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“Oh.” How…thoughtful. And practical. I eyed the sized of it then asked, “How long are we staying here?”
“Till Sunday. We’re having a girls’ weekend!”
I shook my head with a laugh. “You really thought of everything.”
“Just wait.” She shared a grin with Piper. I followed them to the house, my excitement growing.
“Is this a vacation rental?” I asked as Sumner punched in a code to unlock the door then disabled the security system.
“Sort of,” Piper said. “Sumner’s husband, Jonathan, co-founded a charity with Alexis. Alexis’s best friend Juliana and her husband, Harrison, own this house.”
I furrowed my brow, putting the pieces together. “Wait. Harper’s friend Juliana?”
“Yeah.” Piper set her purse on the console in the entryway. “You know her?”
I shook my head. “I knowofher. Party planner to the stars. Married to a retired NFL player.”
“Yep! That’s the one.” Piper smiled.
I followed them into the kitchen and stopped at the threshold. Lavender balloons in various shades lined one wall of the kitchen, a beautiful table setting with the most gorgeous flower arrangement.
“This is beautiful,” I said, stepping closer to take it all in.
“You only turn twenty-one once!” Sumner spread her arms wide.
“Happy birthday.” Piper hugged me.
“This is incredible.”
“You deserve it!” Piper said.
Thanks to Tristan, I now found that easier to believe.
“Juliana helped with the vision. We merely executed it,” Sumner said. “We also thought you might want to film some tutorials or other content, so we set up a makeup table. But it’s your weekend, so we can do whatever you want.”
It was all so thoughtful. So beautiful.
“Is it too early for champagne?” I asked.
“Never too early,” Sumner teased, filling three glasses with champagne.
Piper returned from the kitchen with a lavish charcuterie board. I still couldn’t believe they’d done all this—for me.
“That looks amazing,” I said, in awe of the roses made of prosciutto, all the various cheeses, olives, crackers. I didn’t know where to start.
Sumner handed us each a glass of champagne, lifting hers as we followed suit. “Happy birthday, Ellie. May you continue to shine brightly as you chase your dreams.”
I smiled and sipped my champagne as I thought about my dreams. As I contemplated my upcoming move to Japan and how hard I’d worked to achieve that goal. And now, how much I was dreading it.
I didn’t realize I was crying until Sumner placed a hand on my shoulder. “Ellie, what’s wrong?”
She steered me over to the sofa, and Piper joined us with the champagne and charcuterie.
“I think my dreams have changed,” I admitted.
“What do you mean, babe?” Piper asked. “I thought you were excited about Japan.”
“I thought I was too,” I whispered.
