Page 11 of Lily

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Devin

After two weeks in my hometown with Lily, I’m convinced that we belong together. She loves all the things that I love, and she’s always so upbeat and excited about every new thing I show her. She loves the museums and seeing plays at the Globe. She loves our national dishes and walking along the Thames. She even loves my cranky grandmother, who came into town this morning for Christmas. And shockingly, my grandmother started to love her almost immediately, and Gram didn’t like anyone.

Now we are out shopping. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I want to get Lily an incredible gift. Lily also wants to pick up a couple of things for my family, so a day of shopping was in order.

As we wander through the small boutique shops, nothing much catches her fancy.

“Why don’t we go to Harrod’s? They have pretty much everything you can think of there.” Of course, I will not tell her that I need to go there to pick up her gift. I’ll have to think of a way to slip away for a few minutes.

Lily is puzzled over what to get for my family. At least until I show her the fine foods section in Harrod’s.

“Ooh! I remember your mom talking about Turkish Delight the other day! She said it’s always been her favorite, but she hasn’t had it in forever. Look at all these flavors, Dev!” She leans in close to the glass case, admiring the rows and rows of brightly colored sweets.

“I’m going to get a box for your mom. What flavors does she like best?”

“I know rose is her favorite,” I say and lean forward to look at the signs. “I think rose, lemon, and pistachio would be an excellent mix.”

“Done!” she says and places her order at the counter.

My Gram is a little easier, she is a traditionalist, and I knew what she would enjoy.

“Gram loves the Christmas pudding here. It’s soaked in cognac and sherry and aged for a year.” I point it out to Lily, and she promptly puts in her order and waits for the cashier to box it up. While she’s busy perusing the other baked goods, I slip away. Now’s my chance to pick up her gift. I swiftly make my way to the Tiffany jewelry counter. I had called ahead and been in contact with a jeweler here for a few days, and I am confident I found the perfect gift.

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