Perfection
Joe picked up his pace and checked his watch again. He hated that habit almost as much as he hated being late, which he was, to of all things, Em's birthday party. It would only be about fifteen minutes, but each one of them was an excruciating torture as they ticked by reminding him of how he was failing at his duties as a host and ... Well, whatever he and Em were; more than flatmates less than married. Regardless of the label relationships came with responsibilities and Joe was shirking his.
If only he had picked up Em's gift earlier, but instead, Joe had put it off. Tried to pretend that he had time before forcing himself to make a decision; a commitment that he couldn't go back on. Now it was done. It had only taken a full day of considering and then discarding knick knacks, gourmet cheeses and beers, books and DVD sets, before he finally found it. The most beautiful scarf Joe had ever seen. It was soft, warm and good quality though the price was dear. Still, it was the perfect shades and knowing that it would keep Em warm was worth the cost.