Susan helped her parents load the tables with food and drinks. A little before seven in the evening, the relatives were buzzing about the house and garden like bees around a hive. The three long tables were overflowing with appetizers, snacks, desserts, and fruits. There was even homemade ice cream, and sweets that all but vanished among the mountains of food. Each table held a large bowl of punch, a bottle of wine, and another of beer; a smaller table carried crates of beer and soft drinks to choose from. By the wide entrance steps stood two long sideboards with clean plates and glasses for every kind of drink, whatever a guest's taste. The orchestra had already taken its place on the podium in the gazebo and was doing a preliminary warm-up. The relatives went off to change in shifts, so that someone was always on hand. Susan was perhaps the last of all to go and dress.

The clock was already nearing 8:30 and most of the guests had arrived when she hurried through the garden. Her grandfather, in a formal white suit, was greeting the latest arrivals at the front door. The doors stood wide open, so guests could pass straight through the big living room, cleared out now to serve as a corridor to the garden. By the time Susan took her place proudly at her grandfather's side, she had already drawn a good share of the guests' eyes. The old man had meant to scold her for being late, but when he turned to her, his mouth simply hung open.

"Sorry I'm late, Grandpa!" she said, out of breath. The old man just looked at her. Susan truly had no idea how fantastic she looked. Her thick blonde hair fell loose around her bare shoulders, and with a touch of eyeliner her almond-colored eyes seemed enormous and shining in her delicate face. The bodice of her red dress fit as if by magic around her breasts and slender body, and a slit from mid-thigh bared one shapely leg to every gaze. High-soled sandals wove countless thin straps across her bare feet. She radiated a quiet perfection.

"My girl! Anyone who looks the way you do right now need never apologize for anything!" the old man managed after a long moment.

"Flatterer!" Susan laughed. The old man puffed out his chest like a peacock and chivalrously offered her his arm. Through the door came the next guests — the current mayor of Medea and his wife, a middle-aged couple, along with their two daughters and their families. Slipping fully into the role of hostess, Susan welcomed each newcomer charmingly. Those who remembered her from childhood were genuinely surprised, and impressed.

"Grandpa, has everyone arrived yet?" she asked an hour later. "I never knew hosting a celebration was such hard work!"

"I believe everyone invited is here!" the old man murmured thoughtfully. "You did splendidly, Suzie! Now I'm certain I made no mistake in my choice of heir!"

"What?!" she gasped, staring at him. "How can that be?"

"In my will, I'm leaving the house to you!" he answered calmly, meeting her gaze.

"Oh, no, Grandpa! It wouldn't be fair to our relatives!"

"I can't cut the house into fifteen equal pieces, Suzie! And they would fight over every one of them! With you, I know the house will be looked after and kept whole! Now smile, my girl, and dive into the crowd! Tomorrow I'll have all the time in the world to unwrap and inspect this heap of presents!" He waved a hand at the wrapped boxes and parcels piled against the wall. The heap was impressive indeed. Max tucked her hand under his arm and pressed it close.

"Come along — it's time for the party!" Still reeling from the news about the will, Susan followed him meekly down the stairs. From all sides came congratulations and cheers. The young woman filled her glass with punch and drained it in one go.

"That's the spirit, Suzie!" her grandfather proclaimed. "I see you're having fun already!" With that the old man winked at her playfully and, wearing one of his half-smiles, vanished into the crowd. The orchestra played loud famous jazz and rock hits, as well as other songs and ballads.

Susan refilled her glass with a cocktail of orange juice, vermouth, and a generous measure of rum. It tasted very pleasant indeed. Meanwhile the musicians struck up, and the singer began: Happy birthday to you — happy birthday, dear Max! The crowd took up the song, and the old man appeared on the stage to thunderous applause.

"All right, all right!" he said, gesturing for quiet. "Thank you for coming! And thank you for the presents, though there was no need! I'm turning eighty, not eight — but sometimes a zero hardly matters. I'm glad to see all my relatives, friends, and acquaintances in one place. As for tomorrow, who knows! This may be the last you see of me!" The crowd roared in protest. "All right, all right — I was joking! Thank you, and now enjoy yourselves, ladies and gentlemen! I certainly intend to!" With these final words he set a thick cigar between his teeth and raised a glass of wine high above his head. The guests shouted once more: "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" the grandfather answered, and nearly drained his glass. Susan shook her head in disapproval — and finished hers too. She topped up her cocktail and made for the food table opposite.

"Suzie, haven't you grown! I hardly recognized you!" She was stopped by the old woman who had sold bread in the nearby bakery until five years or so ago.

"Thank you, Grandma Zina. And how have you been?" she asked politely. While the old woman answered, several more of the town's elders gathered around her, and it took Susan a good twenty minutes to extract herself. By the food table and on the garden benches she spotted several of her old friends from town — already pregnant, or with babies in their arms.

"Suzie! How are you?" asked Gabby, setting her little two-year-old daughter down on the grass. "You haven't been home in ages!"

"Hello! I'm well. And look at this — the princess is walking already?"

"Walking! And getting into mischief, too!" the young mother smiled. "And you? What happened with the engagement?"

"We broke it off," Susan murmured, looking away.

"Oh! I'm sorry. You'll find someone else, I'm sure of it!" put in Sylvie, the other friend. "How's work? Is it hard, making your way in the big city?"

"Things are easier there." Susan made an effort to bring her smile back. "There's plenty of choice — as long as you know what you're looking for!"

"Right. It's like they say — the small town is for making babies, and the big city is for careers!"

"I suppose so."

Meeting them saddened her all the more. They had families; all she had was a job!

By midnight Susan had drunk some four glasses and eaten almost nothing. Her head swam slightly, and she retreated into the shade of a tree. Passing the food table, she realized how hungry she was and filled her palm with crackers. They tasted sweet, and she was reaching for more when—

"Hello, Sue!" came a deep male voice behind her. She dropped her last cracker and turned. The man before her was tall and strong, his lean, muscular body clearly outlined under a tight sleeveless shirt. She couldn't make out his face in the shadow of the tree — but only one person in her whole life had ever called her Sue!

"Alan?!" she asked warily, after a long moment.

"I didn't think you'd forget your old friend so easily — but there it is!" he said pointedly.

"Alan! Oh my God!" Susan took two steps back into the light. "I never expected to see you here!" The man followed her, smiling. In the glow of the nearby lamp she studied her childhood friend's handsome, grown-up face. The short black hair, the earring in one ear that she remembered so well, the straight Roman nose, the thick lashes over black eyes, the familiar sensual curve of his lips, the small determined chin — yes, it was Alan! A grown, attractive man now — and still Alan, the son of the neighbor with the charming little villa bordering the orchard.

Two years her senior, he had been her best friend and playmate until six or seven years ago. The last summer she'd spent here, Alan had left for the army, and that was the last time they had seen each other. Susan remembered perfectly well how she had cried for him all night.

"Changed for the better!" He whistled, looking her up and down with theatrical thoroughness. Susan laughed and gave a small shake of her head. Typical old Alan!

"Well, maybe I overdid it — but the idea was Grandpa's! He wanted me looking like Angelina Jolie in her prime!"

"Good God! Next to you, Angelina can eat her heart out!"

"Since when did you become such a flatterer, Alan!" she exclaimed, and sipped from her glass. The young man leaned in slightly.

"Unfortunately, you know me too well to fall for that particular bait. How are you otherwise, Sue?" Her brows drew together, and she looked quickly away.

"I'm fine! I work as a psychologist in a school and now live in the capital! And you?"

"I'm a coach for the youth aikido team."

"Really? So you made your dream come true! Congratulations!" She laid a hand on his shoulder and patted it.

"I did. But what went wrong for you?"

"Nothing!" Susan rubbed her forehead, trying to gather her scattering thoughts. "My second dream was to be a teacher, remember? I pestered you for days to solve problems for the younger grades and write my essays for me!" Alan smiled, his white teeth flashing in the dark.

"I hope you're not tormenting children like you did me!"

"No. Actually, I'm their favorite substitute teacher and counselor. They like psychology quite a lot," Susan said, sipping her cocktail. The man raised his glass too.

"Cheers to that!" he said and tapped his glass against hers.

"Cheers, my children!" The grandfather had appeared beside them out of nowhere. "And who's toasting without me?"

"Grandpa Max!" Alan happily exclaimed. "You look just as young!"

"Don't exaggerate, boy! It does my eyes good to see the two of you together again. You're my favorite grandchildren!" the old man rattled off, and bit down on his cigar.

"Grandpa! You're talking nonsense!" Susan barely held back her laughter and shot Alan a conspiratorial glance. "Time to stop drinking!"

"All right, my girl! You two have fun!" he remarked, winking at the young man, and melted away among the guests. Susan drained her glass and set it on the corner of the nearest table. Her thoughts were growing muddled. She really shouldn't drink on an empty stomach!