When I returned home for the Christmas holidays, I ran into Charlie and Shirley, who had come back to visit their families as well.
Shirley was covered head to toe in designer labels, dripping with jewelry. Every logo was so oversized it looked more like a billboard than fashion.
The moment she spotted me, she waved enthusiastically. "Mary! What a coincidence! I never expected to see you here."
She casually brushed her hair behind her ear, making sure the large diamond on her ring finger caught the light. She even turned her wrist a few extra times, just to make sure I noticed.
Judging by the way their cheeks were flushed from standing in the cold, this wasn't a coincidence at all...
They'd been waiting for me.
"Oh, Mary, you're not getting any younger. You should really think about
