Birthdays

Gradually as the year and another passed, Piper tolerated Tulip, reluctantly getting use to her presence when realising Tulip will continue to stay.

Walter and Ronan liked Tulip, finding her understanding of things fun, so they started going to Noah's house just to visit her.

Lincoln stayed generally the same, the more he hangs out with Tulip and Noah, the more he develops this mature and brave character of his, but when it was only him and Tulip, he would grow shy. Unsure of what to make of Tulip and Noah's relationship.

The week Tulip and Noah met, he got to know Tulip. Asking basic questions like her age and full name. However she didn't understand most of his words, so he wasn't able to get most of the answers to his questions and when he did Noah has no idea if Tulip actually knew what to answer and said something random.

As time passed and the two spent time doing all sorts of things, the more Tulip grew to understand his words and of this world which helped her understanding of Noah actions and speech. So Noah would find out her age, which was 10, her full name she didn't say, her tilting head tells him she still doesn't understand for whatever reason.

Two years younger. Noah is 12, turned 12 in the beginning of the year. Noah asked her when is her birthday, explaining to her it is when she was birthed. Her birthday was on July at the beginning of the month.

When July came Noah, his mother, Lincoln, Walter, Ronan and even Piper surprised her with a celebration.

That year was Tulip's first birthday party, she had more in the following year. Each birthday would be celebrated with a bake off and fried chicken, to Noah's surprise but delight.

In Tulip's world there wasn't a day to celebrate birth-days. It was a reasonable thing to celebrate though, but her world, Seathe, had different beliefs. Tulip isn't upset they don't have birthdays, it's unfortunate no one gets to experience what Noah and the people around him would prepare just for her birth-day, but she's content because her first one was with him.

In her world everything like everyone births is celebrated when a new bright yellow star would appear. On earth people call it a new year, which is technically right. At night you are able to see these stars, no matter how much light pollution covers the land, it can't overshadow the dominating stars of her world. There are two stars, white stars and yellow stars. The higher ups tell its citizens that these yellow stars is what tells us how many years her world has existed. There are many theories to it, but the higher ups tell them that is a fact. The white stars are regular stars, according to their words.

Whatever they mean, Tulip isn't so interested. They are pretty, but what can she be so interested in something she sees everyday and only knows it as creations that decorate the sky?

They would celebrate the yellow stars for many days, and after those days the energy still soared. A new yellow star only comes once after many months after all. Parties, spending time with families, friends and neighbours, giving and taking to each other, lots. It was fun.

So she doesn't feel missing birthdays in her world is such a distressing thing.

These parties Noah prepared just for her, what can be better than this? Tulip giggled and danced with Ronan and Noah that pulled her up from her spot. Twirling and jumping with Noah who leads the way and Ronan who teasingly holds her up and spins her around. It was chaotic but peaceful, so peaceful. Doing this with Noah, not having to worry she'll lose him, not when they're here dancing together with the joyous smiles and laughter.

Then they would sit back down by the call of Noah's mother. The lights would be off and Noah who left his seat would come through the darkness back to where Tulip is with a cake that had a candle poked in. Everyone would sing a song and clap after telling her to make a wish and blow the candle.

Tulip felt so blessed. Happy crescent eyes would crinkle to their laughter but also felt sad. She does have a family of her own back in her world. Noah, what will happen to Noah?

Would he follow her if she found her way back to her world?

Every year on these birthdays Tulip would think of these musings. Unbearable guilt pressed unto her.