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I woke up Saturday morning to Lily singing happy birthday to me. It was so sweet that I wanted to live in this moment forever. She placed a quick kiss on my cheek before jumping out of bed and opening the door to John’s room. I sat up on the bed, looking around at the mess that we had made last night. The tv was still on, and there were empty bags of chips from the vending machine scattered along with bags of candy on the other bed.
“Happy birthday!” John said warmly as he walked in, taking in the mess. “Looks like you girls had quite the party last night.”
I laughed as Lily came back over and sat down next to me on the bed.
“It was sooo much fun, daddy! You have no idea!”
“I’m glad you had a good time, honey.”
“How was your night?” I asked, covering my mouth as I yawned. I was still in my pajamas that we had changed into before we did our manicures last night, and I was pretty sure that my hair was a knotted mess, but it wasn’t like he didn’t see me like this most mornings at his house anyway.
“It was good. I played poker for a bit and walked away with a nice payout.”
His eyes sparkled for a moment, and I wondered just how nice it was. John was a diehard poker player but hadn’t played in years. Apparently, it was a skill that didn’t fade away for him.
“I’m glad you had a good night, too,” I said, meaning it. My night with Lily had been as much fun as she said, and I was glad that John was able to go enjoy himself for the night as well. I had no idea what time he got back in, but he looked well-rested and fully energized this morning.
“So, what does the birthday girl want to do today?” he asked, sitting down on the other bed after moving some of the mess away.
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” I groaned playfully, covering my face with a pillow. “I’m too old to do anything. Let’s just forget that it’s my birthday. Maybe I should go buy some wrinkle cream and Metamucil.”
“Oh please,” he snorted. “You’re younger than me, and you look gorgeous.”
“I’m forty. The big FOUR-O. My life is downhill from here.”
“Well, given that I’m forty-four, I’m going to tell you that your forties aren’t that bad.”
“Yeah, but you’re a guy. You age well. It’s not fair. A woman turning forty is different. Men see her as aged.”
“What kind of men are you trying to date? Twenty-year-old college punks? Men your age would love to have someone like you. You’re beautiful, smart, kind, and just a wonderful person. Age isn’t anything to be this stressed over. You’re not old, so stop thinking that you are.”
I pulled my mouth to the side and glared at him. Maybe he was right. Maybe I was just making a big stink out of it for nothing. I had been looking forward to my fortieth birthday for a while—shocking, I know! But ever since we found Charlotte’s bucket list, I had been thinking about all of the things I hadn’t done yet and felt like I was starting to run out of time.
“Fine, I guess it’s not that bad,” I conceded. “But that doesn’t mean that we have to devote the day to it. We can do whatever you guys want to do.”
Lily was lying next to me, twirling her blonde hair around her finger as she listened to us.
“Is there anything that you wanted to do today, Lily?” I asked, drawing her into the conversation.
“Not really,” she said, not engaging beyond that.
“I had an idea for tonight if you trust me?” John said cautiously.
That immediately made me wonder what he was planning. He looked so excited about it that I didn’t bother to fight him on whatever he had planned.
“Alright, I trust you. Even though I’m not sure that I should after the karaoke surprise last night,” I joked.
“Hey, you made a hundred dollars from that!”
“I told you to keep the money,” I insisted. “It was your idea. You should have taken the money.”
“I wanted you to have it. Consider it an early birthday gift from Sin City.”
“Why do you call it Sin City?” Lily asked, looking over at John as she waited for his response.
I laughed as he blushed, realizing that he didn’t want to explain this to his daughter.
“Just let me know what the plans are for tonight so that I can get ready.”
“I think we should do a little shopping, and then we can spend some time at the pool before we get ready to go,” he said with a wink.
“What kind of shopping do we need to do?” I groaned, my feet still sore from yesterday.
“We’re going dress shopping. And maybe a pair of heels.”
I felt my jaw drop, wondering even more now what he was going on.
“I didn’t take you for a high heel kind of man,” I teased.
“They’re for you,” he laughed. He got up and walked back to his room, calling to Lily over his shoulder, “come on, we need to get ready. We have lots of fun stuff to do today.”
Once they were gone, I closed the door and jumped in the shower. I had no idea what we were doing tonight or where we were going, so that left me clueless about how to do my hair and makeup. I decided to hold off until I knew more, especially since John mentioned hanging out at the pool for a bit.
I pulled my hair back into a low ponytail and pinned my bangs back. I found another pair of shorts, this time cotton, and put them on with a flowy tank top. This was a comfortable outfit for running around in, and half the time, I used it as pajamas because it was so soft and breathable. I was sitting on the bed, grabbing the stuff I needed out of my purse, when I heard a knock on the door.
I opened it and found John and Lily on the other side with a bouquet of roses that had been delivered.
“These were supposed to come to your room, but they delivered them to mine instead,” he explained, handing me the vase with pink and white roses.
“Oh my goodness, these are beautiful!” I brought the vase to my nose and smelled them. “Thank you guys so much!”
“You’re very welcome,” John said, his face lit up with happiness. “Are you ready to get going?”
“Yeah, let me set these down and grab my phone, and then I’m ready.” I found a safe place for the flowers on the dresser next to the tv. I figured it was as safe of a place as any given that it was where Lily had put Sammy’s tank when we first checked in, and he seemed to be doing just fine.
I grabbed my phone and shoved it into my pockets, slinging my clutch across my shoulders. I hated carrying a big purse and had bought this small, cute clutch yesterday that held all my credit cards and license. It was more expensive than I would have liked to pay, but it was name brand, and you paid for that.
We went downstairs, and I was relieved that John had picked a store close by instead of making us walk far. It was a small boutique and had plenty of cute dresses to choose from, including some that were fancier and more formal.
I still had no idea what the plan was or why I needed a dress, but John walked through the store like he was Richard Gere, and I was the beautiful prostitute that he was trying to domesticate. Okay, so maybe not a prostitute, but he was oddly comfortable talking to the saleswoman about the dress selection she had and the need for something fancy but not over the top.
I followed them through the store, watching as they discussed different options. Apparently, she knew where we were going because she insisted several times that I would need something more comfortable and not so restricting. After sorting through several racks, and her trying to figure out my size by looking at my body, she helped me to a dressing room and hung up the handful of dresses that she thought would work best. I waited for her to come back with the assortment of shoes that she wanted me to try as well before I bothered trying anything on.
My stomach knotted as I thought back to the last time I had tried clothes on in a store. It was with Charlotte before the accident. I still had the outfit that she had bought me for my interview hanging up in the closet at home, never worn, with the tags still on it. I wiped away the tear that had escaped and picked up the first dress.
It was a black spaghetti strap dress that had a plunging neckline and barely covered my ass. This was Las Vegas, but I had imagined that she would find something that didn’t make me look like a prostitute. I shimmied out of it and hung it up on the hanger before grabbing the next one. I didn’t bother going out to show them the dresses, mainly because I felt too naked in all of them.
“How’s it going in there?” John asked from the waiting area outside the door.
“I feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman,” I replied as I slipped out of another one. There was only one dress left that I hadn’t tried on, and I was doubtful that it would be any better than the others.
“Spoiled by a rich man with too much money on his hands?”
“More like the prostitute that is showing her ass in every single dress. And if my ass isn’t hanging out, then my boobs are about to pop out. Don’t they believe in clothes that cover you?”
“Do you want me to order a pizza?” he offered with a chuckle.
I pulled my brows together, confused, as I pulled the satiny red fabric over my head.
“Are you hungry? We just had breakfast.”
“No,” he laughed. “It worked in the movie. They ordered her a pizza, and then she was happy and bought all sorts of clothes and shoes and stuff.”
“I’m not sure if I’m impressed by how well you remember the movie or worried,” I teased, smoothing the fabric down over my hips and turning to the side to get a better look in the mirror. This one wasn’t bad, and surprisingly, it covered the parts of my body that I wanted to hide. It was short, but not too short, hitting mid-thigh. The fabric was soft and light, making it feel like a summer dress, even though it was far from casual.
The straps were thin but thick enough for me to wear a bra and not have it be noticeable. The waist was tapered, creating curves that I didn’t remember having before now. I reached up and ran a finger along the neckline, admiring how it dipped low enough to show some cleavage without putting the girls on full display. As much as I had hated the idea of trying on dresses, I was suddenly in love with this one and knew that I had to have it.
I sorted through the boxes of shoes that she had brought me—surprisingly, in my size. How did they do that? Just look at someone and know what size they were? They were all heels with at least a five or six-inch heel. How I was going to walk in those and not fall was beyond me. Maybe Charlotte would send me some sort of superpowers to get me through the night without falling on my face. I was torn between the red stilettos and the black leather shoes with a slightly thicker but taller heel when there was a knock at the door.
“How’s it going? Do you need more dresses to try on?” the saleswoman asked.
I stepped back and pulled the door open enough for her to see me without letting John have a look. If he was going to surprise me with a night out, then he was going to have to be surprised with what I was wearing.
“I can’t decide on which shoes to wear,” I said shyly, pulling at my dress as she stared at me.
“You look beautiful,” she said sweetly. “I would go with the red ones.”
“Thank you,” I said with a nod. She turned and walked out, giving me privacy to change.
I hung the dress up and got dressed. When I walked out of the fitting room, I found John talking with her at the register as she showed him a handful of ties. I swallowed hard, hoping that she didn’t think that we were together. It would be an easy mistake to make, but I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone assuming that, let alone saying something where Lily could hear.
She stood next to John, pointing at the different ties, before turning around and spotting me.
“Emma! Did you pick a dress?” she asked as she ran over to me.
“I did, and it’s gorgeous,” I said, hugging her shoulders. “But your dad can’t see it, so I’m waiting until he’s done, then I’ll pay for it.”
John laughed and nodded his head. He pointed to a tie and slid his credit card over to the saleswoman.
“I’ll be outside,” he said before adding, “She’s not to pay for anything. Add her items to my purchase.”
I was about to object as he walked off. Once he got to the door, he stopped and turned back to us.
“And give her the other pair of shoes that she couldn’t decide on.”
He walked out the door, and Lily followed him, jumping around with excitement. I walked up to the counter, the woman grinning from ear to ear.
“Are you ready, dear?” she asked, not prying into what had just happened. Maybe it was common here for men to do things like this for women, or maybe it was the look of shock on my face. Either way, I appreciated that she didn’t push for information.
I waited while she rang everything up and handed me the bags.
“Do you want me to go grab him so he can sign for the purchase?” I offered, knowing that I couldn’t sign for him.
“No need for that. Mr. Wright is a valued member and has asked that we charge these items to his room.”
She handed me the receipt and a smaller bag that I hadn’t seen before. I took it and wandered outside to where John and Lily were sitting on a bench waiting for me.
“What was that about?” I asked, nodding to the store behind me. “Since when do they just let you drop hundreds of dollars in a store and charge it to your room?”
“I told you that I had a good night,” he said with a shrug. “I’m glad that you found something that you liked.”
I pulled in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before I spoke.
“Thank you, John. For all of this. But it’s too much. You didn’t need to go through all of this effort.”
He got up from the bench and stood in front of me, so close that I could smell the hint of aftershave on his collar. I found myself holding my breath again, but this time, for a different reason.
“Emma, when was the last time that you got dressed up and went somewhere special?”
I paused, thinking about it, even though I already knew the answer.
“Exactly.”
He ran a hand down the stubble that dotted his jaw.
“We don’t get many opportunities to do things like this. To live as if we don’t have a care in the world. We’re on vacation, and we’re filling items on a bucket list that someone else never got to do. So, I want to live in the moment. I want to pretend, just for a little while, that we don’t have a damn care in the world. Can you please stop fighting me on this and trust me when I say that I want to do this for you?”
He reached out and gently grabbed my elbows as I had my arms folded across my chest. When he said it like that, I couldn’t be mad at him. I understood where he was coming from, but I hated that he was spending money on me, knowing that I could never pay him back.
“Okay, I’m sorry. It is a very nice gesture. I just feel bad with how much you’re spending on me.”
“Emma, I wouldn’t spend it if I couldn’t afford it. Trust me, I’m very good with money and know my budget. Now, are you ready for the next part of the day?”
I was starting to feel a little less stressed and overwhelmed, which made the idea of lounging by the pool for a few hours sound even more appealing.
“Yes! I could go for a cold drink while I lay by the pool,” I said excitedly, looking past him to Lily, knowing that she was probably just as excited.
“I actually had something else in mind,” he laughed, turning and steering me by my elbow as Lily joined us. We walked back into the hotel and toward the elevator that went to our rooms. I was confused when we kept going past it and ended up at a dead-end where the spa and salon were.
“Here we are,” he said, opening the frosted white glass door and holding it open for me.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, looking around at the room full of women wearing crisp white aprons who were staring at me and smiling.
“I booked you a spa appointment. They’re ready to pamper you for the day with a facial, a haircut and color, and a ninety-minute massage. If there’s anything else that you want, just let them know, and they’ll add it in for you.” John winked and gave me his best smile, probably knowing that I was about to complain about him spending money again.
“I thought we were going to the pool?” I replied dumbly, at a loss for words.
“Oh, yeah, Lily and I are going to the pool while you relax and let them spoil you. I’ll meet you in the room around four? Four-thirty?” He looked down at his watch, checking the time.
I couldn’t speak if I tried. John and Lily walked out and left me to a team of very friendly, very eager professionals ready to pamper me.
I spent the first half of the day getting a massage and a real pedicure, not like the one I attempted last night with Lily. Not that it was even a pedicure, just a couple of coats of nail polish. After that, I succumbed to the magical feeling of Claud’s hands as they worked the knots out of my shoulders and made my body feel like I was twenty again. I’ve had plenty of massages in my life, but I could honestly say that nothing had compared to this one.
Once I had rinsed the massage oil off my body and soaked in the hot tub for an hour, I decided to go see what John had set up for my hair. I had been talking about getting a cut and color recently, but I hadn’t expected him to listen or pay attention.
I sat in the chair, watching Helena use her fingers to style it. I hadn’t realized how much my hair had grown since the last time I had cut it, but it felt great to have it short again. I stuck with the same chin-length bob that I had before, enjoying how easy and simple it was to maintain. I decided to go a shade darker than the honey brown color that I had before, this time settling on a chocolate brown.
I looked at myself in the mirror, barely recognizing myself. It felt like I had been renewed and refreshed, which was definitely not what I imagined I would feel on my fortieth birthday. I thanked the team for everything they did for me and tried to leave a tip, which was quickly denied based on their direct orders from Mr. Wright.
I went back to my room and got ready, leaving ten minutes to spare before John knocked on my door. I pushed the silver hoop earring through my ear and quickly fixed my hair before I walked over and answered the door. John was standing there in a fitted black button-down shirt and dress slacks, with a red tie that matched my dress snug around his neck. I knew that he would be burning up as soon as we stepped outside, but I appreciated him making an effort for me.
Lily came to stand beside him, wearing a beautiful blue summer dress with pink flowers all over it. Her hair had been combed; a small portion braided on top to keep it out of her face. She looked adorable, and I covered my mouth to keep from squealing and gushing over it.
“You guys!! You look amazing!” I said, stepping back to let them in the room.
John’s eyes widened when he saw the dress and shoes that I had chosen, and immediately I panicked, worried that I had spent too much.
“You... look.” He stopped and shook his head. “Gorgeous. Just absolutely gorgeous, Emma.”
If it was possible, he took my breath away again in less than sixty seconds. But this time, it was because of his sincere reaction. He was still looking at me, his eyes slowly traveling the length of my body as he took it all in when Lily cleared her throat.
“Dad, the gift,” Lily coaxed.
“Yes, thank you,” he said, his voice scratchy. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small box. My eyes went wide as I tilted my head to give him the look.
“Before you say anything,” he warned with a laugh. “This was a gift that was bought long before this trip.”
He handed me the box and stepped back. They watched as I opened it, slowly lifting the beautiful silver locket necklace out and held it in my hand.
“Charlotte had bought it for you months ago,” John explained, a crack in his voice as he said her name. “She found it at an antique store and thought you would love it.”
My fingers trembled as I opened it. Inside was a picture of her and me from our senior year in high school. I closed my eyes, willing the tears to go away, so they didn’t ruin my makeup.
“I do love it, thank you.”
I set the box down on my bed and lifted it to my neck.
“Here, let me help you,” John offered.
His fingers lightly grazed the back of my neck as he clasped it in place.
“I like the new hair, by the way,” he said softly, barely loud enough for me to hear.
“Thank you,” I said again, running my fingers over the necklace.
“Alright, shall we get going?” he asked, turning to look at Lily, who was smiling brightly at us.
“We shall,” I said, feeling my nerves all over the place.
A quick—quick for Las Vegas, drive later, we boarded a three-level paddle wheeler on Lake Mead for a dinner cruise. The scenery was beautiful, and Hoover Dam was stunning at night. The food was delicious, and the dessert divine. But the best part was spending this moment with John and Lily.
We were cruising back when John came and stood next to me by the railing. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the fresh air. Lily was standing between us, watching the water as we moved.
“You know, Lily, this trip was partly for you tonight too,” he said, looking down at her. “There was a bucket list item that we checked part of it off.”
“Which one?” she asked, looking up at him.
“I don’t remember it word for word, but it was the one about being in three different bodies of water,” he replied.
“You might need more than a breeze to travel across all three of these,” she recited, grinning cheekily, proud that she had remembered it.
“Are you happy that we’re getting some of the things on your mom’s list done?” I asked, looking down at her.
“Yeah, but I don’t know if we’ll get all of them. Some of them were really hard.”
“We’ll never know if we don’t try,” I reminded her gently.
“And, tomorrow is a new day with new adventures,” John said with a wink that told me he had more things planned that were being kept secret.