Of course, it was Shay that stood up, a best friend until the end. “Okay people, you heard her. Today is Alix’s seventeenth birthday and we are going to have a good time, even it if kills us! No more talk of tattoos, Nykara, or anything that has been revealed today. Just a great girl having a great birthday. GOT IT!” Shay said, pointing at every single person in the room.
There was a chorus of “yes” and “sure thing” and “no problem” and “you bet.” Despite all that had happened, Shay was still able to make Alix smile. She really was the best friend in the whole world.
Alix should have known that even with everything that would have been revealed today that Shay would still have her birthday planned. First was bowling. Alix secretly loved to bowl, even though she was terrible at it, so she wasn’t surprised Shay had booked a couple of lanes. What did surprise her though was that she learned that Ben had never been bowling before, ever. Alix got a good laugh at Ben trying his first time at bowling. He was really bad, bad enough that Alix actually managed to beat him the first game. She had never beaten anyone before and was super excited about it. But Ben being Ben was getting the hang of it and managed to beat her the second game. After two games everyone’s arms were tired and then it was off to dinner.
Shay rode with Alix and her parents since Shay’s mom was going to stop by and pick up Shay’s dad and little sister and meet everyone at the Chinese restaurant. Dinner was loud and lots of fun. Everyone closest to her was sitting at the table. Her parents, and Shay of course. Shay’s mom and dad, Tami and Rob, were like a second set of parents to her and Alana was like her little sister too. And even though she had only known Ben, Natalie, and Rick for a short time they were quickly becoming very important people to her.
Shay nudged her out of her thoughts with a shoulder bump. “Where are you, Alix? You look like you’re a million miles away.”
“I was just thinking about how everyone here means so much to me and I’m hoping that doesn’t change with everything that happened today.”
“I don’t think that will happen, and besides you’ll always have me.” Shay grinned at her and Alix had to smile back. “No more of this right now. We have dinner to finish and presents to open.”
After everyone was done eating they all headed back to Alix’s house. Everyone was told to go straight to the living room while Heather and Tami went to the kitchen. Shortly after that the singing of “Happy Birthday” started and her mom entered the living room with the cake. She set it on the coffee table and Alix blew out the candles. She tried for all seventeen but missed one. Shay giggled and said something about having one boyfriend. Alix ignored her and finally had a chance to really look at the cake. It looked just like a hardcover book lying open. The sides looked like pages, you could see the edge of the book at the bottom and the top was filled with words. It was the coolest cake she’d ever seen.
“Thanks, mom and dad. This has to be the best cake ever.” She made sure to take a few pictures of it before she cut it up. Once everyone was full of cake she opened her presents. Most of her gifts were book related but that’s what she loved, and everybody knew it.
Everyone went their separate ways after a while, with the exception of Shay. It was a tradition that they slept over on each other’s birthdays, no matter what. Alix had had a very long day and was more than ready to go to bed. They made Shay’s bed on the floor and Alix climbed under her covers hoping that she would fall asleep quickly. So much had happened from the time she had woken up that morning she hoped her thoughts didn’t overwhelm her as she tried to fall asleep. She did her best to make her mind blank and closed her eyes, hoping to fall into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 24
Alix woke up and couldn’t believe it was morning. She had slept all night and not one dream that she could remember. It was the most rested she had felt in a while. As she lay there the events from her birthday came flooding back to her. She was a Nykara, which apparently meant she was some sort of magical being and not just a “normal” magical being, of course, she had to be a special one at that. And if that revelation wasn’t enough she had to learn that her parents aren’t the parents that gave her life. That would be a lot for anyone to take in. She thought she handled it pretty well, but she knew today she was going to have to actually deal with it. But not quite yet. Shay was still sleeping so she decided to study her new tattoo as she really didn’t have a chance to yesterday. It was extremely beautiful and almost looked real. It was as if she had picked the flower and set it on her hand. And the colors, they were amazing. The colors … that made her pause because according to The Book of Nykara those colors made her The Chosen One. It sounded ominous when she thought about it. What could that mean for her and those around her? Would she bring danger to the people she loved? As her thoughts started spinning out of control she decided she’d better read to take her mind off everything until Shay woke up.
About an hour later Shay finally started mumbling about morning and Alix knew she was awake.
“Good morning sunshine,” Alix said, with a smile in her voice
“What time is it?”
“Almost 9:30.”
“Isn’t it a crime to be up this early on a Sunday morning?”
“9:30 is not early. I’ve been awake for an hour.”
“Did you sleep okay?”
“Yes, best sleep I’ve had in a while. No dreams freaking me out. I guess now that it’s happened the dreams have stopped.”
“That’s good. So how are you feeling about everything? Shay didn’t have to elaborate, everything pretty much summed it up.
“I’m still not sure. I think I need to deal with the fact that mom and dad aren’t really my parents first.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“I’m confused more than anything. I really want to know why. What happened to my biological parents? Why didn’t they want me? Who were they? Do I look like them? I’ve got a million questions.”
“I totally get that, but Alix, you need to breathe.”
Alix hadn’t realized she was almost hyperventilating. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She breathed in for the count of five and then out just as slowly. She did that a few times then opened her eyes.
“You okay?” Shay asked.
“I think so. I guess I didn’t realize how I was feeling until I started talking. You’d think I’d be more concerned about being some magical Chosen One than being adopted.”
“After everything you learned yesterday you have the right to feel however you want and be concerned about things in the order you want. Now, should we actually get up and get moving for the day?”
“Yeah, I think we should. As much as I’d like to hide I want answers more.”
The girls got up, got dressed, and went to the kitchen. Her mom and dad were already at the kitchen table with cups of coffee. Alix made her coffee and Shay decided on orange juice. They joined her parents at the table.
“Good morning honey,” her mom said quietly. “Oh, can I still call you honey?”
“Of course, mom. I have a ton of questions and I’m still confused but you two are still my parents and I’m sure there’s a good reason why my biological parents gave me up.”
“You always were the most rational child. You get that from your father, your biological father I mean.”
Alix sat there stunned for a moment. “You knew them?”
“Yes honey, they were very good friends of ours and it’s a long story. I have a feeling you could use some of those answers right about now.”
“I think that’s my cue to leave,” Shay said, as she finished her juice. “Alix, call me later and fill me in if you want. I’m always here when you need me.”
Alix knew in her heart she had never heard a truer statement. She walked Shay to the door and gave her a huge hug. “Thanks for everything. I’ll call you later for sure.”
When she got back to the kitchen her parents were still at the table, but now there were s
ome papers sitting in front of her mom.
“Alix, I know this is going to be confusing, but I’ll do the best I can to explain it all to you. Your birth parents were our best friends. Their names were Sean and Sharon Lawson. You know that your dad and I met in college, right? Well, that’s also where we met Sean and Sharon. They weren’t a couple when we first met them, just two people in the group we hung out with. But we could all see the sparks that were there between them. About six months after we all met they finally realized how they felt about each other and were almost never apart after that. I’d never seen two people more in love and obviously meant to be together. They got married as soon as we finished college. They had a very beautiful wedding. It was outdoors on a ranch in Wyoming. That’s where your mother was from. Your father grew up in Colorado.
“After they were married they moved to Florida, I think they were tired of the winters more than anything. Sharon was a nurse, like me, and Sean had a degree in botany. We had no idea what he was going to do with his degree, but he managed to get a job as a botanist with the National Park Service in Everglades National Park. They were thrilled. They moved to a little place south of Miami close to the park. Sharon got a job as a nurse in a small hospital. Both of them were so happy. We kept in constant contact. She and I would talk at least once a week. Your dad and I got married late in August that same summer. We were moving to California for your dad to finish his dentistry degree, but we had to see them before we would be all the way across the country, so we went to visit them on our honeymoon. Our visit was way too short, and it was hard to leave, but your dad had school to get back to and I had a job waiting for me.
“A few months later Sharon told us she was pregnant. I didn’t believe any two people could be happier about anything. They started making plans to find a new place to live so their baby could have its own room. Sharon was already planning out what the room would look like. Her excitement was contagious.
“For months I had weekly updates from Sharon telling me how everything was going. She was still as happy as the day she found out. I think I was just as excited as she was. But after several months the calls were less frequent and short. Instead of an hour every week it was a few minutes every few weeks. I figured she was just getting tired and stressed about having a baby but then the calls stopped altogether. I tried for weeks to get in touch with her. I even went so far as to call the hospital she worked at, but they said she had quit over a month ago. I was terribly worried as it was so out of character and she loved her job. Since we were living in California at the time it wasn’t like we could just drop everything and get there quickly. We made plans to take a vacation and go out there to see them in person as soon as we could both get away.
“I knew she was due near the end of September and was hoping beyond hope that I would hear from them. The closer October got the more I worried I became about them. Finally, I heard from them. It was September 30th. I’ll never forget the date. Your dad was pulling an all-nighter at school and I was working a late shift at the hospital. When I got home from work I saw there was a message on the machine. It was Sean telling us that Sharon was in labor and he would call again to let us know when the baby was born. I was so relieved to hear his voice that I burst into tears. I was glad to hear from them but still sad about the situation. I waited up for your dad to get home and I was also hoping the phone would ring. Your dad and I fell asleep on the couch waiting for Sean to call and tell us the good news. Around 11:00 the next morning we finally got the call we were waiting for. It was Sean telling us that they had a beautiful little girl named Angela Heather Lawson, born at 10:01 am. I couldn’t believe that they named her after me. I couldn’t stop smiling. He told us that both Sharon and the baby were doing fine. He couldn’t talk long as he was needed back in the room, but he would call again soon. But that was the last call we ever had.
“I was going out of my mind with worry. I hadn’t heard from Sharon or Sean and I had no way to contact them. About a month had passed since we last heard from Sean. We were cleaning the house on a Sunday afternoon when there was a knock at the door. Your dad went to answer the door and all I heard was “Oh my God! Come in, come in.” I ran to the door to see Sean and Sharon walking in the door with little baby Angela in tow. I got to Sharon as fast as I was able and hugged her as hard as I could. We both cried and laughed at the same time. I can’t even express how happy I was to see them.
“But that happiness didn’t last long once I saw the look on Sharon’s face. Something was wrong. I showed Sharon into the living room while your dad helped Sean bring in some boxes from their car. I took Angela out of her car seat as soon as Sharon was settled. Once I had her in my arms I fell instantly in love. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. Big blue eyes and already a smidgen of dark brown hair on her tiny little head. Once the boys were back in the house Sean sat down on the couch next to Sharon and your dad came to see me and Angela. We were cooing over her when Sean announced he had something very important to tell us. I looked up from Angela and I knew it wasn’t good. He said what he had to tell us would be hard to believe but that we had to trust what he said was true. He told us that he and Sharon were not like normal people, that they were part of a special race that could do magic. He said that Sharon had a vision of their baby all grown up and that she was special among their kind. And because of that, she could potentially be in danger her whole life if anyone figured out who she really was. So, in order to keep her safe, he told us they were going to give her to us and never be able to see her again. I could see the profound sadness on their faces. The last thing they wanted to do was give up their precious baby, but in order to protect her, that’s what they had to do.
“Sean handed your dad an envelope. It contained a new birth certificate and all the papers showing that we had adopted you. They had changed the baby’s name to Alix Hailey Dracon so that no one could trace her back to them. What they were asking us to do was huge, but we knew they wouldn’t do it unless they had no other choice. Of course, we accepted you, I think I loved you even before I met you that first time. They told us that they had to go, they had already been there too long. Sharon told me she left two letters in the envelope and I was to open one after they left. I couldn’t believe that we had just gotten them back and they were already going away again. Somehow, I felt that would be the last time I would ever see them. Both of them held you one last time, told you they loved you and kissed your forehead. Then they were gone. So that’s how you came to be ours, honey.”
Alix had tears streaming down her face by the time her mom was done telling the story. She was sad about what happened and relieved that she wasn’t unwanted.
“Alix,” her dad said quietly, “If there’s anything you want to ask or know please tell us. We want to make this as easy as possible for you.”
“Why did you wait until now to tell me? I could have handled the truth a long time ago.”
“It’s what your mom wanted sweetie,” her mom said. “The letters I mentioned, one was for me, kind of like instructions, her wishes on some things that were specific to you. That’s actually why we live here. Your mother asked that we move to Sunset Creek just as soon as Ted was done school. We thought it was odd, but we did as she asked.”
“Do you have any pictures of them?”
Her dad left the table and came back a minute later with a photo album. “They made this for you and left it with us. It’s pictures of them as kids, their parents, where they grew up when they got married and of course you with them as a baby.”
Alix took the album with shaky hands. “To Alix, with Love,” was written on the front page. She ran her hand over it.
“That was Sharon’s writing. I was always jealous of her beautiful handwriting,” her mom said, with a wistful smile.
Every picture had a small description with it, so Alix knew who the people were or where the picture had been taken. She flipped through the pages with wonder at who her parents were. They
seemed to always be happy, even as kids. As she continued flipping pages her birth parents were getting older. She recognized her parents with her birth parents and could tell what good friends they had been. Then she came to the wedding pictures. It was beautiful. And then her as a tiny baby being held by them. She had tears in her eyes all over again.
She ran her hand over a picture of her mother. “I look like her.”
“Yes, you do. You’re actually a lot like her. I see parts of Sharon in you every day,” her mom told her.
“So, when did you know what I really was? Did you know from the start?”
“No, not really. In your mother’s letter to me, she mentioned that you were special and on your seventeenth birthday everything would be different. We had no idea what she really meant. It wasn’t until Natalie, Rick, and Ben moved here that we started to get suspicious and figure out what might be happening. But your mother was adamant that we not say anything until you turned seventeen.”
“So, I guess that means they were both Nykara. Did you have any idea? I mean you guys seemed really close.”
Both her mom and dad shook their heads. “We never had a clue,” her dad said. “There was never any indication that they were different until they showed up at our place that day with you and said they were in trouble and could do magic. We really didn’t know what to think but we would have done anything to help them.”
Alix had so much to think about, but one thing kept popping into her head. “Mom, you mentioned letters. You said one was for you from my mother. Do you still have it?”
“Yes honey, it’s right here. You can read it if you would like to. I have to tell you that she left you a letter too, for when you turned seventeen.”
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