The backyard is pretty busy and the party’s in full swing by the time the sun sets. Mark and Joaquin strung up lights all throughout the trees yesterday (and only ended up needing two Band-Aids in the process), so the backyard looks almost magical. The bougainvillea and morning glories are in full bloom, too, along with the jasmine that makes everything smell as good as it looks. Joaquin and Linda planted those plants together a month ago. (They only needed one Band-Aid after that project.)
Mark and Linda are there, of course, dancing to the mariachi band that’s playing in the corner of the yard. Their next-door neighbors are there, too, mostly because Mark and Linda were afraid that they would call the police because of all the noise, but they seem to be having a great time. They’re chatting with Bryson-the-pencil-holder-maker-from-the-arts-center’s parents while Bryson stands a little too close to the horn section, staring up in fascination. Joaquin hopes he doesn’t accidentally get bonked with a trumpet.
In the corner, Joaquin can see Maya and Claire chattering away, their heads together, while Lauren and her dad peruse the barbecue buffet that Linda’s set out. Claire and Maya look like they’re up to a serious conversation, but then Maya’s face breaks into a grin, and she looks so much like Melissa in that moment that Joaquin feels his chest swell.
Jessica—Jess now—is there too, along with her boyfriend. Joaquin’s not sure what he does, something with numbers and math and other people’s money, but he seems nice, so Joaquin decides that he’s good enough for Jess. She’s got her hair piled up on her head, and she’s talking to Linda as she and Mark—swing dance? Salsa? Joaquin has absolutely no idea what they’re doing—past them.
Grace is over by the drinks table, her parents talking to their other next-door neighbors, her hand entwined with Rafe’s as he stands by her side. Joaquin and Rafe have hung out a few times, and Joaquin has decided that he’s good enough for Grace. Not many people are, but Rafe is one of them. They’re going skateboarding next week.
Dr. Alvarez is there, too, Joaquin’s professor from the Intro to Sociology class he’s taking at the local community college. He thinks he might want to become a therapist like Ana, or maybe a social worker like Allison. He’s not sure yet, but he likes having options. He likes thinking about those things now. He also thinks about his dad’s family, where they might be, if they’ll be happy to meet him. He imagines grandparents and another aunt, a father who never got a chance to know him. He thinks about how a year ago, he barely had one family, and now he has three: Maya and Grace and Jess; Mark and Linda; and a family across the border, lost but not gone. Three branches on his family tree that won’t break or collapse or let him fall.
He’s talked to Dr. Alvarez a lot after class about where his dad’s family might be, and Mark and Linda have been trying to help him sort through the mountains of paperwork to see if he might be able to track him down. “It’s like a needle in a haystack,” Mark said at one point as they stared at the computer, but Joaquin didn’t mind. He knows by now that if you look hard enough for something, you’ll eventually find it.
He’s also taking Spanish classes at the college. Those aren’t going as well as he would like, but he’s trying. It’s something, at least.
Ana’s standing under the tree, chatting with her husband as well as Gus from the arts center, and Joaquin tries to sneak past them in order to grab more drinks, but they manage to wrangle him into a conversation about college and his birthday and the white-water rafting trip that Mark and Linda took him on last month. Joaquin has photos from that trip still saved on his phone, and he shows them, especially the one where Linda’s screaming bloody murder. Mark has plans to get that one blown up onto canvas for Linda’s birthday. Joaquin thinks Linda might become a single parent if that happens.
He finally goes inside to grab drinks, but then he hears voices on the stairs, and he pokes his head around the corner to see Grace and Maya sitting on the stairs. Maya’s arm is slung around her shoulders and Grace looks teary. “She’s fine,” Maya tells Joaquin. “She’s just a little emotional.”
Grace nods and points up at the framed photo of Joaquin and Melissa that’s now hanging above the staircase. Linda and Mark had it professionally framed, along with several others from the safe deposit box, and now Joaquin sees himself every time he goes up and down the stairs, or past the refrigerator, or out the front door.
“It’s just a great photo,” Grace sniffles, and Joaquin leans against the banister next to them.
“It is,” he agrees.
“She’s worked up because of tomorrow,” Maya explains as Grace dabs at her eyes with the edge of her sleeve.
“Oh, that’s right!” Joaquin says. “You ready? You need backup?”
Grace just laughs and shakes her head. “No, I’ll be okay. I need to do it by myself. And I’m going to see Rafe afterward.”
“Are you two dating now, or what?” Maya asked. “Claire and I have a bet going.”
“You bet money on my love life?” Grace gasps.
“Love life? Woohoo!” Maya raises her fists triumphantly and pumps them in the air. “Claire owes me twenty bucks!”
Joaquin just grins and tries to avoid getting accidentally punched by Maya’s victory fists as Grace groans and covers her face with her hands. “We’re figuring it out,” she says. “It’s a process.”
But Maya’s dance ends as suddenly as it begins, and even Grace looks up, surprised and sober, and Joaquin turns around to see Birdie standing there, along with her little brother and her parents. She looks as nervous as Joaquin feels. “Hi,” she says. “We got invited to the party. Hope it’s okay.”
Joaquin can’t say anything at first. “W-Who?” he manages to stammer out.
“Hi,” Grace says, standing up. “I’m Grace; this is Maya.”
“Hi,” Birdie says, but she’s still looking at Joaquin.
“Did you—” Joaquin starts to say to his sisters, but they’re already guiding Birdie’s parents and brother out into the backyard. “Right this way,” Maya’s saying. “Have you seen the lights in the trees? Beautiful. It’s like a fairy garden out there!”
The house seems even quieter with the party in full swing outside, and Joaquin stands and looks at Birdie. “Hi,” he finally says.
“Hi,” she says again, then holds out a present to him. “Oh, sorry! This is for you. Happy birthday and adoption.”
“Thanks,” Joaquin says. “Can I . . . ?” He feels as nervous as he did the day he met Birdie at school. It seems like a million years ago now, a different lifetime, a different person entirely.
“Yeah, of course,” Birdie says, and Joaquin carefully pulls off the bow and paper to reveal a framed poster. “ON THIS DAY” it says at the top in huge lettering.
“It’s this thing I found online,” Birdie says. “It tells you all the things that were popular on your birthday, like the top books, the top songs, the biggest movies. It just made me think of you when I saw it, so . . .” She trails off, her hands clasped in front of her.
“I love it,” he says, because he does. “Thanks, Bird.”
“Of course,” she says, and then she hesitates before saying, “It looks like a great party.”
“Joaquin!” someone yells from outside. “We’re taking a group photo, c’mon.”
Joaquin looks at Birdie, and she looks up at him.