GRANITE

030

CHAPTER THIRTY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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AFTFER THE SWEET GIFT FROM CAMREN,

Freya was feeling a bit more optimistic about her birthday. She woke up before her alarm and immediately began the preparations for the night. The girls were coming over for a game night, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't ecstatic about it.

About an hour ago Eve and her had FaceTimed, Freya making sure Eve was feeling better with all the things going on and that she would make it to help set up the party. She'd gotten all the decorations laid out on her coffee table in their organized piles and moved onto cleaning up the house a bit more.

Freya struggled to keep focus while doing the mundane tasks of cleaning, opting to put on a playlist every time she'd start to help keep her away from distractions. She pranced over to her sink, chanting along with 'Y'all Want A Single' as she filled half the sink with soapy water and began on the dreadful mound of dishes she'd accumulated. She swayed her hips back and forth with the music as she thoroughly scrubbed and rinsed every dish.

She got so lost in the sounds of the music along side the running tap water she didn't even hear her front door open and close. "I'm heeerrreee!" Eve called out, placing her bag near the door and popping her shoes off. Freya's entire body tensed as her heart leapt from her chest at the unexpected voice. She couldn't help the high pitched shriek that escaped her as she whipped around.

"Bitch!" Eve let out a hearty chuckle, absolutely unphased by Freya's reaction.

"Hello to you, too." Freya placed a wet hand over her ragged band tee. She gave Eve a scolding look and pointed a finger in her direction.

"You can't DO that to me anymore! I'm practically a dinosaur now, I might actually die of a heart attack." Freya joked.

"You can't say that anymore with the company we keep." Eve laughed, grabbing the duster from Freya's cleaning cabinet to refresh her living room.

"You may not be wrong, but their knees aren't going to snap crackle and pop like mine do when they crouch." Eve raised her brows with a shrug, making her way towards the living room. "You know the drill, feel free to change the playlist or queue whatever you want!"

Freya always hated the concept of aging, and she hated that she hated it. She recognized the beauty in it, traversing through time and creating memories that would be stored in every scar, line and wrinkle that would follow. But it scared her. It scared her to think of spending all those years learning how to take care of yourself and be self sufficient just to reverse it back to square one.

She loathed the idea of needing someone to take care of her; especially simple things like driving, eating, using the bathroom and even walking. Initially upon discovering and accepting the boys for what they were, she was envious. They had been able to live through centuries of time, watching the world advance without the consequences of aging.

But the more life she experienced life along side them left her... conflicted. She thought more about keeping such a secret from those you meet and love and having to cut things short to not expose yourself. She thought more about telling them and having to watch them grow old and the withering stages of the end of life. And she remembered them sharing that they feel emotions way more intensely, meaning they live through centuries of grief.

Her heart grew fonder of the brotherhood they built together, each having three constants throughout time. The plethora of memories through each decade they must share and how deep their bond is because of it. Maybe an eternal life wouldn't be so bad if you're able to do it with the right people.