Supernova Souls - Ryan Upchurch

-50-

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One week has passed since Sam's hospitalization, and he's been home with Zach for roughly an hour. The past six days have kept Delilah beyond busy, as she was essentially playing mother for her younger brother and concussed father. Last night she slept soundly, and by morning she was bright eyed and bushy tailed for the first time in what felt like years. Zach offered to spend the day at home with Sam to give her some time to herself, which left her free for the entire day. She gladly took him up on his offer. Up until six pm, she spent the day out in Nashville looking around at stores, blowing money and driving around the strip with the windows down in her Ford Excursion. At six thirty, right after she arrived back home and finished her shower, her phone lit up with a brand new voicemail from Ryan, dated back to five minutes before she stepped out of the shower.

"Hey, darlin', um- I don't know if mama dropped that box for ya off yet or not but uh," he paused, pulled the phone away from his ear and cursed beneath his breath, just barely loud enough for the phone to catch it before he began again. "If she did, it's for you. For tonight. Eight, actually, I planned us a date on the ranch. Meet me out front when you get there, and drive safe, okay? I love you, sweetheart."

She didn't bother fighting off the smile that stayed on her face throughout the voicemail's entire duration. Already in her pajamas, realistically a t-shirt a few sizes too big for her and old slippers with the back end chewed from her dogs, she went outside to look on the front porch for whatever box he was talking about. In front of the bottom step sat a fairly big brown box, duct taped shut on the top and a little piece of the gray tape on the side that ran down to the bottom to patch a hole. She had picked it up with a grunt, carried it inside to her room, and cut it open with the pocket knife on her dresser.
A dress. A beautiful, peach colored sundress that went down to just above the knees and had thin straps sat inside of the brown cardboard, and a beautiful silver necklace sat atop the thin peach cloth, and attached to the dainty chain hung a platinum key shaped charm. The top of the pretty charm had a small eye, colored the same hazy mix of blue, green and brown as hers. When she took it into her hands and flipped it on the back, she noticed words engraved on the back.

I don't gotta go gold, I feel platinum with you.

The dress and necklace ended up being neatly laid out on the edge of the bed while she sat beside the box in the floor and read the crumpled note at the bottom after smoothing it out with her hands.

Couldn't help but think of seeing you all dolled up in this dress when I caught a glimpse of it hanging up in the store window, so I got it for you but I couldn't wait until your birthday to give it to you. It just so happens that the necklace and dress are a package deal type thing, because they match and they bring out your eyes- and because I want to see you in it, too.
I love you, my darlin' angel, and I do believe you'll love what I have planned for us tonight.

Written in messy cursive, the ink smeared on the page from being thrown in the box still somewhat damp and having things thrown on top of it.

She had a sneaking suspicion that the necklace and dress weren't truly a package deal. It looked custom-made, not bought without thought from a store downtown.

Delilah folded the paper and tucked it away in her dresser drawer, then went to go get dressed in that breathtakingly beautiful sundress, do her hair and makeup and put the necklace on.

The dress fit her beautifully, accentuating her curves and molding to fit her so perfectly it looked tailored just to her. It had a plunging neckline, and the eye catching necklace hung loosely around her neck, the charm falling to rest dangerously low on her chest. Ryan was right, it does bring out her colorful eyes. Her waves were done into a single, long French braid with strands falling from the front to frame her face. She wore a pair of white sneakers she'd had for a while but never gotten to use, and her favorite silver nose stud.