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“Good Her third grandchild was born last month She had a ton of pictures to showdown on the coffee table “I can get ive you this now” Reaching into the bag, Callie pulled out a se cake box “I saw these and thought of you” She handed Lauren the small box
Unwrapping the small box, Lauren s pink earrings in the shape of ballet slippers The pair would fit in perfectly with her school jewelry Every day she wore a different pair of silly earrings She’d started doing it as a student teacher eleven years ago, and so Now all her students expected it, and ifts
“They’re perfect Thank you”
“That’s not all I have I brought a red velvet cake from Rosie’s bakery, and this is also for you” Callie handed her the larger box she’d been holding
“Red velvet froht” Lauren eyed the bakery box as she accepted the other gift her friend held out Unlike the first gift, which had been wrapped in paper decorated with balloons, this one rapped in silver paper and an intricately tied bow adorned the top Callie hadn’t wrapped this box The only time she put a bow on a box hen it had a self-adhesive back attached to it
“You didn’t need to getto disturb the beautifully wrapped gift
Callie shrugged “I know, but I wanted to Now open it I’ve been dying to give this to you since I bought it last week”
Lauren rolled her eyes “You’ve gotten bossy since getting married, chickie You know that, don’t you? More i off on you” Slowly, just to annoy her friend, Lauren untied the bow and carefully tore off the paper “How is he?” Lauren folded the paper after she unwrapped the present
Callie grabbed the paper from her hands and balled it up then tossed it on the end table “He’s great Noill you open it already before I do it for you?”
Lauren pulled open the box and her jaw dropped Inside the box was perhaps theat it she kneasn’t so you could pick up at the nearby mall
“I saw it in Saks and thought of you” For thepreferences despite her change in financial status Yet every once in a while she popped into stores like Saks and Gucci “You need to open the envelope, too” She elbowed Lauren in the side when Lauren didn’t move
So overwhel on top of it Gingerly, she picked it up and pulled out two tickets to the ballet Giselle being performed in New York City and a printout for hotel reservations at a nearby Sherbrooke Hotel
“I thought you’d like a nen for the show I knew you liked the goore to the New Year’s Eve party This one reminded me of it when I saw it on display”
For a moment Lauren couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat She loved that ballet and had alanted to see it performed in New York City, but she had considered the endeavor too expensive Instead she opted for local shows At one tiift only reminded her of how different their lives had becoe of sadness da the happiness she’d felt when Callie had arrived Sometimes it would be nice to turn back tis the way they’d been before Callie had learned her father was Warren Sherbrooke and she’d married billionaire Dylan Talbot
“Iyou, shouldn’t have I can’t accept all this It’s too much”
Callie waved a hand in her direction diso”
After sticking the tickets back in the envelope, Lauren reached over and gave Callie a hug “Thank you If he can’t go, I’ll ask Kelly or maybe ht pop any day now,” Lauren said, referring to her older sister “I’d ask you, but I kno you feel about the ballet”
Callie wiped iinary sweat from her forehead “Now that I know I’m safe, how about some of that cake?”
Lauren grabbed the box off the table and headed for the kitchen “You read ht back”
“Are these flowers froement on the table
“They ca he called to wish me a happy birthday” Lauren sliced into the dense cake and cut two large pieces “You want some coffee, too?”