When It Comes From God It's Different [ Love, Faith & Overcoming ]

Chapter 19

As soon as I lay my feet in the school, Paula and Rafaela reached to me; we sat next to each other and talked until the class started.

Isabella: So, what are you going to give me as a gift tomorrow?

Rafaela: I was looking through my father’s torn socks, and I found a perfect one for you

Isabella: Friend!. I cried out 

Paula: that was funny 

Isabella: totally, wasn’t

Rafaela: by the way, isn’t it for real that there is no party this year?

Isabella: no friend, I’m not in the mood for a party

Rafaela: but it’s your 18th birthday Isabella

Paula: there should be a feast sister 

Isabella: I know, but I want something simple this year, no party!

Paula: Oh, what the hell! Complained and frowning 

Isabella: you party animals, yes you are

Rafaela: no, we’re not 

Isabella: oh, I have almost forgotten, tomorrow at my house at 8 pm. Let’s go out for dinner and celebrate my birthday.

Paula: we will not abandon you in that special moment, she said with a wink.

Rafaela: food on you, isn’t it, Paula

Paula: but wait, did you just invite the two of us?

Isabella: No, Lucas and Nicolas are also coming

Rafaela and Paula: Ummm Nicolas! They said together, smiling and looking at each other

Isabella: he could not miss it 

Paula: Girls, let’s sleep at my house today; slumber party tonight?

Rafaela: I will only go if Isa will, she said, and the two looked at me.

Isabella: Ok, I’ll_ I said, smiling sideways.

we stopped talking as the teacher came into the room, and Minutes later

It’s time to go home; I said goodbye to the girls and went home. Sometime after I arrived, I snuggled up between the cushions on the porch floor and decided to send a message to Nicolas.

Message on:

Isabella: tomorrow is my birthday, what will I get as a gift?

Nicolas: I will think of a lovely gift, I promise

Isabella: Right. I have an invitation for you.

Nicolas: accepted!

Isabella: hahaha, but you don’t even know what it is and have already accepted?

Nicolas: I accept everything from you!

Isabella: looky, looky, what if it was an invitation to play a ridiculous role on the street?

Nicolas: in this case, we would negotiate, but as I know that you are a girl of good manners, it is not quite you to make ridiculous roles on the street lol I don’t think you would do something like that

Isabella: Yeah, you’re right

Nicolas: so what is this invitation about?

Isabella: in addition to the present, can I count on your presence at the celebration dinner at 8 pm?

Nicolas: in all probability. This I can never miss an important date like that. I’ll grace you with my presence

Isabella: haha, sounds good then; I’m counting on you

Message off

Marcele: I was looking all over for you, are we going to buy your dress?

Isabella: yes, we are

Marcele: on the way back, I’ll drop you off at your karate training, right?

Isabella: even better 

Marcele: and how will you come back?

Isabella: don’t worry, I’ll figure something out 

We went to some stores; we bought a beautiful dress with some details and golden stone, a princess thing, a very basic black heels, my mother bought her clothes too, we had a snack in the food court, we talked, and I took the opportunity to let them know that I would sleep at Paula’s house. It was a long time since we had been out together, it was amusing, and then I left myself in training.

I joined Lucas and Beatriz before class started, and we talked for a while; 1 hour later, the training was over; I ordered an Uber and waited at the reception.

Lucas: Isa, Beatriz, and I are going out for a snack. Do you wish to come along?

Isabella: Oh, I’d love to, thank you, my dear friends, I’m tired, and I already ordered an Uber.

Beatriz: alright

Lucas: see you next time, see you tomorrow, bye

Beatriz: bye

Isabella: see you tomorrow

Shortly after my ride arrived, I went home, showered, put on a knitted dress with drooping shoulders and long sleeves, dried my hair, and decided to let it go along my shoulders; the weather was colder than usual, and it looked like rain.

Marcele: weren’t you going to your friend’s house? She asked as she saw me approaching the counter in the kitchen where she was preparing something for dinner

Isabella: not now; it is still very early. And I’m waiting for someone

Marcele: a person? Nicolas?

Isabella: yes, right at that moment, I heard the sound of the bell and ran to the door

Nicolas: good evening 

Isabella: hey 

Nicolas: ice cream?

Isabella: sure! But first I want you to meet someone. I took him by his hand and dragged him to the kitchen where my mother was

Nicolas: Hello, good evening, ma’am. Is This your mother?

Isabella: yes. Mom, this is Nicolas

Marcele: good evening, nice meeting you, Nicolas, my name is Marcele, but you can call me Cele s, he greeted him with a handshake

Nicolas: the pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Cele

Marcele: I’m preparing dinner, don’t you want to have dinner with us?

Nicolas: Thanks for the invitation; I’m full, and I just came to pick up Isa for ice cream, is that ok?

Marcele: fine by me

Nicolas: come on, then?

Isabella: yes, let’s roll

We said goodbye to my mom and went to the ice cream parlor, talked about how our days went, took selfies, and then walked a little in a small square across the ice cream parlor

Nicolas: you look like your mother

Isabella: I get that a lot, but I don’t think so

Nicolas: you are very similar to each other 

Isabella: and do you look more like your father or your mother?

Nicolas: they say I look more like my father; for example, my mother doesn’t have green eyes or blond hair, nor a dimple when she smiles

Isabella: I love your dimples

Nicolas: I love everything about you. He looked at me steadily and earnestly, leaving me totally out of my elements and speechless I think it’s so cute when he becomes awkward I even said it out loud 

 Are you not coming? He said when he saw me got nailed to the floor like a statue, he took a step back to me. And we held hand with the same shy smile 

After a few minutes of walking, we got into the car and went back to my house

Isabella: can you drop me off at Paula’s house? the girls and I are going to have a pajama night

Nicolas: of course, I can

Isabella: I’m going to fix my backpack with some things. Is it ok to wait a little bit?

Nicolas: I’ll 

Isabella: will you be ok there alone?

Nicolas: I’ll be fine, relax, come on

Isabella: I’ll be right back, ok?

Nicolas: ok.

I was sleeping when I felt fingers poking me in my belly, certainly from the best friends in the world, to wake me up to wish me for another life cycle. It was my birthday; 18 years ago, it was the day I was born in my mother's womb.

Isabella: What's up? _I ask with half-opened eyes

Rafaela: rise and shine, princess 

Paula: Happy birthday, sleeping beauty_ she hugged me tight, you are the best friend in the world, I love you as if you were a sister, may God bless your soul very for eternity 

Isabella: ohhhh, thank you, my partner, I love you too, and you are also like a magnet to me; you two are. Two sisters that this life gave me

Rafaela: happy birthday girlfriend, I wish you all the best in this world. May you be pleased and live many, many years; I love you, you beautiful cow!

Isabella: wow, I love you so much, I said, squeezing them. Thanks for everything!

Rafaela: we are together, throw thick and throw thin, always!

Isabella: Now I want to know, where's my present?

Paula: we will only deliver it at dinner tonight

Isabella: I hate suspense! I nagged 

Rafaela: my apologies, now get yourself ready already 

Paula: and make it worth, she completed her excited.

Isabella: of course, it's my day; I want to look pretty, I said; the girls looked at each other

Rafaela: we will be waiting for you in the living room, okay?

Isabella: alright

I took a quick shower, got ready, put on a reticent lipstick, and went down to the living room where the girls were.

Isabella: I'm starving; what's for breakfast?

Paula: We will have breakfast at your house; I think it would be better to have breakfast with your parents as it is your birthday, don't you agree, Rafa?

Rafaela: yes, for sure, they must already be excited to see you

Isabella: alright then

We said goodbye to Paula's folks and went to my house; I noticed that the girls were strangely excited, looking at the phone the whole time, I was already getting suspicious that they are hiding something from me.