Happy 30th Birthday
Behind You
all your memories
Before You
All your dreams
Around You
all who love you
Within You
all you need
It was so her. I smiled and opened it.
I know you get weirded out by sentiment and gifts, so I left this on your desk.
Hope you had a fantastic birthday.
Love you,
Anji
XOXO
She was too damn sweet.
I set the card neatly on my desk and sat down, untying the black ribbon around the small silver box. Inside was a miniature bottle of Prosecco, hazelnut praline chocolates, and a tiny jewellery case. I opened it to find a pair of gold earrings—delicate hibiscus flowers, simple but striking.
She knew my style.
I shook my head, smiling. I’d need to seriously step up my game this Christmas.
I put the earrings on.
Anji bounced in a few moments later with our coffees in hand, setting mine down on my desk.
“Morning. Nice earrings,” she said with a wink.
“Good morning—and thank you. You have excellent taste,” I grinned back.
“I’m aware,” she replied, smug.“But I’m glad you liked them. Oh—this came for you after you left.” She lifted a black envelope from her tray.
“Who the heck uses black envelopes?” I asked, arching a brow.
“Another weirdo?” she said with a smirk.
My name was handwritten in white ink. No return address. No postage stamp.
I tore it open—but before checking the contents, something made me lift the envelope to my nose.
Citrus, faintly. Beneath it, cedar-wood and white cypress. Clean. Expensive. The kind of scent used in high-end hand washes and lotions.
Inside, there was no letter. Just a single card.
