November Seventh.

My Birthday.

I had always liked my birthday. In that lull between Halloween and Thanksgiving. More often than not we got off for teachers in service that week. My brothers and I would eat cake and play around all week. It was the highlight of my year. When I became a teenager, my brothers went off to college and I didn't see them nearly as much. Sometimes they wouldn't even be home for my birthday. But my dad and Cami always made up for it. When we went to college I barely saw my family. They were half way across the country, but we would Face Time. I would see them during Christmas because even coming home for Thanksgiving was too expensive. It became less and less exciting, but I guess that's what happens when you get to a certain age, birthdays aren't such a big deal anymore. Honestly I was just grateful that my birthday was on a Friday, this year. I didn't have any classes on Friday, I loved my schedule.

I awoke to the smell of cinnamon sugar piping through the apartment. I climbed out of my bed and found Cami facing the oven, with her back to me. She must have heard me approaching because she turned around.

"Happy Birthday!" she squealed.

"Thank you," I said. I slipped into one of the island counter's chairs. "What is that heavenly smell?" I asked her as she opened the oven.

"Cinnamon buns," she told me.

"Mmm, my favorite," I said.

"I know," she agreed. She sounded quite proud of herself. "I made them from scratch," she claimed.

That was bullshit. Cami couldn't cook for shit, I didn't call her on it though. Even cinnamon buns from the package counted.

"I have to go to class, but be ready at 5 because..." she paused. "Well if I'm being honest I'm not sure why Josh just told me to tell you," she shrugged. I suppressed my smile. "We can eat cake," she pointed at a vanilla sheet cake that was perched above the refrigerator. "And watch 16 candles after you get home."

"Sounds good to me," I said.

We sat together and ate breakfast before she dashed off to her only class on Friday morning. I finished breakfast and dumped my dish into the sink to be washed later. I crawled back into my bed and spent some time writing my latest article about the girls tennis team. They were pretty good, but I didn't know much about tennis. The whole piece was mostly about stats than understanding the game anyways. Malory needed this piece my Monday night, so a little work on my birthday was okay.

The past week with Josh has been amazing. He was fun and sweet and a really good kisser. I was with him a lot, not that either of us minded, but soon Josh would have to start traveling the country for hockey games and we wouldn't be together as much. Better get it all in now then.

I sat on the counter in Cami and my bathroom as I curled my hair into loose beach waves. Pennsylvania was currently experiencing the warmest fall in the history of Pennsylvania. It was currently 74 degrees outside. I was wearing a short white sundress with a deep v-neck cut out. I loved this dress. I checked my phone and it was 4:55. I had five minutes. I climbed off of the counter and unplugged the curling iron, I walked back into the front of our apartment. I slipped on my beige heels and grabbed my purse, just as there was a knock at the door.

I walked over to the door and I opened it to see my wonderful boyfriend standing at the door with a bouquet of lavender flowers.

"Happy birthday," he said.

"Thank you," I said sweetly. I reached up and kissed him. Even in heels he was taller than I was. I took the flowers from him and let him follow me into my apartment. I went and found a vase to put the flowers in.

"You look beautiful," he told me.

"Thank you," I blushed. "You don't look too bad yourself. He didn't. He was dressed in a slightly unbuttoned white shirt and gray dress pants. His hair was a little messy, but I liked it like that.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" I asked him as I busied myself with the flowers.

"It's a surprise," he told me.

"I don't like surprises," I told him.

"Well you're going to like this one," he promised me. I left the flowers in the face on the counter as he took my hand in his and led me out of the apartment. I made sure to lock the door behind us, before he opened the door to his truck for me. I climbed into the seat. He went around the car and got into the passenger seat. He started the car and began to drive.

We drove with small conversation for about fifteen minutes, before I had to ask again. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he said.

"How much further?" I asked.

"We are almost there," he told me patiently.

"You know," I said. "It's in bad taste to murder someone on her birthday."

"You think that I'm going to murder you?" he laughed.

"I don't know you that well," I reminded him.

"Then you probably shouldn't have agreed to be my girlfriend,"he said, with a chuckle.

After forty-five more seconds, he took a left turn and pulled into a parking space in front of what seemed to be an apartment building.

"We're here," he said.

"Here?" I asked.

"Yes," he confirmed. We got out of the truck and walked toward the apartment building. Upon further assessment, I noticed that the building actually had beautiful architecture. There was a lot of stone, but it was beautiful.

"Just through here," he told me. "Close your eyes."

"Okay," I said nervously. "I would just like to remind you that I don't like surprises," I told him.

"Noted," he responded. I closed my eyes and just to be sure, he put a hand over my eyes. He held my hand and led me through the inside of the building and back into the open air.

"Open," he whispered in my ear.

"Surprise!"