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“What is it?”
Sarah pulled out the first box, a house for a group of woodland creatures, a toy that all the kids had been coveting since Christmas time. There were at least a dozen of the matching toys. Beneath it, there were books, and then, at the bottom clothes. And shoes. How had he known her size?
A normal man might have struggled, but Syed of course had servants and staff to do such investigating for him, and Lexi was a pretty average four year old.
Sarah didn’t bother to check the tears that were rolling down her face.
Nor did she allow
a moment of doubt to cloud her joy at this unexpected present. It was not payment. It was a gift. A thoughtful gesture.
From Syed? Yeah, right. As if he would give Sarah anything without wanting something in return.
“Mommy? It’s not my birthday,” Lexi said, her own face paled by confusion. “What’s this all for?”
“You’re such a good girl, Lexi. And sometimes, good things happen. Sometimes, people are kind.”
“I can’t believe it! Can I go tell Caitlyn?”
Sarah’s smile was indulgent. “Soon. Let me unpack our shopping while you have a look through all this. ‘Kay?”
“Uh huh.” Lexi was already busy unboxing a chubby looking bunny rabbit in a pair of green coveralls.
Sarah had just slid the eggs into the fridge when Lexi came through. “Mommy? I think this one’s for you.”
Sarah looked down at the smaller box Lexi was holding. It was a thick cardboard, and across the top, in Syed’s unmistakable hand: Sarah.
Her heart began to thump anew. With fingers that were slightly unsteady, she took the box and placed it on the counter.
“Aren’t you going to open it?”
“In a minute. Go back to your play, honey. I’ll be out soon.”
Lexi shrugged and skipped back to the lounge. It was no hardship to return to the wonderful toys someone had given her.
As soon as Sarah was alone, she lifted the box up and pulled the lid off.
A piece of paper sat on top. She unfurled it and scanned the black letters printed on crisp white parchment.
SARAH SMITH – TRAVEL ITINERARY.
A first class seat to New York had been reserved for her the following night. Transfer to the airport. Everything.
Her stomach churned.
One night.
She pushed the piece of paper aside and turned her attention back to the box. A pen? She frowned, lifting it out thoughtfully. It took several moments before the significance of that pen took shape in her mind.
She had loaned it to him, the first night they’d met. It had the name of the bar on it. She groaned softly and lay it down with the itinerary. What did that mean? Why did he have it after all these years? Had he kept it as some kind of shrine to what they were? Of course he hadn’t. If he’d wanted to build a shrine, he could have put her at the centre of it.
Except she’d been unsuitable. And he’d been engaged.
Determination strengthened her resolve.
She looked into the box once more. There was a final item. A photograph.
She didn’t even need to lift it up to know what it was.
