Page 132 of A Bossy Roommate

This is one of those moments I will never forget. Having my three special ladies here together is my very own happiness jackpot—past, present, and future merged into a single moment of unforgettable bliss.

Once Ellie is old enough to travel, I want to take her and Eden to France again.

“Cartie,” Aunt Eleanor says, turning to look at me.

I slide my arm around her. “Yes, Auntie.”

She reaches up and pinches my cheek, which she hasn’t done since I was small. “Seeing you with Eden and Ellie is beautiful. And her name is perfect. Have I mentioned what a brilliant decision it was? Oh, I have? Well, brace yourself for a rerun of my wisdom. Eleanor has such beauty and elegance attached to it.”

“It really does.”

My aunt nods. “She’s going to be just like her aunt. Pretty, witty, beautiful!”

“Nobody is like you.”

She looks down at the baby. “See, little one? You’ll be just like me. Lucky you.”

That’s when a knock sounds at the front door.

It’s here, a special delivery I’d had made. I excuse myself.

Only a few moments later, I stand on a ladder in the foyer area, carefully hanging the big, framed photo on the wall. Withsatisfaction, I step back to admire the finished display in the center of our photo wall.

“Eden, Auntie. You can come now.”

Eden and my aunt rush into our foyer, their eyes instantly locking onto the new photo hanging on the wall. They burst into laughter, unable to contain their amusement.

“Well, well, well! What do we have here?” Auntie asks in disbelief, putting on her glasses.

“Carter!” Eden laughs, Ellie in her arms. “You actually did it!”

“Oh!Mon Dieu! Am I seeing this correctly?” my aunt exclaims, blinking, eyes huge as saucers behind her thick glasses, her jaw still wide open in sheer disbelief. “Cartie! That photo is priceless! It’s theperfectaddition to our little gallery of family memories.”

We stand there, gazing at the photo.

It’s the one that captures the unforgettable moment when I accidentally stepped on Eden’s bridal dress. It’ll be one of the first things we and guests will see when they enter, setting a joyful tone. We’ll continue to chuckle at the comical mishap forever preserved in that frame.

“It’s a reminder that life’s imperfect moments have a way of drawing us closer together,” Eden says.

“And a testament to embracing the humorous side of life.” My aunt turns to me, a twinkle in her eye. “I guess there’s still hope for you. Turns out, you’re funny too!”

The End

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