Prior Rings

Chapter 52: Tris - Round Two

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and for all of the good wishes about my daughter's graduation! It involved a lot of walking in very hot weather, but it was definitely enjoyable.

Thank you also to my wonderful beta reader, Rosalie!

Chapter 52: Tris – Round Two

(Tris is 30, Tobias is 32, Abigail is almost 4, and Christina's daughter Emily is close to 3)

Birthday parties are still a strange concept to both Tobias and me. We never even tracked our birthdates growing up, let alone celebrated them, since the Abnegation don't believe in either. But we're slowly learning to do more, thanks to everyone else in our faction.

For Abigail's first birthday, Christina and Shauna threw a surprise party, filled with decorations and presents and noise. I'm not sure if it was more overwhelming for Abigail or for Tobias and me, but I'm pretty sure it would have been a complete failure if they hadn't served copious amounts of Dauntless cake. That was Abigail's first taste of the dessert, and she immediately became a fan.

The next two years, Tobias and I took the lead in planning our daughter's party, mostly to make sure that no one else would. We held a small party each time, inviting just our family and closest friends – and Abigail's playmates.

This year, though, is different. Abigail is old enough now to make some decisions about what she wants to do and who she wants to invite. So, we make a point of including her as we begin planning in late July.

"I want it in the park," she immediately proclaims, "like Avery's. And I want to invite Emily and all my friends from preschool. But not Jeremy. He's mean. And I want chocolate cake, and a tightrope."

The last part clearly startles Tobias. "A tightrope?"

Abigail nods enthusiastically. "Like Michael had."

Tobias' gaze meets mine, somewhat confused, and I remember that he didn't attend that particular party. "It was a Dauntless theme," I explain. "The tightrope was four feet in the air, with a big pad under it for when the kids fell. It was actually pretty fun."

He looks at us like we're crazy, but Abigail chimes in again. "Not just pretty fun. It was really, really fun, Mommy!" She looks at me, waiting for me to agree, before it seems to occur to her that her father is the one who needs to be convinced. Turning to him, she says, "Please, Daddy? I really want one. Please?"

"We'll think about it," he says noncommittally, but it's obvious that he's not thrilled with the idea. For a second, Abigail stares at him, biting her lip as she debates whether to continue pleading, but she's apparently learned by now that she never gets her way when she does that. So, instead she sighs, looking dejected. I really don't think she's doing it on purpose, to be manipulative, but the reality is that her current expression stands a better chance of working than anything else. Tobias hates seeing her sad.

He clears his throat uncomfortably. "Do you want any presents?" he asks, trying to change the subject.

She thinks about that far more seriously than an almost-four-year-old should. "Can we get a new brain for Uri?"

"What?" I ask, choking on the word.

"Well, Chris-tina said he needs one, 'cause his doesn't always work."

Beside me, I can feel Tobias' silent laughter, and it doesn't exactly help me contain my own reaction. But Abigail hates being laughed at, so I try to keep my face straight as I answer.

"I'm pretty sure that Christina was just joking about that, sweetie. Sometimes, she gets annoyed with Uriah, but he doesn't need a new brain."

"Oh." She looks confused. "But Zeke said it, too."