Remembering Rose

Chapter Seventeen- Galen's Birthday

Lilith's POV:

Cakes are a good thing. They are just a perfect representation of a happy moment, made with the intent to make someone smile. On April twenty-fourth, I sat in Peony's kitchen watching as Rose, Walker, and Peony attempted to make one. It was quite a comical affair, since Walker and Rose were more interested in eating the batter than actually making the delicious thing.

"Walker, if you stick another dirty finger in that bowl I'm going to chop them all off," Peony threatened as Walker made another move towards the batter. She held a large cutting knife in her hand, one she'd been using to chop strawberries, and waved it in his direction. I choked back a laugh, knowing fully well that no matter how annoyed she got with him that she could never carry out her threat. Walker knew that too. So he answered by sticking his tongue out and sweeping his finger around the bowl.

"Walka," Rose laughed from her spot next to Peony. I couldn't help my laugh as I noticed the blue icing that streaked across Rose's cheek like war paint. She turned her stunning eyes to me and gave a little hum, "Lil!"

I gave the little cinnamon roll a quick wink before I lobbed a blueberry in her direction. My aim proved to be on point as it bounced off her forehead and left a tiny blue stain. Peony let out a frustrated growl and turned toward me with her knife, "You three, out!" With that declaration Walker grabbed Rose and threw her over his shoulder, leading the way out the kitchen. I followed dutifully but not before I turned and gave Peony my best 'What can you do' shrugs.

Peony was always a mess on birthdays. She would run about baking cakes, setting up parties, getting everything together, doing her best to make sure everything was perfect for that special someone. In order to make sure she made the day memorable, Peony collected little facts about people in a journal that she kept under her mattress. Birthdays were Peony's domain, so the gang usually just left her too it. Which is why when Walker, Rose, and I entered the living room we found the rest of gang relaxing.

I immediately sought out Farley's mop top mess of hair and when I found him stretched out on the couch I flung myself onto him. I felt the air rush out of him followed by his delightfully hilarious sputtering. "Lil," he groaned while giving me his best stink eye, "I think you broke me."

"You're such a weakling," I retorted with a smile, but as an apology I gave him a quick kiss. We settled there comfortably and I turned my attention back to everyone else. Walker had finally released Rose and plopped himself into Peony's red recliner. His wild blond curls were speckled with flour, which Vanessa was currently pointing out. Her golden eyes were narrowed and her hands waved wildly as she explained the reasons that Walker technically qualified as a pig. Next to Vanessa on the couch Knox sat in silence, his broken leg propped on an spare chair, watching her with a gentle admiration.

It was a similar look to the one that Rose was giving to Galen as he carefully wiped the icing off her cheeks. "Rose, how is it possible for you to get so messy," Galen snickered. Rose simply smiled and gave a quick little hum.

"How old are you going to be, Galen," she asked after he wiped the last of the icing from her face. Galen, of course, paused and attempted to think of the number he often didn't keep track of.

The rest of the gang quickly answered for him (including Peony from her spot in the kitchen) with a synchronized, "Twenty-three!" Galen turned and gave a incredulous glance at the lot of us causing a riot of laughter to erupt.

"What about me, hold old am I?"

The innocent question that came from Rose's mouth sent a chill through my chest. With a sudden clarity I remembered that Rose had no memory; she had no known age. I realized that though we called her Rose, her real name was a mystery. We actually didn't know anything about her and the silence that followed her question exposed the truth.

Rose Darling was a ghost of a stranger.

It was Galen that finally answered Rose, "We don't know, Love, but if you want to we can pick an age and you can celebrate it with me."

Rose Darling went quiet with thought for a moment, fiddling with the silver pendent around her neck, then she looked around the room full of friends and smiled. "I want to be as old as Peony and Lil are," she exclaimed making me chuckle.

The boys turned to look at me. "Well," I cooed, "Peony is nineteen and I am twenty-one, so why don't we put you in the middle Rosie? You can be twenty!"

And so it was decided. Her name was Rose Amelia Winfred Darling, she was twenty years old, her favorite color was "Early Morning Pink", she loved pancakes, and she was a part of the Reaper Gang. She was beginning to color the blanks of her life, and as I watched her and Galen blow out the candles on Peony's blue velvet strawberry-topped cake, I found happiness in knowing that she was our own beautiful, little Rose.

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Hello loves! So I hope you enjoyed this cute little chapter that kind of gave you a peek into the life of the gang. I was originally going to have this chapter end a little differently, but as I was writing I realized that throughout the story I have just glossed over the mundane things that Rose doesn't remember. It was definitely a moment for me and so I decided to change the chapter and bring that to light.

On another note, I know that I promised new chapters coming quicker. However, it is First Project time in my classes and I have an Art Project, a 5 page Issue Brief, and a 10-15 page Music Thesis due soon. So in order to avoid flunking my class, being kicked out of school, and ending up as a goat-woman in the mountains I am going to focus on my school work for now. I am really sorry, but school is a priority for me and I know you guys will understand :)

-agirlmadeofstars <3