"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." – Philippians 4:4

As soon as Alana's eyes peeked open at six a.m. on Saturday morning, she bolted upright in bed. Her heart, which had been beating slow and steady only seconds ago, now pounded with excitement. Finally, it was the day of her eighteenth birthday!

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and pattered across the floor to her dresser. There, folded neatly on top, were the clothes she had set aside the night before. She quickly changed into her swimsuit and sweats before jogging downstairs. Her eyes, which were still growing accustomed to the early morning darkness, remained thick with sleep. She made a quick pit stop in the bathroom to wash her face and brush her hair, then immediately made a beeline for the kitchen.

To her surprise, Dylan and Tammy were already seated at the counter. Dylan was caught mid-yawn when she entered the room, but he immediately brightened upon her entrance. "Happy birthday, Alana!"

Tammy chimed in with her own happy birthday wishes, and soon Alana was wrapped up in a family hug.

"Aw, you guys didn't have to get up early just for me," she said.

"But I'm going surfing with you!" Tammy exclaimed, jumping up and down on the balls of her feet.

Alana smiled and wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulders. "I know you do," she said. "You always have fun surfing with the gang."

Both sisters automatically turned to look at Dylan, who awkwardly scratched his head. His eyes were full of regret, but they were heavily outweighed by the fear that shook his entire being. Alana knew he had a hard time going back to the ocean ever since their parents had drowned. Dylan felt like it was his responsibility to keep out of danger because if anything happened to him, Alana and Tammy would lose their only guardian.

"It's fine," Alana said softly. "Don't worry about it, Dyl."

But then his face erupted into a brilliant smile. "I'm just messin' with you."

"What?"

"I'm going down to the beach to watch you guys," he said.

Alana gasped and wrapped her arms around him in another hug. "Oh my gosh! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

It would be the first time he had set foot on the beach in months. Tammy giggled and clapped her hands excitedly while Alana reveled in the moment. She couldn't believe it.

After Tammy ran out of the kitchen to get dressed, Alana stared up at her brother and gave him the warmest smile she could muster. "You're awesome," she said. "Mom and Dad would be so happy."

He nodded, his gaze drifting away to some distant place thanks to the onslaught of memories produced by Alana's words. She quietly removed her arm from around his waist and headed over to the cupboard to find something to eat. A few minutes later, after she wolfed down a bowl of cereal and Dylan made himself a cup of coffee, the last member of their family came sprinting down the stairs.

"Are they here yet?" Tammy hollered.

"No," Alana said, but not a second later, the doorbell rang. The trio quickly gathered their belongings, including the three surfboards and wetsuits leaning near the front door, and hurried outside.

Five figures stood huddled in sweatshirts on the Walker's lawn. "Happy birthday!" they exclaimed, rushing towards Alana and enveloping her in a large group hug.

She laughed and tried unsuccessfully to squirm her way out of the embrace. "Wow, thank you! This is unexpected."

"You told us to be here at 6:30," Jake deadpanned.

"No, not that. I meant I wasn't expecting the hug." She smiled, but her gaze lingered on Cole, who gave her the briefest of winks.

"You have room for two more, right?" Dylan asked, stepping forward.

"Two more...?" Cole echoed. When he realized that Dylan actually wanted to come, he quickly added, "Oh, for sure! That's why we brought two cars."

Alana noticed a pickup truck parked behind Cole's Volkswagen. "Who else is driving?"

"Koa," they chorused.

"We better get moving if we want to hit the water before sunrise," Dylan said, causing everyone to scurry into action. They quickly loaded the three surfboards into the back of the pickup. Once the last strap was fastened, Koa, Jake, Blaine, and Dylan piled into the truck while everyone else took their seats in the Volkswagen.

"Happy birthday!" Maya squealed as she bounced up and down in the backseat next to Alana. "Oh my gosh, you're officially eighteen!"

"Not until nine o'clock tonight, actually," Alana replied with a smile.

"Ooh, you have another fifteen hours until your real birthday," Maya said. "I guess you can't open your presents until then."

"No way," Cole interjected. His eyes met Alana's through the rearview mirror as he turned onto California Street. "We need to open presents as soon as we get back from surfing."

"Hey, I thought the birthday girl made the rules around here," Alana laughed.

"You have to trust me on this one," Cole said.

The girls exchanged a look. "Fine," Alana consented. "But only because you're being so pushy."

Cole grinned and swerved into a parking spot. Koa, driving the pickup, quickly pulled in next to them. Everyone climbed out and began talking excitedly about the waves they were soon to ride.

The first rays of the sun were just peeking over the distant hills as they pulled on their wetsuits. After board bags were unzipped, decks waxed, and cars safely locked, the group eagerly headed towards the water.

The waves came in sight moments later. Glassy, waist-high swells, tinted golden from the sunrise, were rolling around the Point in perfect fashion. Alana hugged her shortboard tighter to her chest and grinned. Though they were a little on the small side, these waves were going to be so fun! She leaned over at Tammy and said, "What do you think?"

"I think God gave you your first birthday present!" she replied.

Everyone smiled at that. They walked single-file down the stairs to the beach, where they paused to strap on their leashes and say a quick prayer. Then the race was on! Jake and Koa were the first to start paddling, and they reached the lineup minutes before anyone else. Tammy was last, but she wasn't far behind. Her little arms were strong and fast, and she quickly caught up with the rest of the pack.

The water was cold to the touch, but as Alana continued stroking towards the horizon, she gradually grew accustomed to it. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Dylan standing on shore, his arms crossed over his chest. When he saw her looking in his direction, he smiled and waved.

Only a handful of surfers were in the lineup at this time of morning, but since it was a Saturday, more were sure to come. For now, Alana and the gang enjoyed the beautiful stillness and silence of nature. The golden sunrise, tainted by a few wisps of clouds, spread its rays over the water like a blanket of crystals. When Alana caught her first wave, she could barely see where she was going because the sun was so bright. She let her instincts guide her and relished the power of the wave beneath her feet. She cruised up and down, turned left and right, and finished off the ride with a small floater. When she kicked out, she sank completely underwater.

Beneath the surface, she could only hear the roar of the waves and the muffled churning of the ocean. Though it was cold beneath the sea, Alana's wetsuit kept most of her body warm. After pushing off the sandy bottom, she broke through the surface and climbed back onto her surfboard. She paddled out past Jake and Koa, who were sharing a wave, and then past Tammy, who had managed to scrape into a small insider because of her lightness and agility. Alana hooted as her sister raced by.

The beauty of the morning left a deep impression in everyone's minds that day. It wasn't often that they got to enjoy such a fresh, quiet dawn patrol with hardly any other surfers out. Alana knew her sister was right: the fun waves and wonderful weather were definitely God's birthday present to her.

Two hours later, after catching a wave into shore, everyone regrouped in the parking lot and met up with Dylan. "You guys had some nice rides!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, but did you see Blaine's wipeout?" Maya said, causing everyone to burst into laughter at the reminder. Blaine had taken off on a set wave, one of the biggest of the morning, and purled straight to the bottom. It had been both painful and embarrassing.

"Okay, okay," he said sheepishly. "I'm officially the King of Wipeouts for today."

As they discussed some of the other fun and crazy rides of the morning, Cole looked up and saw that the sun was already a quarter of the way into the sky. It was going to be much warmer than yesterday. All the clouds had been chased away, leaving no gloom or darkness. It looked—and almost felt—like a summer day.

"So what's the plan now?" Dylan asked.

"Everyone's coming to our place for presents!" Alana said. She made sure to give Cole a pointed look.

"What about breakfast?" Jake whined.

"I got you covered," Dylan said. "How does cinnamon rolls sound?"

"Like heaven," Jake breathed, eliciting a few sniggers.

"Then it's settled." Alana set down her shortboard by Cole's Volkswagen and placed her hands on her hips. "Breakfast and then presents, followed by another surf session later today?"

"Whatever you want, birthday girl," Maya said. "Let's do it!"

They took their time drying off and getting dressed. Once the boards were loaded up, they made the short drive back to the Walkers' apartment. Dylan immediately got the cinnamon rolls cooking in the oven while the teens gathered in the living room for presents. Tammy, excited as ever, insisted that Alana open hers first.

"Whoa, slow down," Alana laughed. "We always open family presents in the evening."

Cole knew it was true. Just like his family, the Walkers had a tradition that they opened each other's presents after cake and ice cream. But Tammy was adamant. "You can open Dylan's later," she pressed. "I want you to look at mine now."

"Okay, okay." Alana swiped the present from her and began unwrapping. It was a plain shoebox that opened to reveal a new set of headphones and a small iPod shuffle. Alana squealed. "No way! Tammy, you're awesome!"

As the sisters embraced, Tammy admitted, "Well, Dylan paid for it."

"I don't care," Alana said honestly. "It's the thought that counts."

Cole couldn't help but smile when he saw the way Alana was beaming at her little sister. With their wavy blonde hair and blue eyes, they were identical versions of each other. In just a few years, Tammy would look almost exactly like her older sister at this point in time.

The rest of the gang's presents were next. Alana unwrapped box after box, revealing gift cards, books, journals, magazines, and even a pair of tickets to a Switchfoot concert. The latter was a gift from Maya. The girls immediately jumped up and down and hugged, screaming excitedly.

"You're the best!" Alana shouted. "I can't believe it! Switchfoot!"

"It's almost five months away, but I'm still so excited!" Maya gushed. "I just knew you would want to go with me!"

Cole laughed at their insanely loud reactions, but once they quieted down he realized that his present was next.

"You have one more," Blaine said, confirming Cole's thoughts.

He presented his gift to her by sliding it across the carpet. It was a small bag no larger than the length of his hand, but Alana held it as if it was a precious stone. "This better be good," she said, smirking.

Cole shrugged and tried to play it cool. Inside, his emotions were raging. He had spent quite some money on Alana's present, and if her reaction was any less wild than the previous gift, he would be extremely disappointed. As her long fingers carefully pulled the object out of the bag, he held his breath with anticipation.

Her eyes skimmed back and forth as she read his card. Once she was finished, she said, "Oh, Cole, you're too nice." He forced himself to smile back even though his insides were churning. The note inside the card was short and concise, yielding only the briefest hint of his feelings for her. He hoped Alana knew that he was trying to keep things professional.

"Well?" Maya demanded. "What's the present?"

"I don't know." Alana frowned and dug inside the bag, but it was so small that searching was futile. "There's nothing else inside."

Everyone started murmuring. Finally, Cole gave in to the pressure and said, "It's on the back of the card."

Alana flipped it over. Her eyes immediately grew round as saucers when she realized what he had taped to the backside. "No freaking way!" she gasped. Then, sitting straight as a ruler, she exclaimed, "Cole Anderson!"

He laughed. Good—not only was she surprised, but she was thrilled! He expected her to launch into a hug, but she withheld herself and settled for an ear-piercing squeal instead. Cole smiled and stared at the carpet, trying to fight the blush that was creeping up his cheeks.

"Oh my gosh! I cannot believe you actually did this!" Alana shrieked.

"What? What is it?" Maya gasped.

"Disneyland tickets!" Alana shouted, waving them triumphantly in the air.

Everyone jumped to their feet and leaned closer to get a better look. Sure enough, they were actual Disneyland tickets—four of them.

"How in the world did you get these, Cole?" Koa asked, somewhat in shock.

Something in his tone motivated Cole to quickly explain. "One of my dad's friends works there," he said, "and every month Disneyland employees are allowed to bring three people into the park."

"Then where'd you get the fourth ticket?" Alana asked.

"I bought it."

They gasped. Disneyland tickets were not cheap.

"Oh, Cole," Alana said. Her brilliant smile said it all.

"Happy birthday, Alana," he replied.

Suddenly, the timer for the oven went off, interrupting their moment. Dylan quickly headed into the kitchen and pulled out the cinnamon rolls. Seconds later, he hollered, "Breakfast!"

There was a mad rush to the dining room table. Alana, abandoning her presents in the living room, took a seat at the head of the table. Dylan served her two piping hot cinnamon rolls and a glass of cold milk before proceeding to serve everyone else.

They politely murmured their thank-you's before turning their attention back to Cole and his tickets. "When are you gonna go?" Jake asked, trying to talk while wolfing down a large bite of his breakfast.

"Well..." His eyes flickered over to Alana. "That's up to the birthday girl."

She licked a glob of icing off her fingers. "You're making me decide?"

He nodded.

"When do you think we should go?"

Blaine, who had just taken a long draught of milk, set down his glass noisily to reveal a hundred-watt smile. "Just tell her what you told me," he said to Cole.

"Oh, so you were in on it?" Alana asked.

"I didn't help him; I just knew what he wanted to get you," Blaine clarified.

Cole smiled and cleared his throat. "Okay, here's the plan: tonight Disneyland is launching their new fireworks show. They're keeping the park open until midnight. We can go today if you want, but we lose a few hours, since it's opening at ten this morning."

Alana looked at the clock. By the time they got there, it would be nearly eleven. "But we're gaining a few hours because of the firework show, right?" she asked.

Cole nodded.

"What do you think we should do?"

Dylan suddenly spoke up. "I think you guys should go today," he said. "Unless you really want to have another surf session, that is."

"Oh, the surf can wait," Alana said dismissively. "I surf all the time, but I haven't been to Disneyland since I was in elementary school!"

Cole let out a breath of relief. He had hoped this would happen. "When do you want to leave?"

"As soon as we finish eating," she said.

Maya grinned and clapped her hands. "You guys are going to have so much fun!"

"Wait a second," Tammy said, her little face scrunched into a look of deep concentration. "I thought Cole had four tickets. Who else is going?"

Everyone laughed nervously and glanced over at Cole. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became very, very tense.

"Okay," Cole explained slowly, "I have two extra tickets because I figured Tammy and Dylan would want to go along with Alana. It's only fair that the whole family sticks together."

"Sweet!" Alana grinned.

"That's really thoughtful of you, Cole," Dylan said. "But if someone else wants to go instead, I won't mind."

"Are you sure?" Cole asked.

Dylan nodded. "I've been to Disneyland a few times before anyway."

"Aw, Dyl..." Alana sighed and swept her eyes around the table. "Wait, does this mean I have to choose?"

Everyone laughed again. "Which one of us do you love the most?" Jake teased.

Alana groaned good-naturedly. "It's like choosing pizza over a cheeseburger! I can't decide!"

Maya grinned. "Only you would say that," she laughed.

"Okay, okay. I know who's going with me." Alana took a deep breath. "As my best friend and fellow surfer girl, I nominate Maya Mallory!"

Maya whooped and gave Alana a hearty fist-bump. "Yeah dude! You made the right choice!"

While the others were a little discouraged, Cole could see the understanding written across their eyes. Maya was the logical choice: she and Alana had been close-knit best friends longer than anyone else in the gang. It was obvious they would go together.

"Will you be okay?" Blaine asked his brother. "You're outnumbered by girls now."

"Yeah, that's right." Cole looked over at Dylan. "You let me down, man."

"Hey! No take-backs," Maya said. "I'm goin' to Disneyland!"

In the end, it was settled: as soon as the last cinnamon roll was devoured, Alana, Maya, Cole, and Tammy would get ready and head to the amusement park. The rest of the gang wished Alana another happy birthday and thanked Dylan for the cinnamon rolls. Together, they disappeared out the front door, a little tired from their surf session but otherwise rejuvenated by the events of that morning.

"I'll be back in a few," Cole said, giving Alana a warm smile. "I'm going to hop in the shower real quick and grab a change of clothes."

"See you in a bit!" she replied.

The Anderson twins were the last to leave, and then it was just the Walker siblings standing in the living room alone.

"Well?" Dylan asked her. "How is your eighteenth birthday shaping up so far?"

"It's great," she breathed, but she knew the best was yet to come.