Combating Elann’s creeping hands was a secondary focus of Noah’s, his own balling up to press the knuckles against his hot face. He gave Elann a sidelong glance as she teased him. Given his imagination it was easy to imagine his family and Elann donned in robes in a dark room surrounding him as he sat at a table, singing to him for his birthday as they held candles. It was eerie and for some reason he imagined them in red robes with large hoods that shadowed their eyes. It was a terrifying sight in his mind and it showed in his wide eyed look at Elann as she sang ominously.

“You’re terrible,” he whispered from behind his hands. 

Aimee continued giggling with the caramels in her mouth, throwing another in before retying the bag and setting it on her side.  When her giggles subsided she let out a final breath.

“What’d you do all those years you were away?” she asked, rolling the candy around on her tongue.

Noah shrugged. “I didn’t do anything. I went hunting, that’s it.”

“Even this year?”

Noah shook his head. “I didn’t do anything this year. I was with Elann.”

“Why didn’t you tell me!” Aimee urged. “We could’ve done something special for you while we were there.”

Noah shrugged again. “It doesn’t matter, it’s just a year.”

“It’s three years! You know how momma feels when we don’t get to celebrate our birthdays, she hates it.”

What Aimee said struck a chord in Noah, making him grow quiet as he looked at Elann. He didn’t know the reason for their mother making such a big deal out of their birthdays but he knew they meant a great deal to her, so he felt guilty for not celebrating the last three years, even if they were small. It would’ve been easy to fly to Zeltiva in the two years he wasn’t with Elann, but he didn’t do that either.