Chapter 44
A/N 15th Birthday
Added this chapter on a whim since 15 will be such a pivotal year for her. Hope you all enjoy it. Thank you to those that read and review this.
It was Tuesday and Lizzie had been a jittery box all day. Her birthday was coming up on Saturday and she was having a sleepover with some of her friends at the farm. Izzy was her best friend, but she had a small group of girlfriends from her lacrosse team and math club and they were all looking forward to a fun weekend.
Suzanne and Sam were going to chaperone the party. Benjamin was taking Will to a science museum and a boys outing in Richmond for the weekend. They were doing this so Benjamin could spend quality time with Will and to keep him from being a brat to the girls and ruining things for Lizzie. He was all for it saying he didn't want to spend the weekend at the house with a bunch of girls running around.
"Lizzie, what do you think we should do for activities for the party?" Suzanne asked her at breakfast.
"Well since it is still warm, I thought we could go to the lake for the day on Saturday. Some of the girls ride horses, but some don't. We could let the ones that ride go up on horse back and take the wagon for the ones that don't. How does that sound?" Lizzie asked.
"That sounds like a perfect plan. I am going to go to the store on Thursday and get food and snacks. Popcorn, ice cream and sweets. Is there anything in particular that you wanted?" Suzanne asked.
"That sounds perfect, just make sure you get drinks too. I wanted to ask you since we are going to be at the lake, could Christopher and 2 of his guy friends come too? They will just be here for the day stuff and leave when we come back to the house," Lizzie asked with a pleading look on her face.
"Well I guess that will be ok, just clear it with your Dad. I am sure it will be fine with him. Also Dad is having food catered for Saturday so I need a definite number by Thursday so we can get enough food brought out. Sunday we are going to A`ime for dinner. Jean is making a special dinner for you. He insisted that we celebrate your birthday there. Have I ever told you that your Dad took me there on our first date?" Suzanne asked her.
"Yes you have told me and I think that is so sweet," Lizzie said.
Saturday arrived and Benjamin and Will loaded up early to head to Richmond.
Suzanne was in the kitchen getting all the snacks ready to take to the lake.
Lizzie and Izzy were upstairs in her room trying on bathing suits. Lizzie wanted to look good for Christopher. Her new bikini was white and fit her perfectly. She and her Mom had found it on a shopping trip earlier in the week.
"You are going to make Christopher pop out of his swim trunks when he sees you in that," Izzy told her.
Lizzie blushed and told her, "Let's hope that is figuratively and he doesn't embarrass himself."
They finished and ran downstairs when they heard the doorbell ring. The girls would be getting there first and the boys would be arriving around noon.
Everything was loaded up and those that were riding horses mounted up.
Billy was driving the wagon so he could come back to the barn and collect the boys when they arrived. Benjamin had also given him marching orders to keep an eye on the boys. Billy had chuckled at him when he told him that. They both remembered being teenage boys and Benjamin wanted to make sure the boys didn't get out of line.
Billy pulled up with the boys and Rebecca. She was a lifeguard at UVA and Benjamin had hired her to work the party. Suzanne and Sam were both good swimmers, but he wanted to make sure that they had her on standby if needed. Teenagers could be unpredictable and he wanted to make sure everyone was safe.
The party was in full swing. The kids were all having fun in the water or riding the horses. Lizzie wanted to introduce Christopher to riding so she and Suzanne had him up on Toddler (the gentlest horse on the farm) and were giving him some lessons. They all mounted their horses to go on a trail ride. Sam and Rebecca stayed back with the non riders.
Lizzie led Christopher off the main group to show him more of the farm alone. As they rode they talked and she told him about growing up on the farm and how she had ridden in the steeplechase circuit for a while. He was so smitten with her and was at awe with her riding circled around and met up with the rest and they rode back to the lake.
Lunch was a success and all the kids were laying at the edge of the lake. The girls sunning and the boys teasing them.
Suzanne and Sam were watching them. "Oh, to be young like them again. I feel so old watching them," Suzanne told her.
"I know right, where has the time gone. It feels like just yesterday I was their age doing the same thing they are doing. Growing up in California and having the beach only a stone's throw away sure brings back memories for me," Sam said.
Lizzie was laying on a towel and Christopher was sitting beside her holding her hand. "This is such a great party, I am glad your parents let me come. Happy Birthday."
Lizzie blushed and ducked her head. "I am glad you came, the party is so much better with you here."
Lizzie opened her gifts and everyone helped to clean up and load everything up. They loaded up in the wagon or on horseback and headed back to the house.
Once back at the house, the boys left for the night and the girls went in to clean up. Billy had started a fire in the pit in the backyard and the girls were going to do smores and tell ghost stories.
The furniture in the living room was moved out to make sleeping pallets for the girls. Sam was staying over in the guest room. Sam and Suzanne were sliding the furniture out of the way. Sam pulled the cushions off the couch to let the girls sit on them on the floor. She pulled the last one off and saw something lacy under it.
She picked it up and walked over to Suzanne. "I think you may have lost something," she said with a huge smile on her face.
Suzanne snatched them out of her hand and shoved them in her pocket. She was red all over. "I wondered where they went."
Sam laughed at her, "Hey don't feel bad at least it was me that found them and not your mother in law. That is what happened to me about a year after I married Frank."
The girls retired back inside and took over the living room. They talked, watched movies, gossiped and consumed large amounts of popcorn.
Lisa, one of the girls from Lizzie's lacrosse team, asked her, "So Lizzie, tell us is Christopher a good kisser?"
Lizzie blushed and said, "I am not telling you that it is private."
"Oh come on it's just us girls here, that is what you do on girls night tell each other about your boyfriends. Since Linda and you are the only ones with steady boyfriends, dish girlfriend. Tell us," Lisa told her.
The rest of the girls chimed in and all sat with bated breaths waiting on her to answer. " Ok, Ok, yes he is a very good kisser, but that is all you are getting so let's change the subject."
Suzanne and Sam were in the kitchen enjoying a glass of wine and listening to the girls. Suzanne knew that Christopher had kissed Lizzie, because she had told her, but swore her to secrecy. Benjamin didn't know and she would not tell him unless Lizzie told her she could. She was not surprised when she heard her tell the girls to change the subject.
Sunday evening they arrived at A`ime and were taken to their table. Jean had come out and greeted them and given Lizzie the traditional kiss on each cheek and wished her a Happy Birthday. "Now Jeune Femme (young lady) Jean will make a very special meal for you tonight," he said as he kissed her hand and left to go cook their meal.
Suzanne and Benjamin were smiling and Will was making a gagging noise.
"WILL", they both said at the same time.
The meal Jean had prepared for them was delicious and the cake he had made and surprised her with was very special.
"So Baby Girl, I got you something for your birthday. I hope you like them,"Benjamin said as he handed her a small blue box.
Lizzie opened the lid and inside sat a pair of one carat diamond earring studs. Lizzie gasped at them and then looked up at her Dad with tears forming in her eyes. She stood and walked over to him and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you Daddy, they are beautiful and I will cherish them for the rest of my life."
Benjamin wiped a tear from his eyes as Lizzie went and sat back down.
"This is from me," Suzanne said as she slid another box over to her.
Lizzie opened in and inside was a gold chain and pendant. It had an E/L engraved on it and on the back side was LOVE MOM AND DAD.
Suzanne had not really ever liked the nickname Lizzie, but had gone along with her wishes. The E was for Elizabeth and the L for Lizzie. "I wanted you to have something special from us both," Suzanne told her.
Lizzie was tearing up again as she hugged her mom tightly. She took the necklace out and put it on. It laid perfectly on her chest and felt right.
They drove home and Lizzie went to bed not knowing this would be the last birthday she would share with her parents.
The necklace and earrings would hold great significance in her life for years to come.