WeDeli_5 Delicatessen, Lower Northbridge,

Africa Dome

Topaz peeked into the box of truffles. Each chocolate orb was perfectly positioned on a bed of pale yellow tissue paper. He replaced the lid and tweaked its golden bow back into shape.

"Topaz?" He spun around at his name.

Angelica stood in the doorway of the delicatessen. From her expression, she wasn't in the least surprised to see him. Her eyes shifted to the box in his hands. She twitched her eyebrow.

"It's a gift." He resisted the urge to hide the box behind his back.

"A gift?"

"Yes. For... for a friend."

Her arms crossed over her chest. "Lucky girl."

"Listen, Angelica—"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing." She smiled faintly. "I got worried when you didn't call. You rushed off in such a hurry the other night."

"I'm... I'm good. And you?"

"Fine." Her eyes glanced at the box again. "You busy tonight?"

"Yes." He lifted the chocolates. "Birthday."

She arched a dark, slender eyebrow at him. "You need a plus one?"

"Oh, uh... it's... it's only going to be the two of us."

"Oh. That kind of birthday. Okay." She nodded. "Well, it was nice seeing you again."

"Angelica, wait." She paused, glancing over her shoulder. "Are you busy tomorrow?"

"Not yet."

"Well, if you still want, we could go and have a drink somewhere?"

Angelica turned back to him, her eyes narrowing as she studied him.

"Zero's having a cosplay party tomorrow night. We could go if you want."

"Okay, sure. I'll see you there."

"Have fun tonight." She turned to go.

"Oh, I will, thank you."

Angelica swung around, biting her lip for a second before speaking.

"You know," she said. "You can ask her to come with, if you want. I'm not that old-fashioned."

"What? Oh, no, it's not... that's not—"

Angelica shrugged. "Just saying." She smiled. "See you tomorrow."

He watched her leave, wiping his palm against his jeans. The truffles shifted in the box, reminding him of where he had to be. He waited for Angelica to get into a travel-bot before leaving the weDeli.

What the hell was a cosplay party? He shook his head and toyed with the golden bow. He couldn't wait to see Nankai's face when she opened the box.

He usually didn't allow her to have more than one chocolate at a time. She would probably eat them all in one go and become violently ill. His fingers tightened, crushing the bow. No, he wouldn't let her eat everything. He tugged the ribbon straight again.

His ears chimed with an incoming call and he accepted it without confirming who it was, his mind still with Nankai.

"Good p.m., Topaz."

Topaz jerked when he recognised the voice. "Good... uh, good p.m., Zircon."

"Your preparations have been made?"

"Preparations?" Topaz replied, his mind scurrying.

"I assume you will be leaving in the morning?"

His eyes slid shut. How could he have forgotten? "Yes, everything is in order."

"Perfect. I expect a full report on your return."

"Yes, of course."

The call ended as Topaz slumped into the plush seat of a travel-bot, his hand covering his eyes. He'd been so caught up in his research, he hadn't realised how the days had sped past. He shouldn't have told Nankai about her birthday before confirming the date of his new mission. How could he have been so impulsive?

The travel-bot stopped outside his apartment block. Topaz sat inside for a few minutes before exiting.

Nankai looked up as he entered the basement, her eyes widening at the sight of him. His stomach clenched when she tried speaking to him — her words were rendered inaudible by the thick, transparent barrier she stood behind. Topaz held up his hand. She shivered with the effort of remaining silent as he opened the door to her cell and stepped inside.

"You know I can't hear—"

His words disintegrated as Nankai launched herself at him, hugging him fiercely. He felt the truffles shift inside the box hidden behind his back.

"Missed you," she said, her words muffled.

"I missed you too."

She didn't seem to notice his somber mood. Nankai spun around and snatched a tablet computer off the desk behind her.

"Story!"

She shoved the tablet against his stomach, releasing it so quickly that he fumbled to avoid it crashing to the floor. Nankai flung herself on the bed. She crossed her legs, flashing pale brown skin. Then her chin settled into her hands and grinned at him, her crooked incisors pushing past her lips.

"Nankai..." Topaz set the tablet down, his fingertips pressing against the surface of the desk.

"Tip-pie."

"I brought you something." He drew the box out from behind his back, shaking it to settle the truffles inside.

"Mine?" Her eyes widened as she sat up, both hands disappearing into her lap.

"For your birthday."

She squealed, and he held out the box. She ripped it from his fingers, flung off the top, and pressed her nose into the feathery folds of paper.

"Choc-late!" She rummaged inside, plucking free a truffle and slapping it into her mouth. Her eyes slid closed in ecstasy.

He watched as she fell back on the bed with a moan of delight, a sad smile tugging at his lips.

"Nankai..."

"Not my birth-day yet. Tomorrow my birth-day." But her protests were muffled by chocolate.

"I know."

Her hand disappeared into the box again, drawing out another chocolate. He moved aside the lid and sat down on the bed. She turned her head to him, her jaw sliding from side to side as she consumed a second truffle.

"I'm not going to be here for your birthday," Topaz said.

Her mouth stopped moving.

"I'm sorry, Nankai. It's just... I've forgot that I have to go somewhere tomorrow."

"But... it's my birth-day." Her lip trembled.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"You have to stay."

"I can't, Nankai. It's important for me to go."

"My birth-day is more important."

"You know I told you sometimes adults have to do things they don't want to? Well, now I have to go, even though I really, really don't want to."

He took hold of her wrist, halting her hand before she could retrieve another chocolate.

"After my birth-day you can go," she said with a flippant toss of her head.

She wriggled her hand, begging for another chocolate.

"No, Nankai."

She turned her face away from him and tugged her hand free. Nankai fell over onto the bed, her eyes fixed to the glass wall a few meters away.

"Hey, I'll be back in a few days, and then we can celebrate. Or we can celebrate tonight. Would you like that?"

"Not my birth-day." Her voice was small, her words trembling. "Tomorrow my birth-day."

"It's just a day like any other day," Topaz said.

"My birth-day is special," she whispered.

Her shoulders began shaking. He replaced the lid and put the truffles on the desk, sighing.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Want daddy," Nankai sobbed.

"He's not here anymore," Topaz whispered.

"I w-w-want my d-d-daddy."

"I said he's not here!"

He struggled to inhale into his compressed lungs, his heart thudding in his throat. Nankai twisted the blanket over her face and began wailing.

Shaking his head, Topaz rose.

"It's time you start acting your age, Nankai. You're not a little girl anymore. I told you your daddy's gone, and he's not coming back."

She flinched at his words, and his stomach clenched. He reached down and stroked her hair, but she wriggled her head again, twisting until she faced the wall. The door opened to allow him out and he paused, watching Nankai. When the door closed, her sobs became inaudible.

"But maybe some day you'll learn to love me again," Topaz whispered.

. . .