It was clearly handcrafted with intricately woven shells and pearls.
Money can buy anything these days, but a gift made by hand? That's a true gesture of affection. Ordinarily, I'd be overjoyed.
But my birthday was shadowed by Sherry's video, featuring a market stall filled with similar handcrafted bracelets in the background.
I let him slip the bracelet on my wrist, but as he leaned in for a kiss, I instinctively pulled away.
Caught off guard, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"You've been on a plane all day, go freshen up in the shower." I gently pushed him towards the bathroom.
Seeing his face always brought back images of him and Sherry, intimately close, their affair clearly more than a fleeting mistake.
How else could they have ended up with a child?
While bringing Ryan his milk, he seemed engrossed in his laptop, oblivious to my approach.
"Looking at kids' clothes now?"
I peeked at the screen. There was a young boy modeled two distinct outfits.
Ryan accepted the milk. "A buddy of mine is thinking of launching a kids' line. Just giving it a look. Which do you prefer?"
I studied the photos. "The left one looks sharp, like a tiny gentleman."
He nodded, taking a sip of milk.