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THE SUN HAS STARTED SETTING by the time Judy makes it home, balancing a rectangular gift box in the crook of her arm while stumbling into the Chateu. "I'm home!" She shouts, but the only thing she can hear is crickets. The lights are off and the house appears empty.
Concluding that she's alone for now, she sets the black box wrapped in pink ribbon on the kitchen counter, a present from the one and only Sarah Cameron.
"Ju! Hey, Ju, wait up!" The blonde caught up to her before she could leave Tannyhill after finishing up her jobs for the day.
Judy's eyebrows raise, "Hey, Sarah. What's up?"
It's only then that she noticed the package between her hands.
"I wanted to give you your birthday present." Sarah states, handing over the gift with a Cheshire Cat smile.
"You didn't have to get me anything." Judy, biting down on the inside of her cheek, returned the expression, feeling bad that she had gone to so much effort.
"Don't be silly. I saw this while I was shopping and I think it'll look amazing on you."
Oh god, Jude thought to herself. So it's something for her to wear. She's grateful, but Judy Routledge and Sarah Cameron have very different styles.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive! Now go and enjoy the rest of your birthday, you deserve it."
Which brings Judy back to the present, eyes burning into the black box with an anxious pinch of dread toying at her insides. Reaching out to flick the main light on, the growing darkness continues to seclude her.
Right, the power isn't working.
Grabbing an almost burnt out scented candle from her bedroom, she lights it up so a warm, subtle glow of gold floods the room. And she finally tugs on the pink bow, loosening it and using both hands to ease the lid off the top of the matte gift box.
Judy frowns.
There's yellow tissue paper cushioning something black, and soft, folded up into a perfect quadrilateral. Allowing her fingers to glide beneath the material, Jude lifts it out of the box, watching it unfold to reveal a black dress. Thank God it's not pink.
