It gave me a chance to speak to Stella about Mallory’s birthday. My plans were deliberately simple; I got the feeling Mallory was the type of woman who didn’t go for the expensive, glamorous parties. She seemed quite shy in many ways, and the last thing I wanted to do was embarrass her.“Are you sure this is a good idea, Gregory? It’s not long since she lost her fiancé. Maybe this would be too much?” Stella’s concern was etched all over her face.“I really think I can make it special though, Stella. Just a few close friends and some nice food and… and me.”Her brow furrowed. “You?”“Aye. I thought I’d… you know… play a few of her favourite songs, maybe.”She smiled widely. “Oh, Gregory. That’s such a thoughtful thing to do. You clearly think a lot of her.” She patted my arm and I felt my cheeks heating up.“No, no, it’s not that. I just… I just want to do something nice, seeing as I always seem to do the wrong thing around her.”“I know, love. I know.”
