Lustrous

Epilogue: A Birthday Surprise

"Babe please." Anthony begged me on the phone.

"No!" I kept my voice stern and defensive.

"I will do anything you want."

"Anything huh?"

Oh this could be good.

Foot massage for the win!

Ew have your seen your feet? No one would want to touch them. Even the lady at the nail salon looked at your feet and said "Oh honey your feet look like monsters."

She did not.

She would have if she wasn't about to throw up at the sight of them.

I rolled my eyes. You're being over dramatic.

"Anything Sky." Anthony seemed almost desperate on the phone.

"Anthony just shut up and let me cook you dinner." I flicked my hair over my shoulder and rested my phone there. I pulled the papers from the printer and started looking over the figures. I looked up at the clock. Ten more minutes until home time.

Anthony groaned on the other end of the phone. "Baby I love you, but your cooking is going to kill me."

"It's your birthday and I'll be damned if I let you cook!" I put down my highlighter and pen and sat back in my chair, giving him my full attention.

"And I appreciate the thought Sky, but please just let me cook."

"How about take out?"

Anthony sighed deeply and I automatically pictured him pinching the bridge of his nose and running a hand through his hair. "But I hate take out."

"Do you want to go out for dinner then? We can go a restaurant of your choosing." I tempted him. It would ruin my plans a little, but I could alter them a little - I guess.

"No, I really just want to go home and have a lazy night in."

I froze a little. He did? Oh well that fucked up my plans a little. I turned to my diary and opened up my address book. The list of names was a little daunting now. Our friends and family, all invited to the surprise birthday party I was throwing for Anthony at our house tonight.

Too bad. No lazy night husband.

"Okay babe. What ever you want." I told him what he wanted to hear and hung up. Taking a deep breath, I flipped my hair back and tied it up in a loose ponytail. Collecting my belongings I handed in a few papers to my boss on my way out of the building.

I wondered down to the carpark and slid into my new car. Well, Louie - that was what I named my car - wasn't exactly new, I had bought him last year when we moved into our little house out in the suburbs. It was a half an hour commute to get home, but at four in the afternoon it only took me 25 minutes.

I pulled the balloons and birthday cake out of the car and half waved at our neighbours as I walked into the house. It was a quiet, still building up area, a nice double story house with a model style and a decent sized backyard. Much more space than the Lustrous apartment that was for sure.

I sat the cake and balloons on the bench of the kitchen and hit the answering machine. All messages were from friends and family calling to RSVP for tonight.

I opened the back door and let Macaroni inside. Despite the fact that our puppy was now full grown, she was still in the chewing stage and so her inside time was limited.

"Get on your bed." I told her, greeting her with a little pat on the head and heading outside.

We now had added a fish pond and a bird to our collection of pets. And on occasion, we also feed the neighbours cat. But Anthony won't let me buy a cat. I opened up Hercules little bunny house and let her out for her daily run around the garden - her only free time was when Macaroni had been bought inside since the two don't get along to well. Hercules was getting old now, and was no longer as energetic as she once was.