Ameliorate

"Oh no, not today!" As Emma saw her headwear fall, she screamed in terror, her expression changing from ordinary to extraordinary. This put in motion a series of events that would make her workplace birthday story worthy of recounting. The office was in the middle of downtown, between tall buildings. Emma, a professional organizer in Los Angeles, CA, had been planning a surprise birthday party for their beloved coworker Lara. So, people in the office were excited and smiling secretly when the party got closer. "Everything's got to be perfect," Emma whispered to herself, double-checking her list: balloons - check, streamers - check, and, of course, the cake, Lara's favorite - triple chocolate delight.