November 27th, 1946. London, England

"Okay, where do you want to eat for your birthday dinner?" Mom asks slowly.

Juliet, Vincent, and I all look at eachother.

"CITRUS DINER!" We all exclaim.

Mom laughs. "Okay, we can go to Citrus,"

"Yay! I love their little chicken nibs!" Vincent grins. "Chicken nib!"

"I want that one thing! The thing that's made of dead cow but it's okay because the cow died because it was old."

"Are you thinking of a hamburger?" Mom smiles.

Juliet shakes her head. "No, it's made of cow, not pig. It has bread and tomato and ketchup and um, the green leaf."

"Yeah, honey, that's a hamburger. It doesn't have ham, you're right. That's just its name."

"Lettuce, you meant lettuce." I butt in. "That's the green leaf."

Juliet nods. "Yes, lettuce."

"What do you want, Violet?" Vincent asks.

I furrow my eyebrows. "The cakes from a pan..." I try to remember the name. "Cake pan... pancake. I want pancake."

"Vi, baby, do you want one pancake or more than one?"

"More than one,"

"Then say pancakes. The S makes it more than one." Mom pats my back.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I look down.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to say sorry. You're still learning English. It's a very hard language."

I nod. "I don't like it."

"That's okay, but you need to know it. Remember? In America, much less people know French or German."

"Oh, yes. Right." I frown. "People in America speak English and not much else."

"Yes, most only speak English. Nothing else."

"Not even one other language?!" Vincent gasps. "I can't think of what it's like to only know one!"

"You only knew French until we were four!" Juliet crosses her arms.

"Juliet, hey, do you remember much before you knew german?" Mom chimes in.

Juliet shakes her head.

"Then leave Vincent alone, he probably doesn't remember either."

Juliet frowns. "I'm sorry, Vincent."

"Thank you, Velvet."

"No, I don't like Velvet! I like Juliet!"

Mom shakes her head. "Shhh, let's get you guys dressed and ready for today!"

November 27th, 1950. Chicago, Illinois: Violet's 14th birthday

"Happy birthday dear Violettttt, happy birthday to yoouuuu!" My friends all finish.

"You gotta make a wish, Vee!" Debbie smiles.

I close my eyes and wish hard.

I wish to find Koch again.

I blow out the candles and smile.

"What'd you wish for?" Richard asks.

I shake my head. "No, I can't say because then it won't come true!"

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever, Violet. Whatever!"

"Cake cake cake!" My mom calls, walking into the dining room with a knife. "Cake time!"

She cuts it up and we all sit down around the table.

"Vee, how's it feel to finally have your own party and not share one?" Debbie smiles. "Does it feel good?"

I nod. "Yes! I'm so happy I got my own!"

"What's it like always being attached to another person?" Rosie asks.

"Ugh! It's the worst. No, Juliet and I aren't the same person. No, I don't know where Vincent is. Stop asking!" I roll my eyes and lean back. "I hate it. I'm my own person."

Rosie smiles softly. "You're my favorite Winter."

"Me too!" Debbie raises her hand. "My very favorite."

"I guess you're mine too," Richard pats my back.

Warren shakes his head. "My favorite is your dad."

"Fair enough," I say to Warren. "He's neat."

"Well, do you feel different now that you're fourteen?" Debbie leans forward.

I shake my head. "No, I feel the exact same! I'm the same person, just older. And with more presents."

"Aw, Vee! You're so great!"

"Thank you! I appreciate it!"

I turn to see mom with a camera. "Say cheese!"

We all lean in close and shout. "CHEESE!"

November 27th, 1954: Violet's 18th Birthday.

"Birthday! Today's your birthday!" I hear Buddy say.

I barely wake up and roll over to see him standing in my doorway. "What?"

"It's your big birthday! You're a legal adult! You can so so many things now!"

I roll back over and shut my eyes. "Shhh, it's too early."

"It's never too early for your birthday!" He sits on my bed. "Doll! C'mon! It's a big day!"

"You know, if you didn't keep me up until four in the morning, I'd be more willing to get up."

"Hush, babe. You had fun."

"Well, you got me there." I mumble. I bet Adalyn and Bob are still asleep too!"

"It's not their birthday! It's yours!"

"You saw me on my birthday already! We were together until four this morning! And why are you awake so damn early?!"

"Hey, you know it doesn't count. It doesn't count unless it's at least 5:30 am."

"And what time is it now?"

"It's only 8am..." he gently rubs my back.

"So early."

He smiles. "Well, I'm sorta trained t'get up real early. Y'know how my family is. Get up early and go t'bed early."

"You don't go to bed early,"

"Yeah, but they sure do."

I roll over into my back. "I'm so tired!"

"But baaaabe! It's your birthday!"

"I know!"

"C'mon!"

"You're more excited than me for my own birthday," I smile.

"Here, since it's YOUR birthday, we can lay here until you wanna get up."

I nod and scoot over, allowing him room to lay down.

He lets down and wraps his arms around me. "Today is gonna be great, darlin'. I'm glad that I have a girl who I can go all out for,"

I snuggle into him closer. "How'd you even get in?"

"Juliet is already gone and she left the door unlocked."

"Are my parents at work?"

"I think so, I didn't see their car."

I close my eyes. "Okay,"

"Violet, I love you! Even though you're an adult now."

"You were an adult before me."

"I love you, babe. I love you and how snarky you are."

I smile to myself. "I love you, too."

November 27th, 1956: Violet's 20th birthday

"I can barely believe you're twenty now, Vi." Ella smiles, kissing my cheek as I walk into the Holley house. "It's like I just met you yesterday!"

I smile "It feels like I just moved to Lubbock yesterday, time is moving so fast."

"I just about cried when Buddy turned twenty." Ella pinches Buddy's cheek. "You're so grown up!"

"Ma," Buddy laughs, rubbing his cheek. "Why d'you still do that?"

Ella grins. "Because I'm your mother and I don't want you to move away!"

I'm taken aback. Is Buddy going to move?! He hasn't told me he had any plans!

Buddy's jaw drops. "Ma!"

Ella looks at me. "Oh! Sorry! Sorry. Sorry!" She quickly leaves the room.

I sit on the couch next to Buddy. "You're moving?"

"I wasn't gonna tell ya yet, doll." He sighs. "I had a plan, but that seems t'have been ruined."

"You're moving!" I frown. "Please don't leave me,"

"Oh, babe, no, no! I was, well...I was gonna ask if you wanted to move with me."

I feel my heart stop. "What?"

"D'you wanna move with me?" He wraps an arm around me. "It'd be nice, y'know. Just us two, no worries 'bout parents or siblin's."

I lean into him. "Where?"

"Just t'Clovis for now,"

I look up at him. "Just Clovis?"

He nods. "Yeah, doll. Be closer to NorVaJak records. Wouldn't gotta constantly go back and fourth."

I purse my lips. "We don't know anyone."

"Babe, hey, it'd be fine. I've been thinkin' 'bout this since we graduated and played for Elvis." He looks at me. "And I already found a place that you'd love. It's small, but it'd just be us. Super cute. Real close t'the studio."

"But, Buddy, what about jobs? I can't quit work!"

"Vi, you're a nurses assistant. Not even a certified one, might I add."

"But-"

"At the emergency room. You always tell me that you hate that place."

I nod. "Yeah, I really do."

"I knew you were gonna mention jobs," he smiles. "So, I looked around."

"And?"

"Well, it so happens that NorVaJak needs a secretary."

"Really?"

He nods. "I've talked to Norman already. I said I was thinkin' of movin' t'Clovis and he said that it's a good plan and that you should be the secretary."

"Why isn't Vi Petty the secretary anymore?" I ask.

"She didn't like it much, I guess." He shrugs.

"Buddy, this is actually a good plan. We aren't taking any huge risks by moving far away, there's available jobs, we're still close to friends and family, and we know Clovis."

He nods. "Yeah, I've been thinkin' 'bout it for a while."

"I applaud you."

"Well?"

"Well what?" I ask.

"Wanna move with me?"

I smile. "Of course,"

He kisses my head. "Well doll, I guess we're damn near on our own."

"I'm so ready to leave my house, Buddy. I really really am."

"Aw, baby, I know it's rough there. Soon it'll just be us, okay? Ain't gotta deal with your parents anymore."

I smile. "I'm so ready,"

"Well, when d'you wanna like, pack up?"

"I don't know. I have to put in my two weeks at work, then somehow break the news to my parents and Juliet and Vin."

"Oh, yeah, no, that's not gonna be fun." He sighs.

"Juliet is going to have a cow, she's going to cry,"

"I'd cry too if you left me with your parents."

"And here we are, at twenty. Moving, engaged, and well, in love, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yeah, sometimes I want to fight you. But most of the time I'm in love."

He laughs. "Same for you, doll,"

"Well!" I clap. "It's a plan!"

Ella comes back in. "Y'all sort it out?" with how fast she reentered, she was definitely standing around the corner eavesdropping, but not that I care.

I nod. "Yep, seems so."

"Great! Come, I have a present for you!"

I glance at Buddy and he shrugs.

I cautiously stand up and follow Ella into the kitchen.

"Close your eyes!" She exclaims.

"Okay, okay," I mumble, covering my eyes.

I hear some shuffling then something fall.

"Open!" Ella says.

I slowly open my eyes and see a beautifully hand drawn map of Western Paris, complete with color codes for streets and avenues and the like. There's little pictures of land marks like the Effiel tower and the louvre.

And, there, on the intersection between Rue de Avocet and Rue de Belle, is an orphanage, surrounded by a red heart and a picture of me as a child.

I look up at Ella. "Oh my God..."

"Do you like it?"

I slowly nod. "Oh my god, it's so beautiful. This had to have taken months!"

"Oh, honey, don't worry about it. You're hard to shop for, so I decided on a more personal gift."

"It's amazing, thank you so so much!"

"Of course, you're family."

"Family enough to have that recipe for Apple pie?" I smirk.

"Hmmm," she puts her finger on her chin. "Nope! You gotta have the Holley name."

"Damn," I mutter. "I will have that recipe in a year!"

"A year, a month, and three days!" Ella smiles widely.

"Are you counting down the days?" Buddy laughs.

She nods. "It's not everyday that your little baby goes off and gets married!"

Buddy smiles. "I guess you're right, ma."

I can't tear my eyes away from the map. It's so intricate and beautiful.

"I'm sorry I only did the west side of Paris, Violet. I didn't think the whole city was reasonably going to fit on this page." Ella chimes.

"Oh, no, it's amazing." I grin. "I only really spent time on the west side, anyways."

"I'm glad you like it," she smiles. "I'll let Buddy and you be alone," she walks back out.

I look at him. "This is amazing,"

"Sorry, doll, I couldn't really one up that."

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to get me anything."

"I did already," he smiles.

"You didn't have to..." I trail off.

He pulls out a box from his pocket and gets down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

I smile. "Jeez, you dork. Of course I will."

He stands back up. "My point is that I finally bought a real ring," he slides it on my right ring finger. "I didn't feel quite right givin' you an engagement ring and not proposin'."

I look at it. "It's so, so perfect, Buddy."

"Really?"

I nod. "It's so perfect. You know me so, so well." I feel my eyes well up. The other ring was just some random one we picked up at the grocery store. This one feels different. It really feels like I'm getting married.

"I love you, Violet." Buddy kisses my head.

I hug him tightly. "I love you so, so much."

A/N here, have a happy account of Vi's birthdays. The last one was too sad rip