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"Yep! He's been practicing every day. It's adorable," Ariel's pride was palpable, and I couldn't help but smile.
After our chat, I found myself dialing Meagan's number before I even realized what I was doing. The phone barely rang twice before her cheerful voice filled the line.
"Hi, Court! What a pleasant surprise," she exclaimed.
"Hey, Meagan," I returned her greeting, my voice softer, more mellow compared to her joyfulness.
"You wouldn't happen to have sent me something, would you?"
There was a pause before she replied, "No, not recently. Have you heard from Brad lately?"
"Of course, and he's been keeping me updated on the news about the Rosedale case."
"I can't believe that creep Alex is holding out by pretending to be on a hunger strike," Meagan hissed.
"I find that all a bit weird. I'm sensing there is more going on there than meets the eye! But anyway, on to something more fun to talk about. How are Lily and Liam? I'll bet they are growing like crazy."
"Oh, are they ever. You won't believe what the twins did today!"
"What?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"They started walking, Courtney! My babies took their first steps," she said, her voice ripe with excitement.
A warm smile spread across my face. "That's amazing, Meagan!"
We chatted for a while longer, meandering through stories of the twins' latest exploits and reminiscences of our shared past. As the call ended, I felt another sharp pang of longing. I missed them all—Ariel, Meagan, the kids—my San Diego family.
The day was a whirlwind of classes, assignments, and group projects, but the mystery parcel was nearly forgotten. As the evening rolled in, I stood in line at the university cafeteria, a tray of barely edible food in front of me. I sighed, missing the home-cooked meals back in San Diego. As I paid for my meal, I took out my phone and dialed Brad's number.
He answered on the second ring, his voice filled with an energy that brought a smile to my face.
"Courtney! How's the queen of the Rockies?"
I chuckled at his familiar teasing. "Just surviving the food here, Brad."
He laughed, the sound echoing through the phone and warming me despite the chill outside.
"You'll get used to it, Court. Trust me."
Taking a bite of the flavorless pasta, I grimaced. "I doubt it."
Our conversation moved from the food to classes to the unexpected package. I could hear the curiosity in Brad's voice as I described it to him. "It's just a plain box, Brad. No logos, nothing. And it's postmarked from San Diego."
"Probably just some random gift from a cosmetic firm. Maybe a sample of some makeup for you to try or some skincare product they want you to review," Brad suggested casually. The idea made sense. After all, I did have a small following on my beauty blog.
We shared a laugh, and I felt a bit of my curiosity ebbing away. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll open it when I get back to my dorm."
As we continued our conversation, Brad's excitement about the media interviews related to the Rosedale case became evident. He told me about the news crews and reporters that had descended on Rosedale Tech's office, all eager for a piece of the story. "You should see it, Court. It's like a media circus out here!"
I could hear the excitement in his voice, and the nostalgia hit me hard. I missed being part of the action, part of the team. But I was here now and had to make the best of it.
"I wish I could see it, Brad," I confessed. "It sounds like you guys are doing great work on trying to get to the bottom of the case."
"Miss you, Court!"
"I miss you too, Brad."
Soon after our call ended, I stepped outside, the cool evening air whipped around me. Pulling up the collar of my coat, I headed back to the dorm.
