The Difference

Chapter 27

"It's the day of the ball!" Ava sings throughout our apartment. She's in a light blue satin robe and matching slippers. I walk out of my room as she's unpacking bags of hair products and accessories, makeup, lotion, wax kits, razors, face masks, and lastly, a bottle of Rosé. 

"Put your robe on so we can match!" She demands. "I have Brad picking our dresses up from the tailor and grabbing us breakfast."

She starts to sort her supplies out on our kitchen counter so neatly I am afraid to protest her request. I sneak back into my room and close my door, calling Troy.

"Hello?" He answers in a whispered tone.

"Hey. Is everything okay?" I question.

"Yeah, I'm just signing some last-minute paperwork with Grandma. I told Brad to bring you guys breakfast." He pauses. "Looks like I'm going to be tied up for most of the day. Can I pick you up later? 4:00?"

I frown for a second but tell myself to get over it. "Of course. I'll see you later." Hanging up, I find my pink satin robe that matches Ava's. My mom bought them for us when we moved in together. I get sad thinking about my mom and how she doesn't know about Troy yet. As soon as I was ready to tell her about him, he told me about Ceralita and then his Dad passed, and now I'm not even sure how to break to my family that my boyfriend is going to be coronated soon and I may be moving to a foreign country with him. I shake my head. I'm not going with him.

Am I?

Ava knocks on my door. "Hey, Brad's here!" I step into the kitchen and Brad hands me a bouquet of flowers with a card from Troy.

"Read it out loud! I tried to peak but the bastard sealed the envelope," Brad says.

"It says .... 'Dear Rosemary, I know I'm not good with flowers, so Ava had to give me some guidance." I look up at her and smile as she nods as if to say "you're welcome." "... I wanted to get you a bouquet of Rosemary, but Ava told me that's an herb and not romantic at all. And that it smells kind of funny. So, I had to settle for just roses. Can't wait to see you tonight. Love, Troy."

I smile as I hold the card to my chest.

"Damn. He's such a loser," Brad teases.

"Hey!" Ava protests.

"What? A rosemary bouquet? That's just stupid" Brad says, pulling food out of the paper bag he set on the kitchen table. He settles on a bagel sandwich and looks pleased with himself as he sits on the couch and flips on The Office. He is cracking up as Ava offers to grab our dresses from the car. I snag one of the breakfast sandwiches and sit on the coushin next to him. He doesn't blink as I sit and watch him, waiting for a good time to interrupt the show.

I can't wait any longer so I blurt out, "So, will you go back to Ceralita?"

"What?" he asks, eyes still glued to the TV.

"Will you go back to Ceralita when Troy does?"

"Nah, I'm gonna stay here. Since you're going with him, I'll probably just move in here with Ava."

My heart drops. "Who said I was going with him?"

Brad finally looks at me. "Troy is pretty certain you'll be on that plane with him in a few weeks."

I shake my head trying to process what he just said as Ava calls me. "Aren't you gonna come get ready? You have to do my hair and makeup along with yours, too." As I get up obediently, the door bell rings. Eric walks past me before being invited in.

"Sure, come on in!" I say sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He notices Brad on the couch. "Hey, man!"