Surprise

Valerie was surprised to find Julian waiting in front of the door, his appearance even more polished than usual. As she approached, she caught an excited yet hesitant look deep in his eyes.

Before she could ask, he asked softly, “Would you play along with me for a bit?”

Her eyebrows raised in suspicion, remembering what Lukas had muttered as she was leaving. She hadn't given much attention to the date and hadn't remembered it was her birthday until Lukas mentioned it. So that’s what they were being secretive about, she thought, sighing as she prepared to refuse him if he had planned a surprise birthday party.

Julian reached for her and pulled her inside. The apartment had only warm, dim lighting—no dramatic birthday decorations. Was she overthinking?

Julian closed the door, took a deep breath, and walked into the dining room. He pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. She noticed a mid-sized cloche sitting on the table. She walked toward him slowly, trying to figure out how to put it nicely: she didn't celebrate birthdays, and Julian should just go to sleep since she still had work to do.

“What is this?” she asked.

Julian simply guided her down into the seat, sat in the chair beside her, and said, “A celebration.”

She wondered if getting up and closing her office door on him would make their relationship awkward. She wasn't ready to face a birthday cake and be asked to blow out candles. She expected him to be hiding a small cake under the cloche; even his pocket had a square bulge—a gift.

If this had been prepared with bad intentions, she wouldn't hesitate to harshly remind him to keep his distance. But he was clearly trying to get closer to her, even if he somehow knew when to retreat. He seemed to have different expectations for their marriage than she did.

He’s derailing now. Why didn't Lukas stop him? Was Lukas hoping Julian would just leave?

It was true she hadn't mentioned the exact reason it had to be Julian, but he wasn't bad in other aspects. Why not stop him before he was pushed to realize there was no hope for this marriage to ever be “real”?

While Valerie was lost in thought with a complicated expression on her face, Julian gathered his courage and lifted the cloche. “Surprise!”

The porcelain-white dessert sat upon the gilded plate like an artifact stolen from a French royal boudoir. It was crafted in the likeness of an antique trinket box, its top hand-painted with delicate flowers against a swirling ivory glaze. Layers of burnished bronze piping laced around its perimeter, forming intricate filigree and scalloped drop arches that shimmered beneath the soft dining lights.

Valerie was taken aback by the unexpected sight.

Julian urged her on softly. “It's a box. Open it.”

Her fingers brushed against the lid, pausing briefly as if afraid the delicate creation might shatter. Slowly, she lifted the top away.

Beneath the sweet shell lay no standard confectioner’s treat. Resting on a bed of bronze sugar pearls was a set of rings—the very ones she had been told were delayed for polishing. The designer had chosen the metals, dark and gleaming platinum, to symbolize an indestructible bond built to withstand the test of time. The center gems, embedded with deep green tendrils, were moss agates, representing shared growth rooted in trust and stability.

Hers was a delicate labyrinth of blackened vines cradling an emerald-hued stone—like ancient forests captured under glass. His solid platinum band featured a sleek, interlocking puzzle cutout, revealing its own emerald-mottled gem nestled seamlessly within the metal, catching the ambient glow and scattering light across the soft frosting.

She stared at the rings, her pulse suddenly loud in her ears. Sitting right beside her, Julian never took his eyes off her face, his gaze holding a quiet intensity that made her chest tighten.

He reached for her ring, then took her hand, slowly slipping it onto her ring finger. The gentle sensation echoed through her veins, slowing her rapid heartbeat back to normal.

He pushed the plate closer to her, silently asking for his turn. She shook her head, trying to brush away the tiny seed of expectation suddenly sprouting in her chest. Taking her gesture as a refusal, Julian bit his tongue to remind himself to be patient. He had plenty of time to slowly become an unchangeable part of her life.

He was about to put his ring on himself when she reached out to stop him. She quickly slipped the ring onto his finger, then prepared to stand up. "No need for such ceremonial gestures in the future," she said.

His face beamed with joy, completely unbothered as he looked up at her like a child asking for praise. “Does the dessert look good? I made it.”

She offered only a faint, “Hmm.”

He reached into his pocket, adding, “Actually, I couldn't get the texture right for the whole thing. I only baked the cookie on top and painted the daffodils on it. The bakery down the street helped with the rest.”

Valerie looked down at the unrecognizable flowers iced onto the cookie. These are supposed to be daffodils?

He placed the small square box into her hand. “Open it. A gift to celebrate our marriage. I bought it using money I had saved before—not my allowance.”

He still completely refuses to name the money he got from her- which he had to accept for her to not question his intentions of quickly accepting the marriage- anything but an allowance, any other label will only further stretch the silent distance between them.

Valerie opened the box. A pair of delicate white gold earrings fashioned in the charm of cats, gleamed subtly inside, slender chains cascading down from the studs.

Noticing her trying to hold back a smile, Julian quickly pulled out his phone and snapped a photo. She raised her head in surprise, but he just smiled. “We need to show Grandma later. Give me your hand.”

He then shamelessly held her hand for several minutes, trying to get the “right angle” to show off the rings.

“Last one, okay?” He interlocked their fingers, brought her hand close to his lips, and took a final picture.

She immediately slipped her hand away the moment she felt the warm brush of his lips against her skin.

He apologized softly. “Sorry, I was a bit abrupt. You said we needed to work on being closer, so I figured I should surprise you more often until you get comfortable. Don't worry, I won't cross the line.”

She curled her fingers into her palm and gave a brief nod. Standing up to leave without looking at him directly, she said, “I'll get you a return gift soon.”

After entering her home office, she looked down at the earrings, muttered, “Good guess,” and put them away in her desk drawer. She turned on her laptop to review the guest list for an upcoming charity gala, memorizing names and new faces.

When she reached a well-known couple who had set the local gossip circles ablaze a few years back, she paused. She stared at the closed office door, her mind wandering as she tried to think of a good return gift.

Outside, Julian sent a few of the photos to Lukas and took a bite of the cookie. Ah, the taste isn't that bad, but it’s too hard, he thought. I need to work harder on my baking skills for a perfect anniversary. I have high hopes we'll really be together by then.