"What do you mean the delivery has been delayed?!" Anakin said angrily over the phone. "I paid for priority shipping, and they said it was supposed to arrive today!"
Anakin thought he couldn't be any more stressed than he was now. His birthday was tomorrow, and he'd just received word that the record he'd ordered for Carmine wasn't going to arrive for another month, which would be way too late for it to arrive. While he was on hold with the delivery service, he was on the computer, checking the stock for every music store in town so he could possibly buy another record and go pick it up.
"Listen, I don't want a refund, I want my package. It's really important because that package is my twin's birthday present, and our birthday is tomorrow!" Anakin said. "Don't 'Happy Birthday' me, I'm far from satisfied and- Hello?"
Anakin groaned in frustration.
"They hung up on me!"
R2 beeped at Anakin and made a suggestion.
"Don't you think I would just get another if I could, R2?" said Anakin. "I already checked every music store I could find. That record is a special-order item, and it wouldn't get here in time even if I'd ordered it a week ago."
Anakin sighed. What was he going to give Carmine now? He knew Carmine would've loved that record to go with the record player Caroline was fixing for him, and it would've been such a special gift to make their first birthday together the most memorable ever. And now the perfect gift was out of reach.
"I just wanted to give Carmine something special."
R2 beeped something else to Anakin, something along the lines of just telling Carmine the truth.
Anakin sighed again, "I guess that's all I can do at this point." He looked at the time. "I gotta get back to the Temple anyway."
So, Anakin and his astromech droid got into their speeder, and headed on their way.
Meanwhile, Carmine was at yet another shop for the Five Star Wrench kit for his brother.
"I'm sorry, Sir. It looks like we've sold out of that." said the shopkeeper. "If you'd like, we can place an order for you, and it would be delivered within about a fortnight."
"That's too late. I need a gift by tomorrow." Carmine sighed. "Thanks anyway."
And Carmine walked out with a groan. He didn't know what to do. Every shop he tried, they were sold out of the item he'd wanted to get for Anakin. He'd tried stores down the street, in the mall, in the mechanics' district of town, and even searched for one on the holo-net. They were out of stock everywhere! It seemed that tool kit was about as popular as a new Count Crescendo CD.
"It's times like these I wish Count Crescendo had more products besides clothes, posters, bracelets, and water bottles." Carmine said. "Then it'd be so much easier to get one firsthand. Maybe I should make that suggestion one of these days."
Carmine knew his twin didn't need any of that stuff he sold as a big pop star for a gift. That was something he got for free all the time, and it just wouldn't feel like he'd put any effort into the gift. And as he sat down on a bench while he waited for a transport to arrive, he asked himself...
"What am I gonna get Anakin?"
As the taxi drove Carmine through town, they passed by a bunch of different stores and had one idea. Maybe Anakin would like a new pair of boots. And, they did have the same foot size, that being proven when they accidentally put on each other's shoes while rushing to get dressed one day. So, Carmine asked the taxi driver to stop there.
"Here we are, Sir." said the driver.
"Thank you." Carmine said, paying the driver. "Keep the change."
And Carmine rushed into a shoe store and checked out all the different boots they had. Except, they didn't have anything Anakin would like in the right size. So, Carmine looked in a thrift store he passed by. He used to shop in places like that all the time with his grandmother, and he often found all kinds of great stuff people just threw away. As the saying goes, 'one man's trash is another man's treasure.'
But Carmine couldn't find anything good there either. Everything was either the wrong color, the wrong size, or was too ripped up. He did find a nice dress for Lamenta, though, and a beautiful jacket he knew Caroline would love. But still, nothing for Anakin.
After a while, Carmine decided to call for another ride, but as he was on the phone with the cab service, he caught sight of his reflection in the window of a jewelry store. Carmine sighed. Despite his glasses, he could see the face of his brother. And the look of disappointment on his face now was likely a close match to how Anakin's would look once he found out his twin brother couldn't get him a present for their birthday.
But then, Carmine also caught sight of his locket, and he looked inside it to see the two pictures of four of the most important people in his life. And then, Carmine rushed into the jewelry store with a great idea.
A few moments later...
"It is one of our finest pieces," said the shopkeeper.
Carmine placed a bunch of credits right on the counter.
"Would you like this gift wrapped?"
"Very much so. Thank you." Carmine said.
Anakin sighed as he walked into the Temple and came across Carmine's quarters, where the man of the hour was sitting on his bed, playing a happy song on his guitar.
Anakin recognized that guitar from some old photos Carmine had shown him from music school. Carmine said that Qui-Gon had been working on that guitar as a gift for him for his tenth birthday before he died, and that their grandmother Miranda spent two years learning to work and sculpt wood so she could finish it for him and gifted it to her youngest grandson for his thirteenth birthday just before her own passing.
That guitar was perhaps Carmine's most prized possession. It was the guitar he always played whether he was writing a new song or just felt like doing it for fun. And every song Carmine had written with that guitar became a number one hit. But, it was also the only instrument he never used on stage as Count Crescendo, as it was a unique, one-of-a-kind, custom-made instrument.
Carmine had made so many great memories with that guitar. Serenading the love of his life, writing his first hit song, and being able to express himself through the most beautiful music he'd ever known.
At the moment, Carmine seemed so happy, and Anakin was hesitant to break the news to him that he couldn't get him a present for their birthday tomorrow. It would arrive a month later, but it wouldn't feel as special if Carmine gave him a gift tomorrow and he had nothing to give him. Still, he would probably feel even worse if Anakin didn't tell him right now. Even if they waited a month to give each other gifts, Anakin would've been fine with it.
"Hey, Carmine." said Anakin.
"Oh! Anakin." said Carmine, stopping his music. "What's up?"
"I need to talk to you. It's about our birthday."
Carmine got up, only for the strap on his guitar to break as he did. Luckily, his guitar was fine.
"Dang it! That's the third time!" Carmine groaned.
"What's wrong with your guitar strap?" Anakin asked curiously, in part to stall and work up the nerve to speak.
"They've been breaking a lot lately. And I know, I've got enough credits to buy a million of them, but don't think just because I'm rich means I waste what I have and go on willy nilly shopping sprees. Expensive doesn't necessarily mean better."
"You got experience to prove that theory?"
"Grandma and I used to go to thrift stores often. It's where we got most of the materials for outfits, and most of my back-to-school clothes when I was a kid. Well, when we were kids, you and me. You know what I mean. You wouldn't believe all the perfectly good things people throw away like garbage. And then you can buy them for ten credits or less instead of three hundred. Besides, good straps are hard to come by. It has to be firm so it doesn't break, but also flexible enough to be worn over the body so I can hold my guitar and play it."
Anakin looked at his twin's guitar, and suddenly, he had an idea for a great gift for Carmine!
"So... what did you need to tell me?" Carmine asked.
Anakin froze for a moment, but then he smiled and said, "Just that I'm really excited about celebrating with you tomorrow. I know we've only known each other a few months, but we've already grown so close, like brothers should. I love you, Carmine."
"I love you too, Anakin."
Anakin hugged Carmine and then left to do something really important.
"You're sure this material is strong enough?" Anakin asked Carousella.
Ever since Carousella came around, safety was taken a lot more seriously around the Temple, which was good given how protective Carmine and Caroline were over their daughter. And the first one Carousella did was ground the ships until they had seatbelts installed. If they had little kids in those ships, they needed to be strapped in.
"Positive. It's survived light speed and even when you've crashed ships." Carousella said. "It can stand up to anything."
So, Anakin picked up a book on embroidery, a needle, and some thread.
"I hope I inherited some of my grandmother's sewing skills." said Anakin.