In a flash, Joe dropped everything in his arms to the ground and ran. He barged through the open door, panicking. "Vanessa!!!"

"SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The dark house was suddenly bathed in light. Joe took a step backward in surprise as everyone came out of hiding. Suddenly Joe found himself showered with pieces of confetti.

"Wha-" He looked around. Then he broke into a wide grin when he saw it.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOE!!!

 

The huge, colorful banner said. The whole living room was decorated beautifully with ribbons, balloons of blue and gold, Joe's favorite colors. Frank, Callie, Vanessa, Biff, Tony, Phil, and all his friends were all there, all with big smiles on their faces.

Frank stepped forward with a warm smile on his face. "Happy birthday, little brother."

"Guys, this-this is-" Joe was speechless. He felt his eyes mist over.

"We've been waiting for you," Callie said. Vanessa wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder, and winked at Joe. Gotcha, her smile said.

That was just a trick, the whole thing, the scream, the manicure, the hair, the shopping, just to get me away from the house, Joe realized, feeling a little stupid. Everyone started coming forward and one by one, they gave him a big hug.

"Are you sure today's my birthday?" Joe asked as he was being led to the middle of the room, where an enormous chocolate birthday cake stood statuesque on a table laden with food of all sorts. "I thought my birthday is like 3 days from now."

"I, ah..." Frank hesitated. "I did a little change on your watch this morning. I wound the date a couple of days back, making you think it's still three days away. Hope you don't mind." Joe shook his head in amusement.

"Thanks, guys, this is-overwhelming," Joe said. Vanessa wrapped an arm around his waist. She stood on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his cheek. "I'm gonna get you for this, Van." Vanessa just laughed.

"Happy birthday, son," Fenton said. Joe turned around and saw his parents at the door. "Sorry we're late. Caught up in traffic." Joe went to give his parents big hugs.

Soon everyone was having fun, either eating or dancing or chatting or eating.

"I can't believe I'm actually 18. I thought I was going to be 17 forever," Joe said, relaxing on the couch. He glared at his brother. "This was your entire plan, wasn't it, Frank? You made Vanessa drag me to all those awful places, didn't you?"

"Shamefully I have to say I did," Frank laughed.

Joe shook his head. "How could you do that to me? I was on the verge of going crazy! I am never gonna fall for that ever again."

"Oh, it wasn't so bad," Vanessa protested, batting her eyelashes playfully. "Was it, Joe?"

Joe said nothing and just pulled Vanessa closer to him, growling.

 

"Here, Joe, this is for you," Phil handed him a beautifully wrapped box. "Tony and I pooled in to buy it for you." Joe excitedly began to unwrap it.

"Hey, this is so cool!" His friends had bought him a CD Writer. "How did you know I wanted one?"

Tony shrugged. "We just knew."

Frank shook his head. "You shouldn't have bought him that, guys. Now he's going to burn every N Sync song there is on the Internet." Everyone laughed, including Joe.

"Watch out, Frank. I'm going to drive you bananas with all the songs I'm going to download," Joe said mischievously. "Thanks, guys."

"Here, this is from me," Frank said later, handing him a beautifully bound leather-covered book. "Spent months just to put it together."

"You giving me homework for my birthday, Frank?" Joe asked jokingly and his smile faltered when he saw the title emblazoned in big gold letters across the front page, his eyes instantly stinging. My Brother And I, Joe read. He flipped it open slowly, aware that everyone had gone quiet.

 

To my brother, who has been so strong through times of trial and hardship, overcoming it all with amazing courage and strength.

 

Love, Frank.

 

Tears rose in his eyes. He stared at the simple yet meaningful message for a long time. Then he swallowed. Flipping over to the next page, he had to smile.

A blown-up picture of Joe as a baby, stark naked except for a towel around his small chubby body still wet from his shower, grinning his toothless smile, covered the whole page. His face turned bright red when everyone started oohing and aahing over his baby picture. Joe tried to glare at his brother through watery eyes, but he failed to hide his smile.

Inside, written in Frank's neat handwriting was basically his whole life story with Joe. There were pictures of them together as toddlers playing by the beach, Frank's birthday parties, Joe's birthday parties, in Junior High, in High School, at the Prom...even a picture of little Joe at the hospital having his tonsils taken out. He had been so terrified that time, but Frank had thoughtfully stayed back from the annual summer camp, which he had so wanted to attend, saying with childish logic that if there were two of them in the room, no bad guys would dare come. And Joe had loved him for that. Everything was captured in the bound journal. Their time together, the happiness, the closeness, the bond. Joe felt a lump rise in his throat. "Frank, I-I don't know what to say..."

"Thank you," Joe whispered. Frank saw that Joe was about to cry so he went to his brother and sat next to him, wrapping a strong arm around his shoulders.

"You’re welcome." Joe sniffed. Frank laughed softly, ruffling his brother's hair a bit. "Hey, kiddo, don't go teary over this, okay? It's your birthday. You're supposed to be happy."

"I am happy, Frank." Joe lifted his head up and looked around at all the loving, familiar faces. "I've never been happier before in my whole life."

"And this is from me," Vanessa said, handing him a small package. Joe's eyes went wide when he found it what was inside.

"Vanessa-" Joe's breath caught in his throat. It was beautiful. He touched the Tag Heuer watch almost reverently. "This must have cost a fortune." On the back of the watch, Joe saw his beautifully engraved name.

"Thanks, babe," Joe said, and Vanessa leaned in to give him a quick kiss.

"Anything for you," she said.

Biff gave him a gold card. "And this is from me." He laughed when Joe squinted to read what was on it.

"That's a full membership card for my uncle's riding ranch. Life-time privileges, free riding lessons, and Uncle Harrison even said you could have your own horse. All paid for," his friend said, smiling.

"Hey, thanks, Biff! I've always wanted to learn how to ride," Joe said enthusiastically.

Callie gave him a beautiful black leather jacket. "Don't I get a Harley-Davidson to go with this, Cal?" Joe jokingly asked when he tried it on. It fit perfectly.

"You look-handsome," Vanessa couldn't help saying. She couldn't stop staring.

"Don't I always?" Joe grinned. "Thanks, Cal."

"And this is from us, Joe," Fenton Hardy spoke up, handing him an envelope. Puzzled, Joe opened it carefully. Inside were four airplane tickets to France.

"Dad?" Joe looked at his father questioningly. "You sending me away? For my birthday? No, I don't want to go live in France! I can't! Didn't Frank tell you that I got a C for my French-"

"Calm down, son," Fenton said, laughing at his son's panicky face. "No one is sending anybody away. I'm sending you on a special vacation. Someplace far. Like Paris."

Vanessa's eyes went wide. "Paris?" she gaped.

"That's so cool, Dad! Thanks," Joe said, smiling broadly. "Uh, you're paying for everything, right? Coz I'm broke." Everyone broke into laughter. Frank laughed the loudest. When Joe had first been diagnosed with cancer and HIV, he had felt his world turn dark. But now it was sunshine again because Joe was here, surrounded by all people he loved and who loved him.

 

Soon, it was time for the guests to leave.

"I'm sorry I can't send you home, Vanessa. I'm so sleepy I can't even open my eyes anymore," Joe said at the door. "Will you be okay with Biff?" Biff had offered to send her home, much to Joe's gratitude.

"Of course I will, baby." Vanessa hesitated. Suddenly she didn't feel like leaving. But the night was running late, and she had an early day tomorrow. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Vanessa stood on tiptoe and gave him a goodbye kiss. She reluctantly let go of Joe. "Well, I'd better get going."

She was about to walk down the doorstep when Joe called out her name. "Vanessa."

"What?"

Joe just stood at the door, staring at her intensely. Vanessa shook her head, feeling a little amused yet baffled. "What is it, Joe?"

Joe opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it again. He walked out of the door and suddenly Vanessa was enveloped in his embrace. "Come what may, Van. I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you too." Vanessa was deeply puzzled. "Well, uh, bye, Joe. Call me?"

"If I don't, somebody else will," Joe answered strangely. He must be really tired, Vanessa thought, feeling a tad guilty.

She couldn't seem to take her eyes off Joe even when she got into Biff's car. Joe was still looking at her with the strangest expression on his face.

 

"Great party, wasn't it?" Biff asked as they drove away.

"Yeah, it was," Vanessa answered vaguely. She was still trying to figure out what Joe meant by those strange words. And she still felt as if she shouldn't have left. As if something was going to happen- Vanessa gave herself a mental shake. Stop being ridiculous, Vanessa, she told herself, refusing to dwell on the matter further.

"May I?" Vanessa asked.

"Sure." Vanessa twisted the knob and instantly music filled the air.

"-love songs and dedications. For those of you young hearts out there," the deejay was saying, "this is your chance to tell your loved ones how you feel-"

Vanessa began to relax back against her seat.

"Here's a dedication we have just received. This one goes out from Rauol to his Christine-" Vanessa sat up. "-with the message, 'To my beloved Christine, hope you're listening to this. This is our secret song. Love, Raoul.' " Vanessa's heart nearly stopped.

"How about that guys? Short and sweet but oh so romantic. Well, Christine, wherever you are, I hope you ARE listening to this- here's the song Raoul requested- If Tomorrow Never Comes. Enjoy!"

The music was strangely haunting, the words unnervingly profound and for some unknown reasons, seemed to pluck at the trembling strings of her heart. And when she heard the two lines, Vanessa could feel a cold chill run down her spine.

And a thought crosses my mind

If I never wake in the morning

Vanessa was speechless by now. Could it be-

If tomorrow never comes…

Will she know how much I loved her…

Did I try in every way, to show her every day,

That she’s my only one…

If my time on time on earth were through,

She must face this world without me…

So the love I gave her in the past…

Would it be enough to last…

If tomorrow never comes…

 

Vanessa listened, horror growing by the second. No, she thought numbly. As the song played on, she could feel her eyes mist. Oh no. Please, God, no.

"Vanessa, what’s wrong?" Biff asked in concern. Vanessa was as pale as a ghost. And are those tears I’m seeing?

It can't be, she thought, tears filling her eyes.

Vanessa was trying to make sense of it all when her phone suddenly rang. She nearly jumped. Biff continued to look at her strangely. Fumbling, Vanessa reached for her handbag. With trembling hands, she took her cell phone out.

"H-Hello?"

"Vanessa, this is Frank." Vanessa's heart stopped at his next words. "Joe collapsed right after you left. He's being rushed to Bayport General right now."