Page 15 of Moonstruck at Midnight
I reached out to hug my father, thanking him once again. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“I’ll still be traveling often, so I figured it’d be fair for you to have your own space.” He added. “There are a few things we need to sort out beforehand, but we’ll have plenty of time for that on the flight back home.”
Excitement, nervousness, gratitude, and anxiety were a mix of emotions I felt after receiving his generous gift. I placed the key inside my purse, right beside Thomas’s note.
We arrived home and were greeted by the beautiful peonies in the foyer.
“Special delivery?” My father asked Annette.
“Ah, yes, Ambassador, sir. For Miss Murphy.”
I should’ve asked Annette to take the flowers to my room.
“Who sent these? Are they from the Embassy staff?” he inquired.
Annette looked at me with doe eyes, not knowing what to answer, so I stepped in, “No. They’re from Thomas Hill. Senator Hill’s son. They were here for the dinner you hosted about a month ago. Remember?”
“I wasn’t aware of your acquaintance.” His eyes narrowed, probably wondering what he’d missed.
“I met him that same day at Hôtel Costes. He ended up going there too after dinner.”
“Well, he looks like a good kid,” he said, examining the flowers as if trying to decipher Thomas’s intentions. “Anyway, it’s time for your third gift of the day, and last I swear.” He took my hand and guided me out to the garden, where I heard a big crowd shouting: “Surprise!”
The entire Embassy staff, house staff, and friends from school were gathered for a surprise party. “It’s both a birthday and farewell party, kiddo,” he explained as we walked down the steps to greet the guests. “And there’s paella, of course—an early Easter celebration.”
My father pointed to a large service table where Chef Bellin and three other cooks were finishing the plates and cutlery setup. Two large paella casseroles and several trays of garlic bread were laid upon the table. The delightful saffron smell filled the air. I couldn’t wait to try the food.
My father walked over to greet a few people while familiar faces approached me to hug and congratulate me for my birthday.
“Happy birthday!” Sophie and Cecile cheered at the same time. They hugged me, and then we sat down on one of the tables where we drank wine as I told them about the flowers Thomas had sent me and my father’s second gift.
“Caleb won’t stop looking at you,” Cecile said out of nowhere.
“Well, it’s his job to look at me all day, isn’t it?” I said with a laugh. I turned to where Caleb stood, but he quickly looked away.
“Hmm.” Cecile squinted at him. She didn’t look convinced abouthis jobbeing the reason he kept staring my way. And I had my doubts, too. He’d been giving me these strange looks all day. I didn’t know what to make of them. I feared he would change his mind at the last minute about coming to New York and flee to Tel Aviv.
I just had to wait one more day to find out.
Sophie got sentimental about how much she was going to miss me. A few tears rolled down her cheeks, making Cecile and me cry too. We stood up for a group hug when a server offered us a plate of paella, salad, and bread. We all turned around to see the food and went from crying to laughing. They knew food was my weakness—especiallypaella.
We accepted the food and enjoyed the delicious meal, knowing it would be the last one we’d share together for a while. It was a great and unexpectedly fun birthday. After a long time of continually feeling lonely, that day proved to me otherwise.
Almost all the guests had left the party, only Embassy staff remained, and they didn’t seem to be in a rush to leave anytime soon. But my friends had left, and I was exhausted.
I was walking up to my room when my phone buzzed.
Caleb:This year’s paella is better than the last. Chef Bellin finally got it right.
Me:I know, right? But none like my mom’s.
Caleb:I wish I could’ve tried her paella.
Me:You would’ve loved it.
Caleb:I’m sure I would. Happy birthday, Red.
I stepped into my bedroom and saw a small red box with a red bow sitting on top of my nightstand. There was a little white envelope underneath the box with the wordRedwritten on it with red ink. I opened the box first because I knew it was from Caleb.
