridget.'

Bridget flipped her phone off and stuffed it in her pocket as she neared her apartment. The phone rang again and she rolled her eyes. She took it out of her pocket again and answered it again with a cheery hello.

'Someone sounds happy.'

'I kissed Chris, Jordan!'

'Good for you, only it's Ethan. Who's Chris?'

'He's no one.'

'You kissed no one? That's interesting, so who's Chris?'

'He's my friend.'

'You kiss all your friends, Bridget Cohen?'

'Ethan, come on…I thought you were Jordan.'

'You mean Jordan knows? And you didn't tell me? You're mean.'

'Where are you?' Bridget asked, deciding to change the topic.

'With dad at the mall. He's buying you a corset.'

'Did dad hear what you said?' Bridget panicked.

'I'm in the men's room. Dad's in the lingerie shop. The corset he picked out is pink just to warn you.'

'You're not kidding about that?'

'Of course I am, do you know how weird it is to imagine dad in a lingerie…oh my God! He's in the lingerie shop! Dad, get out of there, dad!'

'What? I want to buy my daughter something nice. Have you seen the state of her wardrobe? It's dreadful.'

'HEY!' Bridget exclaimed.

'It doesn't excuse you for feeling up a padded bra on a mannequin. Bridge, I'll call you later.'

'No pink corsets, please.'

'Electric blue suffice?'

'Ethan!'

'Kidding. I'll see you at dinner. Dad's cooking. Bring your friend.'

'Mark's family, Ethan.'

'I meant her other friend,'

'She has friends?'

The phone clicked dead and Bridget huffed as she slid it in her pocket before pressing the elevator button. The silver doors opened immediately after her phone vibrated against her thighs once again.

She dug it out of her pants again and answered with a simple hello.

'Did someone forget to take their happy pills today?'

'Who is this?' she asked warily.

'I'm hurt you don't even remember your best friend's voice.'

'You couldn't have called five minutes ago could you? You've always had bad timing, Mark.'

'Yes.' Mark said proudly. 'Listen, your dad's cooking and he's asked me for my apartment since your apartment is much too small for everyone. I'm inviting Lizzie, are you inviting Chris? Or is it too soon?'

'I invited him as a friend. I mean that's safe, right? I mean…I know Logan will flip but it would be safer than introducing him as my boyfriend right? Because technically, he isn't really my boyfriend in that sense yet so…yeah, yeah?'

'Yeah.'

'It's settled then. Did dad tell you what he was cooking?'

'Does a magician reveal his tricks? I don't think so. Let's just assume it's going to be his next specialty.'

Bridget smiled as the elevator dinged, revealing Mark standing against her door.

'Oh hello, I saw you walking down the street.' Mark grinned, hanging up the phone. Bridget slipped her phone inside her pocket again.

'I can't wait for dinner.' Mark grinned like a little kid. 'Your dad's an amazing cook, I grant him that. You remember the risotto he cooked for my fourth birthday? Oh man…that memory is still etched in my mind, seriously.'

Bridget unlocked the door and the two friends entered the apartment.

Both of them went to the couch and switched on the TV.

'So how was your day?' Mark asked, getting comfortable in a really uncomfortable looking position. Finally, he settled on a leg tucked under him with his arm rested on the arm rest.

Bridget smiled as she recounted her whole day. When she woke up, the sun was streaming into the room and she had a luxurious bath after which she had her breakfast and she managed not to burn the toast this time. She recalled how Professor Lloyd had acted when she gave Bridget her results. Then came the call from Chris which she commented that it was embarrassing, thinking it was Mark and blurting out what had been running through her head the whole day. And then came Ethan's call which Mark found rather amusing, especially the pink corset.

Bridget finished her recount with Mark calling her and everything seems to be going fine.

'Oh…I almost forgot. Your dad will be coming around 7 to start cooking and I have to pick Lizzie up.' Mark checked his watch and tapped it, a habit he hadn’t seemed to have parted with. 'I better go and tidy up the place. It's a mess.'

'I can imagine,' Bridget smiled as both of them stood up. Mark grinned as they both made their way to the door. Mark rummaged through his pockets and produced his house key. 'I didn't make a spare so don't lose this.' Mark ruffled Bridget's hair and walked out of the apartment. Bridget closed and locked the door, settling down to continue to watch TV.

She was awoken by a sharp vibrating on her thigh. She sleepily answered the phone.

'It's Chris. How are the plans looking?'

Bridget rubbed her eyes tiredly and sniffed loudly. 'The plans are great, what time is it?'

'Quarter to seven.'

'Blast…I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner.'

'Oh no worries. I don't have any pressing matters to attend to anyway.'

Bridget smiled and yawned. 'I passed out while I was watching a rerun of the first season of One Tree Hill.'

'I can see how you could have fallen asleep.'

Bridget chuckled. 'Okay…stop criticising my choice of TV series.'

'Sorry…so, what are the plans and am I still in on it?'

'I invited you three times, do you really think I would go back on my words?'

Chris chuckled over the phone.

'Dinner is at Mark's place since my dad already made plans beforehand without telling me. Come around at eight? Is that okay with you?'

'Uhuh. I'll come around that time. Anything in particular I should bring?'

'Just your appetite. My dad's an amazing cook.'

'Hence your healthy appetite, I gather?'

'Oh no,' Bridget chuckled. 'That was because of my aunt…but then she's my dad's sister so that's not much of a comparison. Anyway…come, please.'

'I will, don't worry. See you later.'

'Can't wait. Bye.'

'Bye.'

Bridget squealed with delight as she flipped her phone off. No sooner did she close her phone, it started to vibrate again. 'Give it a rest!' she sighed exasperatedly before answering.

'Yes?'

'We're coming in ten more minutes. Get ready and meet us at Mark's.' It was Devon's voice.

'Okay,' Bridget nodded. Devon hung up and Bridget ran straight for the bath after closing her phone and flinging her phone on the couch.

After taking a quick shower, she got dressed into a simple soft blue chiffon slip-on dress which reached her ankles and covered her whole arm and slipped into her slightly heeled shoes. She rolled a stick of chap-stick over her dried lips and brushed her hair seven times before pulling half of it up and securing it with a small butterfly clasp.

Her ringing tone shrilly sounded throughout the whole apartment and she picked it up from the couch.

'Hello?'

'We're downstairs now, open the door please.'

'Will do.' She closed her phone and grabbed the keys on the countertop beside the door, where she left the keys and exited her apartment and went to Mark's apartment.

She unlocked the door and what greeted her surprised her.

The place was the ultimate bachelor pad. Steel chrome everywhere, not a smidgeon of personal belongings, stereo, hi-fi, wide-screen TV, sharp-edged couches and a leather recliner…it was Mark's dream house and there it was. Bridget closed the door and went to check out the kitchen. It was her father's dream kitchen. Everything was made out of stainless steel; the drawers, the pots and pans and the islands as well. Everything was shiny and metallic. Jeff Cohen would be squealing like a little kid.

Bridget threw the keys on Mark's countertop and tried out the recliner and smiled as she sank into the leather. Mark probably sleeps here instead of his bedroom. Bridget thought. Just as the thought crossed her mind, the doorbell rang.

She got out of the chair and answered the door. Jeffrey, Ethan, Devon and Logan walked in without saying hello and just as she suspected, her father let out a whoop of joy.

'For you.' Ethan passed Bridget's a small shopping bag. 'It's not pink, it's not a corset. You're safe.'

Bridget smiled and looked inside it. It was a pair of lingerie and that made her blanch.

She closed the door and joined her brothers and father at the kitchen. 'Go set up the table with your brothers.' Jeffrey pushed Bridget out of the kitchen area. He took out stuff from the brown bags he came with and laid them out neatly on the kitchen counter. All of the Cohens had a thing for neatness. Jeffrey Cohen was no exception.

Bridget looked for the cutleries and silverware. She was surprised Mark even had them and all of it matched as well!

Ethan, Devon and Logan helped her set the table.

'You look nice,' Devon commented. Bridget smiled as she laid out napkins on the right side of all of the plates. 'Thanks.'

'It is her birthday.' Logan said.

'Way to go, buddy. Weren't we supposed to say that by the end of the night?' Ethan rolled her eyes.

Bridget did a double take. She actually forgot it was her birthday? Wow…

'Oh look, the damsel forgot her birthday again.' Devon snorted as he placed the glasses beside the napkins.

'Now this counts as the…umpteenth time she forgot her birthday?' Ethan chuckled.

'And she calls us goldfish.'

'What was it she used to say? Goldfish have the memory span of three seconds.' Ethan started.

'Now substitute the word goldfish and put the Cohen twins. That sounds almost right.' Devon finished his twin's sentence. Bridget stuck her tongue out at both of them.

'At least I don't forget that I have my glasses on.' She retorted.

'Oh please…those are small things. You started forgetting your birthday when you were only five.' Ethan laughed out loud. 'It's your birthday,'

'No it's not! My birthday's on…what's today's date?' Devon answered in a high-pitched squeak.

'Your birthday dumbbell!' Ethan retorted with a laugh.

'Mean people. Shut up, it's my birthday.' Bridget pouted as the last fork was neatly placed on the napkin.

A masterpiece. Eleven plates on one table, neatly arranged. It looked like a restaurant.

Ethan thumped Bridget's back. 'In record time too.' Bridget grinned at his response.

'Dad, where're the other two?' Bridget asked when she realized her first two brothers weren't present.

Jeffrey turned with a knife pointed in mid-air. 'Jordan will be coming a bit later with his lady friend. Anthony is picking Jeremy up from work.' He sounded so nonchalant that if Bridget wasn't looking at him at the moment, she would've thought he was actually okay with it. His dark brown eyes told her something else. He turned back to his chopping and Bridget turned to see that all her brothers were watching TV. Typical. They were watching the sports channel so she went to the tall DVD rack and scanned the titles. She found one that they had bought for each other before she moved here. Sleepers had always been their favourite movie ever since they watched it eight years ago on TV. Apart from having Billy Crudup and Brad Pitt and Brad Renfro, the movie itself was a good one. It didn't do the book justice, just as every book based movie was but it depicted the main points of the book in the movie.

The doorbell rang again and Bridget got up to answer it. It was Mark and Lizzie.

'Bridget! You look fabulous!' Lizzie air-kissed her and walked in the apartment with Mark.

The twins turned and their eyes bulged out when they caught sight of Lizzie who was wearing a floral print dress which hugged her every curve and then some. Her hair was up in a French twist with a few wisps of hair framing her face.

Both of them jumped out of the couch and introduced themselves to Lizzie who smiled at their attention. Mark playfully pulled her behind him. 'Back, you mangy mutts. Back I say, back!' Mark put his arms up in front of the twins who chuckled. 'We understand.' Devon smiled and winked. 'Yes we do.' Ethan pulled Devon away from Mark and Lizzie and continued watching the TV.

Mark and Lizzie immediately went to a corner and started talking so Bridget was once again left to her own devices.

She went to the kitchen and looked at her dad as he chopped up some basil before sprinkling it into a steaming pot of something that smelt pretty good.

'The chicken should be ready in an hour's time…the sauce is almost perfect. Oh! Cake! Blast.' Jeffrey muttered to himself as he took out a three bars of Hershey's dark chocolate from the paper bag which fell to the ground in a flutter. He was about to unwrap the chocolate bars when he noticed Bridget standing at the counter, drumming her fingers on the top with an amused look on her face.

'What?' Jeffrey asked.

'My favourite part of dinner, watching you cook.'

Jeffrey smiled as he resumed unwrapping the chocolate bars.

'Get me three eggs, the block of butter in the plastic bag over the cabinet, the packet of sugar and flour in the uh…paper bag.' Jeffrey ordered as he dropped the bars of chocolate into a sauce pan before putting it over the fire.

Bridget did as she was told and put the things in a neat pile beside a see-through bowl Jeffrey had taken out. 'I never knew Mark was so well-equipped.' Jeffrey mumbled. Bridget laughed. 'He does want to be a chef when he grows up, dad.'

'I know…he kept telling me he wanted to be like me when it came to cooking.'

Jeffrey grew silent as he mixed the butter, eggs, sugar and flour in the bowl and started to stir. 'Did I buy the chocolate essence, could you check for me hun?' Jeffrey asked. Bridget bent down and found the small bottle of chocolate essence and passed it to her dad. 'Thanks sweetie.' Jeffrey said before planting a kiss on her cheeks. Bridget glowed as she slid up to sit on the counter.

'Something smells really good.'

'That's your birthday dinner, hun. Your favourite Italian dish, Penne Tono.'

'You're the best, dad.' Bridget smiled. Jeffrey looked up at her and Bridget smiled. His heart quickened and his eyes started to glisten.

'Bridget…'

'Dad…the past is gone. Stop thinking about it, please?' the smile on her face was a sad one but a smile nonetheless. That in itself made Jeffrey smile back. He continued to stir the mix.

The doorbell rang and Bridget hurriedly answered it, hoping to hope it was Chris.

It was Jordan. And Anthony, Jeremy and…

'Hey, Bee.' Jordan pecked her on the cheeks and walked inside, hand in hand with a really pretty redhead. She looked up at Anthony who was smiling from ear to ear. 'Christina Denver.' He simply stated. A smile formed on Bridget's face. 'She's pretty.'

'You think?' Jeremy chuckled. Anthony turned to him with a glare. 'She's a girl, Anthony. Don't be jealous.' Anthony elbowed Jeremy in the gut with a smile at Bridget. 'Stop abusing my brother, would you?' she playfully scolded. She pulled Jeremy to her side and rubbed his stomach. 'Come on in, champagne? You shouldn't have. It's my nineteenth for goodness sake.'

'You remembered your birthday?' Jeremy and Anthony asked incredulously.

'Shut up.' Bridget mumbled as she closed the door behind them.

Jeremy placed a wrapped present on the countertop with the other presents before taking their coats off. Jeremy was still in his work clothes; white button down shirt tucked in dark slacks. His tie was still tied neatly under his collar. Anthony was wearing a polo shirt and tan slacks. His hair was in a messy state but that was always the case with Anthony's hair.

'Dad's here.' Anthony stated with a gulp.

'Hence the delicious smell. He won't bite your head off…no worries.'

'He'll tear mine off my shoulders no doubt.' Jeremy groaned. Bridget smiled and comforted him by patting his shoulder. 'He'll be clean about it, you don't have to worry about that.'

Jeremy glared at Bridget before being hauled away to the living room.

Anthony cleared his throat which made Jeffrey look up with a smile. When he saw Jeremy, his smile faltered a bit.

'Good evening sir.' Jeremy put up a smile and held his hand out to the older man. Jeffrey looked at it a bit and after a moment's hesitation, he grabbed it and pumped it once.

'The family doesn't call me sir.' Jeffrey said as he poured a bowl of chocolate sauce onto the two layered chocolate cake. 'I don't see a reason for you to be doing it, since you're pretty much part of the family.' He said it with such conviction an outsider would have thought he had been dealing with this kind of thing his whole life. Jeremy looked at Anthony who was too busy beaming proudly at his father.

Bridget smoothed down the dress and tucked a stray strand behind her ear as she aimlessly walked around the room, surveying her growing family.

Her eyes roved to the twins who were jeering their opposing team with Logan snickering at the background, Mark and Lizzie who were snuggled comfortably in an armchair (note the singular noun), Jeremy and Christina who were deep in an animated conversation about something she ventured would be about a case they were minding and her eyes settled on her eldest brother and his partner. They were at ease with each other as they in turn surveyed the room with a smile on their faces.

Bridget jumped at the sound of a bell. But it wasn't the door.

'Food's ready!' Jeffrey exclaimed as another rich aroma filled the room.

Everyone scrambled to the dinner table, which left one chair unattended.

Ethan turned to Bridget who in turn shrugged. 'Probably stuck in a jam or something.'

And at that precise moment was the time the doorbell rang. Bridget scrambled to answer the door and what she saw at the other side of the door seemed to make her breath hitch.

How could anyone be so gorgeous in such a simple outfit of a blue polo shirt and jeans? Oh right…Chris Rivers.

And he was holding a neatly wrapped something in his hand. 'Sorry…I'm…late.' Chris's pauses between his words made Bridget look at him and saw that he was looking at something behind her.

She turned and found her whole family peering behind her.

'Friend…' Jeffrey and Logan raised identical eyebrows.

'Oooh Lucy you got some 'splainin to do.' One of the twins quipped.

Bridget pulled Chris into the dining room and placed him in one of two empty seats and was about to sit beside him when Logan slid in. She rolled her eyes as she sat where Logan was seated.

'Everyone, this is Chris Rivers. He's a senior and he's graduating with me this year.'

That seemed to start off an introduction from everyone. Even Lizzie and Christina contributed to the introduction.

Throughout all of this, Bridget avoided Logan's obvious glares.

Chris was charming throughout the whole dinner and filled it with joyous chatter and he even put in some jokes that made even Jeffrey crack a smile.

'So how long have you two known each other?' Devon asked as he cut a bit of chicken before stuffing it in his mouth. The question was directed to Bridget but Chris was more than happy to fill them all in.

'Actually…we only started to talk to each other about a month ago. I accidentally bumped into her…'

'Laptop guy.' Ethan snorted before getting his shin kicked by his baby sister. 'Sorry.'

Chris laughed slightly before nodding. 'My fault. And I guess everything went from there.'

'Mark told him a lot about me—' Bridget was interrupted by Mark who scowled. 'I was lonely! It couldn't be helped, okay?' Bridget smiled and rolled her eyes. 'Anyway…Mark told Chris stuff about me and—' she got interjected by Chris. 'I got interested in her and wanted to meet her. At that time, I already knew Bridget. By her reputation as the attention stealer.'

'I do not steal attention.' Bridget huffed. All she got for a reply was a chorus of snorts from her family members, Jeremy, Mark and Chris. She rolled her dark green eyes again as she forked in a strip of chicken into her mouth.

'She would just steal the limelight from her teachers and start explaining the class even better than the teacher could and she actually got credit for it. She was the clichéd teacher's pet any student loved to hate.' Everyone laughed at that, especially Mark who got into a snorting fit.

'Oh I remember one time when we were in German class. She actually corrected the teacher in front of the whole class and actually got a smile from the old grump and an A star for her mid-terms. Unfair, I tell you.' Mark shook his head.

'Anyway,' Chris cleared his throat and immediately everyone's attention was on him again. He felt slightly uncomfortable but he continued with his story. 'I work as a teacher's assistant as well so one day, I actually had a debate with her on the theory of evolution. She pointed out my mistakes and changed a lot of everything I had planned for the class.' Chris smiled fondly as he remembered that day.

'I remembered telling Mark that when I went back home and he told me a similar story and I kind of put two and two together and I found out that Bridget was Mark's friend.'

Lizzie gushed. 'This is so romantic!'

No one knew how to react to that so they kept quiet, waiting to listen to Chris's rest of the story.

'I guess…I guess I started to admire her from afar. I couldn't come up to her until just recently so…yeah. That's pretty much that.'

Jeffrey who had been a silent spectator throughout all of this c****d his head to the left and regarded the newcomer. Nothing about him screamed axe murderer and he seemed pretty confident, actually keeping the conversation flowing throughout dinner. He seemed honest enough about his feelings towards Jeffrey's only daughter. And he actually couldn't find a but in all this. His sons seem to have warmed up to him similarly to how the warmed up to Mark who definitely had a good history with the family to still be with them till now.

Logan, who was easily the cynic in the family, couldn't even find a flaw in the man who wasn’t that old.  But one would always count on him to be the one who would jump on Chris the moment he found one tiny blip on the radar. For now, Logan decided he should lay low and just peg it down to the fact that his little sister knew how to pick her friends. Chris was a good guy, as Mark had always been. It shouldn't be hard to like the man.

After dinner had finally finished, dessert came out with candles and all and Bridget saw Chris' confused face. 'I'll explain later,' she whispered. He nodded and she blew out the candles.

The cake was delicious, as was expected, coming from Jeffrey's hand.

They continued talking, asking questions and answering the best they could. Everyone laughed at the appropriate times and they really enjoyed each other's company even though they didn't know much about each other. The conversation was light and it was exact atmosphere that everybody was comfortable with.

Finally, Chris asked the question he had been meaning to ask since before.

'Bridget, you didn't tell me it was your birthday.'

Bridget groaned as her siblings sniggered.

'Our little Bidgy never remembers her birthdays.' Devon stated. Chris raised an eyebrow as he looked at Bridget who had her hot face in her hands.

'Her fifth birthday party was the first birthday she forgot.'

Flashback

Bridget had just gone back from school and everything was too quiet at home so she tiptoed through the house, looking for anything out of order. Nothing was so she assumed no one was home so she shrugged and got up to her room where she got a shock of her life when Logan, Jeremy and the twins pounced on her, screaming happy birthday.

After she got over the general shock, she frowned. 'It's not my birthday.'

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. 'Have you lost your memory little girl? Dodge ball at school hit you too hard on the head?'

The twins snorted.

'My birthday's on the 25th of August. I remember because it's the same day Harmony came into my life.'

Harmony was Bridget's imaginary friend who left a few months ago.

Devon went to take the calendar off her bedside table and shoved it into her face. 'See that red circle you put on 25th of August? You put a post-it note that says birthday. Read it.'

Bridget raised both eyebrows at her older brother. 'It's my birthday and I didn't know it?! I want a party! With my friends with me and Marky and everyone we know! I can't just—'

The four Cohen siblings rolled their eyes as they let their baby sister ramble off about Harmony being there to sing as she 'had the harmonizing tones of an angel'.

That was just the start of many years of the same thing to come.

End of Flashback

Chris chuckled which received a death glare by Bridget herself.

'I think it's cute, okay? What are you going to do…sue me for thinking that?' he asked, laughing all the way.

The night was almost nearing and it was time to open the presents.

She opened one that had a silver wrapping. It was a silver fountain pen and she smiled when she looked at Jordan. 'Thanks, Jord.'

She put it aside and opened another present, this time it was wrapped in a dark blue wrapper. She opened it delicately, not wanting to rip off the nice wrapping paper.

It turned out to be Memoirs of a Geisha, a book she had enjoyed reading immensely when she was fourteen. She tried to guess who it was from and looked at Mark who shrugged.

'You told me once that Mameha was who wanted to be once you get out of Harvard.'

Bridget let out a soft chortle and smiled. 'Thanks.'

A paper bag landed on her lap and she took out the contents. It was the lingerie Ethan had bought. 'Lace? Purple lace at that?' Bridget raised an eyebrow at her older twin brother. He shrugged while everyone laughed. 'That's from both of us actually. We didn't know what to get you.'

'So which one are you?' Bridget turned her attention to Devon. 'The bra or the panties?'

Everyone burst out laughing, leaving the twins to turn into two identical tomato.

She opened another one which turned out to be from Anthony and Jeremy. They had given her a white gold bracelet with matching earrings.

There were two presents left. She opened a rather simply wrapped one. It was from Lizzie and it was a porcelain figure of a ballerina doing a pirouette. 'It's so pretty. Thanks, Lizzie.' Bridget smiled as she put it away.

She took the last one and found that it was from Chris. 'I didn't know it was your birthday. I got that as a…congratulations present.'

'Congratulations on what?' Jeffrey asked.

Bridget bit her lower lip. 'I'll be back in a sec.'

She rushed out of the apartment and went into hers and took the envelope on the countertop and rushed back to Mark's apartment, not forgetting to lock the door to her apartment.

She presented the envelope to her dad who opened it slowly. 'It's your birthday and I get a surprise?'

Bridget smiled and urged him to read it. The frown on Jeffrey's face turned into a beaming smile. 'Straight A stars…for all ten subjects…'

Everyone was stunned. Bridget continued to open Chris's present and found that it was a dark blue miniature mortar board with the diploma beside it. 'Aww…thanks Chris.'

The twins, Jeremy, Anthony and Jordan followed suit with a chorus of oohs.

They shut up when Bridget gave them her stare.

'That's the last of it.' Bridget smiled. Her brothers and Jeremy all gave her a huge hug and a kiss on the forehead. Christina and Lizzie both hugged her and congratulated her on her scores.

It was time for everyone to leave.

Jordan and Christina left first, followed by Mark to send Lizzie home.

The twins asked if Jeffrey needed a ride home and he nodded. He told them to leave first and beckoned Bridget to follow him.

'I wanted to save this for last.' Jeffrey took out something from behind him. It was rectangular in shape and quite big. She took it with a smile before unwrapping it.

The frame in itself was a beauty. It was made up of small pictures of her as a baby and her mother before she died. At the centre was a picture of her mother with her as a baby looking up at her with her pudgy hands sticking out in a fist. Her mother's dark hair was stuck to her forehead with sweat and her face glowed. Bridget never saw her more beautiful than this. Tears filled her eyes immediately as she hugged her father tightly. 'Thank you daddy.'

After a few seconds, they let go and Bridget followed her dad to the door, the picture frame held tightly against her chest.

'Happy birthday, angel.' Were her father's departing words as he kissed her cheeks.

Bridget closed the door and looked at the remaining people. Her older brother, Jeremy, Chris and Logan were left. Jeremy and Anthony were engrossed in a heated discussion with Chris about something or the other. Logan was looking at her expectantly. She slowly walked towards him and sat down opposite her brother. She laid the photo frame on her lap and looked at Logan.

'Yes?' she asked.

'You like him?' Logan asked.

Bridget, knowing who he was talking about (obviously), nodded. 'A lot.' She answered truthfully.

'Why?' Logan asked.

'Do you really want to know?' she raised an eyebrow at Logan who looked away with a frown.

'You saw him tonight Logan.' Bridget sighed exasperatedly. 'He's like that every time he's around me. He treats me like an equal. He doesn't look down on me and I need that from someone.' She took Logan's hand in hers and smiled when he didn't pull away. 'I'm nineteen, Logan. I'm no longer the little girl in sweatshirts and skateboards needing to be scraped off the ground anymore. You don't have to congratulate the ground on tripping me anymore just to make me laugh.

'You had ten years of that already…don't you think you should let me go?' Bridget asked, trying to maintain eye contact but Logan didn't want to look at her. 'Logan…look at me.' Bridget said in such a soft voice that Logan immediately turned to look at his baby sister. 'You'll always be my protector, you have that title in my life. You told me that once before. That you'll always be the one who protects me. Remember that?'

Logan nodded and smiled slightly. 'You'll always be that for me.' Bridget assured him. 'But I want to take a chance with Chris. You understand don't you, Herc?' he smiled at the forgotten nickname. Bridget used to call him her Hercules when they were younger.

'I'm not doing this willingly.' Logan looked down to the floor. Bridget's heart leapt. He agreed!

'The moment he steps over the line, he's minced meat, you understand?'

Bridget nodded enthusiastically. 'You can murder him and I'll take the blame for it. Thank you, Logan!' she pulled Logan into a quick embrace. 'I love you, remember that.' She smiled widely which warmed Logan's heart immediately.

'Bridge, we have to go back.' Anthony stated. Bridget looked up at him and nodded. She grabbed hold of her photo frame and received a hug from both Anthony and Jeremy. 'Congratulations hun.' Jeremy ruffled her hair and both him and Anthony pumped Chris's hands vigorously before leaving.

Logan made his leave as well. He handed Bridget a slim velvet pouch and placed a kiss on her cheeks.

Bridget took the content out and it was a digital camera. The very one she's wanted for quite some time.

'Thanks Logan…I didn't know you knew that I liked it.'

'A brother knows things.' Logan smiled and walked towards Chris.

'You know the big brother speech, I presume? All the heart break leg loss thing? Yeah…it still stands.' Logan said all of that with a smile and walked out of the apartment.

Chris turned to Bridget with a look of horror. 'He's not one to joke, right?' he asked. Bridget shook her head as she headed to the kitchen to clear everything up.

'Do you need to go home too?' she asked as she placed the photo frame on the countertop before rolling up her sleeves.

'No…I can stay. No class, no work. Free as a bird really.' Chris mumbled.

'Come help me clean up.' Bridget said as she looked at the table like a coroner inspects a corpse in a morgue.

'Where shall we start?' Chris asked, rolling up his sleeves.

When everything was gleaming and back to its original place, Bridget tidied the living room a bit, placing all her presents into the paper bag in which Ethan's present was in.

'Ready to go home?' Chris asked as he threw the dirty rag into what he presumed was a laundry bin.

Bridget nodded as she grabbed the photo frame and keys off the countertop and headed out with Chris behind her.

'I'm gonna head home.' Chris said when they reached her apartment. Bridget turned and nodded with a smile. 'Yeah.'

Chris stepped forward, closing the gap between them before placing a short but painfully sweet kiss on her lips which left her wanting more. 'Thanks for inviting me tonight and…that's the best I could give you as a birthday present.'

'No it wasn't…' Bridget pouted playfully. Chris smiled shyly. Bridget placed a kiss on his cheek. 'That would suffice.' She smiled.

Chris's smile widened before he walked backwards and knocking his back to the elevator doors. He turned backwards and then looked back at her with a goofy grin. He pressed the button and the doors slid open soundlessly.

He got inside and waved at her. 'Goodbye Bridget,'

'Bye Chris.' Bridget held her hand up in a wave.

The elevator doors closed and Bridget laid her head on her door.

The night had gone smooth and better than she expected.

And that was by far the best present she received.