The States

treasures (part one)

Includes (but not in this order): Alaska, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia

June 25, 1789
"Happy Birthday!"

Neither twin had time to move away before America hugged them.

At the muffled protests, he released them. And held out the two identical boxes with the tied ribbon bows on them.

Ginny took hers with a raised eyebrow and a glimpse toward her twin, while Wes just shrugged and started untying the ribbon.

Wes opened his first, and gasped. Ginny opened hers and stared.

"They have your state seals on them." America said as Wes pulled his signet ring out of the box.

He passed it to Ginny, and Ginny passed hers to him. They examined them closely, and America shook his head.

They had been doing stuff like that since they were kids.

They switched back, and this time, they slipped the rings on their fingers- specifically the left index one.

July 26, 1789
He had been in such a hurry that day- Congress had him running all over- that he barely had time to hand Brooke the present, hug her quickly, and tell her happy birthday before he had to go somewhere else.

He never saw how she sat down on the Congress steps and opened it- or how she beamed when she unwrapped a sketchbook.

It would be the first of many.

June 25, 1829
West takes the violin case without a word.

"I know Elizabeth got a new violin last Christmas, and I figured you'd want one too."

America made a point to give the Virginias different presents- because they weren't the same person, only two pieces of the same state- one for the sea and one for the mountains.

America bends down. "You play just as good as Ginny does, and don't you forget it."

West clutches the violin case to his chest and nods.

America smiles.

March 3, 1858
"What in the world...." Florida trails off as she opens the door. She's staring at the plant in his arms.

America shrugs. "This is an orange tree. I have twelve more. Happy Thirteenth Statehood Anniversary?"

America helps her plant them all around her house that day.

January 2, 1872
"I was gonna to give you this at Christmas, but then I decided to wait until your birthday." Alfred handed it to Scarlett. "I was keeping it for your seventy-fifth, but- well, you know."

But she had seceded seventeen days after her seventy-third statehood anniversary, on January 19, 1861.

"I figured, hey, eighty-fourth is a good number too. Plus, local rule was reestablished last November, you got your statehood back the year before that, anyway, here."

He hands her the box. She flips the lid and stares.

"Look, there's your state flower- a Cherokee rose, and there's your state wildflower- azaleas, that one there, that's a Knobbed Whelk seashell, which is your state seashell, of course-"