After saying goodbye to the crew, the trio gathered at a cafe. Kira asked: "Why do you need to leave so urgently? You dragged me into making this film. I won't lie — it was an interesting experience. But I only agreed because of you."
"I know, and I'm very glad you starred in my first film. But my grandmother's health has deteriorated badly, and we're needed at home now. Besides, we need to help Ray's mom and my sister move."
From Lily's tone, it was obvious she was sincerely sorry things had turned out this way. Realizing this, Kira sighed and said guiltily:
"Sorry, that was stupid. I'm acting like a child. But what about your studies?"
"We've been given leave. This might be my last chance to see my grandmother."
"Sorry, that really was stupid," Kira repeated, embarrassed. "You two are my only friends who don't want anything from me. So you're both very important to me."
Ray smiled:
"As you said, we're friends. And I'm very glad Lily has a friend her age. Don't worry so much — we can keep in touch. Besides, you can always visit us. You'll always be welcome in our home."
"I really liked the film's story, but how can someone your age come up with something like that?" Kira asked with interest.
"We're about to have a child. But Ray is still afraid he won't cope. This film is my attempt to show that he can be a good father," Lily explained.
The news that her friend was pregnant shocked Kira deeply. They had known each other a long time and were very close, and the fact that she hadn't known about this came as a shock.
"I know you love each other, and to my surprise, you look very natural together. But aren't you too young to be having children?"
"There are reasons for that, but we did this fully consciously," Lily parried gently.
Recovering from the shock, Kira said:
"I saw how you interacted with the children. So personally, I have no doubt: you'll be a wonderful father."
"Thank you. That's very nice to hear," Ray replied sincerely.
"But I thought there was a slightly strange atmosphere between Charlotte and Jimmy," Kira observed.
"As you know, I wrote that role for myself. I wanted to go through all the preparation personally, but when I found out I was pregnant, I had to give up on that idea," Lily confessed.
"She's currently trying to say that she really loves roleplay," Ray added with a laugh.
"We're leaving today, and since we can't come to your birthday, we have a gift for you," Lily said.
Having finished speaking, Ray took a small box from his bag and handed it to Kira.
Opening it, the girl saw a pair of very beautiful earrings with blue topaz.
"They're not very expensive, but we thought they'd bring out the beauty of your eyes," Ray said.
Kira was truly touched by the gift. The price didn't matter to her — the important thing was that it came from the heart of this unusual couple.
"Honestly, when Lily and I first met, and I saw you for the first time, I couldn't understand at all why you were together. I even wanted to try to steal her from you. But after some time, I realized: I didn't have a single chance. And when we started working on the film and I saw how you interacted with children... I think I started to understand. Now I see that you're a very good couple. If I'm being completely honest, I'm even a little jealous of you."
"We'd like you to be the godmother to our little ones," Lily said warmly, placing a hand on her belly.
"Of course, I'd love to! When are you due? I'll try to come," Kira asked excitedly.
"In a couple of months," Lily replied, smiling tenderly.