Gen One- Chapter Forty Five

I wished harder than I had wished in a long time that what was about to happen would not happen. It was impressive that my desire was so strong considering I had been begging the same thing for about fifteen minutes now. Unfortunately, there was no stopping what my body was insistent on putting me through. Sudden and rapid shaking rattled my upper half, my temperature seemed to sore while my senses went numb, and my stomach dove before flying up like it was on a roller coaster. Mostly I did nothing other than hack and heave, but there was a bit of rancid bile that flew up my throat and into the toilet- the last of the few crackers I had managed to eat before my vomiting session began.

The retching stopped briefly before continuing on as my insides were not content with ceasing their fit until my stomach and throat were dry as a bone. I had experienced several vomiting fits in my life. This one was actually not the worst by far, but it was the fact that the experience was happening more and more that caused me problems. Still feeling numb despite my quivering body, I almost didn't notice when Amaranth placed a hand on my shoulder. He had returned with a few more blankets in order to better create a comfortable space around me. I did blessedly begin to relax thanks to him rubbing my back and my body having nothing left to expel. Amaranth, however, did have to practically gently lift me up and slide the blankets under me as I was too exhausted to move.

     "I want to be a mom," I repeated in a sardonic manner those words I had said so long ago, "What on earth was I thinking? Having a proper family just seemed like a good idea. If I had known what being a mom actually required, I would have copied someone else's answer."

     "At least you haven't thrown up on anyone." Amaranth pointed out brightly.

     "Not yet, but just you wait. It'll probably be you," I said with dread, pausing due to one more quick hacking heave, "It had better be just one. I swear to god, it had better be just one."

     "Jac said he had been able to confirm that the only alterations to Mr. Waters' donations was that they would guarantee the albinism being dominant though, didn't he?"

     "He did, but knowing my luck..." I shook my head.

     "Maybe you should try not to think about it too much. That's only bound to make it come true." Amaranth teased.

     "I'm trying, but with me already being sick this often this early I don't think my chances are good. I would be the kind of person to have non-stop morning sickness."

     "Do you want to have another go at trying to keep some water down?"

     "Yes, please." I requested, realizing it was better if I didn't talk so much while my throat felt like the inside of a volcano.

I glugged the water down faster than I should have, but my stomach chose to cooperate with me then. With me beginning to feel better, Amaranth left me momentarily to get the mail. I was asleep by the time he got back. I had just wanted to rest my heavy head for a moment, so I covered the closed toilet with a folded blanket. I never realized when I drifted off, or when Amaranth woke me up so I could move to Blaze's bed. Instead, I was horribly confused when I woke up some time later feeling blessedly fine. I was able to eat properly, and Amaranth and I were free to go about doing what we were doing without interruptions.

His place was beginning to feel more familiar than my house. As the summer had progressed, the many of the endless trials involving The Company and its workers had begun. The press and attention surrounding me had not lessened for a second, and it had soared to ridiculous levels once it somehow leaked that The Company's attempts to impregnate me had succeeded. The paparazzi were constantly flocking around the house. Button prowling around the perimeter and the cops still on duty to keep Eden and I safe did their best at scaring them off, but I simply had to escape the ones who had the audacity to haunt what should have been my sanctuary. That was why Amaranth's place was ideal. Blaze could scare off the ones not even frightened by the police, and the elevated height of Amaranth's flat made it next to impossible for them to catch a glimpse of me anyway. This was especially true when I moved to the back balcony. The land was privately owned by the lot's owners, and they too had been kind enough to scare off those who had tried to sneak about in the trees.

And so, the back balcony was where Amaranth and I often hung out. The weather was gorgeous, the heat under the shade was perfect, and there was just enough space for us to do all manner of things to keep ourselves entertained. In that moment though, we merely stood there together and enjoyed the silence. I was anyway. I reminisced merrily as I stared out at the unchanging mountains and old playground Amaranth and I had spent so much time at when we were little. I glanced his way to suggest that perhaps we should risk chilling out there instead, but I spotted that his eyes were glazed over.

     "You're thinking about what happened again, aren't you?" I asked knowingly.

He twitched as if he had snapped out of a trance.

     "I can't help it..." he muttered sadly and in self-annoyance, "Blaze has been real good at helping me talk through it, but I still can't do anything but feel horrible. I killed someone. An entire other existence that is no longer there because of me."

     "I know I have no idea what you feel, but you have to trust me when I say you did the world a favor. Stratus was evil. I know you know that Jac was able to find out that he was responsible for the three of the four deaths our side took," I recalled, my chest sinking in remembering that people had actually died to save me, "And it was obvious that was hardly his first time taking a life. Not to mention there is what he did to..."

The sentence trailed off. My words caught in my throat like they always did. In the silence where I struggled to fill in the quiet with a lie, Amaranth slid out of our embrace and stared at me suspiciously.

     "To you?" he finished my sentence for me before continuing with deep concern, "You always clam up the second you try to talk about what he did. What exactly did he do?"
     "I don't like thinking about it." I mumbled softly.
     "If Blaze has taught me anything about stuff like what you and I experienced, it's that ignoring it is the worst thing you can do. I can tell that you do actually want to tell me as well. I can see it in your eyes."

I bit my lip and shifted hesitantly. I did want to tell Amaranth. More than anything, I wanted to tell him. As with telling Jac though, the humiliation was winning over my desires to be honest. Most of the reason why I had been able to admit everything to Jac in the first place because he had a good idea of who Stratus was. He guessed half of what he had done by simply judging my expression. However, I did not have the same luxury with Amaranth. He could only stand there wearing a sympathetic and encouraging expression as I had to force the words out solely on my own.

     "H-he told me not to make him mad," I was able to start, though my voice was a mere whisper, "B-but, when I realized they were going to inseminate me right away, I freaked out. I fought back as they tried to take me down the hallway, so Stratus, in his frustration, carried me over his shoulder. I managed to de-pants him a little."

Bringing up that moment did make me smile somewhat. The embarrassment I had dealt to Stratus did feel satisfying even if it had made my situation worse. Amaranth let out a tiny laugh as well, and that made jumping into the deeper truth just a bit easier.

     "That did make him mad though, and he was quick to get his revenge. I mean, I'm sure it's obvious with them inseminating me what area of me they had to work with. You know those big chairs you see, with stirrups to rest your feet in? Since I wasn't cooperating, they strapped me in one of them after I was, um, exposed in order to stop me from getting away. Stratus, when Rusty left and Coralie went off to prepare the sperm, h-he took a normal chair, sat across from me, and just stared."

The small bit of amusement on Amaranth's face from my de-pantsing comment was long gone by the time I finished that sentence. His expression was as stiff as stone, and his gaze on me was so intense I knew if I stopped my explanation for a second that I would never be able to keep going. If I saw Amaranth's face that shouted out his desire of no longer wanting to know any more, my resolve would die- probably for good.

     "Coralie eventually came back out to start her work, and Stratus got right up close alongside her. He...he, uh, asked questions about the various...parts as he pretended he didn't know what they were, a-and he made sure to touch them so Coralie would know what he was referring to..."
     "He molested you?" Amaranth growled in furious horror.
     "Don't say that word. Please, don't," I requested instantly and firmly, feeling my chest do a massive somersault, "It...it wasn't like full out touching or anything. Just really quick pokes and super tiny strokes. Nothing that lasted for more than a second, and Coralie kicked him out the second he started getting too rash."
     "Still, he touched you there without your consent. That's what it means."
     "I know. I know," I submitted with a sigh, "I know that's technically what happened, but, I'm sorry, I feel better ignoring that's what it was. Even if, he...he did hold me against the wall too as he grinded against me once or twice when he told me The Company's plan about prostituting me."

Amaranth was only barely just containing his rage. His shifted, clenched his fists, and turned his head this way and that as he seethed.

     "Well, I guess this does get rid of my problem. I'm glad I shot that asshole now. I would do it a hundred more times if I could." he spoke sharply.

And at that, I found myself smiling. It caught Amaranth's attention. His expression softened, and he held my hand.

     "Are you alright? Maybe you should speak to someone about this." he suggested.
     "I...I'm actually...fine." I said genuinely as I reflected on my feelings for a moment.

While speaking the words of what happened brought out the feelings of disgust and humiliation I had known, I was stunned to find that I felt even more relieved telling the truth to Amaranth than I had to Jac. As long as he knew, as long as I could find comfort in him- that was all I needed to move on. My chest was light, and I could truly feel the breaking of the weight that had been pulling me down.

     "Really, I am," I professed when Amaranth looked at me skeptically, "It was traumatic when it was happening, but it wasn't traumatizing, if that makes any sense. Honestly, I completely forget it even happened until it pops up in moments like this. I am seriously much more concerned with this whole me being pregnant thing now. I know I have all the support in the world, but I don't think I'm ready to be a mom yet. I am disappointed too. Having such a chaotic childhood, I wanted to do things the right way when I grew up. I wanted to go to college, be the proper age, or at least be married before I had a baby. None of those things are true now."
     "Do you want me to marry you?" Amaranth asked suddenly.

I looked up at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. His words were slow to register in my mind, although a scattering blush tickled the tops of my cheeks.

     "You're it for me," Amaranth pushed on through my quiet amazement and his own light embarrassment, "I know that so many people will say  I can't possibly know that so early in my life, but they can all put a sock in it and gag for all I care. You are the only one for me. There's no one else, and there never will be. Marrying you was always something I was thinking about for the future. And I'm not proposing right now, but...but if you want to at least be married to have that one thing on your checklist ticked off, then I wouldn't mind moving things a bit faster ahead. We've already decided that this is going to be our baby anyway."

His hand gently brushed against my stomach. I could have sworn there was movement inside reacting to his touch, even though such a thing was impossible. It made a deeper warmth spread throughout my body.

     "Of course, if you want to wait, then we can wait. I certainly won't be insulted," he smiled again, "I'll just put the opportunity out there for you to consider."

My gut instinct was entirely useless in this situation. It pulled me in both directions at the same time. I had to admit, there was something seductively alluring about the prospect of making Amaranth mine for good. Him being my boyfriend made me content, but there was something about the idea of calling him my husband that seemed oh so satisfying. It was if Amaranth was dangling the best prize in the world in front of me, and I could easily reach up and grab it if I wanted.

     "You're it for me too. There's no mistaking that. You're a very abnormal teenage boy, so you fit perfectly with me- a very abnormal teenage girl," I said, the two of us both smiling wider at my words, "But, though I do have every intention of marrying you someday, I will have to say no to it in this moment. If things weren't so complicated, if I didn't have the press following my every move- I probably would be saying yes otherwise. Things are complicated though. I want to enjoy my engagement and wedding with you without such stress. We have to think several months ahead too. Me trying to see if I can handle school and my impending responsibilities, and you remaining a full-time student. Because, damn it Amaranth, you are going to complete your education if I have anything to say about it. I've heard from Blaze that you've been talking about doing it part-time online instead so you can help me, and I'm not having that at all. That's the sure-fire way to make sure you never finish. You're going to go to Twilight North, you're going to get your diploma, you're going to become an astrologist, and then you can play house with me."

Amaranth pouted hard, but he was soon laughing.

     "You do realize that, if you can't go to school too, that's at least four years of only being able to see me on the weekends." he pointed out teasingly.
     "We'll manage," I replied confidently before wrapping my arms around his waist and pulling him closer, "And it just means we'll have to get in a lot of quality time before August rolls around."

Amaranth accepted the invitation quickly. I was glad I had thought to gargle quite thoroughly after all my throwing up as he and I started to kiss. It was the first time in a while where Blaze was out and we had the place to ourselves. With the paparazzi constantly on me, there were few chances for a nice, undisturbed make out session anymore. Perhaps the constant drought of chances was why Amaranth's lips felt more intense than usual, but I couldn't help but to wonder if us stating our intentions for our future together had something to do with it as well.

I expected for that moment to last a while. I would find out before too long that Amaranth's and my discussion about our future wasn't exactly over just yet though. Our kissing was starting to get worked up when Amaranth was smooth but rapid about ending it. His stare was loving as it had been until it was replaced by something much more serious seconds later. Wondering if I had missed something, I looked at him quizzically.

     "Sorry," he apologized, "For the sudden mood change, and for jumping ahead."
     "Jumping ahead?"
     "I'm glad that you thought it was best that we held off marriage, otherwise I could possibly be in some trouble if you had said yes. There was another question I should have asked you first." he explained.
     "What is it?" I wondered curiously.
     "It's that...how would you feel...I need to know if, if you would still be alright being with me if I continued to be involved in the...the secret organization stuff."
     "You want to keep doing stuff like what you did to help me?" I asked, definitely not liking the thought of him being in any more situations like that horrible gun fight.
     "Not exactly. What I want to do is much more low-key. Not trying to save anyone or anything like that. Just...finding out information."
     "Is this an idea of Blaze's?"
     "No. He's actually strongly encouraged me to get out of the web now like Eden has while I have the chance. Even Blaze is taking a massive step back from his involvement. I think his ankle getting shot reminded him that he's not so young anymore. He'll be an informant for the others doing the real work, but that's about it."
     "And you haven't told him you don't want to step out yet?" I guessed.
     "Right, and I don't want him to know. Ever. For various reasons." Amaranth confirmed shiftily.
     "What do you want to try and find out?"

There was a long silence. Almost suffocating. The hesitation in Amaranth's eyes was palpable, but we never broke our gaze. Finally, after an eternity, he answered in a low, soft voice.

     "I want to find out who killed my parents."

More silence. Neither of us moved an inch, and I was certain I hadn't heard him right.

     "Am, your parents died in a car crash." I said, holding up my hand as my utter shock had me thinking I knew better.
     "Oh, my parents are definitely dead, and there was a car crash. However, the latter did not lead to the former."

I had nothing else to say, so Amaranth kept on going.

     "I've done some poking about on my own. It was about two years ago when I got curious about the details. Blaze told me the basics, but he's never been able to stand talking about that day or the months afterwards in any sort of real depth. He's good at laughing it off, but even now it's still slowly eating away at him. That's why I can't ever let him find out what I've found out. Thinking he lost his twin on accident was hard enough. Yet, to find out it was done intentionally..."
     "Why on earth would someone would have wanted to kill your parents though? They were only nineteen at the time. What could they have possibly done to make someone want to take their lives?"
     "Those are exactly the questions I'm going to be trying to answer." Amaranth pointed out, making me feel a bit silly.
     "Duh, right," I realized, "Well then, what did you find out that has made you so sure the accident wasn't an accident?"
     "I was able to get a closer look at the records about the crash and the investigation afterwards. It's all wrong. The injuries don't match the way the car was damaged after it went over the guard rail. It's more like my parents were killed in a separate manner, the car was crashed, and the bodies were placed back in afterwards. There is the fact that they wouldn't let Blaze see the bodies either. All he got to see in order to identify them was photos of their heads before the autopsy. He was told the bodies were too badly damaged to have an open casket funeral for them or anything. That makes it all the more suspicious that there was a cover up of the discrepancies of what happened versus what supposedly happened, and Blaze was too devastated to question anything. Then there's me for evidence too. Fuck 'miracles'. There was no way I should have survived. The 'accident' should have bent me in half."

My brain was working overtime to process everything Amaranth was saying, but even all that extra work had me feeling as if I was wading through thick mud. Amaranth needed to slow down the rate at which he was throwing new information at me.

     "Wait, what? You were in the car too?" I asked, completely stunned and in shock now.
     "You didn't know?" Amaranth responded with his own surprise.
     "No. I mean, all everyone has said was that your parents died in a car crash on Thanksgiving. No one ever mentioned you being involved in it." I said as I shook my head vigorously.
     "Sorry about that. I guess we all forgot that you haven't been around since the beginning like the rest of us have. But, yes, I was involved in the 'accident'. Instead of being crushed like I should have been, I escaped with nothing more than a small scratch. It's actually why I wear my hair like this."

Amaranth pushed back his bangs to reveal a thin but medium length scar running diagonally across the top right of his forehead. If possible, I was even more shocked. I had run my hand along that part of his head several times during our kissing sessions, and I had never felt it. I wondered if Amaranth was truly that self-conscious about hiding his scar. I could barely see it even with him pointing it out.

     "Who knows how I actually got it. Maybe whoever held me while my parents were killed accidentally bonked my head or something. I'm the best example though that the deaths and the car crash happened separately. Though someone obviously had some problem with my parents, they had no desire to kill their infant son. I was placed back in my car seat, which was 'miraculously' unharmed as well, after the car was pushed down the hill."

I wasn't sure where to begin. I didn't even remember what decision I was supposed to be making, the shock had me so out of it. Amaranth was quick to remind me.

     "I doubt I'll find out much. At this point, I don't even know where to begin. That's half of the reason why I'm not starting my search until I'm done with school. I do know I need to focus on that first, and I need to wait until this media circus surrounding us dies down too. When I do start looking into it, I'm going to do it quietly. I mean it. I'm not going to ask anyone for help, and you're the only person I'm going to tell my intentions to. It's going to be a secret, and it's going to remain a secret. I understand that doesn't take away the risk that I am purposely seeking out people who obviously are not averse to using extreme methods to do what they have to do though, which is specifically why I'm telling you this. You're free of the web. I have no plans of getting you tangled up in what I'm doing, but continuing to be with me would risk you getting trapped in the web again. I'm confident that since they left me alone when I was a baby that they would leave you alone as long as you don't have any involvement alongside me, but there is that danger that something could happen to me."

Amaranth opened his mouth to say more, but his words fell short. He had said what he could, and all that was left was me to piece the information and my feelings together to sort out what I wanted. Truthfully, despite the severity of what I had just found out, the answer came to me quickly. I slipped my hand into Amaranth's and smiled.

     "You're not going to get rid of me that easily," I began merrily, "You do what you have to do. I trust you. If you say you're going to do this quietly and without involving anyone else, then I believe you. I know you'll do everything you can to keep all of us safe. I owe you something as well. You and Blaze have put so much of yourselves into helping me. You risked your lives to save me. It's your turn to do something for yourself now and for me to support you in it."

Amaranth beamed so brightly that I couldn't think about anything else but how absolutely adorable he was when he was happy. I received a crushing hug and another kiss. I knew I should have been worried on some level about what I had just done. Eden would throw a fit if he ever learned I was dipping my foot back in the waters he had just rescued us from, but there was no way I could have made any other decision. The threat of the risk was not enough to make me lose Amaranth forever. I meant what I said as well. I trusted him. Trusted that he could do his work while keeping the rest of us out of it. Trusted that he could keep himself safe as well. To prove that he was going to keep the matter under wraps as best he could, he quickly changed the topic.

     "With that out of the way, why don't we get back to the wedding preparations like we're supposed to be doing? We still need to call the flower shop back and go over the details." Amaranth reminded me.
     "Oh, right," I giggled, "All of that completely flew out of my mind."

One week later, the planning was done. Two weeks later, the wedding was happening. It had been a fast process, but Ms. Charm was determined to not let Jac slip out of her sights again. She had put off her wedding last time because she didn't want to be showing off her growing baby bump on her special day, and Jac had ended up disappearing for seventeen years. This time around, Ms. Charm was getting the wedding in before the bump began to show at all. I was strolling around making sure that everything was in its place when she rushed over to me, all dolled up.

     "Everything looks absolutely amazing." she gushed, the giddiest of smiles on her face, "This is so much more than I ever expected. It's definitely much more elaborate than the plans we made the first time around. I can't thank you enough."
     "You don't have to thank me at all. You've been so great to me over the years, and obviously I owe Jac a lot too. It was the least I could do." I shrugged happily.

As soon as I heard that Ms. Charm and Jac had worked things out between them and wanted to finally get married, I instantly volunteered to be the planner. I didn't know all that much about weddings, but I did have my new found powers of being albino. Adding my fame into the equation, the price tag for everything was practically free. Word started going around to all the local businesses that I was setting up a wedding, probably thanks to Sap and his dad's influences, and phone call after phone call kept coming in of everyone offering their services. I did feel bad getting things for free, which was why I made sure not to go overboard with what I accepted. The result was a modest, though still very attractive venue. The summer weather was cooperating nicely as well. However, my attention was being pulled to another matter entirely separate from the venue or the temperature.

     "I have to say that you're making me a little angry right now though," I pouted, "You're farther along than me, but if I didn't know you were pregnant I wouldn't be able to tell at all. I, on the other hand, already feel all bloated and chubby."

I placed my hand on the stomach. Everyone else said they couldn't feel any bump yet, but I could tell. There was a baby inside me, and it was growing.

Ms. Charm smiled at me with deep empathy, and before I realized what she was doing she had me in a tight, comforting hug. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened. I had received a lot of pity, most strongly from the adults, about me being pregnant when I shouldn't be pregnant. Just being hugged in that moment reminded me how small I still was compared to a fully grown woman. Ms. Charm was actually one of the worst offenders since she could understand the most about what I was currently going though. Not that I minded all the sympathy. Already worrying my head off, I needed to be spoiled somewhat. In truth, I liked being reminded that the both of us were pregnant. Despite the large age gap between Eden and I, our children, who would be cousins, would get to grow up together. I liked the thought of that very much, especially since I hadn't gotten the chance to grow up with mine. Mom and dad weren't the only new family members I had gained. I now had three grandparents, two uncles, an aunt, seven cousins, and even two cousins once removed. The family reunion we had had several weeks ago had been a big event.

     "I was the same way when I was pregnant with Allium," Ms. Charm revealed when the hug ended, "It caused Jac and I a lot of panic because even though all the tests said I was pregnant my body wasn't changing. Then my stomach seemingly exploded overnight, which is why I was so eager to get this wedding done as soon as possible. I could have a watermelon for a stomach tomorrow for all I know."
     "Hopefully not. That sounds painful." I cringed sticking my tongue out in disgust.

As someone who had always been thinner by nature, the idea of having to deal with an obscene amount of extra weight frightened me. I was terrified my poor, tiny ankles were going to snap.

     "I could lie and say it's not that bad, if you want." Ms. Charm offered in amusement.
     "That's alright," I laughed, "I think I'd rather just distract myself by finishing checking all the arraignments."
     "You do that, and I'll stop distracting you. Dad will get angry at me for sneaking over here when I shouldn't be here yet anyway."
     "I'll see you 'officially' in a bit then."

I received another smile, and Ms. Charm was off.

There wasn't that much more for me to do, but walking about did clear my head of my worries. I hadn't been able to forget Amaranth's sort-of proposal. Four years did feel as if it was going to be a long time, and it wasn't guaranteed that marriage would be viable immediately after he got out of school either. Depending on how things went, it could be many more years than I wanted before we could be man and wife. I didn't like the thought of not having a stronger connection between us for all that time, but I didn't have a solution for how to fix that until several minutes later when Allium unknowingly planted the idea in my head. I cried out in alarm when he suddenly appeared behind me and grabbed my waist.

     "Charming!" I rebuked.
     "Hello, Ethereal. Hello, baby," he greeted, placing his hands on my stomach now and ignoring me, "Or babies."
     "Don't you even dare." I warned with another pout.
     "What? I think it'd be a great thing. Imagine this- two adorable, identical twin girls who take exactly after that mother. Their cuteness could melt any heart."
     "Says the one who would not be carrying them and whose only responsibility would be to play with them. I swear, Charming, if you jinx me with twins or more I'm punching you in the stomach every day until they're born. At the very least, I'll throw up on you again."
     "Pfft. Mom's already accidentally half-thrown up on me already. I'm immune to the ick of vomit by now."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Allium had been insistent on teasing me about me having multiples- no matter what warnings or threats I sent his way.

     "So, are you excited to see your mom become Mrs. Blossom?" I asked to changed the topic.
     "Nope," Allium replied cheerfully, and laughed at my confusion, "That's because she's going to become Mrs. Charm. It's dad who's changing his name."
     "Really?"
     "Yup. After how his asshole parents treated him, he's not exactly fond of his family name. It was always the plan from the beginning for him to become Jacaranda Charm. That's why I was given my mom's name when I was born. Otherwise, they would have had to waste time changing it if they dubbed me a Blossom at birth."
     "Oh, I had no idea."

That was when the idea appeared in my head. It instantly stuck with me, and I knew that was how I was going to proceed with things from here on. I wouldn't tell anyone else though, for I wanted it to be a surprise.

I was so giddy with my new plan that Allium began to look at me strangely. I blamed it on the anticipation for the wedding, and with the ceremony starting soon I had the proper outlet to throw my boost of energy into. The seats were filled, the correct people were put into the correct places, and soon Ms. Charm and her father were at the end of the flower lined aisle. I was glad to see them both smiling as it was Ms. Charm supporting her elderly father down the aisle instead of her leading her, but I was more glad to see Pappie Charm, as I called him, smiling big and wide. Ms. Charm had naturally been upset with Jac at first, but it hadn't taken her long to come around. Jac admitted to me that he had told her a great deal more than he had told anyone else, even Allium, about his involvement with The Company, and that had helped sway her back onto his side. Her parents had been harder to win back over. I know they had initially wanted him and Rose to wait and work through the mess of the past more before they put marriage on the plate again, but it was clear from Pappie Charm's happiness that the four of them had been able to come to a satisfying consensus.

The two walked slowly towards the arch. Everyone else had their eye on them, but I was switching my gaze back and forth between Ms. Charm and Jac. I couldn't tell who looked happier. In fact, the joy in their eyes when they ended up standing together after Ms. Charm's father took his seat reached such intense levels that it felt like the flowers should suddenly turn into candy and the sky should start raining glitter. That was how beautifully sweet the expression on their faces was. I already grew teary at that. My condition during the actual ceremony could be described as nothing short of a mess. My handkerchief was soaked by the end, although I felt as if I could blame the waterworks on my budding pregnancy hormones as well. I did wish I could have been able to snag a seat in the back instead of in a front row seat of honor so I could hide how much I was bawling, but no one minded my crying. Allium certainly didn't. With him sitting next to me, we held hands the whole time and he had to use his handkerchief a few times too.

There was quite a bit of cheering, mostly from us younger folks, to match the clapping when the big kiss came. And it was big indeed. I felt as if I was watching the kiss under the mistletoe between the now Mrs. Charm and Eden again. Now, this time, it was Mrs. Charm getting a little more than expected. It was clear the whole thing was enjoyable for her though, and she laughed as everyone else laughed and "aww"ed when Jac gave her the most loving hug afterwards. It was that more than the kiss that got me. I could not conjure an image of a more ecstatic person than how Jac was. Mrs. Charm had to wipe away the tears rolling down his own cheeks.

Both Jac and Mrs. Charm had wanted things simple, so the reception area was right behind the ceremony set-up. All it took was placing the cake on the table and everyone moving the fifty feet to the east to begin the truly fun part of the party. For me personally, I was glad the ceremony hadn't been overly long. I didn't know if it was a placebo effect of me thinking I should be hungry all the time or what, but it had steadily been growing harder and harder to contain my constant appetite. Mrs. Charm was on the same wavelength as she seemed to inhale the tiny cut of cake Jac fed her. There were some laughs at that and at me when I was the one to rush forward when it was time for the guests to get their pieces.

I mostly listened to my friends as they talked, and that was because I was indeed eating. The buffet had a varied sampling of all sorts of food. Turkey, cheesesteak, salad, pie, cookies, spaghetti- it was all on my plate. It felt as if I ate more in that moment than I did in the past week combined. The blessed fact that I was not nauseated at all probably had something to do with my increased appetite. I had almost forgotten what it was like to eat and not have it all come back up. The surge of freedom was exhilarating. I did not grow sleepy from all the food, but got a great burst of energy from it. Amaranth and I joined the mass of bodies dancing as the DJ played away.

Beginning to grow a little too warm from the sun and close proximity of such an active group of people though, I was relieved when the slower songs came. The floor cleared out as the couples were all that remained. The rest went to swipe some more food or drinks and begin some games.

     "You've been a bit too smiley today." Amaranth suddenly said as we swayed gently to the calming beat.
     "This is a wedding. Am I not supposed to be happy?" I asked back, trying but failing to hide the slight teasing tone I accidentally sent out.
     "That you're happy does not cancel out the fact that you're up to something." Amaranth teased back.
     "Alright, I am up to something." I admitted.
     "Care to enlighten me?"
     "No. You're not going to find out what it is until it happens."
     "I hate those kind of plans." Amaranth pouted.
     "Too bad." I smirked.

I rested my head on his shoulder before he could make another complaint. I sensed him rolling his eyes, but he wrapped his arm around my waist tighter and snuggled me closer against him.

As it was, I was not the only one who had big plans that wouldn't be revealed until they happened. This other big event happened right that very day. Finally needing a break from the throng of people, I was taking a quiet walk around the perimeter of the park admiring everything as I mused through my thoughts. Many of them revolved around what Amaranth's and my wedding would be like. I could tell I wanted something very similar to what Mrs. Charm had had. Something pretty, but nothing overly extravagant. Just a gathering of family and friends and good times spent together. The memories to be made was more important to me than the decorations. I was thinking of where I would want the wedding to take place when there was sudden movement behind me that hadn't been there seconds before. I didn't have a chance to react before someone tapped on my shoulder.

     "Excuse me?" the voice asked.

Still incredibly paranoid, I panicked at the unexpected intrusion. However, the fear was quickly replaced with curiosity. I knew that voice somehow, even if it took me turning around and staring for a good long while before I figured out exactly who was there. I swore I had gotten too hot and was hallucinating. I knew the man who stood before me, but I couldn't get myself to believe that it was him. Why on earth would Quartz Prism, the famous movie actor, be in Berrybrook at the wedding of two people he didn't know? My mouth hung open as I stared in awe.

     "You are Ethereal Yonder, correct?" he asked.

All I could do was feebly nod.

     "I am sure you are surprised to see me. You are much more famous than I am now, so I suppose I should be the one who is star-struck." he teased in a friendly manner.
     "You actually earned your fame though," I pointed out, forcing my voice to work, "All I did was be born into a situation out of my control."
     "To be honest, I never felt as if my work is all that different from any other actor's. I just had a certain, fortuitous advantage I knew how to use." Quartz admitted with an amused shrug.
     "Well, I don't think that. My boyfriend is a super fan-boy of yours, so I've seen a lot of your stuff with him. We both like that you don't just take the roles that are guaranteed to get you attention, but that you only take the ones that are artful and have good meaning behind them, especially since the characters your play now are different from the ones you played when you were younger."
     "Yes, I fear my days of being the desirous action movie hero are far behind me," Quartz laughed, "And I thank you. And, if I may, your boyfriend is Amaranth, is he not?"
     "Uh, yes, he is. How did you know?" I asked with curiosity and light concern, for Amaranth and I had been trying to keep him as far away from the spotlight as possible.
     "Blaze asked me if I could come here today. With the trials you and your family and friends have faced recently, he was afraid his nephew's eighteenth birthday had gotten a little overlooked. He wanted me to surprise him."
     "You know Blaze?" I questioned in surprise, for Quartz definitely gave off the vibe that there was more to the relationship than a famous actor fulfilling the request of a fan.

The expression on Quartz's face changed when he smiled. I was immediately suspicious, but not in the bad way.

     "How did you like the house?" he asked, only making me more confused, "As the main monetary contributor to its completion, I hope it suited your needs well."

The question was left hanging as I could only stare again. I knew what house Quartz was talking about, but he couldn't possibly be suggesting what he was suggesting. Could he? Appearing to be reading my mind, my question was subtly answered.

     "Always willing to help a fellow albino when it's needed. I know how tough it can be." he said smoothly, giving me a wink.

I tried to process this new twist on things, but both Quartz and I realized I was going to need some time. He was willing to move past it as all I could do was ignore what just happened.

     "Amaranth is over here." I said, pointing to my friends.

Luckily, they had all grouped up together. Even better, Amaranth was standing with his back to Quartz and me. He, Allium, Frost, and Sunset were all caught up in whatever conversation Sunflower and Cocoa were having. My heart lightened once more as I lead Quartz their way. For whatever reason, it was that moment where it truly began to sink in that I was free. I wasn't going to be joining them as Meadow Yonder. It was Ethereal walking over. Ethereal, not surrounded by white walls or trapped by threat of being tossed within them once again. My world and my friends were as colorful as could be, and it was going to stay that way.

Absolutely giddy for the dozenth time that day, my smile was the biggest it had ever been when I covered Amaranth's eyes so his birthday surprise, already hyped up more by the amused cries of surprise by our friends, would just about match mine.