Braelyn's the pictureudden burst of light made me flinch. One second, the apartment was dark and silent, the next, everything was bright and loud. A spray of sparkles shot into the air, glittering briefly before fading, and a chorus followed right behind it.
"Happy birthday, Lynn!"
I stood there, frozen. Completely still. Like my brain had not caught up with my body, or the room, or the sound. It felt as though I was watching everything through a thin sheet of glass.
The Birthday song started. They were all chorusing except for Lucien, who stood behind me with a knowing smile. He smirked at my shocked expression. Then crossed his hand on my shoulders, "Don't tell me you forgot your birthday Mrs Volkov. You look like you saw a ghost." He taunted pushing towards the crowd.
A small smile tugged at my face. For the first time, I didn't retort to his snarky comment. I turned back to the room filled with familiar faces.
