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As we pulled up to Laura's apartment building, the gentle hum of the car engine slowly came to a stop. The street was quiet, illuminated by the soft glow of the streetlamps that lined the pavement. I leaned in to give Laura a quick peck on the cheek, feeling the softness of her skin against my lips. She smiled, and I could see the appreciation in her eyes for the gesture. Amanda waved goodbye to Laura out the car window as we pulled away from her house, the car slowly picking up speed as we drove down the quiet residential street.
As we approached the main road, a new large jewelry store caught my eye—its bright lights and glimmering display cases calling out to me like a siren's song.
Without thinking, I turned to Amanda and said, "I need to stop in there for a minute." she nodded.
Chapter twenty-four
Laura
I stepped into the bathtub, letting the warm water envelop me. Today had been quite the adventure. I had taken five energetic children on a picnic, and we all had a blast. It wasn't every day that I got to enjoy the simple pleasures of life with such exuberant company.
But the highlight of the day had been when Anthony joined us. He had fit right in, his infectious laughter and easy-going nature making him the life of the party. As I lay back in the tub, memories of our day played like a movie in my head, making me smile.
Suddenly, my phone rang, jolting me out of my reverie. I sighed, knowing it was probably my father. He had been vacationing in Japan for the past few weeks and loved calling me to brag about it at every chance.
"Hello, Dad," I answered, a fake smile on my face.
"Why does your your ‘hello’ sound so fake?" he grumbled. "Don't tell me you're jealous of my amazing rip?"
I chuckled, knowing him all too well. "Of course not, Dad. I'm very happy for you. So, what's up?"
He proceeded to gush about the amazing drainage system in Japan and how he never wanted to leave. I rolled my eyes, amused by his enthusiasm.
Since my father had been away, Anthony had taken over as the head of our organization, making everything run like clockwork. It was impressive how effortlessly he juggled being a father, a leader, and my boyfriend.
As soon as I hung up with my dad, Becca's name flashed across my phone screen. This time I answered without hesitation, eager to hear her voice.
"Hello?" I said, my voice filled with anticipation.
"Yeah, hello, my smartly dumb person," Becca greeted me with her usual affectionate sarcasm. It was one of those inside jokes between us that never failed to lift my spirits. "You've been so busy you haven’t called me," she pointed out, her voice tinged with playful reproach.
"I'm sorry, I've just had a lot on my plate lately," I admitted, feeling slightly guilty for neglecting my closest confidante.
"I'm happy for you, babe," Becca replied, and I could sense the sincerity in her tone. It had been a rough journey, and she had been there for me every time I needed her.
"So, do you want to meet up sometime soon?" I asked, hoping to make up for the lost time.
She squealed with delight. "How about tomorrow?!"
"Okay. Tomorrow then," I confirmed, feeling a sense of relief that I would finally get to catch up with my best friend.
"Bye!" Becca sang out, her voice filled with excitement. She almost seemed a little too giddy. I wondered what was up with her.
Chapter twenty-five
Anthony
As I gazed up at the ceiling in my office, my mind was abuzz with thoughts. The glow from my phone cast a warm light across my face, illuminating the furrow of my brow as I spoke.
"How am I supposed to be ‘surprising’? Laura is smart. She catches on to everything," I muttered under my breath, my tone laced with frustration. I could feel my heart racing in my chest as I contemplated my next move.
Suddenly, Christine's voice crackled through my phone's speaker in response. "You should just stylishly avoid seeing her about three days beforehand,” she said mischievously.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at her suggestion, “And isn'tthatsuspicious?"
"Apparently you two never take your hands off each other," Christine's voice dripped with sarcasm, and I couldn't help but laugh along with her.
Christine and I had been through a lot, but lately, we had been trying to make it work and had transitioned into friendship. I was relieved that we had finally buried the hatchet, and I was grateful that she had apologized to me. I accepted her apology without hesitation, knowing that her decisions in the past had eventually all helped me to build a good life. Recently, we had also let Amanda know that Christine was her birth mother. To our surprise, Amanda had already figured it out on her own while she was at the boarding school.
