Sure you are. He was just being polite. He had to be.
Mom came back grinning.
Shaun leaned over. "When was your birthday?"
"Winter Solstice. Before Christmas."
"Whew. I thought I'd missed it."
I raised my eyebrow. "You would not be expected to get me something for my birthday. I normally don't want anything for my birthday," I mostly whispered the last part.
"Why is that?" he asked.
I waved my hand just as my mother thrust a gift bag in my hand.
"Thank you, Mom."
"Open it!" she said.
I reached into the bag and pulled out a thermal cup. Decorated in light blue and covered in snow boots and heels. My name was written in a pretty font down the side.
I smirked. Okay. it was cute. I did like it. I could put my black-as-my-soul coffee in it.
Or wine when I felt like day drinking.
"Thank you, Mom," I said.
"That's friggin' adorable. I want one!" Autumn said.
My mother grinned. "I figured you would," she said as she handed both Summer and Autumn their own bags.
Summer's cup had scissors and a wedding veil. Autumn's? Makeup and a camera on a selfie stick. Which suited them both very well.
It was a sweet set.
"What, nothing for us?" Matthew asked, and Summer smacked his arm.
"I appreciate this," I said and glanced outside. "I need to get going, though. Shaun lives way out, and I don't want him driving if it starts getting icy."
"He could stay with you…" Autumn said.
I glared at her.
"It was a suggestion," My baby sister just grinned at me. And stuck her tongue out.
“Well, it was lovely spending the evening with you Shaun,” Mom said. “It’s nice to see Winter spending time with a successful business owner.”
I kept my face neutral because I wasn’t sure what she meant. There was just something weird in her voice, though, the way she said it.
If Shaun noticed, he didn't acknowledge it.
“The food was delicious,” he said. “I hope to have more sometime.”
This did freeze me just a bit.
I wasn’t kidding when I told my sisters I didn’t really see this going anywhere. He was a decent guy and all, but I wasn't looking for the same things my sisters were.
I'd done marriage.
