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“Madeit?”
“Nan is… ha—crafty.”
“I’ll say. It’s just beautiful.”
“She said you’re a star, so should have stars.”
Overcome, Sally wiped at his eyes again. “Okay, now I’m in love with your grandmother.”
“That makes two of us.” Derrick took the suncatcher, turned it this way and that. “Bedroom window, babe, so we can wake up to stars.”
“Perfect. I’m going to write Marg a thank-you note, but tell her how much this means to me.”
He set his flute aside again and got to work on the wrappings.
“This’ll take awhile,” Derrick warned them. “They’re off to New York tomorrow for meetings.”
“The professionals. Makes me proud. Look, it’s wrapped twice.” He revealed the brown paper. “Not my fault it’s taking awhile.”
“You can rip that paper, Sal. Come on now.”
“All right, all right. He can’t stand suspense.” So he ripped, then his hands stilled as he caught his first glimpse of the painting beneath. “Well, God, what is this?”
“Rip, rip, rip!” Breen bounced. “I can’t stand the suspense either.”
“Oh, babe, it’s you. It’s you in your unmatched Cher. You’re gorgeous.”
“I am.” Sally swallowed hard. “It— Did your Brian do this?”
“Yeah. It’s wonderful, right? He’s so good. It was Breen’s idea, and we got the photo from the website. Brian fiddled with it. I helped make the frame—I want credit.”
“The same craftsman who did the box made the frame, with Marco. We both wanted to have a part in making it.”
Sally stood in the spotlight of the stage, the long black hair raining down the back of a slinky, spangled red dress. He held a mic in one hand, with the other on his hip. Roses littered the stage all around his red stilettos.
“I don’t have words—and that never happens. I think he may be worthy of you, Marco. He’s sure as hell talented. This—I’m so touched that you’d think of this, that you’d do this for me. That you’d come all this way to give it to me and have this time with us. I love you both more than… than my collection of Louboutins.”
“Holy shit.” Grinning, Marco wiggled his eyebrows at Breen. “We beat out the Louboutins.”
“This is a gift for me, too. We’re going to hang it in the living room. I want to take it out tonight, put it up on the wall, but after tonight, it goes home with us.”
Sally nodded.
“I’ll take it out. You need to get your face on.” Leaning down, Derrick kissed it. “You have to make your entrance.”
“I’m going to go out with him. I got a Cosmo mix-off with the new girl.”
“She’s a wonder. You’ll like her.”
“Already do.” Bending down, Marco kissed Sally’s cheek. “I like the black and gold and the white.”
“Can I talk to you while you do your makeup?” Breen asked.
“You know you can. Now.” When the door shut, he swiveled around to start. “Have you got something on your mind other than catching up?”
“A few things.”
She told him about seeing Marco’s mother, then her own, and when she’d finished, he nodded, set down his eyeliner.
