𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 ✔️

25 | The Calamity

"And I know that even though today is your birthday and you would much rather spend it beside Ambrose, you deserve to have a day to yourself and not isolate yourself," she says, "I know about you skipping school and not doing your work." Her motherly tone slipped through the words. "Mr. Vince is worried about you and thinks that you need to also think about yourself and your future."

"I know and I'm trying," I say, "but I just can't help but feel like I have to be there for him. I mean I'm the one who was pulling him out of the house to hang out with the girls and I."

Maybe if I hadn't been too pushy and let him venture out on his own, he would be okay and we would be doing what we normally did; sit beside each other in silence while our presence comforted one another.

"It's not your fault, don't blame yourself," she says, "it was all an accident."

─────── ☆*･゜ﾟ･*♡ ───────

After brunch, my mom wanted to take me shopping so we went into various stores for hours until I was tired. I didn't buy much except for a top and a jacket for the upcoming cold season. I wasn't exactly in the birthday mood or had a strong feeling about shopping. In fact, all I could still think about was wanting to go home and hoping that I could at least see Ambrose for a few minutes before visiting hours were over.

When my mom and I came back from brunch, my dad was already home early from work.

"I was able to wrap things up with my client and I came straight home," my dad says with a bright smile. He brings a gift bag from behind his back and hands it to me. "For my little girl, happy birthday sweetheart."

I smile at him as I grab the bag from him. "What is it? Why is it so heavy?"

"Well to match what your mom gave you, she helped me pick out the style," he says.

I pull out another white box, one from a well known stylist from Beverly Hills. I uncovered the box and a silk black dress was neatly folded. I pulled it from the top and was surprised to see that it was a thin strap and sweetheart neckline dress. It was absolutely beautiful in its simplicity. In another box were a set of black heels that matched the style of the dress perfectly.

"It's a beautiful dress dad, thank you," I thanked him.

"You could wear it tonight to dinner," he says.

"Oh, where are we going?" I totally forgot that for our birthdays my parents like to take us out to dinner for our birthdays.

I was hoping that my evening would be free and see Ambrose.

"I know a place—" The doorbell goes off.

"I'll get it," Varushka says with a polite smile.

A minute later Ethan, who's dressed in a really nice suit, walks into the living room. "Sorry to interrupt, Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair," he says sheepishly.

"Ethan, what are you doing here?" I ask, trying not to make my distasteful attitude apparent.

He doesn't answer me and instead looks at my parents. "I was wondering if it would be okay for me to take Evangeline out to dinner tonight for her birthday," he says, "I know she usually spends it with you guys, but I wanted to do something special for her."

My parents look at each other and have this sort of silent conversation with their eyes. That's how well they knew each other. To be able to look at each other and not have to say much except for their actions.

My dad clears his throat. "You may take Evangeline out, but I expect her to be home no later than ten," he says, "she has some schooling to catch up to and her birthday doesn't excuse that."