Before I could react, they all darted past me and into the kitchen. I closed the door and quickly hurried after them.

“Good morning, Ms. Cyprus,” they all spoke happily.

“Good morning, everyone,” she replied to them with a soft smile.

Lirael quickly turned to me with her face lit up. “We brought gifts!” she exclaimed.

I couldn't help but let a smile form as she pulled out a small satchel wrapped with twine and extended it. After all, who doesn’t love being given gifts?

Happily, I accepted and replied “Thank you!”while already opening the bag. Inside was a sphere-shaped gem about the size of my palm. Gently I pulled it out and held it up in the light. Its outside was expertly polished, allowing the rainbow colored interior to project rainbows throughout the room.

“It’s beautiful,” I muttered in awe.

“Isn’t it?” she replied confidently. “My dad says the raw stone was found somewhere here on the island. Apparently, it's a special type of quartz with magical properties!” She spoke in a dramatic voice while wiggling her fingers over the stone before giggling.

“Thank you so much, Lira,” I replied as I went to gently place the gemstone on the table next to my book. But when I did, I noticed the book had disappeared, and when I looked around, I realized my mother had as well.

I did my best not to show my surprise and after a brief moment of pause resumed placing the stone down before turning to see Finn waiting patiently behind me.

“Happy Birthday, Sennin,” he half-smiled awkwardly and extended a stack of papers between two smoothed and shaped pieces of wood.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I quickly accepted and began to lift the top cover open. Underneath was a blank page followed by more of the same.

“My grandma said she thought it would be something you might like,” he started to explain. “She and I made it all ourselves, even the paper.” It was clear he was simultaneously proud and nervous about his gift.

I closed it and looked at him with a heartfelt smile. “I love it.”.

Paper was hard to come by, and making it was no simple task. If done incorrectly it could easily turn out too thin and tear, or too coarse and hard to write on.

Finn’s tension began to disperse as he happily nodded and stepped back.

“Uhmmm,” Silviana spoke up while holding onto her arm anxiously. “Our dad said to tell you to come to our house and pick up your present from him tomorrow…sorry Sennin.”

I shook my head loosely in an attempt to relieve her pressure. “It’s fine, really!” I remarked. “I’m just really happy you all came to see me.”

She smiled back at me with her cheeks slightly red.

“I promise you it will be worth it,” Eldrin intervened with a confident smirk.

I nodded in agreement.

“Well, now that gifts are out of the way, what do you say to a birthday adventure?!” Lirael proclaimed.

Everyone eagerly looked at me.

‘Adventures’ were something we would do quite often—usually going on hikes and trying to see what cool stuff we could find. We used to always go as a group but lately Eldrin hasn’t been able to join as much with his training, and Finn has been busy helping his grandmother. So the frequency of our outings has begun to dwindle.

I couldn’t possibly say no to the opportunity.

“Sounds like fun!” I nodded in agreement

With that said, a few moments passed, and everyone began to make their way out. With a filled waterskin at each of our sides, we started to make east of the village. Our decided destination was an area of brief low-density rainforest that led to a coastal inlet. It was a relatively safe and well-known area by everyone in the village. During the spring months it would often be flooded with people intending on harvesting the fresh fruits and abundant spawning fish.

Though since harvest season had not fully started yet, the paths were a bit overgrown. So Eldrin took the lead, making a clear way through the foliage that the rest of us could follow. It was a quick walk filled with lighthearted jokes and occasional teasing.

Eventually, the thick large leaves that consistently littered our path began to clear away and reveal a scene of beauty. Looking out from the coastal mountain edge we were on, there was a seemingly endless white beach that split apart to let in an arching pool of sparkling aqua blue water.

Feeling envigored by the scene, our pace quickly revitalized as we shot down the side of the mountain. We spent the rest of the day trying to catch crabs and fish with our hands, swimming in the inlet, and frolicking without a care in the world.