"Happy birthday to Ian. May you be happy every day and live happily with your mommy and daddy forever. Ian, I hope you can become the person you want to be—no complaints, no compromises, with freedom and a shining light…"
The letter was a bit long; the tour guide read it for two minutes.
"Thank you, miss," Ian said.
The guide handed over the next gift. "This one is from… an aunt? From Veridia?"
He tilted his head and thought for a moment. "Is this your aunt, Ian?"
At the same time, Ian opened the gift. Inside was an exquisitely crafted little golden lock and a pair of diamond-studded children's sneakers.
When Ian saw the sneakers covered in diamonds, he froze for a second, his dazed expression utterly adorable.
"Such an expensive gift. It really must be from Ian's aunt." The guide noticed his expression and teased, "Do you like the pretty shoes, Ian?"
Ian held the shoes, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I like them. They're not ugly."
