Dad and I had started to come up with our own movie we were going to try to sell to the Syfy channel. It featured a starfish that has been exposed to nuclear waste and descends on a tiny beach town right before the one major event of the season when all the local businesses get all their money. An environmentalist tries to warn the sheriff (who, of course, is his ex-lover), but the shady town mayor looks the other way as people in the town start disappearing.

Seriously, this stuff writes itself.

Yeah, it was silly, but these were our traditions. They were what made me me. They gave me stability.

I push away these thoughts as I cut up the veggies for Paula.

“So,” I begin, but she interrupts.

“Your birthday is coming up in two weeks,” Paula says brightly. “Any idea what you want to do?”

No, because I already had my eighteenth birthday.

“Maybe we should have a big party. You can invite some friends. From school,” she clarifies.

I don’t reply. We both know it’s been difficult for “Allison Johnson” to make any real friends.

“You need to make more of an effort at school. Join a club. And maybe if you didn’t spend all your free time talking to your other friends, you would meet some new people.”

“I’ve known Marian and Neil for a really long time. It makes me feel better to talk to them.” I know I’m bringing up a touchy subject for her. She doesn’t want to talk about anything in my past life. But it was my life. My real life.

“Well, you’re here now.” She wipes her hand on a towel, almost as if she’s wiping away this conversation—and my old life—away. “So we are going to celebrate your birthday because it’s the first I’m having with you since you were three. You can either tell me what you want or I’ll do something.”

“We can just go out to dinner, the four of us.”

“We can do that anytime,” she argues.

“Oh, well …” I don’t know what to say. She asked me what I wanted; that’s what I want. But, like with everything else since I got here, I try to guess what would make her happy. “Or we can have the whole family over. Might be fun. I would like to get to know the extended family more.”

That’s not entirely a lie. A few of my cousins are nice. Then there are others who treat me like I’m a freak. I think they expect some damaged person. The kidnapped girl.

Paula brightens up. “That sounds like a plan!” She claps her hands and starts making notes. I’ve never wanted a party where the focus is all on me.