The door opened.
Shannon stood there, and her face lit up the second she saw me.
"Welcome, Ryan!"
Her smile was so wide that part of the tension in my body loosened before I could stop it.
"Happy birthday," I said, smiling back as I stepped toward the doorway. "I came early like I promised."
"I knew you would not miss my birthday," she said with a small giggle.
I looked at what she was wearing.
She had clearly put effort into it. The dress was simple, but clean and neatly kept, probably saved for a day like this instead of being worn around the Boardwalk. Her hair had been fixed up too, and the smile on her face said she had probably been waiting near the door for longer than she wanted anyone to know.
"Nice dress," I said.
"Right?"
She stepped back and turned around once, holding the sides of it as if she wanted me to see it properly.
"Come in," she said, grabbing my hand before I could say anything else.
She pulled me inside and shut the door behind us.
