Chapter 82: Gifts
I set off with Katniss after packing everything. Along the way, I kept wondering what gift Katniss would give Nathan, so mysterious. Would she make Nathan open the gift in front of me? Although curious, I didn't ask, as being too curious might reveal some clues.
Finally arriving at Serenity Bay Isle by boat, Katniss and I entered Nathan's cabin. Since I wanted to surprise Nathan, we didn't call ahead to let him know we were coming. When Katniss and I walked into Nathan's cabin, he was wearing an apron, cooking alone, making simple corn porridge. He hadn't prepared any other dishes.
Nathan, seeing us suddenly enter the room while he was cooking, stopped his hands, which were covered in cornmeal. He was surprised to see Katniss there too, a hint of panic flashed in his eyes, along with a subtle mix of joy and longing, but the emotions quickly disappeared.
"You guys are here, why didn't you tell me in advance? I thought I was going to spend my birthday alone today, just preparing something simple for myself to eat, without any other dishes." Nathan saw the red wine and food in my hands, quickly wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, looking apologetic for our sudden arrival, appearing very surprised.
Seeing Nathan's sweaty forehead and hands covered in cornmeal, for some reason, I felt a bit sad. Today was Nathan's birthday, and he had never agreed to go home to celebrate his birthday. He was spending his birthday alone on Serenity Bay Isle, making corn porridge for himself, not even preparing any meat dishes. He was simply preparing for the most basic and ordinary birthday for himself. Nathan was getting older and had raised me on his own, even helping take care of Simon. No matter what mistakes he made, he was the one who raised me. Now, because of my plan, I had pushed Nathan to a point where he couldn't go home. He had suffered so much. At this moment, for the first time since the beginning, I truly felt regret. Did I really make a mistake?
I quickly turned my head and gently wiped the corners of my eyes. Katniss saw the tears in my eyes and sniffled, showing that she was also feeling uneasy. I put down the food and wine in my hands and quickly went to wash up.
"Dad, come on, let's cook together. Today, Katniss and I are celebrating your birthday together. Simon was taken by Sophia tonight, so let's have a good meal." After washing my hands, I started cooking with Nathan. I had originally planned to bring Simon to celebrate Nathan's birthday together, but considering how lively and active Simon was, and how vast and dangerous Serenity Bay Isle could be, I was afraid that if we got drunk and couldn't take care of him, something might happen. Ultimately, for safety reasons, I gave up on bringing Simon.
"You two make the corn porridge, don't make too much. Katniss and I bought a lot of vegetables today, I'll make some salad. Dad, give me the apron." Katniss also put down what she was holding, watching Nathan and me stirring the corn porridge. Since the space was limited, she couldn't help, so she decided to make the salad.
When Nathan heard Katniss talking to him, he quickly took off the apron he was wearing and handed it to Katniss. After looking at Katniss, he lowered his head and averted his gaze, showing that Nathan still couldn't face Katniss squarely. On the other hand, after some time to think and ease the tension, Katniss could face Nathan calmly, no longer showing indifference but instead a hint of care and heartache. I noticed this change in Katniss, which was a very important transformation.
Finally, the meal was ready, and the three of us sat at the table. Nathan sat at the head of the dining table, while Katniss and I sat on either side on stools. The dinner became much more lavish with Katniss and me there. Clam Chowder, Grilled Swordfish, salmon salad, and more. I opened a bottle of red wine and started drinking with Nathan. Katniss toasted Nathan with a glass of wine at the beginning, but then didn't drink anymore. Considering that Nathan and I might drink too much, it was necessary to have someone sober to take care of things.
"Dad, this is the gift Katniss and I prepared for you." After a few rounds of wine, Katniss suddenly took out the wrapped gift from her bag and placed it in front of Nathan.
Due to our arrival, Nathan seemed very happy, perhaps he hadn't relaxed like this in a long time. I found it strange that this gift wasn't prepared by Katniss alone for Nathan. Why did she say it was prepared for Nathan by both of us? I was getting more and more curious about what was inside.
"Isn't this gift something you prepared yourself? I don't even know what's inside." I didn't give Katniss any face and directly exposed her in front of Nathan.
Katniss pouted and lightly nudged me with her elbow, then smirked mischievously. Nathan, watching us play around, showed a hint of comfort and envy in his eyes. Upon hearing my words, Nathan's face showed a hint of understanding.
"I'm happy that you two are here to celebrate my birthday. Why did you also prepare a gift?" Nathan was a bit surprised to see the gift. In the past, when Nathan celebrated his birthday, we would prepare a sumptuous feast and a cake for him. Occasionally, we would buy clothes or shoes for Nathan. But we had never prepared any other gifts for him, especially since it was the first time Katniss had prepared a gift for him alone. So Nathan was a bit surprised, even pleasantly so.
"Open it and see if you like it." Katniss glanced at me and then said to Nathan. When she looked at me, she suddenly winked, looking mischievous, as if to say, "Aren't you curious to see what's inside?" Hearing Katniss ask Nathan to open it on the spot, my heart was filled with anticipation. What could it be?
Nathan gently unwrapped the gift, revealing the contents in front of both of us. There were two items inside. One was a sandalwood pipe, a high-end looking pipe that seemed quite expensive, at least $100. The other item seemed a bit special, consisting of medical care essentials such as cotton swabs, disinfectant, and band-aids. Seeing the second item, I felt a special scent, but I couldn't quite place it.
Nathan picked up the pipe, holding it in his hand lovingly. But when he looked at the band-aids and disinfectant, his face suddenly changed, as if he had realized something. However, in an instant, Nathan's expression returned to normal. But I caught that momentary change.
"Dad, Kevin told me you started smoking again. Smoking is really bad for your health. Try to quit if you can. I gave you this pipe not to encourage you to smoke. If you really want to smoke, use this pipe. It has a filtering function that minimizes the harm of smoking to your body." Katniss looked at Nathan gently, speaking naturally and casually, full of filial piety towards the elder. It was just that after their intimate encounter that night, this natural statement seemed to carry a different meaning. Only I could discern that special flavor.
Seeing the pipe Katniss gave him, I couldn't help but admire her thoughtfulness.
"Also, these medical supplies. In case you get a minor injury on the island in the future, you can use these items directly. After all, there is no hospital on the island, so these things are essential."
At that moment, I finally remembered the significance of these items. Weren't these the items Katniss used to treat Nathan's bite marks that day? After Katniss treated the wound, she seemed indifferent, and Nathan, who was heartbroken, didn't feel Katniss's care at that moment. With this reminder from these items, could Nathan reconsider the situation at that time and realize that Katniss's actions were not just about erasing the marks, but also about her most hidden care and concern for him? Just from Nathan's shocked expression earlier and the pipe, I believed Nathan had truly understood Katniss's intentions.
Upon hearing Katniss's explanation, Nathan's eyes showed a hint of relief, even a sense of release. Clearly, Katniss's pipe and medical supplies were filled with care and forgiveness. Nathan's eyes welled up with tears, and he quickly wiped them away, sniffing. He lowered his head to adjust his emotions and then looked up at me. Seeing my natural expression, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Katniss and Kevin . I really like these gifts. I'm touched that you both came to celebrate my birthday and gave me these gifts. I accept your kindness. These gifts are very special and precious." Nathan looked at both Katniss and me, speaking affectionately.
Had Nathan already understood Katniss's intentions? Nathan didn't thank Katniss alone but thanked both of us. He pretended that the gifts were prepared by both of us for him, cleverly covering up what Katniss had said before. It must be said that old habits die hard, and Nathan was still without giving anything away, not letting me have any suspicions. He believed that only he and Katniss knew the meaning behind these two gifts, but he didn't realize that I truly understood everything.
Nathan rewrapped the gifts and placed them on the table. Upon receiving Katniss's special gift, Nathan seemed very happy. We started toasting and drinking, and before we knew it, Nathan and I had drunk most of two bottles of red wine. Finally, with Katniss's strong insistence, Nathan and I had to stop drinking.
Both Nathan and I were quite tipsy, although I was still quite clear-headed. Nathan seemed to be sober as well, at least he was speaking very coherently, but we both had a bit of trouble walking steadily. Katniss helped us to bed and then started cleaning up on her own.
Slightly intoxicated, I wanted to just fall asleep, but deep down, I was hopeful. After the suggestive exchanges between us during the day, would there be any sparks between us tonight while I was drunk?
With this anticipation, I tried to control my consciousness, pretending to sleep with my eyes closed, while keeping my brain running at full speed to stay alert. I paid attention to everything around me, and as time passed, my anticipation grew stronger.
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