Sweet Sixteen (aka: Jeans and a Sweater!)

[Drew Thornton]

April the eleventh dawned much as it had for the previous few days: sunny and warm enough to promise that summer was on it's way, but still crisp and fresh to remind one of the newness of spring. The slush had melted and small flower buds were popping up in the meadows, but Drew would be spending this glorious day, quite unpredictably, indoors.

Despite what Felicity had told him about sixteenth birthdays not being all that big over on this side of the pond, it was still a big one in Drew's mind. It was the first one he'd get to celebrate with her... the first real date he'd get to plan after they had made up. He wanted everything to be just right.

He had actually been planning this out for months, even through that time she had broken up with him. He had gotten frustrated and depressed for about a week afterwords, but then later, realized he still wanted to do this for her. He had spent hours in the library, poring over books, looking up the right spells, practicing with his sister to get it just right.

Because his gift wasn't something he could buy in a store. It was a spell he had learned just for her and would perform anytime she wanted it or needed it.

And yes, for it to work right, he had to do it inside. It would have been easy enough for him to use the Room of Requirement, but it wouldn't have been as special in his mind. He he had staked out an empty classroom down the hall, close enough to the dorms that she could run to Gryffindor if she needed to, but down an untraveled part of the seventh floor so they wouldn't be disturbed.

While his planning had been in process for two months, the bulk of his preparations began at five that Friday morning. He had to set everything up and get things started before classes, knowing he'd have little time during the day to come back up and work on the room.

He had lugged a huge duffel bag into the room, heavy even with an extendible charm placed on it. From that bag, he pulled a card table, two chairs, a large canopy, and an area rug, all of which were set up properly a few feet in front of the fire place: rug on the floor, table and chairs on top, canopy covering it all quite nicely. The dinner would be brought up later, of course, but Drew set the table with a dark blue cloth, linen napkins, and a single candle as the centerpiece. The plates, glasses, and silverware were placed properly and the last thing Drew pulled from the duffel, was a smaller bag. This he placed in the broom cupboard, just in case it was needed, figuring it probably would.

By six-thirty that morning, he was done with phase one. He set three spells on the room before heading back to Ravenclaw tower with his now empty duffel. He had time to shower, change into his school clothes, and grab some breakfast before classes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Phase two started at four-thirty, with Drew arriving back at the room, dressed in jeans, boots, and a warm sweater. The picnic basket he carried contained dinner: Rosemary chicken, steamed broccoli, a tub of cheesy potatoes, a jug of milk, and a plate of brownies. He had also tucked a little nosegay of forget-me-nots on top, remembering how he had left them in his room on Valentines day and determined not to forget them again.

He set the basket down and checked the door. The sealing charm he had placed on the room seemed to be working and when he unlocked the door, it looked like the warming charm he had placed on the threshold had done its job as well.

The third spell he had placed on the room that morning, the one he had worked so hard to get just right, the one he wanted her to have for her birthday, was an Atmospheric Charm.

A fresh blanket of snow covered the floor as more fell from the ceiling, and he stood in the doorway for a moment, pleased with himself for having the ability to give Felicity snow anytime she wanted now. The eating area he had set up was clear and dry protected by the canopy and once he set a fire, it would be warm enough. He tied the flowers to the door, marking the correct room before closing it again, and set out to unload the rest of his picnic basket. He just hoped the birthday girl remembered what to wear. He had told her at least five times Something casual. Like jeans and a sweater. Always those words: Something casual. Like jeans and a sweater. He hadn't wanted to tell her anything more.



By the time Felicity was due at five o'clock, the table would be done, the fire would be going, and he'd be sitting in the middle of the room, really not caring that his butt was freezing. He wanted to see her face when she walked in.

[Felicity Hjort]

Sixteen. Nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary, just another year that had passed by in the blink of an eye. Sixteen and no family to celebrate it with her. Sixteen and she walked down the seventh floor corridor trying to pull what she was wearing to cover more than what she felt it did. Yes, it was kind of conservative, but she didn't like how it didn't cover as much as the jeans and sweater he'd told her to wear would've. The reason she was wearing something different from what she'd planned and what she'd almost escaped out of the dormitory in? The same reason as had been before, it seemed she was an object to be played dress up with rather than a person perfectly capable of dressing herself.

But where in the world was Drew at? He'd told her to meet him on the seventh floor, immediately she'd assumed the room that formed almost perfectly what you wanted, but he'd given her directions to a different area. Therefore, the blonde slowly walked down the hall in shoes that she'd been practicing for with the amount of weddings she'd been in when younger. When she asked him outright where he wanted her to meet him, the answer was you'll know when you get there. Or, to that effect at least.

So, how was she to know where to go when she didn't see him in the hall? Time and distance would tell, or at least the flowers on the door would. The Gryffindor had just about been ready to lean up against a wall and kick the shoes off she'd been forced into and walk barefoot in search of where she was supposed to meet him when she turned a corner and her honey graham cracker eyes spotted the small, blue flowers on the door handle. A smile crept over her lips as she took a moment to touch and admire the petals. The fragrance was light on the air, barely noticeable, the way she liked the scent of flowers. Too strong and it was like taking a perfume bath, but forget-me-nots weren't like that.

As Felicity stood outside the door, carefully untying the flowers, what happened the rest of that day didn't seem to matter.

The early morning run had landed her in the Great Lake when she slid on a bit of mud and couldn't stop and just continued right on into the water. The shower had only run cold down on her body that morning as well. Breakfast held no great surprises, not even a note or a card or anything from her parents, and while she knew they hadn't forgotten it still would've cheered her up a bit to have at least a note. She was late to her first class because she'd remembered that she'd left her homework in the common room, which meant she had to run up all the way up to get it, and then she had to search throughout the entire common room just to find the bit of parchment under a cushion. Her second class she'd fallen asleep in. Lunch after that hadn't been so bad, she finally got a letter from mum then wishing her best and whatnots. After lunch she had yet another class which hadn't gone too badly. And by two o'clock, when her day was technically, officially over, all she'd wanted to do was lie down for a while, which while she'd done so had done no good. There was too much activity going on and the outside was too nice to harvest her in for a bit. So by two-thirty she was getting ready to head outdoors for a bit of fresh air. And by quarter after three she was back in the den, showering. At least this time the water was warmer, which was a miracle in and of itself. Dressed in a sweater and jeans as Drew had suggested, though she thought it was a bit too warm to be dressed in such, she shrugged it off and was ready to go in search of Drew a bit early, this time by about four.

However, things just couldn't go her way for her birthday. No. Today, a few of the girls (NPCs) had asked where she was off to, having found out about her birthday, and when she explained Drew had something planned, they just couldn't help themselves.

Holding her back, despite her protests about what Drew had said, they explained they knew better and that no boy wanted their girl showing up to something special in jeans and a sweater, especially when she wore them all the time. No. They said, being her birthday, she had to dress up and hushed her when she said she was wearing a very nice sweater and Drew's necklace. Apparently they didn't count as dressing up nicely.

Instead, they nearly held her down and forced something horrid on her. It wasn't even like one of Celina's dresses, nice, conservative, covered up close enough to a shirt and jeans. No, this dress certainly wasn't something Felicity was glad to put on just to quiet people down either. It was horrid!


It was four-thirty by the time they were satisfied with the dress chosen.

Black as night, with a rather pretty pattern, but that wasn't the point, nor the problem. The top part of the dress didn't have straps, barely covered what she preferred having covered, meaning her shoulders and collar bone, but it cut right down, revealing quite a bit of smooth, soft skin. The dress itself barely came down to touch her knees, and the only reason it reached that far was due to her not being the exact height of the girl that owned the thing. Around the middle was a sash that was apparently supposed to help cinch the waist, show off curves, and she figured it was to help hold it up. Without straps how was a dress supposed to stay up like it should?

And then they had to pick out matching shoes. Why? What was wrong with her trainers? She'd seen people on television pull it off, dress and trainers, so why couldn't she? But they wouldn't listen to her, trying to make her understand that she was required to be in dress shoes with a dress, which hadn't pleased the lioness any, especially when they went to attack her hair. The blonde locks weren't even in curls that day, she wanted her hair to be normal, especially after the fiasco of a day she'd been having.

And time was ticking away which worried her, what if she was late? What if he thought she wasn't going to show? After finally making up with him, she couldn't just not show, and she couldn't be late either.

When the girls had turned away from her to discuss the best of hairstyles, she quickly got up and left, sweater and jeans under her arm.

After a grueling session of running, and nearly breaking her neck in the stupid shoes they made her wear, she managed to get away from them, shouting about how she was going to be late and couldn't be, and she'd even made it with her jeans in her hands. No real shoes, no sweater, but at least she had pants.

Not daring to stop and put them on because she was afraid of one still following, she continued down the hall as fast as she could, which was an extremely slow walk, at least until she was sure she was alone.

And now, none of that mattered because she was at the door she was sure she'd find Drew behind in a moment's time. All she needed to do was get the flowers from the handle as carefully and quietly as she could. If she could surprise him, even a bit, she could say her day had been worth it. Actually, as long as he smiled she could say.

Very slowly, the fifth year opened the door, but just a crack, eyes closed and nose buried in the flowers.

"Drew?" she called out with a sweet smile, forgetting about her want to surprise him. And in that moment after calling to see if he was in there, her light brown eyes opened and saw something that wasn't quite right.

Pushing the door open wider, Felicity looked about in awe, smile leaving her face as she tried to think of a logical explanation for what she was seeing. Nothing came close to even describing the thoughts she had.

Curious, excited, dumbfounded, confused, amazed, not even those few small emotions covered what she felt.

Eyes sweeping over the area, she tried to figure out how to explain what she was seeing. From the ceiling, all over the floor. Glancing right on by the boy sitting in the middle of the floor, Felicity's mouth hung open a tad as she tried to process it. How was it snowing inside?

"Is it...is it snowing?" she asked, jeans lying on the snow blanketed floor, free hand now outstretched to catch the falling flakes that seemed to come from nowhere. "In here?"

Yes, she understood very well they were in attendance at a magical school, but they weren't even in that special room, so none of it was making very good sense to Felicity. When the chill of the snowflakes landed on her bare shoulders, in hand, she smiled, unable to stop from doing so. She also was unable to stop the tears from filling her eyes, even slower than the registration of what was going on happened.

Happy tears, a beautiful smile, forget-me-nots, and a dress that didn't quite feel right. Actually, despite all thoughts of before, she didn't think her birthday was taking too bad of a turn at all.

[Drew Thornton]

He heard the door handle jiggle and he was suddenly hit with the jitters, wondering if his two after-school showers had stuck for the evening. At the sound of her voice, he broke out in a wide smile, anticipating her reaction, and when she finally showed herself, he had to start laughing.

He really hadn't expected her to wear the suggested sweater, figuring she'd brush the hint off as a Californian thinking Scottish springs to be cold. He hadn't even been sure she'd wear jeans, but he really hadn't expected her to show up in a dress.

And what a dress it was. He was a little torn between imagining himself caressing those soft creamy shoulders, and worrying about her being warm enough. Nonetheless, he was pretty sure she hadn't picked it out, so he didn't feel so bad teasing her a little. "Those are awfully funnly looking jeans," he told her, breaking into one of his happy dances that expressed his excitement over surprising her.

But of course she couldn't stay like that. He jumped to his feet and jogged through his life size snowglobe towards her, knowing that she was pretty stuck where she was. The warming charm he had placed at the threashold had kept a small area clear so that the door would open, but if she moved past that small semi-circle, she'd be ankle deep in snow.

"There's a closet over in the corner if you want to change," he told her. "I have a duffle in there with some warm-up pants and a couple of extra sweaters... and a pair of clean socks. And I'm pretty sure I can transfigure the shoes... unless you want to just go back and change?" He really didn't want her to go, even for a minute, but he knew she had to be dressed right to enjoy her present.

"And Happy Birthday..." he said with a smile that would have put the Cheshire Cat to shame.

[Felicity Hjort]

"What's wrong with my jeans?" she asked, confused. No, they weren't in her hands anymore, but what was wrong with them? It took a moment for it to register that he was making fun of her, and what she'd been forced into. And then something else came to mind, he was making fun of her. He hadn't said a word about what she was wearing other than to poke fun at her, and the girls had said he'd like it, the reason she'd been forced into such a horrid thing. First of all, she didn't like dresses to begin with, and now he was going so far as to make fun of her while she was wearing one?

The tears that were in her eyes began leaking, and quickly. Yes, sure, he'd just run across from where he was sitting to her, but the only thing he said to her was that she looked funny, and that she could change. Like she wouldn't look funny in the clothes he probably had? And go back to that awful place where they were likely sitting with crossed fingers hoping she'd return just so they could fix her hair and chase her down all of those stairs again?

All right, so it seemed her day was turning out to be worse than she'd thought at first.

The note from her mum hadn't mentioned her birthday, just best of wishes, and while Drew had offered her to have a happy one, she felt downright terrible.

So much for things turning around suddenly, her supposed boyfriend was making fun of what she was wearing. A dress! A dress of all things, something she hated more than most things, she'd been dragged down and forced into it, and all Drew could do was make fun of her and tell her to change?!

While she'd told him that she'd try his method of holding onto one another when the other was upset, this was one of those times where she felt like she'd hit him if she got near enough.

Turning around, she dropped the flowers, left her pants, and stalked right out of the room.

Yes, so much for a HAPPY Birthday!

[Drew Thornton]

What?! He had thought she was happy, but he was obviously wrong and as she threw the flowers to the floor and turned to leave, he grabbed her arm to stop her. Yes, he knew he was risking a good slug in the face, but he couldn't let her leave!

"What? What did I do? I'm sorry... just tell me what I did... please! I'm sorry!" he pleaded, now near tears himself. He had worked so hard, been so sure he had gotten everything right for her birthday and he had blown it all in the first minute. Maybe he just sucked at planning stuff like this.

[Felicity Hjort]

What did he think he was doing? The hold he had on her arm really hurt, and she turned around, free arm up and pulled back, hand flat, ready to slap him right across the face. He had no right, whatsoever to hold onto her like that, especially when it really did hurt like nothing else.

"Let go!" she demanded, trying to pull her arm away from him. "Please, just let go!" Her own tears were running down her face as she pulled on her arm, wanting to just be free. "You're hurting me!"

Finally pulling her arm free, she held it close to her body, rubbing her hand over the area he'd grabbed onto. Did he really think he could just say what he did, get away with it, and pretend he had no idea what was going on? Or was he really unlike any other guy, who she knew would've at least told her she looked in the very least nice. It was all over movies that way, the girl gets all dressed up, even if forcefully, and the boy was at least supposed to be wowed. The first time they'd had a date, all he could say was wow, and she'd been in a sweater and nice pants. There she was standing in a dress, a little black dress she thought was just awful, and all he had to offer was a comment making fun of her and then tell her she could change...

"You made fun of me Drew!" she shouted at him, trying not to let the tears beat her out. "I come in, already having one of the worst days ever, in something you know I hate wearing, and you don't even tell me I look nice, you don't say I look pretty, you make fun of me!"

Turning, she walked right out the door and leaned up against a wall. Whoever really heard of a happy birthday?

[Drew Thornton]

Drew flinched at her raised hand and let go of her arm as soon as she started yelling. Things were going from bad to worse and Drew really wasn't sure why any of it was happening.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry!" he repeated again as she rubbed her arm and his own tears were flowing freely. He didn't think he had been holding on to her that hard, but had he? Had he really hurt her?

"Felicty, I was teasing! I'm sorry... I was kidding!" he cried as he followed after her. He had assumed she hadn't liked the dress and made a stupid joke about it. How the heck had he gotten so stupid? "You look amazing. Merlin! You look amazing. I swear, that's the first thing I thought about when you walked in. I don't know why I said what I did. You don't have to change if you don't want. Really, we can do something else if you want... I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

[Felicity Hjort]

What had hurt the most was the sudden stop. While she'd been moving her body in one direction, the force of him stopping her had been enough to jerk her just a bit and make her arm hurt from the pressure of his hand and the sudden stop. Even if he was apologizing, it still hurt.

He followed her right into the hall and she didn't mind, but she was still upset about it. Even if he was teasing, that was the very first thing he'd said, he hadn't complimented her, he didn't kiss her, he didn't even say hi, he just made fun of her. No, she didn't like dresses, she hated them, despised them, but it didn't mean her feelings wouldn't be hurt just because she didn't like them.

"The first thing?" she turned toward, him, not bothering to try hiding how she felt right then. "Then why was the first thing you did was make fun of me? And now you're only saying that I even remotely look nice because I pointed it out to you that you hadn't."

And as for doing something else? The blonde didn't even know what they were supposed to do in the first place. He hadn't told her anything of her plans, and the only reason she felt she'd made it through the day without crying was because she had him to look forward to. And then that didn't even turn out like she thought it would.

No, she hadn't been expecting to show up in a dress, but she had thought he'd at least say something first, not laugh and basically tell her she looked ridiculous.

Sinking to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees, she buried her face in the material of the dress. The thing was absolute horrid, she looked worse in it, and Drew thought so too. Why did it even hurt that he thought that though? Felicity didn't really care what others thought about her too much, and yet, it hurt really bad when Drew didn't think she looked nice. Sure, he'd said she did, but it was only because she'd said something first, because she'd pointed out to him that he hadn't said a word about it other than to make fun and make her feel horrible.

"Drew, I wan--" she started, knowing that that wasn't right. "I need you to hold me." That sounded more correct, what she wanted was for the day to be over, or to wake up and pretend the day didn't happen.

Actually, to wake up years before and pretend the day didn't happen would've been better. To not have gotten that phone call when nerves were all ready jumping and everyone was on edge. That would've been better, if that day hadn't ever happened.

And while she didn't move from her position on the floor, had mumbled the words into the skirt of the dress, she knew she didn't just want it, but needed it. He didn't know, had no idea, she hadn't barely seen him that day to tell him she was having a bad day, or why it was consdered bad, or why she knew her mum wouldn't send her a birthday card, or birthday wishes. And why hadn't she told him before? The blonde hoped that this year would be different, since she wasn't at home, she'd hoped that maybe her mum, despite what she knew was going on in her home with the preparations for the evening when everyone would be home, that maybe she'd think to wish Felicity a happy birthday.

[Drew Thornton]

"Saying it because you pointed it out? I'm... I'm not allowed to do that," he told her, just getting more distressed by the second. He was pretty sure that saying something of that nature fell into the same category as letting her win and giving into her in order to prevent or stop arguments. "You just surprised me. I'm sorry. I swear, I didn't mean it like that. You look great. I just didn't expect it. I wasn't thinking straight. I was just... I was just..."

... excited ... He slumped against the opposite wall, just next to the door, and rubbed his wet face. Everything was wrong and it was all his fault. She had wanted a dress up date and he had blown it. What the heck had he been thinking in the first place? It had been a stupid, stupid idea and now her birthday was ruined. He had wrecked her sixteenth birthday and despite what she had said, it was a big deal.

He wasn't sure what to do anymore. He had teased her for dressing wrong when she didn't even want to do what he had planned. There was no way he was going back in there and he considered just going back to his room and hiding out under his bed or soemthing, maybe getting his sister to clean up the mess in the room and get his spare clothes out of the closet. There was no point in going back in there if Felicity hated it that much.

His back against the wall, both literally and figuratively, he wrapped his arms around himself and tugged at his hair with frustration, raising his head only when he heard he request. He looked at her through red eyes, not sure he had heard her right, worried she'd hit him for real if he tried to touch her. But it was just like they had promised to do and he nodded back before making the achingly long trek to the opposite side of the hallway. He collapsed to the floor next to her and wrapped his arms around her, just wishing he could take the whole day back. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I swear."

[Felicity Hjort]

What was he talking about? Not being allowed to say something because she pointed it out? To the blonde it didn't even make any sense, then again, what was making sense that day? Other than her mum not wishing her a happy birthday, nothing was making the least bit of sense. And then she felt her heart break a bit more, he just went from calling her amazing to calling her great. That was a downgrade! Unless he was merely proving her point that he was only saying it because she'd pointed it out to him in the first place.

He was just what? Thinking about how horrible she looked most likely, and then he couldn't even say it to her. He had to let her think about it and make the conclusion of his thoughts, and...he just didn't like her in dresses. Not that that was a horrible thing, but she didn't think she looked that bad in dresses, she just didn't like them, she felt like they weren't able to give her what she needed. And snow, dresses didn't work in snow! How was she supposed to enjoy herself when she was in a dress?

"Don't apologize, please," she told him once his arms were around her. Immediately, Felicity leaned into him, cuddling in close to his body, needing that comfort. "I'm not mad, I'm not mad at you. I just had a bad day, and I got upset because of what you said, and mum, she didn't write think of it again, my birthday I mean..."

The only thing she'd been mad about was for what he said and that he'd grabbed her arm to stop her. And there was too much that was bothering her to be mad at him for.

Drew had spent time making that snow for her, and she'd gotten mad because he'd made fun of what she was wearing. And she had pants, they'd fallen into the snow, but she had them. What was wrong with her being in a dress? Besides the fact they were uncomfortable and alien to her body, she didn't know.

"I'm sorry, I'm not...I'm not mad, I pro-promise," she told him, turning her face into sweater. "I've ju-just had a really...a really bad day, and it hurt when...when you made fun of me."

[Drew Thornton]

"I didn't mean to make fun of you," he told her, still feeling like he needed to apologize, especially when she was still saying he had made fun of her. "I didn't mean it like that at all. I was just surprised is all. I didn't realize... I swear, I wasn't making fun of you." Why hadn't she just told him she wanted a dress up birthday when he said casual? No, he was just an idiot. Of course he should have known better than showing up in hiking boots and jeans on her birthday.

"I'm sorry I ruined it. I think you look fabulous," he told her, feeling a little calmer now that she was snuggled against him. He was still the jerk for ruining her birthday, but at least he didn't think he was going to get slapped anymore. "I should have told you, but I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry."

[Felicity Hjort]

If he hadn't been making fun of her, then why had he laughed? He'd obviously found some amusement in her state, and that just made her angrier. And he didn't realize what? That she'd feel hurt that he was laughing at her and making fun of her in a dress? What girl wouldn't feel horrid? And what made everything worse was he hadn't even said hello, he didn't hug her, he didn't try kissing her, none of it. He just started laughing and making fun.

"Don't talk about how I look," she told him, fully not believing what he said. She knew the truth, he thought she looked worse than she thought she looked, and it was her fault for letting the girls get ahold of her. "I don't want to discuss it."

Talking about it, feeling like he was lying to her, just made her feel worse, if that was even possible. "And please, don't apologize anymore."

She was getting sick of hearing him say it over and over, and the more he said it, the less sincere it became.

[Drew Thornton]

He fell silent, save for an occasional sniff, and again, considered just hiding in his dorm for the rest of the weekend. Despite what she said, she was obviously mad at him and as much as he wanted to leave and forget the trainwreck he had just created, he was too afraid of letting go of her now that she had actually asked him to hold her.

He bit on his lip, afraid that another apology would slip out, another attempt to make her believe he really had liked how she looked, another stupid excuse as to why he had been such a jerk. He really didn't know what else to say at that moment other than more apologies for wrecking her birthday.

[Felicity Hjort]

Still crying a bit, Felicity stayed close to Drew, hiding her face in his sweater. It wasn't his fault her day had been horrible, but normally her birthdays weren't this bad. No, she couldn't remember the first thing of the day being a happy birthday calling, but she didn't remember her parents ever outright not saying anything either since the first time. After that phone call, her birthday had been shoved aside, but with good reasoning, at least to Felicity it was good enough. And then as the years passed, her birthday was remembered, but it wasn't celebrated like it used to be before.

But for them not to send her something, it just upset her even though she didn't think it should've.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into him. It wasn't his fault, she knew that, but she'd been an idiot and exploded on him, but it sure did hurt. Moving slowly and carefully so he didn't think she was trying to pull away from him, Felicity climbed into his lap, wanting to be that much closer to him, even if she really didn't like the thing she was wearing and he hated it even more.

"I'm sorry Drew," she repeated, trying to stop the tears from flowing so much. "I just had a really bad day, mum didn't tell my happy birthday, and I was late to class, and I fell in the lake, and I fell asleep in another class, and they forced me into this horrible, horrible thing, and then you made fun of me..." she didn't even know if anything she said was heard. Her words were so hushed by the her quiet sobs and melded tears.

[Drew Thornton]

She climbed into his lap and he pulled her in tighter, not sure that a crappy boyfriend like he was deserved having her so close, but at the same time worried she'd realize that and up and leave.

"I really wasn't trying to make fun of you," he said with another sniff, just wishing she'd understand that little part. He knew she had told him to stop apologizing, but if she brought it up, he felt he needed to respond. "And I don't think you look anything close to horrible. And I'm sorry I just added to your bad day. I wish I could take it all back."

He wished he could start the day from the begining and take every little bit of it back. He wished he could give her the birthday he thought she deserved.

"Your... your mom didn't... send you a happy birthday?" he asked through another sniff, not sure he had heard her right. It just didn't sound like the woman he had met over the Holidays so he had to have heard Felicity wrong.