Stuart was rudely awakened by the incessant ringing of his doorbell. He attempted to ignore it, but the persistent noise made it impossible for him to return to sleep. With no alternative, he reluctantly rose from his bed, grateful for having consumed only a moderate amount of alcohol the previous night. He made his way to the door with a groan.
Upon opening the door, he was met with Marie's beaming face. Without hesitation, he slammed the door in her face, which was followed by a renewed ringing of the doorbell and urgent knocks. Stuart knew that Marie wouldn't leave until she got what she wanted, so he reluctantly prepared himself for the inevitable trouble that came with his sister.
When he finally reopened the door, a phone was thrust into his face, almost causing him to lose his balance. "What is this, Marie?" Stuart asked, taking the phone to examine what she was showing him. As his drowsiness cleared and the previously blurry image came into focus, his eyes widened, and his ears grew hot.
"Explain this!" Marie demanded as she snatched the phone back and displayed another picture. Stuart was flustered, and his face continued to redden for no apparent reason. It was a picture from the previous night, a snapshot of himself and Berry. The same image taken by the girls who had asked for a selfie with them. The picture had been cropped, leaving only him and Berry, omitting the two girls.
Another photo depicted them sitting around the bonfire. Although he wasn't seated next to Berry, the photographer had managed to capture the moment when he and Berry locked eyes. The next item was a video of their dance. While Marie was eagerly seeking an explanation, Stuart's gaze remained fixed on the screen, as if he were not the one in the video. All he could think was, "So, this is how we look..."
Their conversation was interrupted by another round of doorbell ringing. The twins exchanged confused glances, and before Stuart knew it, Marie was already rushing to the door, hoping to find Berry and get some answers.
Stuart lazily followed her, ready to shield Berry from his exuberant twin if necessary. To their surprise, they found a large bouquet of multicolored roses at the door. The beauty of the bouquet left them speechless, gazing at it with awe.
"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Marie kept exclaiming, fanning her face. One might think the flowers were for her by the way she reacted. Stuart, on the other hand, stood there, seemingly confused, until a smile slowly spread across his face, as if a spell had been broken.
For someone who had agreed to be courted just the previous day, this was unexpectedly exciting. But what could one expect from someone like Berry?
Stuart bent down to pick up the bouquet, and Marie hurried outside to see if the person who had delivered the flowers was still around. She returned disappointed.
"Let me see!" She jumped, trying to reach the flowers that Stuart held above his head. Since Stuart was taller, she kept jumping without success.
"Don't touch them; they're not yours," Stuart said as he walked to the living room and placed the bouquet on the central glass table. Marie, who had finally reached the flowers, took pictures and made cooing sounds. When she finished, she sat beside Stuart on the couch, and the twins stared at the flowers in silence for two full minutes, the initial excitement waning.
Stuart finally broke the silence. "We don't know who sent them." Marie nodded in agreement and got up to check for a card or any clue about the sender. While they already had an idea, it wouldn't hurt to confirm.
Marie discovered a card in the bouquet and handed it to Stuart, who accepted it cautiously. Nothing good could come from Marie being this normal. He unfolded the card and saw a beautifully calligraphed greeting, with Berry's name written boldly in bright, sparkly colors just below. Stuart smiled, gazing at the card longer than he should, piquing Marie's curiosity. She took the card from his hand, read it, and her excitement returned even stronger.
"I knew it!" She repeated, dancing around like a child on Christmas morning. Stuart wanted to remind her that the card was meant for him, not her. "So, you guys are a thing now, or..." she asked, her excitement and curiosity impossible to contain.
Stuart hesitated for a moment before nodding. Regret washed over him as he was almost deafened by Marie's exuberant scream.
"How long has this been happening? Why am I just finding out? Are you hiding things from your big sister now?" She fired off these questions in one breath, her narrowed eyes seemingly probing his very soul.
"It's been less than a day, and we're twins!" Stuart replied wearily. He was starting to regret opening the door for his exuberant sister.