My Second Love

I open my eyes after hearing my younger brother, Damon, banging on the door to wake me up. I sit up, still half asleep, and yell, “Yeah, yeah! I get it! I’m up!” “Gracie! You’re going to miss your ride from Jen!” “I’m coming!!!” I have finally fully woken up and it stuck me. It’s my 18th birthday today! I get up fast and throw on some random clothes from the pile on my chair that is also a makeshift hamper. I grab a rusty orange knitted sweater with some light wash ripped skinny jeans and a pair of tan ankle boots. I grab my backpack and run out of the bedroom down to the kitchen. My aunt sits at the table. “Look who finally decided to wake up.” My Aunt Mary became Damon and my legal guardian. Our parents died in a house fire when I was 15 and Damon was 12. “I know. I gotta go though. I don’t want to be late. Jen’s driving me today.” I quickly grab a piece of toast off of Damon’s plate and run out the door, but not before I turn back and say, “Love you!” with dry toast in my mouth. My brother starts laughing when I inhale toast crumbs leading to me coughing. My aunt stands up. “I’m fine. Just went down the wrong pipe.” Damon is still laughing at the table and my aunt sits back down with a softened chuckle. “Jen’s here. Love you!” I ran out of the door with Aunt Mary yelling, “Happy Birthday Gracie!” I look back and smile, then book it to Jen’s black hummer. I get in the jeep and she has a huge smile and a small purple gift bag. Jen, in a quiet and sweet tone says, “Happy Birthday Gracie.” I give her a laugh, “You know I hate it when you call me Gracie.” “I know.” She says with an innocent gleam. Jen and I have been friends for my entire life. Our mom’s were best friends from high school. We naturally grew up together. She is my sister and her parents are my second parents. After my mom passed, she was the one who taught me everything I would have learned from my mom. I never felt as though my mom was gone because Aunt Mary and Aunt Sandy, Jen’s mom, told stories about her all the time. She was still alive through them and for that I am truly grateful. “What is in here? It weighs like 80 pounds!” “Just open it, Gracie!” I take out the tissue paper and see multiple individually wrapped gifts. I start opening one by one. She gave me a gift card for Sephora, a reusable Starbucks cup, and a photo book of us through our entire friendship. I leaned over and hugged her, “Thank you Jen! I love it!” “You’re welcome. What do you say we go try out that new cup before school?” I just smiled a childish grin at her, “Let’s go!” We were listening to Billie Eilish. We were rocking out. We pulled up to the window at Starbucks. “You have a grande iced americano and a reusable cup for a cold brew?” “Yes that would be us.” I went to hand the lady my card, but got my hand slapped by Jen. “It is your birthday! You are NOT paying!” She handed her card over the lady. “It’s your birthday?” “Yes. I’m turning 18.” “Would you like a free cake pop?” “Yes please. That would be great!” I got my cake pop and we were on our way to school. We pulled up into the parking lot, and it was time to meet my mate.