Part 3I Lost, but I Also Won

When I woke up the next day, I had a fever of 102°F.

Mom came to call me for breakfast. The moment she touched my forehead, her expression changed.

"Why are you burning up?"

There was a doctor on board the yacht. He took my temperature, checked my throat, and gave me medicine.

"You probably caught a chill last night. Get more rest."

Dad poured me a cup of warm water.

"Did you hear that? Just stay in bed."

I nodded, then took the medicine and went back to sleep.

When I woke up again, the room felt terribly stuffy. Moreover, my throat felt like I'd swallowed a razor blade.

I put on a mask and went out for some air.

As soon as I reached the corridor, I saw Mack coming down from upstairs with a gift bag in hand. And beside my parents were two wrapped boxes. Even Mr. and Mrs. Hodge were having people carry gifts onto the deck.

I was stunned for a few seconds before I remembered that it was Ivan's birthday today.

Actually, I had prepared a gift too—a vintage wristwatch.

Last month, when I had Ivan come with me to pick out a gift for Selena, he had stared at the vintage wristwatch through the shop window for a long time. Thus, I made a mental note that he liked it.

I went back to the room and opened my suitcase. The gift box was tucked under my clothes. I took it out and looked at it for a long time before shoving it back in.

I didn't want to give it anymore.

Just as I zipped the suitcase shut, footsteps came from outside. Selena came over from the other end of the corridor, holding a tin of canned peaches.

I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

The yacht had everything—imported fruit, desserts, snacks, and even a chef specially brought by the Hodge family.

The only thing no one would have thought to prepare was the most ordinary supermarket canned peaches. Therefore, the moment I saw it, I knew Selena had bought it before getting on the yacht.

When I was little, I'd lose my appetite whenever I had a fever. I wouldn't eat gruel nor drink soup. In fact, the only thing I could get down was a few bites of canned peaches.

Selena used to tease me when we were kids, "Other people drink soup when they have a fever, yet you insist on eating something sweet."

Later on, whenever I got sick, she'd buy canned peaches without me even having to say anything.

My heart had already gone cold last night. But when I saw that tin of canned peaches, it actually softened pathetically for a moment.

So, Selena had been worried I might get sick even before setting out to sea.

She saw me too.

"Why did you come out? Didn't the doctor tell you to stay in bed?"

"It's stuffy inside." My throat hurt, so I spoke very softly.

"Don't stay outside too long, and take your medicine on time."

After saying that, she carried the things downstairs. However, she didn't give me the canned peaches.

At noon, my throat hurt so much that I couldn't even swallow water.

I lay in bed staring at my chat with Serena.

After hesitating for a long time, I was just about to ask her where she had put the canned peaches when the birthday song suddenly started outside.

"Happy birthday to you—"

I walked to the door and saw a table full of things laid out downstairs.

Ivan was sitting in the middle, and everyone was there. Moreover, the tin of canned peaches I'd thought was for me was placed right in front of him.

Ivan's eyes were red.

"You still remember?"

Selena sat beside him.

"Didn't you say back in college that since your family wasn't well off when you were little, your mom would buy you a tin of canned peaches every year on your birthday? Later on, you had everything, but somehow, it never tasted the same as it used to."

It turned out this tin of canned peaches was never meant for me in the first place.

Next, everyone started giving their gifts.

Mack gave Ivan a camera.

Mrs. Hodge pushed a gift box over and said, "You'll have more formal occasions from now on. This will be useful to you."

Mom also handed him her gift.

"I heard your latest project has been going really well. What a capable young man!" Dad said with a smile.

Mr. Hodge also nodded. "The only thing holding him back is his humble beginnings. Otherwise, who knows how far he could go?"

They'd gathered around Ivan, all of them smiling.

Meanwhile, I stood at the top of the stairs in a mask, like a superfluous person.

Mom was the first to notice me.

"Chuck, why did you come out again? Don't come down. It's Ivan's birthday today—don't go passing your cold on to him."

I turned and went back to the room.

Ambrose had sent a message.

"I'm already on my way. One more hour until I arrive."

One more hour, and I would leave.