Hannah had given her several other tips on how to snap Dunc out of one of his moods. She was sure he would try things to persuade her to take him home or let him drive. He wouldn’t try to steal her car or anything. But if Amanda let him go, he would come back with or without her permission.
Dunc’s mother told her that it was fair to yell at him, put her foot down, and do anything else she felt she needed to. This was a rare situation. They had something big planned for Dunc for his birthday, and he hated being the center of attention. He hated celebrating his birthday.
What followed was a sad account of why Dunc hated his birthday. He had told his mother that he wished he had never been born. He had a tough childhood, and he was a sensitive boy. Hannah didn’t go into details beyond that. Amanda was more moved to be with him after hearing what he had told his mother. Nobody should feel that way on any day, let alone their birthday.
Dunc’s birthday was a massive trigger for him. However, he had Amanda this year. Hannah was confident that Amanda would be able to sway Dunc into being himself. She would be able to keep him from turning into an angry, self-loathing pile of paranoia. It sounded like a big job. But Hannah managed to convince Amanda that she would be fine, and so would he, especially when he came home. She wouldn’t tell Amanda what the gift was in case Dunc tried to coax it out of her.
Amanda had to convince Dunc to go to a farm outside of town. They were going to pick apples and pumpkins for making pie and jack-o-lanterns. She wasn’t to let on that she knew it was Dunc’s birthday. She was to say that her mother had suggested it and that Amanda would cook Dunc a pie. Then she had to make other plans without telling him what they were throughout the day. The plan was set, and now it was time to move it into motion. Amanda’s part in the gift was to manage Dunc throughout the day.
She was dressed, courtesy of Sallie, in a nice long-sleeved red-checkered flannel shirt. Amanda had made sure to wear jeans and sturdy hiking boots, knowing that she would be walking. She was dressed to catch Dunc’s attention and keep it.
Amanda rang the doorbell. Dunc answered the door with a piece of toast hanging from his mouth. A confused look flashed onto his face when he saw Amanda up and awake. “Good morning, Amanda?” He looked at her suspiciously.
“Good morning. I thought I would surprise you with a trip out to Orange Farms. Your mother thought I should take you on a date.” The look on Dunc’s face was priceless. The rest of the toast fell from his mouth, and he turned slowly to look back inside the house.
“Mother,” Dunc said in an accusatory tone.
“You should go out and have a good time with Amanda!” Dunc’s mother called from somewhere in the house. “Go on! I don’t need you moping around here all day. I also need a bunch of apples and pumpkins! I have a ton of baking to do, and we need to make a few jack-o-lanterns!”
Dunc turned back to Amanda with a sour look on his face. She smiled at him, and he sighed. He couldn’t say no to such a simple thing. “Let me get my shoes on. Come in.” Dunc went inside with the thought that his mother had put Amanda up to this. She wanted to get him out of the house for a reason. He walked into the kitchen, where his mother was at the table, eating her breakfast. “You did not tell Amanda what today is, did you?”
“Why would I do that?” She whispered back. “I just need apples and pumpkins, Dear. You’re so good at picking out the right ones and know exactly how many we need.”
Dunc stared at his mother. “You better not be planning anything. No surprises, Mom! No parties!” He glanced up and was glad to see that Amanda was probably still waiting in the living room.
***
Dunc returned with suitable walking shoes a few minutes later. He settled onto a couch across from Amanda to put them on. The shoes were so annoying. He preferred walking around barefoot. But you didn’t go walking around in an orchard or a field without proper shoes.
Amanda waited on the couch. She considered backing out of this plan and doing something else with Dunc. He was not in a good mood to start with. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be stuck in a car with him for longer than a few minutes. Then she got up and sat down next to him. “Why are you so grumpy? Your mother said you loved going out and doing this.”
“I do.” Dunc sighed, working on his laces. “I just woke up in a bad mood today. I’m sorry. I’m sure it’ll get better.” Amanda put a hand on his shoulder and slid it up to his face, avoiding the bruise and bandage. She brushed his unruly black hair out of his eyes and leaned forward to kiss him. Dunc immediately
