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This older blue sedan I’m seeing is definitely not hers. Puzzled, I turn around to find her right behind me. “Happy Birthday, baby, do you like it?” She looks anxious.
    I’m literally speechless, so I wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly.
    “I take it that means you like it?” I nod. “Good. Now, there are a few rules that go with it, and no driving it until you’re licensed. We can discuss the rules after you pass your road test.”
    I release her and the words come out in a slightly garbled rush. “Mom, it’s awesome. You totally didn’t have to do that. Thank you, very much.”
    “Well, I couldn’t see any other way around it. And you deserve it. Just don’t abuse it.”
    “I won’t,” I promise. Wait until I tell Brie and Mason!
     

     
    By the time I’m showered and dressed, Brie is sitting on my bed. She is in full on excited-Brie mode, bouncing up and down on my bed and talking so fast that I’m basically gaping at her in wonder, and wondering how she’s breathing. I try to keep up as she prattles on about tonight’s party. I know she has secured her uncle’s lake house for the event. I have no doubt that Brie has put together the party of year. I’m half excited and half nervous when she tells me that the band is going to let us play a few songs. I hadn’t even been thinking about performing tonight.
    When she has it all out of her system I look at her. “Want to see something awesome?” Not waiting for an answer, I grab her hand and tug her to the garage. Flicking on the light, I pull her through the door. “Check this out!”
    Brie’s reaction is similar to mine, but she recovers much more quickly. “Is that what I think it is?” I nod. “Holy flipping crap, Kat, you have a car! This is epic!”
    “I know. My mom got me good, too. And I can’t really drive it yet, obviously, but I still love that I have it.”
    My cell goes off in my pocket. I grab it to find a text from Mason, wishing me a Happy Birthday and seeing if I’m up. I tell him to come on over. Brie sees my smile and can’t resist teasing me. “I can tell by your goofy smile who that must have been. Let me guess, he’s on his way.”
    “Yep, I’m surprised he isn’t here yet.” I say as we go back into the kitchen and glance out the back patio doors. “It’s just a yard after all.”
    Brie sits at the table, and grabs an apple from the fruit bowl, which she spins in her hands. “You guys are getting kind of serious, huh?”
    I shrug. “I guess so. It’s not like I really have anything to base it on. And it’s only been a week.”
    Brie rolls her eyes. “A week maybe, but I can tell you both have it bad. I’m happy for you.”
    A knock at the door grabs my attention. I glance up and see Mason, my heart racing at the sight of him. As I motion him inside, I think about the past week. It’s certainly been a new experience for me. Not only do I have a cute guy who seems to like me, he’s also the boy next door. This makes him astonishingly available. And we have exuberantly taken advantage of our mutual availability.
    Spending so much free time together over the past week with Mason has been more surreal to me than anything. I know the next step, logically, is to have him meet my mom. While she’s a bit eccentric, she’s no dummy, and I can tell by her looks of late that she has been noticing the subtle changes in me this past week. It’s a situation I’ve been avoiding, but I know it has to be addressed soon. It’s not that I don’t think they’ll get along, I’m more worried about being embarrassed. Horribly embarrassed.
    Brie winks at me as Mason walks in. “Hey, Mason.”
    He nods at her, “Hey, Brie.” He turns to me and smiles, “Happy birthday, Kat.”
    I feel my cheeks warm. “Thanks, Mason.” I take a quick moment to compose myself. “What did you guys want to do until the party?”
    Unsure if it’s my imagination, for a split-second I think I see a look pass between the two