Karrie says, and I go back to the picture and check, and she does.
That means she had Botox five days prior, Vivienne says, and then adds Don’t ask.
I laugh, and then Allison answers
Someone is googling a certain somebody. Why is no one pointing that out?
Hussy, Karrie answers while Vivienne says, Salope
GOOD NIGHT GIRLS, I tell them in caps. And they all answer me back with LOL
I put my phone down and look outside. I wonder if he got in touch with his mother. I wonder if he’s going to be okay. I wonder if … “Stop wondering, Denise,” I tell myself and close my eyes, forcing myself to fall asleep, but it’s for nothing because he’s there in my dreams with his sly smile, his bright eyes, and most of all, his hand that’s always reaching out for me. My sleep isn’t restful; I toss and turn most of the night, waking so often it’s like I didn’t even sleep.
When the doorbell rings the next day while I’m drinking my coffee, I get up, going over to it. Opening the door, I am surprised when I see Karrie, Allison, and Vivienne.
“We brought gifts,” Karrie says, holding up a bag of doughnuts while Allison holds up three cups of coffee in a square tray. Vivienne in the back reaches into her big purse and pulls out a bottle of Prosecco.
“But really, I brought the right gift,” she says, pushing them aside. “Please tell me you have jus d’orange?” Orange juice, she says, going to the fridge and cheering when she sees my Tropicana.
“What are you guys doing here?” I ask them as the other two walk in.
“We figured after last night, you needed girl time, and we need to talk about the casino night,” Allison says, taking off her jacket and placing it over one of the stools.
“So,” Karrie says when we hear the bottle pop and Vivienne gets the glasses to make mimosas.
“Continue,” Vivienne says while she mixes our drinks.
“So,” Karrie continues, “we decided that we would kill two birds with one stone.”
“Well,” I tell them, closing the door behind them, “it’s a good surprise.”
Karrie takes off her own jacket and places it on the stool next to Allison. “Let’s get down to business,” she says, and we all sit down to go over the plans. It takes two bottles of Prosecco and the coffees turning cold before the doorbell rings again, and this time I open the door and a large bouquet greets me.
“Denise Horton,” the man asks me, and I just nod my head when he hands me the crystal vase filled with yellow flowers—from roses to daisies to orchids.
“What in the world?” I say out loud, grabbing the red card that is sticking out of the middle. I set the flowers down on the big island and open the flap of the envelope to pull it out, and the message makes me smile.
Jack said he wanted to send you a ray of sunshine. I have no idea what that means, but I figured it would be yellow. Thank you for everything.
Zack.
I look back down at the flowers and see that there is even lemon in the water. “Who is it from?” I look up at their eyes as Vivienne just smirks.
“Jack,” I tell them.
“Really?” Vivienne says. “A five-year-old has a credit card and called a florist and bought you flowers?”
I roll my eyes at her as the other two laugh. “Okay, Zack sent them, but they are from Jack,” I say, the envelope still in my hand.
“Aren’t you guys leaving?” I ask them. “Don’t you have to go pick up kids or take my niece out of her father’s arms?” I look at them.
“It’s a day off,” Allison says, “so we can stay as long as we want.”
“Whatever,” I say, grabbing my phone and walking to the back bedroom to dial Zack. He answers on the second ring.
“May I speak to Jack please?” I ask with a smile on my face, just from hearing his voice.
“Sure,” he says, and I can tell he’s smiling. “Jack, phone for you,” he says, and I hear him in the background. “Is it Grandma?”
“Hello?” he says into the phone.
“Well hello, Jack, it’s Dr. Denise,” I tell him, and I hear him turn to Zack.
“Daddy, it’s Dr. Denise,” he tells him and then comes back to the phone. “My grandma is coming over to take care of me,” he tells me.
“Is she?” I say to him. “I can tell you’re excited.”
“I’m going to show her how to play mini sticks,” he says, and I have to laugh a little.
“Well, I’m calling to say thank you for the flowers.” He must turn to Zack again.
“Daddy, she got the flowers,” he says and then comes back. “Are they pretty?”
“They are the prettiest flowers I’ve ever seen,” I tell him, and he tells Zack exactly what I said.