Chapter 9 - Midnight Homecoming
Around midnight, headlights swept across our living room window as Marcus’s car pulled into the driveway.
I was sitting on the couch with a cup of herbal tea, reading a book, but my ears were tuned to the front door.
The lock clicked, and the door swung open. Lily walked in, kicking off her silver heels with a contented sigh, her cheeks flushed with excitement and her eyes sparkling with pure joy.
“Mom! You wouldn't believe how magical it was,” Lily gasped, rushing over to the couch and collapsing into my arms. “Everyone loved the dress! And we took so many pictures by the fountain!”
“I’m so happy for you, sweetheart,” I smiled, brushing a stray curl away from her forehead. “Did you have the best time?”
“The absolute best,” Lily beamed, resting her head on my shoulder. “It felt like all the stress of the last week just melted away the second we walked in.”
She stood up, carefully unzipping the emerald gown and hanging it back up on its velvet hanger with the reverence of someone treating a priceless artifact.
As she placed the dress back in the closet, she noticed a small envelope resting on the small table by the hallway mirror.
“What’s this?” she asked, picking it up.
May you like
I frowned, walking over. “I don't know. It wasn't there when we left.”
Lily slid the flap open and pulled out a small, neatly folded index card written in neat, shaky handwriting.
