I went over to hug her, and she reluctantly returned the hug.
“Happy birthday, Lydia! I didn’t know, but I will get you a gift for sure!” I said.
She huffed. “When you are as old as me, you have had every gift there is.”
She made a show of not caring but I could see the smile tugging at her lips.
“Let’s get changed then and see what that boy has arranged for tonight. And let’s hope there is wine involved.”
When we got downstairs an hour later, the whole gang was already inside the dining room, whispering and laughing.When Lydia and I entered with our arms linked, the room erupted in cheers. Despite her protests at the impromptu celebration, Lydia bathed in the attention.
Everyone but Theo hugged her, congratulations and laughter filled the room as gifts were opened and wine was poured. The food was excellent, and with it came an unexpected sense of normalcy.
As the conversation faded and the moment settled, Theo cleared his throat.
“I have been made aware by… certain people that an apology is in order.”
All heads turned to me, and I nearly choked on my wine.
“I am sorry Maelis for getting so angry on our trip. I should have been more considerate of your feelings. I sometimes forget that this is not your home here. You chose none of this and I am sorry for being so rude.”
Lythandra grinned and blurted out, “Now give her the present!”
My eyebrows lifted.
“There is no need for a present. I accept your apology, and I want to say that I am sorry too. It’s true that this is all new to me, but I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I guess I have no idea about what kind of pressure you have been under.”
He shifted, taking a little box out of his trouser pocket.
“And here I was thinking that I’d be the only one getting presents today,” Lydia said and pretended to be sulking.
“Bad news Lydia, it’s past midnight and technically your birthday is over,” Malek laughed and got hit in the face with Lydia’s napkin.
The others kept joking back and forth, returning to theirconversation, but Theo’s eyes were on me.
“Won’t you open it?” he asked softly.
I took a slow, steadying breath and lifted the lid of the little velvet box. The moment I saw what was inside, my heart stopped. Nestled against the dark fabric were the earrings I had admired in the shop on my very first day here.
My throat tightened, and I blinked hard to keep the tears from spilling over. “Thank you,” was all I managed to whisper, my voice barely holding together.
I lifted the earrings out with trembling fingers and slipped them into my ears. The metal was cool against my skin, grounding me in a moment that felt impossibly fragile, like one wrong word might shatter it.
Lythandra squeaked. “Oh Mae, they are gorgeous! You have good taste, T”
Everyone agreed, voices blurring around me. I looked over at Theo, and something unspoken passed between us, a quiet understanding that went deeper than words. How he had known about the earrings, I didn’t know. But this was more than a gift. It was a sign that he saw me, not just who I was now, but who I had been when I first arrived.
He leaned forward in his chair, voice low enough that only I could hear.
“You look stunning, Mae.”
A shiver ran down my spine. His breath brushed my cheek, and for a moment the room disappeared. There were only him, me, and the unspoken things neither of us dared to name.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned back to the others, leaving me reeling in the echo of his words.
It was late when we finally said goodnight, but sleep feltvery far away.
I was already on my way upstairs when I noticed that I had forgotten the box from my earrings downstairs. I went back to the dining room to collect it, but stopped in front of Theo’s office. Should I go inside?
