Burning Heart // CL16

Fifty Five

Alessia's POV

"I can't believe you did all this," I whisper in amazement as I look around the room that used to be the living area part of the suite - covered in gold and pink balloons, all of Ruby's presents from the two of us wrapped perfectly in the corner of the room after we had spent the entirety of yesterday night wrapping them together over a couple of glasses of wine.

"I had help," Charles confesses as he looks around, pride clear on his face at the impressive transformation of our shared suite. The hotel's antique vibe removed as it becomes a little palace, fit for the princess currently sleeping in Charles's room. He'd been good to his word on Sunday and Monday, making the time for Ruby and I around his many work obligations and it honestly helped so much. Ruby was even sleeping in his room so that I could instead catch-up on sleep.

It wasn't the ideal situation but we'd also discussed that we wouldn't do it the whole week. She'd come back into mine because I really was dead set that he was well rested before getting into his racecar this weekend. "Actually... before anyone else gets here or we wake her up... I wanted to show you something, well, give it to you really?" Charles says, looking down from where he stood beside me with a nervous expression on his face but the excitement in his eyes was clear to a blind man as I nod wordlessly, eyes watching closely as he practically skips towards the piles of presents we wrapped last night. Between the anxiety of not having any idea of what was going on around me I remember that similarly I had something I wanted to give him.

"One second," I tell him, excusing myself quickly before he can turn around as I head into my room for the thing I had been contemplating giving to him. Originally it was going to be a present before he left for testing but after we'd argued and I'd come with him I'd withheld it. However, I was recommitted to trying not to be petty and this was something I knew he would want to see and something I really hoped he would love... I'd just like to be able to make him smile.

I pick up the envelope, checking over my simple black play suit - the capped sleeve top making my chest looking far better than I thought it would with the scoop neckline before the tie waist aids in my disguise of the areas of my body I was still uncomfortable with. I had dressed simple, my hair in black curls falling down my back and light make-up on, aware that this was going to be the weirdest one year old's birthday party to exist.

"Er... okay?" I say, hiding the envelope behind my back with one hand as he looks slightly confused before handing me a medium sized box. It's wrapped in the same red wrapping paper that all of Ruby's presents are and I let a little smile cross my face as I try to discreetly put the A4 envelope down without him noticing. Fortunately, Charles's nerves seem to have distracted him from my previous odd behaviour and I focus on unwrapping it to find a familiar bright blue box with silver writing across the top of it. Tiffany & Co. "Charles..." I say his name in a whisper as I look at him in shock but instead of whatever I was expecting to see - all I get is a human ball of nerves in front of me, almost jumping from foot to foot as his eyebrows are brought to the centre of his forehead with anticipation and hope.

"Please just open it... I'm dying over here," he chuckles and I follow suit, letting a giggle leave my lips as I draw my hair over one shoulder and take a deep breath - somewhat nervous for whatever is going to be inside of the box.

Upon opening the box I have to bite down on my lip to stop the gasp that wanted to escape my lips as I look at the small gold Tiffany key, the top of it lightly dusted with rubies. "I can't accept this Charles..." I whisper as I look at him in shock and he just smirks.

"Well... you can't return it, I don't have anyone else to give it too and... it's custom so you definitely can't just pass it off..." he says, listing every reason that I could possibly give to pass it off to someone else. "I-I didn't think you liked overly grand jewellery... I know you wear the same rings and earrings and bracelets every day... so I wanted to get something on the simpler side to fit with everything else and so yeah... you have to take it - Kelly told me something about a 'push present'," he says shrugging and I look at him baffled at the phrase, totally alien to me. "The man gives it to the woman having the baby apparently... I-I don't really understand either but it's a thing that happens..." he says shrugging and I can't help the smile that breaks onto my face at the look of confusion and the tone of his accented words, stumbling over them slightly as I just sigh and nod.