Page 78 of Butterfly

“It’s beautiful. Thank you.” I hug her, fighting the tears that don’t want to stop flooding my eyes. “I love it.”

“That’s from us.” Fiona hands me a soft parcel with a large bow on top. Charles is looking at me with compassion, and I wonder what Fiona told him.

I make short work of unwrapping the parcel. A light-blue cashmere scarf spills out. It’s the softest thing I’ve ever touched. Aside from Alex’s lips.

“Alex said the colour would match your eyes.” There’s a suspicious ring in Fiona’s voice, as if she’s on the verge of crying too.

A knot of emotion clogs my throat. “Thank you. It’s beautiful. I love how soft it is.” I wrap it around my neck.

“That’s mine.” Alex hands me a small blue box with a silver star gleaming on top. ‘From Alex to Sienna with love,’ the writing inside the star reads.

Love. That word again. So foreign to me, but now so real. I open the box carefully not to rip it. When I lift the lid, a gasp flees my lips. A golden butterfly pendant glitters from a dark velvet cushion. Its wings are encrusted with tiny blue gems. On the body, beads and twisted threads form a lovely filigree. I can’t stop the tears this time. “Oh, Alex.”

He takes my hand and kisses it. “For you,” he whispers.

I lift the golden chain and admire the butterfly. Alex ties the necklace behind my neck, and the butterfly hangs between my breasts. “It’s perfect.”

His chest rises. “Good.”

The others are suddenly deep in conversation, leaving us a bit of privacy.

He wipes my cheeks. “No more tears.”

“I can’t promise that.” I rub my eyes with the heels of my hands.

Alex rummages through the parcels and selects a small one. “Fi.” He hands it to her.

“For me?” Fiona rips the parcel open with abandon, oblivious to the strips of wrapping paper falling to the floor. “What is—Alex!” She gasps.

Charles glances at the gift next to her. “What is it?”

Fiona puts a hand on her chest. “A trip, all inclusive, for two people to Australia.”

“You’ve always wanted to go,” Alex says.

“It must’ve been a fortune.” Fiona unfolds a leaflet and skims through the papers.

I toy with the pendant. I can understand her. Expensive gifts from Alex would make me feel uncomfortable. Charles widens his eyes at the ticket. It’s difficult to say if he’s pleased or annoyed.

“Charles.” Alex hands him another parcel. “That’s for you only.”

“For me?” Charles hesitates before taking it. “Why two gifts? I don’t—” He falls silent after he unwraps the box. In fact, he’s so pale, Bethany and Fiona walk over to him.

“Darling?” Bethany takes a peek. “Oh.”

I perk up as well, curious to know what the matter is.

“Alex and Charles.” Fiona takes Charles’s present and shows it to me. It’s a watercolour portrait of Alex and Charles, made with gentle strokes and bright tones. The painter caught the two brothers’ beauty, Charles’s shyness, and Alex’s smile.

“It’s lovely,” I say.

Bethany wipes a lonely tear from her cheek. “Ivan?”

Alex nods. “Dad painted it.”

“Blimey, Alex.” Charles scrubs the back of his neck. “I didn’t know about it.”

Alex shrugs. “Dad gave it to me years ago. He told me to give it to you when the moment was right.”

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