HER LIFE

Getting Ready

**Third Person POV**

The sun had barely risen, casting a soft glow through the curtains of Valentina's bedroom. She was still deep in sleep, blissfully unaware of the chaos about to unfold. Suddenly, the door burst open with a bang. 

Tristan, full of energy and mischief, bounded into the room like a whirlwind. Andre and Juliette followed closely behind, carrying a small cake with flickering candles.

"Happy birthday, Val!" Tristan shouted, jumping straight onto her bed, causing the mattress to bounce beneath him. Val groaned, half-asleep, and pulled the covers over her head, trying to block out the sudden noise and movement. But Tristan wasn't having any of it.

"Come on, birthday girl!" he laughed, continuing to jump up and down on the bed, while Andre and Juliette stood at the foot, grinning and holding the cake steady

."Make a wish!" Juliette added, her voice soft but playful as the candles flickered brightly. 

Val slowly peeked out from under the covers, her eyes narrowing at the trio in front of her. "You all are unbelievable," she muttered, her voice thick with sleep.

"Only the best for you," Tristan teased, finally stopping his jumping and plopping down beside her with a wide grin. "Now sit up and blow out your candles before we eat this cake for breakfast." Andre snickered. "That's the plan, by the way. Cake for breakfast."Val sighed, knowing there was no escape from their enthusiasm. 

Slowly, she pushed herself up, her hair a messy halo around her face. Despite her reluctance, there was a small smile tugging at her lips. She glanced at the cake, the candles glowing softly in the early morning light. 

" Alright, alright," she said, leaning forward. "But only because you brought cake." As Val blew out the candles, Tristan, Andre, and Juliette cheered loudly, filling the room with warmth and laughter.

Valentina had barely blown out the candles when she sank back into the comfort of her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin with a sleepy groan. The room still smelled faintly of vanilla and melted wax, but all she wanted was to sink back into the warmth of her dreams. She was hoping, somehow, that the early morning birthday chaos was over.

"Okay, thanks for the cake," she mumbled, her voice muffled by the pillow. "Now leave me alone for another hour. "But before she could disappear under the covers again, Juliette, always gentle but persistent, tugged at her arm. "Val, you can't go back to sleep," she said softly but firmly, her voice carrying the kind of sweetness that made it impossible to argue. "You've got to get up. There are people coming to do our nails and hair soon."

Val groaned louder this time. "Nails? Hair? It's seven in the morning, Jules." Juliette, still holding onto Val's arm, just smiled. She sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes soft but determined. "I know it's early, but today's important. We need to get ready. You don't want to look like you just rolled out of bed when everyone's here, right?"

"That's exactly what I want," Val muttered, though she could feel her resolve weakening. The bed was so comfortable, and for a moment, she considered ignoring them all, curling up, and sleeping through the day. But then she glanced at Juliette, who was sitting there with that patient, hopeful expression on her face.

Val sighed. She was never good at saying no to Juliette, especially when she smiled like that—kind, sincere, and always thinking of others before herself. "You're too sweet, you know that?" Val said, rubbing her face and reluctantly throwing off the covers. "I was really set on being a hermit today, but you're making it impossible." Juliette's smile widened, her eyes lighting up. "It'll be fun, I promise. And besides, you deserve to be pampered today."