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PUPPY ONE MONTH LATER ──────
HOLIDAYS WERE NEVER A BIG DEAL IN THE CARRINGTON FAMILY. It was only ever Ruby and her father, and they'd have a nice meal together when they could, and they always exchanged gifts when necessary, but they had no extended family to call in for a celebration. No friends close enough to trust with such things. Neither one of them were big on sentiment, so it was no hard feelings if they worked through Christmas, or didn't manage a text for a birthday.
When she and Stewy got married, it luckily wasn't much of a desire for him to spend holidays with her. He was either out of the country or doing something she simply wasn't aware of, which gave her the time to work in peace like she wanted to anyways.
This routine was never interrupted, which made the formal invitation sitting on her counter so baffling to her.
She's lost a few minutes staring at it, she knows, because she'd met the maid at 7:30 in the kitchen as she set the mail down, and now Stewy was walking in with a cup of coffee, and she could hear the sound of the vacuum echo from the downstairs study.
"What's that?" Stewy gestures to the invitation in her hands, brows furrowing curiously.
"It's an invitation," She flicks the thick cardstock, eyeing the two signatures at the bottom with slight amusement, because she knows for certain that Marcia signed for both her and Logan. It's not like he'd spare the thought to sign an invitation for her or anyone. "To Logan's birthday dinner at the townhouse."
The confusion on Stewy's face shifts into one of slight shock. "No shit, really? That's... interesting. Are you gonna go?"
"It's not like I've got other plans," She shrugs, prodding at him lightly with a pointed look. "Unless you've suddenly decided you need me for something."
Stewy shrugs it off easily, either oblivious to her jab or pretending to be. "No, no– do what you want. You know I don't care."
Ruby rolls her eyes and drops her gaze back down to the invitation laying on the counter. She knocks the gem of her wedding ring against the counter in a quiet rhythm, eyes on the diamond as it briefly shines under the light above her.
"Yeah," She finally heaves a sigh, not looking up at Stewy as she slides the rest of the mail into the trash. "Me neither."
She turns, leaving the invitation on the counter as she starts to leave, pulling her phone out of the pocket of her suit pants.
"So, are you gonna go?"
She stops, turning to meet Stewy's eyes over her shoulder, always looking back at him as she walks away. "It doesn't matter, does it?"
They sit in silence for a moment before her phone vibrates, alerting her to her driver waiting outside. She starts to say goodbye, and perhaps wish him a good day at work, but she stops herself at the last second.
