A visual presentation of why Leo doesn't practice outside. (But here, he's forced to practice outside because he forgot the keys and doesn't know where Ermilinda is right now)
He strums on and decides to wait for that person to get bored with watching and listening and just leave, but she continues. She STAYS.
Time passes by, and Ermilinda's garden starts to grow impressive.
Lucida randomly visits Trisha at her house, and passes by her flirting aunts with a disgruntled expression. Ever since they got a kid in the house, they seemed to get more flirty. She turns to her cousin and asks, "Don't you get bothered by that?"
Trisha shrugs. "Eh, you get used to it."
Lucida makes a face before leaning in to whisper, "If Mom and Leo will do that in front of me, I'll barf." Then she thinks about it, and shudders. "Ew."
Trisha giggles. "Aren't they doing dating stuff already?"
"They are! But they're being weird about it," Lucida complains. Their dating is slow and cheesy and awkwardly sweet at times, and it's driving Lucida nuts.
Ermilinda greets her daughter with a wide grin just as she enters the house. "Luci, I have a surprise for you."
Lucida has a good feeling about this, and eagerly follows her to the backyard.
Lucida runs to the telescope and runs back to hug Ermilinda as tightly as she could. "It's not my birthday yet!" She always wanted one of those contraptions, but she didn't expect to have one NOW.
"It doesn't have to be a birthday present," Ermilinda laughs. Actually, she doesn't have a place to hide it properly (not that there are a lot of areas to hide in this house), so she'll have to make adjustments with the ACTUAL birthday gift.
She gives Lucida the freedom to use the telescope for as long as she wants for tonight.
Speaking of Lucida's birthday, it's already two days from now, and she calls Cresalina to help her prepare for this one, just like how she helps her prepare for the past birthdays. And then Lucida suddenly appears with the newspaper.
"And we could get her -- now that you mention it, I kinda WANT a new easel now."
Lucida rolls her eyes as she flips to the new page. She already knows what they're talking about, but she lets it slide. For her mother's sake, she pretends not to notice and continues reading.
"Well? How's it going with him?"
"It's okay, but," She pauses. "I'm unsure about it." She's unsure of how Lucida is dealing with this kind of thing; Ermilinda did tell her that she won't get into dating anyone anymore. It's a bit troublesome.
"If things get rough, you can always break up with him and kick him out of the house," Cresalina suggests. "And I might make his job a bit of a hell -- "
"Don't," Ermlinda warns her.
Leo's not a bad person: he's playing chess with her daughter in pajamas. He was about to go to sleep but Lucida has other plans. The chess set was bought at Ermilinda's whim, and Lucida wants to use it to defeat her Aunt Felicita in whatever feud they have.
He also loves his work, as he excitedly tells them about this one incident at work where they have to make some music by crumpling up their old music sheets.
"Your job's weird," Lucida remarks. "How does crumpling paper even make music?"
"Someone even managed to make music using only 24 carrots," he tells her.
The girls are given permission to go to the beach. Prepare for a spam of pretty pictures.
Wobbly legs.
It's Lucida's birthday! Ermilinda briefs her daughter with useful advice before the guests will start arriving. (Why is Leo going inside Ermilinda's room?)
"Adolescence will probably be the shittiest time of your life, Luci."
"Even worse than the time Dad died?"
Ermilinda pauses. "There are many things worse than death." Then she smiles reassuringly. "Buckle up, Luci."
The kids gather at the proper sitting area.
(From left to right: Oliver Saint, August Woods, Lucida, and Trisha)
While the adults gather at the area behind it.
Also, featuring two different opinions on movies from Ermilinda's sisters. It's no wonder that Cresalina and Felicita never seem to interact with each other most of the time (it's nothing personal though).
This kid knows some good shit about stars.
Finally, it's time for cake!
They are just so excited for her.
With each blow, Trisha hopes that it'll help her cousin grow up beautifully.
"Please don't blow too hard beside me," August tells her tonelessly.
What does she want when she grows up? Beauty? Fame? All the books that she could get her hands on? More cake? Maybe a potential substitute dad who is not Leo?
Everyone gathers for the cake while Cresalina decides to stand far away from the table and praises herself for choosing this common birthday cake.
(The birthday celebrant and her mother is somewhere helping the former with her new clothes)
Cresalina plays a sad song she made for her beloved niece.
Please don't roll your eyes at me
I know I'm embarrassing
But someday you'll understand
You'll hold a little hand
Ask them if they can
"You help me with these dishes?" Ermilinda continues the song, making her sister begrudgingly put down her guitar and do the dishes instead.
Ermilinda pretends she's not in this weird situation where her older sister is eyeing her boyfriend with a dangerous intent. Fortunately for the three of them, Felicita enjoyed the party, thank you very much.
Like mother, like daughter, Lucida pretends not to notice and continues playing chess.
When the last guests finally left, Ermilinda pulls her daughter aside and gives her a plate of cake that she managed to save from the horde earlier.
"Happy birthday, Luci."
____________________________________________
I forgot what I was supposed to write for this chapter because I've been saving up the pictures for SO LONG. But I guess it worked out in the end.
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