#5 Icing on the Cake (13 page)

“Dadddd!” Shelby uttered embarrassed, but the room erupted.

“That's wassup,” he said.

“Oh, you are not that cool,” she told him as she gave him a kiss.

“Tonight Shelby is being escorted by her friend, Spencer.” She gave her boo a kiss, and my dad said, “Alright, I approve all of that.”

The two of them walked down the center aisle toward the head table.

“Then I've got my daughter, Ansli Sharp! All these beautiful pictures around here, she took them. Even tonight, she's serving her sisters. She wants to get candid shots with you guys, so make sure you go on over to the left to the beautiful display and get some pictures
in about thirty minutes. Um, come on up here, Mr. Hugo. Escort my beautiful daughter.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” Ansli said in a shy tone.

My father coughed and said, “Not too close! Hold her hand, not her waist.”

“Daaaddyyy,” Ansli said.

“And then there's Ms. Slade Sharp. She'll be singing happy birthday to the girls soon. And I think somebody special who's got a hot new single out nowadays is going to perform.”

When the sexy singer stepped out to escort Slade to the head table, girls screamed.

“And then there're my birthday girls.”

Now I was starting to feel some type of way because before my dad could introduce Reese, Sloan's boyfriend, he walked up and stood right beside her. He said all these great things about Sloan and the two of them, and they went off to the table. Then it was just me, and I didn't have anybody to step up for me.

My dad took my mind off of that when he looked me in my eye and said, “Ya know all my girls are doing their thing. Sloan's going to be
working on this magazine with me, and I know you have a passion for pastries. Well, the shop we were in the other day, you know the one I'm talking about that you think is so pretty? Your mom and I bought that, and we want to work with you on making some healthy treats. You made your dad one, and I think it's a big market to get us to indulge but to also be health conscious. What do you say? Can we go into business?”

I just hugged his neck, knowing he was going to escort me to the front. But then he said, “And I think somebody, yup, there he is, wants to escort you.”

I turned, and there was Paris. We were locked arm and arm. He smiled my way, and I smiled back at him. With that gesture, the “I'm sorry” we both wanted to say melted away. Life is never going to be perfect. But Paris and I walked past our peers toward the front of the head table on my sweet sixteen birthday; my dad just told me I was going to get to make the world better with the start of my own business; my parents are fine; my dad was going to be mayor;
my sisters were fine; my grades were good; my dad was going to be taking care of himself; and I just realized the icing was on the cake, and at that moment my life was perfect.

Walking with a big smile plastered on my face, I looked over and saw Logan. She winked at me and waved, and I realized this last month had helped me develop a better backbone. I was okay without Paris, but there he was, whispering his apologies. Now I didn't just look good on the outside, but I really felt good on the inside. I'd given this self-esteem gift to myself, and that made for a special birthday and a Merry Yuletide.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to all in my life that help me put special icing on the cake.

To my parents, Dr. Franklin and Shirley Perry, you put the icing of dreaming big in my life.

To my publisher, especially photo researcher Giliane Mansfeldt, you put the icing of success in my world.

To my extended family, you put the icing of a hard work effort into my life.

To my assistants Shaneen Clay, Alyxandra Pinkston, and Candace Johnson, you put the icing of perfection into my writing.

To my friend the McHughs, for introducing me to Lerner and my first chance to write for an educational publisher. You put the icing of hope into my world.

To my teens, Dustyn, Sydni, and Sheldyn, you three give me the icing of fulfillment.

To my husband, Derrick, you put the icing of completion in my heart.

To my readers, you all put the icing of hope into my world as I hope this novel and series blesses you.

And to my Lord, you place the icing of love in my heart so that I can write stories with a purpose.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

STEPHANIE PERRY MOORE is the author of more than sixty young adult titles, including the Grovehill Giants series, the Lockwood Lions series, the Payton Skky series, the Laurel Shadrach series, the Perry Skky Jr. series, the Yasmin Peace series, the Faith Thomas Novelzine series, the Carmen Browne series, the Morgan Love series, the Alec London series, and the Beta Gamma Pi series. Mrs. Moore is a motivational speaker who enjoys encouraging young people to achieve every attainable dream. She lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, Derrick, and their three children. Visit her website at
www.stephanieperrymoore.com
.