I selected a few eggs from a carton, doing my best to not break them as I cracked them into a butter-lined pan. A sigh of relief escaped me as only a few tiny shards of shell ended up in the spilled whites and yokes, joining the few slices of meat I'd put in the pan several minutes before. The eggs started sizzling away in seconds, and I smiled slightly. Perfect, now hopefully I'd timed things right...
From down the hall, I heard a door open. She was up earlier than I thought, but that was the plight of an early bird. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see my sleepy sister entering the kitchen, a hand to her head. "Len? What're you doing?"
I gave her a smile. "Happy birthday, Addy." Her eyes widened a little, showing the obvious. "Did you forget?"
"I... might've," she admitted, embarrassed. "Things have just been really busy lately."
Not helped by you dozing off, I thought but didn't say it out loud. "But today, there's none of that. You need to just relax and enjoy yourself. We're going to Syele and Lissy's tonight for dinner and a small party, and I'm making sure you're not cooking."
"If you insist," Aedia said with a giggle, sitting down at the table. I'd already set it and brewed coffee so I wouldn't be distracted while cooking. "I kinda wish you made tea instead, but I'm not complaining," she said after picking up her cup.
"Oh, sorry about that," I apologized. "We usually have tea at lunch, so—"
"You're fine!" she said. "I've just been having a bit of a stuffy nose the past few days, and I also have a headache, though I also haven't been drinking much water either. It might be a cold, which I'm surprised about, but it'll pass."
My smile became more nervous. "Don't be getting sick on me now."
"I won't! And even if I was, I'd still have my brother dearest to take care of me," she said with a teasing grin. I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I returned to cooking. Thankfully nothing seemed like it was undercooked, so I was already doing better since I could tell that at all. Breakfast was served a few minutes later. When Aedia tried it, she seemed pleasantly surprised. "This isn't half-bad! The meat's a bit burned, but it's still good."
"That honestly just made my day," I said, my spirits lifting. This had to be a good sign for the rest of the day, and I dared to feel positive about things.
After breakfast, Aedia took some medication for her cold, and we decided to kill time by doing what we loved most: reading and drawing. We both read and wrote, sharing our drawings before sharing silence as we read. I drew something different today besides my usual drawings, being the crystal flower I'd bought Aedia. Flowers were often the drawings that interrupted the depictions of my nightmares, and this was no exception.
Finally, the end of the day began to draw near. I secretly got Aedia's present while she took more medication, and we headed to the Faites'. When we arrived, my sister was greeted with a chorus of "happy birthday!" from Syele, Lissy, Llyr, and Gwynden. Aedia had the biggest smile on her face I'd seen in weeks, almost making me forget she wasn't feeling well.
"I'm glad she seems happy with things already," Llyr said as he kissed me. I nodded, gratefully thanking him for being able to come, even if it was obvious he would. I was nothing but happy for her until I realized who wasn't among the greeters. I gave Gwynden a look, and he nervously tilted his head towards the dining room.
"Can I at least help stir something?" Aedia asked. While both Syele and Lissy refused her, I headed to the dining room. I partially didn't expect to see her there, but no, Melva was here as well.
She was sitting at the far end of the table, shoulders partially slouched and her elbows on the table as she held a half-full glass of water. To my surprise, she didn't look as haggard as I thought aside from some faint shadows under her eyes. She'd pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail with a few loose strands hanging down about her ears, but besides that bit of sloppiness, her shirt and pants were clean without wrinkles. If anything, she looked more exhausted in an emotional sense. She then noticed me. "Hey, kid," she muttered.
There was no smile... Still, I smiled, and I took a seat near her. I had so much to say, but I needed to start simple. "Are you doing okay?" I cautiously asked. She shrugged.
"Dunno, everythin's been muddy. Can't tell if it's 'cause I ain't sleepin' well, or if it's 'cause I'm missin' somethin' I love."
While I wanted to believe it was Vio, it was surely alcohol. "If I had to get sober, then you had to as well. It's not fair that you got left behind."
Melva let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, say that all ya want. But a few weeks without it are hell when ya had it all ya wanted for 'bout twenty years. Not a day goes by that I don't miss it." She looked down at her glass. "Like to pretend this' vodka, like a damn kid playin' pretend." She shook her head before taking a swig.
"Just tell me you're doing better on some front," I said.
"I'm... doin'," Melva said simply before wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "But this ain't the time to talk 'bout that. It's your sister's birthday, it ain't any occasion for me. Still, I'm just glad you're doin' better than me." That wasn't enough of an answer for me, but she was right. Today was for Aedia.
The others started filtering into the dining room in the next few minutes, bringing with them conversation. I joined in, though I quickly noticed Melva didn't, at least not as much gusto as she usually did. Conversation made the time fly, and soon dinner was served. The hypothetical meal Lissy posed before was even better in reality. I never got tired of Syele's cooking. It reminded me so much of Father's, painfully nostalgic.
The rich scents of Neritantan meat and cheese-baked bread hung heavy in the air as the conversation grew more lively. Between the bites of heavenly food, I felt myself smiling more and even laughing a few times. I welcomed the feelings back; it'd been so long...
Once dinner concluded, we took a break for Aedia to open her gifts while dessert was brought out. From Syele and Lissy, Aedia received a hand-knitted blanket filled with Hammerbeak down, Llyr and Gwynden oddly both gave her herbs, though Llyr's were meant for medical usage while Gwynden's were for cooking with. Melva gifted her what looked like a maple leaf carved out of wood. It was simple and elegant, and it didn't look like any kind of Relic I'd ever seen.
"Bell gave that to me when I turned twenty-two; he always loved woodworking," Melva explained. "I would've given it to ya when ya were twenty-two, but we were in no shape to do any o' that."
"It doesn't matter, it's still beautiful. Thank you, Melva!" Aedia said happily. For a second, I thought I saw Melva smile, though I wasn't sure of it. I then presented Aedia with my gift, and her jaw dropped. "A Dusk Lily, right? Llyr was bringing me back some of these before, they seem to be effective in curing some minor plant-based poisons on the First Layer."
"That's what Llyr said it was," I replied. "Do I need to ask if you like it?"
Aedia shook her head, smiling widely. "Of course not. This will look perfect next to the Crystal Compass. But thank you, everybody. This has all been amazing!"
"We're not even done yet!" Lissy said from the hallway. "We haven't even gotten to the best part." She brought a small cake into the room that was roughly shaped like an Eternal Fortune, coated in french vanilla frosting, and decorated with a few candles around the flower's center. She placed it on the table before Aedia and said proudly, "I baked this myself! But not only that, I made these too!" As if on cue, Syele presented us with a large plate filled with a familiar-looking pastry dusted with powdered sugar. I shivered with delight when I caught the scent of preserved strawberries; I'd forgotten they were in season right now.
"She was adamant about making the desserts," Syele said with a laugh. Lissy nodded firmly, planting her hands on her hips and smiling a wide, Vio-like grin.
"But you gotta blow out the candles before you eat anything, it's protocol!"
Aedia nodded, looking fake-shocked. "I wouldn't dare, believe me!"
After Syele brought out a box of matches, she lit the candles. There was a moment of silence as Aedia thought of a wish, during which she glanced at me. I smiled, and she smiled back before taking a breath and blowing out the candles. She cried out in joy when all the flames went out, one of the few times she'd accomplished this.
"It seems your wish is going to come true," Gwynden said, and Aedia nodded. But now the best part had come, where we could finally enjoy these desserts. I forwent the cake and immediately took one of the pastries. They had surely been baked today because of how light and fresh they were, the strawberries combining in a perfect medley with the powdered sugar. I was surely smiling as I indulged myself, though I wasn't fully-aware of it.
"I believe Len's more happy with the pastries than you are, Aedia," Syele teased. Snippets of laughter rose from around the table, and my face flushed. Still, I proudly took another bite from the pastry I'd chosen.
"We didn't celebrate my birthday this year because I was sobering up," I said mournfully. "So my sincere apologies if I dare to enjoy this!" Of course I meant this jokingly, and the others knew that.
As they laughed and joked, I glanced at Melva out of the corner of my eye. Her appetite was thankfully still voracious, and she'd already finished off her cake slice and moved on to a pastry. She was smiling. Not wide, but she was smiling. That gave me some peace, and the rest of the night was just a blur of laughter and happiness, the most I'd had in so long.
The only time Aedia got her way in helping Syele and Lissy is with cleaning everything up. I planned on staying later than the others anyways out of courtesy, but I also wanted to get Melva alone for a few minutes. I truly needed to get something else out of her. After convincing Gwynden and Llyr to let me have a few minutes with her, I cornered her outside on the street. She was leaning against the front door frame, watching the first few stars come out.
"It's gettin' cold," she said when she noticed me. "Guess that never changes, it's always cold at night."
I nodded, not exactly sure on how to pick up on where we left off. However, my hesitance cost me as Melva let out an exasperated sigh.
"Look, kid, I haven't been okay. That much is obvious. Ya don't gotta tiptoe 'round this 'cause it makes me feel like a little bitch." She sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry. It's been harder to not be pissy these days. I hate bein' treated like some damn fragile flower or somethin', I ain't that, never will be that."
"I-it's fine..." I said. "Did you at least enjoy tonight?"
Melva gave me an incredulous look. "Yeah, 'course I did. I'm glad to see you an' Aedia have grown up so well. I hope I can say I've helped with some o' that, but I've probably done more harm than help."
"Excuse me?" I asked, shocked. "Of course you've helped, you're the reason why I wanted to improve my body, and you've stuck up for Addy before she had the confidence to. And that's only a fraction of what you've done."
Melva took a short, sharp breath. "I got ya addicted to booze, didn't I? Ya saw me drinkin' all this time, an' ya thought it would help ya. I didn't ever want ya to fall down that well like me, I just wanted ya to drink for fun like the others did. But ya made that slip 'cause I was so irresponsible."
"It's just as much my fault," I said, my heart sinking. "I didn't do any research despite having a doctor as my sister, and I was just so desperate for relief that I fell in. I was just... so tired of it all."
"I'm surprised ya held out for so long, but that just shows how much stronger than me ya are. I knew the consequences full-well before since Bellan's pops drank 'imself to death, but I still did it," Melva said dully. "Hide the thoughts I've had for years, an' ain't nothin' makin' 'em leave."
Did she remember what she said that night? I didn't want to bring it up in case she didn't. "You could always try and just... talk about them more. Like I've been. It's actually been helping me. It hurt a lot at first, but it's been getting better." Was I being too positive here? I suppose I just wanted to make sure she would stay okay, like I once thought she was. "If I can do it, so can you, Melva. And I don't know what you're talking about, you've always been stronger than me."
She shook her head. "Nah, kid, ya got it confused." I frowned, and she nodded. "Maybe I was stronger than ya at one point, but you've long since passed me. Both physically and mentally. That's why I was surprised ya gave up delvin'. But ya made the choice, 'cause you're strong enough to make choices like that, even if ya think you're scared. An' if ya delve again, you're still strong since you're makin' choice 'cause ya wanna."
"But what about you? Just because I'm strong doesn't mean you can't be as well," I said.
"Again, 'cause ya wanna. I hate pain. Makes me feel weak, an' it hurts too much to face everythin' I got." She put her arm around my shoulders again, pulling me close this time. "I had no clue drinkin' was an issue for ya. I don't blame ya, but I would've made ya stop too if I knew. I'm just a lost cause, an' ya got so much left in ya still." My mouth fell open a little, but I wasn't sure what to say. Instead, Melva grinned, though it was empty. "Let's end the night on a happy note, okay?" She didn't let me go until I agreed, and she released me, clapping me on the back hard. "That's what I like to see."
She left not long after that with hardly a farewell to anybody, heading home before Gwynden noticed. He gave me and Aedia a hasty goodbye before rushing after Melva, who was almost out of sight down the darkened street. I still watched her go until she was out of sight, my heart in the pit of my gut. She was such a shell of herself, a horrible thing to think since what she was like before was arguably worse, but... it was such a stark difference. I just didn't know what to think of it.
Aedia wasn't as talkative on the way home, which I didn't mind since I was wrung out myself. But when we got home, she immediately headed for her room, not even telling me where I should put the leftover pastries we'd brought home. I placed them on the counter, but Aedia was already in her room. I wasn't about to bother her, so I waited until she came back out before I said anything. She had changed into her nightclothes, and her hair had been released from its pigtails and tumbled freely down her back.
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
She gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry, I'm just really tired now. I guess all the excitement today tired me out, and when I'm supposed to be more energetic than you," she said with a sheepish giggle.
I smiled. "That just means you had a good time, didn't it? If so, I suppose that's a mission accomplished!"
"It really is." She hugged me tightly. "Thank you so much for putting all that together, it was really fun! If only you saved all the fanciness for next year when twenty-five's a milestone, but I'm still happy." She let me go in order to cough into her elbow, which made me frown, but she kept talking. "My throat kinda hurts from me talking so loudly, but that's nothin' water won't fix! But still, I really am pretty tired. Do you mind if..." She shook her head. "No, I said I'd sit with you, so I won't go to sleep yet."
"Addy, you don't have to cater to me today," I started, but Aedia shook her head.
"I'm the doctor here, not you. What I have isn't anything major, I promise you. I... I do just need to sleep more, yeah. But I'll start tomorrow! Or maybe next week..."
Normally, this would be when I caved in. However, I was insistent on this. It was clear she was tired, and if she did have a cold, doing this would make her sicker. "Just because you're the doctor doesn't mean you can't give yourself a stress fever like I had. If you really get sick or tire yourself out, you can't help me or any of your other patients, right? Now please go to sleep."
Aedia opened her mouth to speak, but I shook my head again, gently taking her by the shoulders and turning her around. She sighed and looked up at me over her shoulder. "Fine. I'll go to sleep. But really, the moment I hear anythin', I'm coming in to help."
"I've been doing better, this can just be a new step for me," I said, trying to sound positive. "Really, I want to try it because of that too."
"Okay, we'll try it," Aedia said with some exasperation. Finally, it was like pulling teeth with her! Then again, she likely learned it from me. "'Night, Len," she muttered as I hugged her, and she headed off to her room. I didn't stay up much longer either, tidying up things before I went to sleep as well. I was admittedly nervous to even close my eyes, though I tried to do what I'd done all these times before. Aedia wasn't asleep in the room next to me, she was sitting beside me, silently reading as I drifted off...