Page 7 of Fated

I rolled my eyes. “What about you, Mom? That cashier at thebookstore couldn’t stop making googly eyes at you either!” Now it washerturn to blush, her cheeks turning the same shade of pink as mine, one thing I’d definitely “inherited” from her.

“Oh, stop!” She waved me off, though her smile was giving her away. “He was not.”

I chuckled, watching her rummage through her purse for something.

After a moment, she pulled out a small rectangular box wrapped in shiny silver paper.

“Your birthday isn’t for a few days, but I figured you’d like to have this before the trip,” she said, handing me the box with a small smile. She never could resist giving me early gifts.

I took it from her and tore away the paper, my stomach dropping as I recognized the brand and logo on the box. I carefully opened the lid, revealing a stunning pair of designer sunglasses—a very expensive pair. They were the same ones I’d been ogling a few weeks ago when we’d gone into a store to look around for fun, knowing everything in there was out of our price range.

“Holy crap, Mom! How did you even get these?” I turned the sunglasses in my hands, admiring the tiny signature logo etched on the sides. I’d never owned anything like these before.

“You’re turning twenty-one.” She smiled. “It calls for something special.”

Tears pricked at the back of my eyes. How many countless hours of overtime had she been working the past few weeks, just to pay for these glasses?

“I love them so much, Mom, but you really shouldn’t have.”

Overwhelmed, I stood up, walked around the table, and wrapped my arms tightly around her from behind. I held on—not just for the sunglasses but for all of the little things shehad done for me over all these years, the sacrifices she never complained about.

“I love you, Areya,” she said, patting my arm.

I returned to my seat, wiping my eyes, loving the smile she wore—the one telling me she was beyond pleased with herself for picking out something I adored so much.

“You’ll get the rest of your gifts on your actual birthday,” she added. “And something special from your other mother.”

Every year, on my birthday, Mom gave me a letter from Everleigh along with a small gift my birth mother had picked out for me before she passed.

On my eighteenth, I’d received a delicate silver bracelet with a note saying,‘Whenever you wear this, remember how much I love you.’

Mom had also given me a bracelet that year, identical in style but made of gold.

She and Everleigh had picked the pieces out together and since that day, I had been wearing both bracelets on my left wrist as a tribute to my two loving moms.

Lost in thought, I reached for my phone and removed its lilac case, pulling out the worn photo I kept hidden there. It was a picture of Everleigh holding me when I was about two years old.

We were both smiling, and in the photo, she looked nearly the same age as I was now, her face full of joy as she hugged me close.

As much as Mom and I looked like complete opposites, Everleigh could have been my twin. We shared the same warm skin tone, straight dark hair, and gentle oval face.

I stared at the photo for a moment before tucking it back behind my phone. Looking at the screen again, I noticed a text from Tyson:

‘Meet at Bernie’s, say, eight p.m., to hang out before your vacation?’

I glanced up. “Mom, do you mind if I meet Lucy and Tyson at Bernie’s for a few hours?”

“Sure, go ahead. Just be home at a decent time, or you know I’ll be up worrying.”

I grinned, nodding, then quickly texted Tyson back to confirm.

“When I get home, we should definitely watch the next episode of Romance Manor,” I added, glancing up at Mom with a smile.

Her face lit up, a wide grin spreading across her lips.

The waiter brought our food, and as we started eating, I couldn’t help but notice Mom giving me an odd look every few minutes.

After the third glance, I set my fork down and narrowed my eyes. “What is it?”

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