ROMAN

I walked up the stairs, my mind filled with conflicting emotions. The shopping bags Amelia had given me felt heavier than they should, laden with a significance I wasn't ready to acknowledge.

Reaching my room…which was once a guest room, I shut the door behind me and set the bags on the bed. For a moment, I just stared at them, reluctant to look inside. What could she have possibly bought for me? Why did I even care?

An early birthday gift. She had said.

My birthday is in three days, I figured she wouldn't remember, how exactly did she know about it?

With a deep breath, I finally reached for the first bag. As I pulled out its contents, my breath caught in my throat. It was a tie, deep royal blue, the exact shade of that breathtaking dress she'd worn in the store. The material was silky smooth, clearly expensive.

The second bag revealed a suit jacket and trousers in the same striking color. I held up the jacket, noticing immediately that it was slightly larger than my usual size. A s