Page 86 of Take It Till You Make It
“Did I hear the doorbell?” Mom asks, coming out from the same hall, combing her wet hair. “Oh.”
“It’s for me.” I cross my arms. “Three guesses who it’s from.”
“Everybody’s favorite gift delivery system.”
I cock my head. “Santa?”
“Amazon.”
We laugh, but the delivery guy takes us seriously. “No ma’am. This here is from the premier garden center in Southern California. Roger’s Gardens. Someone paid extra to get me to deliver it way up here.”
I arch a brow at Mom, and she rolls her eyes dramatically. “Of course he did,” she says. “Only Crispin Moore knows how to go above and beyond to give a gift.”
Naturally, I filled her in on our epic night out, and we found the tabloid photos to prove it. “Ain’t that the truth?”
The guy hands me paper and a pen. “Sign here, please.”
I scratch my name at the bottom of the paper and hand it back to him before realizing I might have seen what the heck the item is if I’d read the delivery slip.
“Have a nice day, ladies.”
I see the delivery guy out and then return to the balcony to stand next to Mom. Whatever it is, it’s taller than the both of us. I’m thankful for the specific instructions to deliver it to the patio, since we might not be able to move it now that it’s here. Mom snatches the paperwork still taped to the thing and hands it to me.
“It’s a plant,” I say.
“I guessed that when the guy told us it was from a garden center,” Mom says.
“Oh, sure. I, on the other hand, did not put the clues together.”
Mom laughs and gestures. “Open it already!”
“Fine.” I step forward and grip the paper where one section is wrapped over another, and I tear. And tear and tear until finally the paper falls to the floor around it. A huge ceramic planter in navy, white, and yellow is filled with a tall trellis, thickly covered in a vining plant with dark green, waxy leaves, and little star-shaped white flowers. The scent that fills the air confirms it for me.
“Oh, my goodness, he bought me a star jasmine.”
Mom cocks her head. “Is this some reference to you becoming a star?”
I frown, until the name of the plant re-registers. “Oh, no. They were growing in the grotto we stopped in, and I fell in love with the scent.” I shake my head and hold a hand out to the impossibly large plant. “So, he bought me one.”
“He is a generous man, that’s for certain.”
“It’s a bit much, actually.”
Mom arches a brow at me, hands on her hips.
I laugh. “Okay, I love it beyond reason, but I do feel bad that I’m just not that person. I’ll probably get him a tie for his birthday.”
“If you two are still dating when his birthday comes around, I’ll help you spoil him.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Inside, my stomach does a little jig at the thought of us still dating any length of time from now. Then I look at Mom, my eyes big with wonder. “Mom, I’m dating Crispin Moore!”
“And I think he’s crazy about you. Now, hurry and finish getting ready for the party. Belinda will be here soon.”
“I’m not the one with wet hair.” I wrinkle my nose at her as we split to go into our rooms to finish getting ready.
I think we’re both a little nervous about Mom attending this party. She’s gone on a couple of grocery store runs with me, but hasn’t been around a lot of people other than that. She’s still a bit skittish. And though her stamina has significantly improved, I can’t imagine her staying up late into the night. Hence, Crispin’s offer for Belinda to drive us. Even though I could have driven, he insisted that it was best for Mom if Belinda was at our beck and call the entire time. His logic escaped me, but who am I to argue the offer of a chauffeur? I’m sure I’m going to be tired by the time I decide to go home too, even if Belinda has dropped Mom at home hours earlier.
Mom puts my hair in hot rollers, and I snap a selfie and send it to Sally.
