Tuesday, June 24

Today was Manuel’s birthday. I had known for a while and had planned his gift and everything about a week in advance, but when I got in the car in the morning, I had other things on my mind, and I forgot until we were almost at my school. I apologized and wished him a very happy birthday, and he forgave me. School was pretty average, and after school I stayed at barras only long enough for the tailor to take my fitting for the costume. Then I went home to be with Manuel. I arrived as he was sitting down to eat lunch (he always eats alone in the house), so I accompanied him and we had about a 2 hour conversation. I had been feeling a little down today because it was the day of the graduation ceremony at ANHS, and I was missing my friends and sad that I couldn’t take part in this important rite of passage with them, but talking to Manuel made me happier. I went upstairs to relax for a while, and then when Lilian got home, we went over to the Jumbo to eat Manuel’s birthday dinner out at Berezzi, the coffee shop we always go to. We had giant sandwiches and café cortados.

I gave Manuel his present—a keychain from California (that I bought for myself in the airport on the way here) to add to his collection of keychains from around the world, and a card that I wrote.

We talked and laughed and enjoyed. Then we went to the Jumbo to buy groceries, and we arrived home around 9:30. It was late, so I said goodnight to my family, watched the rest of the movie The Bucket List, and went to sleep.