~~ 3. Sweet sixteen party. ~~

"Hurry up Lara, you can't be late for your own party." Mommy knocked on my door as she walked past.

I didn't answer, just turned to study myself in the mirror. Mommy had let me get a new dress for the party, something I thought was modern and stylish, and I'd worn my hair twisted up into a bun. My sixteen pendent was around my neck. Did I look like a little kid? I was always worried I looked younger than I really was because I was shorter and skinnier and it was only in the past year or so that I had actually begun to fill out and look more my age. Standing by the mirror I thought more about Mommy's secrets- maybe it was time to tell her I wanted to know the truth?

"Lara." Mommy opened the door this time. "Why are you taking so long?"

I sighed and turned back to face her. "Mommy I want you-" I began, but she interrupted me.

"You look so grown up and beautiful." She said, and I saw tears pricking at her eyes. "I didn't have a sweet sixteen party you know."

All thoughts of asking Mommy what her secrets were went out of my head. "You didn't?" I asked my eyes wide. "Why not?"

"Oh my parents weren't really into that kind of thing." Mommy said. "I think that's why I was so obsessive about you having this party…."

I felt terrible for the way I'd been acting and instantly apologized. "Mommy this party is going to be great, and I'm going to have a wonderful time." I assured her.

"You better." She said in a mock stern voice. "Now come on, Daddy's waiting for us downstairs. He fed Tess for you and has tied her up by her kennel."

"I wish she could come." I said wistfully and Mommy laughed.

"A dog at a party? I don't think so Lara." She said.

We hurried down the stairs where Daddy was waiting. He glanced up at us, then looked back quickly. "My god Lara, you look gorgeous." He told me.

I felt my face redden. "Thank you Daddy." I whispered.

"What about me?" Mommy teased Daddy.

"You look okay too I guess." Daddy teased her back, and she laughed and slipped her hand through his as we walked out to the car. I smiled too, happy to see that they were no longer arguing over us going away. This was the way my parents usually acted and whilst normally I'd make a face at their obvious shows of affection for the moment I welcomed them.

*****

"Happy birthday darling." Aunt Holly said wrapping me up in a hug the moment I arrived. To my surprise there were already a few guests there, but I think most of them were Nelson's friends.

"Here's the birthday girl- arriving fashionably late." Uncle Kenneth joked and he handed me a present. I already knew what it was, but I ripped it open eagerly waiting to see what it looked like. A few months back Uncle Kenneth had asked Nelson and I to pose for a painting for him, and that painting was what was wrapped up in the paper.

"Oh," Mommy gasped as she looked over my shoulder. "Kenneth this is wonderful. Isn't it a shame though that the judge isn't here to see it?"

Kenneth's father, Judge Childs, was both mine and Nelson's real grandfather, but not many people knew that.

Wonderful was certainly one word to describe it. Nelson and I were sitting side by side looking off into the distance, and behind us there was the ocean.

"Thank you." I managed to say.

"Your welcome." Uncle Kenneth replied. "Now I think I saw some of your schoolfriends outside…"

"Okay." I said and I hurried off to greet them. I had a lot of friends at school, but there were two close ones- Marnie and Jackie. I found them outside with a soda each, looking in the direction of Nelson and his friends.

"Happy birthday." Marnie cried when she saw me approaching them. "We put your present on the table."

"Thank you." I said.

"Want a chip?" Jackie asked, offering me the bowl she was holding.

"No thanks." I said.

"Suit yourself." Jackie said, and she put another handful in her mouth.

Marnie gave her a disapproving look. "You shouldn't eat all of them, otherwise you'll just complain about it all night."

"I'll go on a diet tomorrow." Jackie replied with a shrug. Jackie was always dieting, but in reality she wasn't as overweight as she thought she was.

"Isn't Nelson looking handsome tonight?" Marnie asked, giving me a sly look.

I glanced over in his direction. "I suppose." I said with a shrug.

"Maybe I'll ask him to dance later?" Marnie suggested.

"You should." I said nodding. "I think you two would make a lovely looking couple." And that was certainly true- Marnie was one of the best looking girls in our entire school and she was also on the cheerleading squad.

Some of our other schoolfriends began to arrive, and soon there was a big group of us. I chatted with as many people as I could and then I saw Grandmother arrive and I detached myself from the group to go and say hello to her. Sometimes Grandmother can be a bit strange, like when she's thinking about Lara or Grandfather Jacob, but she's usually a very entertaining person and I enjoy her stories very much.

"Oh, hello Lara." She said to me, giving me a quick hug. "Have you seen your grandfather anywhere? I can't seem to find him."

"Hello Ma." Daddy said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "How are you?"

"Good, I was just telling Lara what a nice party this is and how lovely she looks." Grandmother replied.

Daddy's eyes met mine over Grandmother's head and I knew he'd heard what she said, but we didn't usually comment on it, since it only happened occasionally. "That's right Ma, how about you come in and see Melody? She's busy in the kitchen."

"In the kitchen?" Grandmother said. "Oh, I better go and help them."

Daddy led her off and I stood there watching for a moment before turning around and almost running straight into Nelson. "Hey kid." He greeted me.

I gritted my teeth. "I turned sixteen yesterday Nelson and you know it perfectly well!"

"Did you really?" Nelson asked, and I glared at him until he started laughing. "So, how did you like your puppy?"

"You knew?" I asked.

"I know everything." Nelson replied.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Well almost everything then." He conceded. "Come and dance with me?"

"I will, but only if you promise to ask Marnie to dance later." I replied.

He made a face. "No offense Lara, but she's a bit of an air head isn't she?"

"She is not." I argued. "She's quite smart."

"I'll think about it." Nelson said, and he led me onto the dance floor.

*****

The night seemed to go very quickly. I danced with Nelson, and his friends as well as my friends, and Uncle Tommy tried to teach me to do the waltz although I have to admit I wasn't much good at it. I was on my way to get a drink and catch my breath when Nelson's best friend Alex asked me to dance.

"I've got to have a rest." I pleaded. "My feet are killing me."

"Everyone else has danced with the birthday girl…." He said.

"I promise I'll save you a dance after I've had something to drink." I told him.

I went inside towards the kitchen, but angry voices stopped me.

"Cary- you're drunk." Mommy was saying.

"So?" Daddy asked, and his voice was slurred.

"So, I'm going to take you home before you do anything to embarrass your daughter on such an important day." Mommy replied.

"Embarrass her?" Daddy's voice was so cold that I automatically embraced myself. "That would be right wouldn't it? I'm not very sophisticated am I? Not very refined am I?

"For heavens sake Cary-" Mommy began, sounding tired, but Daddy interrupted her.

"Maybe if you go to LA you can meet a nice, mature man…someone better suited to you." Daddy snapped.

Mommy was silent a moment, and when she spoke her voice was equally as cold as Daddy's had been. "That's not fair and you know it."

"Do you think I don't know? Do you think I didn't know about Billy?" Daddy asked, and he sounded upset now.

"Cary. Enough. Not now please." Mommy practically begged.

"I don't even understand why you'd want to go to California." Daddy said. "After all this time-"

"I know you don't understand." Mommy said. "I didn't think you would, but I just want answers. That's all."

"Why now? Why all of a sudden?" Daddy demanded.

"I think it was Lara turning sixteen, after all that's how old I was when I came to the Cape." Mommy said.

"Lara, why are you hiding over here?" Aunt Holly asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I wasn't hiding." I said quickly. "I was getting a drink. I was thirsty from all the dancing."

"That's where I was headed as well." Aunt Holly said, and she led me into the kitchen.

My parents weren't arguing now, they were just standing in silence, but there was no mistaking the tension in the air, and Aunt Holly immediately turned to look at me, her eyes narrowed. She must have guessed they were arguing and I was standing there listening.

"We're leaving now." Mommy said, trying to sound cheerful. "Your father has had enough to drink."

"Okay Mommy." I said. "Let me just get my things."

"No," Mommy said as I started to walk out of the kitchen. "Not you. The birthday girl can't go home early. I'm sure someone can give you a lift home?"

"Nelson will." Aunt Holly promised Mommy.

"Good." Mommy said, and she came to hug me. "Have a good night sweetie. We're very proud of you, you know."

I hugged her back. "Thanks Mommy." I said, but I didn't meet her eyes. Tomorrow, whether she liked it or not, I had a few questions for her. About California and about this mysterious Billy man she'd been speaking about just then. I also wanted to know why she didn't like Adam Jackson, who seemed perfectly nice to me.

Daddy came over to hug me goodbye too. "I'll see you later sweetie, have a great night. You look so gorgeous."

"Thanks Daddy, I will." I said.

He and Mommy left, and Aunt Holly looked at me thoughtfully.

"What?" I asked uncomfortably.

"Nothing." She said with a sigh. "Go on- get back to the party."

I obeyed, but in the back of my mind were all the questions that my mother was going to answer tomorrow regardless of how she felt about it.