Ethan and Lilly made their way into the ballroom. They linked their arms in the same manner as the previous pairs that came out before their turn.
The whispers escalated at the sight of them. Ethan placed a hand on his sister’s, rubbing the back of it.
“Don’t listen to them” he told her without shifting his gaze.
Lilly simply smiled, “When do I ever?”
The guests often criticized her decision to part ways with the family business. Most of her elders had pursued a career that benefited the company. She, on the other hand, didn’t even become part of its legal department. Lilly moved out of town and opened up her own firm. With her twin brother taking over, she had the freedom to live an independent life. She wanted to make a name of herself.
She continued to do it with no regrets.
The lesser half of the gossip about her revolved around her lack of desire for marriage. No matter how much her close family and friends tried to convince her, Lilly simply didn’t feel the need of a significant other in her life. It probably sprouted from her thirst of independence but she couldn’t see herself sharing her days with a person in that kind of relationship.
Ethan walked with pride, gazing at his wife in front of him. He also checked on his daughter. Angie had mentioned her intentions to push Alex closer to Logan. Ethan felt lost. What was a father to do when his daughter had a potential suitor? He couldn’t bring himself to trust anyone enough not to hurt her.
At the main entrance, a woman stood. She spread her arms in the air, a microphone attached near her mouth.
“You all look wonderful, darlings” Jaime’s delighted voice blasted out of the speakers, “But, of course, I look the best.”
Her guests laughed at her sense of humor. She took a few steps, doing a catwalk to prove her point. She made a turn and posed. Her ankle still tucked in behind the other, she leaned back with her hands on her hips and her head tilted up.
The ballroom burst into applause.
Jaime straightened her posture and laughed into the mic, “Oh, no matter what others say, remember you are only as old as you think you are. That’s why my cake only has 18 candles.”
“And who says I can’t?” She asked. While the audience continued to try and hold in their laughter, she continued, whispering, “It’s my son who does but don’t tell him I told you that.”
Jaime chuckled along with her guests, “To hear your sounds of joy on this occasion, truly makes this a beautiful day of celebration. Thank you all for coming here. I hope you have a good time.”
Before she could step out of her spot, a birthday song flooded out of the speakers. A tall birthday cake, towering 5 layers with small support pillars, rolled to the center of the room. Each layer had been covered in pastel yellow fondant. Diamond patterns had been cut around them with plum colored eatable dots at their points. The top layer had been designed like a gift box. The fondant was red with white polka dots and a bow at the center.
Behind it were rows and rows of cupcakes with purple frosting and sugar flowers in violet. It had edible pearls to top off the design. The papers cups had been replaced with lavender lace paper and a ribbon tied around it.
“Oh, what a surprise” Jaime gasped, giggling shyly. The audience began to sing along while she walked up to the cake, “I see some poked holes in this. Did you all remove the ones that were in excess of 18?”
When the song ended, she closed her eyes, hands clasped together. She had lived far longer than she ever imagined. Frankly, Jaime had the idea she’d die around her 50s. Maybe it had been because she wanted to preserve what youth she had. She didn’t regret it when it didn’t come true. She was more than happy to be alive and witness her family grow. She only had them in heart.
With that in mind, Jaime blew out the candles.
Applause exploded in the room. She cackled, “Thank you all for your enthusiasm. Please eat! You must be famished!”
The crowd dispersed into small groups, filling up the seats around the round table. Jaime handed the mic to an attendant and walked the rest of the way to where her family waited for her. From the corner of her eye, she saw two young men searching for empty seats. She stopped in her tracks, hands on her hips.
“Logan! Jae!” She called out. The sound of her voice made heads turn. She ignored them and only eyed the twins, “Where do you think you’re going? Your seats are with us.”
The people that listened in looked over at the two young men. They immediately strode over to Jaime’s side. The others whispered once more, wondering who they could be.
Jae grinned, “Happy birthday, dear Jaime. Mind if I escort you to your seat?”
He offered his left arm to her.
“I hope you also grant me the same privilege” Logan added, “It would be a great pleasure to accompany you tonight.”
He walked around until he reached her other side, raising his right arm. Jaime brushed both of her hands in the air, “You, boys, are too much. But who could resist the company of such handsome boys? I feel even younger than 18 now.”
She looped her arms respectively. The three of them strolled the ballroom as if it was a park. A number of stares followed them, noting the absence of Jaime’s husband.
A few teenagers sat at a round table near the one they headed for. Two of them had their hair tied up into ponytails. One was medium brown in color while the other was black. They leaned their heads against each other, their blue eyes waiting for the trio to reach their table and to see what would happen.
“Do you recognize them?” The black-haired teen asked. Her fringe fell on two sides of her face, curling at the ends, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen them at Freccia Prep.”
“If I did, I think I’d remember” her companion answered. She brushed the top of her head absentmindedly. She had used hairspray on it but it wouldn’t surprise her if a few strands decided to stick out, “I know my snacks.”
“Right, right. That means they’re not from our school.”
“You think we should just transfer to theirs? They’re bound to have equally hot friends.”
“I’d rather turn into a cat. It makes stalking easier.”
“Wait, wait, I think they’re about to talk.”
Jaime let the two boys go and pushed them towards a nearby table, “You, youngsters, must want some privacy after what happened at lunch. You won’t be sitting with the adults.”
“But each table accommodates eight people,” Alex spoke up. Did her grandmother now join her mother’s brigade?
“And so?” Her grandmother countered, “You can use it for your belongings. Your purses would just take up the space of the table. Take your seats so the food could be served.”
Emily pushed her cousin’s back before she could say anything else. Even if they tried to discuss it, there was no way her mother and the others would leave Jaime’s table. It would also only have one vacant seat. Although she didn’t feel too fond about sitting alone with the boys, she wouldn’t sacrifice her cousin either and take up that empty seat. She also wouldn’t give her the chance to escape.
The two girls exchanged a look and nodded. They sat next to each other and instantly placed their purses at either side.
Jae chuckled, taking the seat next to Emily’s purse, “Really? The both of you will go that far?”
“It’s a precaution” Emily shrugged, “If grandfather shows up, he surely wouldn’t like to see it.”
“See what?” He asked.
He merely received an eye roll in return, “I’m not going to spell that out for you. If you can’t figure it out, well, too bad.”
Logan followed his twin’s example. He leaned over the chair with a purse. Alex snapped her head towards him in alarm, “What are you doing?”
“I thought there was something in your ear,” he frowned, squinting his eyes at it.
Alex touched her ear right away, “What is it?”
“It’s the soft voices of the world telling you how beautiful you are.”
===
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