A Formula For Love

SYDNEY

I was finishing up dinner with my family and my fiancé when my husband called.

We were at my parent’s home. It was my mother’s fiftieth birthday and was wearing a white Vivenne Westwood dress. It was simple, and elegant. Raven and I had picked it out for her ourselves a few years ago, and that was why she loved it so much. Well, also because it was Vivenne Westwood– who was I kidding?

My father looked at her in pure adoration as he played with the rim of his wine glass. My mother smiled back at him, looking absolutely radiant. If there was one thing she always loved, it was being the center of his attraction. He made her his whole universe, and all I ever wanted was to have a love like theirs.

I felt a soft squeeze on my thigh, and looked up to see my fiancé smiling at me.

“You look beautiful,” he mouthed, almost like he could hear what I was thinking.

I smiled. “Thank you, Sergio.”

He winked and placed a soft kiss on my forehead, causing me to completely melt into him.

My mother cleared her throat and looked at my father suggestively. “And here I thought this was my birthday dinner. Honey, we should have known that these two love birds would completely steal the show.”

Sergio kissed my head once more before bending to pick up the gift bag that was on the floor next to him. “Today is all about you, Mrs Clarke. This is from Sydney and I.” he said as he passed the bag to her across the table. “Happy birthday.”

“Oh Sergio,” my mother gushed, immediately digging into the bag.

I looked at the man I was going to call my husband soon, and wondered what I'd done to be worthy of him. Of course I knew nothing about the gift he had just handed my mother. But he just had to include me. That was how thoughtful he was.

The sound of mother’s gasp filled the room as she opened the jewelry box. “Would you look at this?” she turned the box to me and I just had to gasp too. The most gorgeous diamond earrings rested in the box, glinting as the light from the chandeliers hit them.

“That's beautiful, mom.”

“This has to be the best birthday ever,” mom said, before her eyes suddenly lowered in sadness. “I just wish Raven was here.”

The table went silent for a few seconds. A chilly sense of doom seemed to settle over all of us. My father bowed his head. Mom wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. Sergio stiffened beside me. And I just stared at my half eaten plate of pasta.

Raven was my younger sister who had died four years ago. She was no doubt my parent’s favorite. And the circumstances surrounding her death were just plain awful. So awful that my family didn’t like talking about it. Raven was rarely ever brought up anymore. But I knew that they were always thinking about her, especially mom. Something inside of her died the day that Raven died.

The silence was getting awkward now and I knew I had to do something about it. I lifted my head and plastered a smile on my face. “Did you see the video Adeline made for you, mom?” I was referring to the birthday video my four year old daughter had made and sent to her earlier.

She slowly perked up at the mention of her granddaughter’s name, and Dad smiled at me gratefully. “Yes, yes,” she smiled. “It was the most adorable thing. Where is she anyway?” she asked, looking around the room.

“Oh I had to put her down for a nap in the living room. She could barely keep her eyes open.”

The whole table laughed, filling the room with the joyous sound. Dad was saying something I didn’t quite catch when the phone rang.

The ringtone was for my phone, which was currently in my handbag in the living room. “Excuse me while I get that.”

I walked into the living room, feeling lighter than I did when mom had brought Raven up.

After digging in my bag for what seemed like the whole of eternity, I finally found my phone. I frowned at the screen when I saw that it was an unknown number. I figured it was probably one of those telemarketers and contemplated ignoring it, but I answered anyway.

“Hello?”

“Syd?”

I frowned and looked at the phone again. Very few people called me Syd, and I meant very few.

“Syd? Are you there?”

“Um.. who's this?” I asked. I was suddenly feeling cold again, despite the room being very warm.

“Syd, it’s me. It’s your husband. It’s Chase.”