november 16, 2019.  

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you," Serena quietly sang to her sister along with the two felines and two rabbits with a soft smile, "Happy birthday dear, Melanie, happy birthday to you." Serena finished softly as absentmindedly stared at the lit candle on the birthday cake.

"Do we have to go through this every year, NaNa?" Maofah asked while stretching himself upon Serena's lap.

"Do what every year, Maofah?"

Serena feigned ignorance as Maofah glanced up at her knowingly.

"Where you look like you're gonna cry, but don't actually cry yet you blab about this and that of NiNi's life in a very sad and depressing way."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't. Besides did you bring the lotus flower like you said you would bring?"

Maofah didn't answer her as she shot him a knowing look.

"Nerok said you wanted to bring it this year."

"I forgot it."

"Luckily Nerok brought one."

"I got distracted."

"Right."

"Whatever. At least I reminded you about the cake before coming here. Miss Forgetful."

"Shut up."

Serena pushed the white feline off of her as she focused back onto the small and round cake where its' candle had been removed and half of it was already gone.

"Wow, Taamtu and Nerok. You couldn't have waited for like another minute?"

Serena eyed the brown rabbit and black cat as both were rubbing their now bloated stomachs.

"Nerok made me do it." Taamtu said as he blamed Nerok.

"The strawberries were calling for me. It's their fault for being so yummy." Nerok remarked not denying the blame.

"Okay, it's my fault, too." Taamtu admitted. "The blueberries were calling for me, too."

Serena shook her head with a small smile as she broke off a small piece, placed it onto a small paper plate along with a plastic spoon, and handed it to the white rabbit, Kaousa.

"Same place as last time?" Kaousa asked about to set it beside's the table next to Melanie's bed, but Serena shook her head.

"No. By the window this time where the lotus is. The weather is really nice out." Serena explained as Kaousa did so.

"Okay."

Taamtu appeared beside him and set an already opened bottle of pink lemonade right next to the plate. Serena did this as a spiritual offering for her sister and the spirits within the hospital. She's been doing this for the past four years with the animals, yet her sister remained motionless as all the previous times before. The only thing that moved was the low rise and fall of Melanie's chest maintained by a machine. Serena hoped by now that there would be some kind of improvement, but the results were the same.

Serena quietly returned to stretching and massaging Melanie's hands to get the blood circulating, but to also allow Melanie's muscle to still be active and to be of use whenever she awoke out of her comatose state. At first Serena didn't think much about it, but she remembered reading something online about a mother doing it for her own son who was in a coma which allowed the son to be able to move about without total stiffness among other things when he came out of his coma.

The rabbits each started doing the same thing to Melanie's feet as Nerok continued to eat the rest of the cake on his own while Maofah floated around the room removing dust here and there. It was quiet, but a comfortable silence that actually soothed Serena's own peace of mind. She wondered for how long until Melanie's Fated One would appear before her to awake her from her slumber. As cliche as it may seem like in them fairytales, but it was the only thing that Serena had going for her when she was informed of this information four years ago.

There were a few things she couldn't recall, but there was enough for her to go on to continued to pay her dues to Heaven and Hell. Still Serena wondered for how long would she have to continued to see her little sister in this physical state with no change. For how long could she continued to keep up with this triple life of hers before she couldn't anymore. So lost in her thoughts, Serena wasn't aware that Nerok was trying to get her attention until Maofah threw the strawberry stem at her head. Serena snapped out of it and glared at the white feline while tossing the stem in a nearby trash bin.

"Hmm?"

She looked at Maofah who pointed at Nerok as Nerok held up a small blue origami crane in his paws.

"Can I put this in the jar for NiNi this time?"

"Yeah, Nerok, you can."

Nerok smiled as he happily flittered to the end of the bed and across from it was a small white table that held three quart-sized jars filled with different types of papered origami of various colors. Nerok placed it inside the last jar filled with the other papered cranes. Next to it was filled with stars and the first was filled with hearts. Serena didn't remember exactly when she started doing this, but it had ease the pain day by day knowing that one day Melanie would be able to see and read them.

Each little color piece was filled with unspoken words and doodles for Melanie by Serena or the animals. Some were just random words or thoughts that Serena wanted to include of that day or a memory she remembered. Others were written and drawn by the animals when they wanted to include something and didn't want to feel left out if Serena wasn't in the mood to do something herself. Serena just hoped that one day these messages would reach her sister and that Melanie would eventually wake up in the present even if Melane's Fated One didn't appear.

Serena left Melanie's room after spending a couple of hours with her and told the two rabbits who accompanied the comatose Melanie daily about any changes to notify her immediately. Although there hasn't been any chances, but she still hoped. She stopped by the Nurse's Station to bid them a goodbye before leaving the intensive care unit. Once leaving and making her way down the halls of the regular floor, she happened to pass by a room where she instantly froze in mid-walk and stood outside it. What made Serena stop was someone suddenly saying 'happy birthday' until she heard a different name that wasn't her sister's.

"Happy birthday, Eunji."

Eunji's friend, Sohee, announced happily while presenting a small cake to Eunji who was sitting in the hospital bed.

"I know it's early, but since I have a test tomorrow, I can't come by and I'll be busy, too."

"It's okay, Sohee. School and education comes first. Thank you."

Eunji chuckled at her friend's thoughtfulness while taking the offer cake, but in the process of it being transferred from one hand to the other, it ended up falling onto her bedsheets.

Sohee tsked.

"You're so clumsy, Butterfingers."

"Sorry, sorry, and what did I tell you about that nickname?"

"That you hate it, but it's the reason why you tripped and injured your foot in the first lace. So it's sticking regardless."

"Fine, fine, but only with you."

"I mean, unless you preferred Seunghceol calling you that."

Eunji instantly shied at the mention of her crush's name who happened to be a good friend of hers as well.

"I knew you like him more than me."

Sohee teased as Eunji denied it while becoming even more flustered.

"I do not."

"Uh, huh. Anyways, I knew this would happen so I bought another one just in case."

Sohee laughed as she brought out another cake, but had set it on the rolling table instead of handing it to her friend while the two cleaned up the other one and tossed it. Sohee got a new blanket from the cabinets and threw it over Eunji's lap while she took the soil one and dumped it into the hamper.

"Thanks, Sohee."

"You're welcome. By the way, when do you get discharge?"

"Um, I think in a few days."

"Unless you break something else."

"Stop."

The friends giggle before Sohee spoke again.

"Now, let's eat! Oh wait, gotta finish the birthday song first."

Sohee promptly sang the song, a bit off-tune but with great enthusiasm, as a soft smile graced Serena's face and she quietly left the pair of to their special moment as she thought about her own birthday memories with Melanie, especially of the last real one from nearly four years ago.
 

november 16, 2015.

"Hey, you can't cut the cake yet. You need to sing the song first." Melanie stated as she swatted Serena's hand away from the knife while Serena rolled her eyes.

"Why do you need a song, anyways? It's just the two of us since Mom and Dad are busy with work. Like always."

"Forget them. Anyways, it's because it's my birthday and I can do whatever I want."

"Right, right, birthday girl, sure. I wondered why you couldn't just do this with your friends."

"They're all busy with their own things and I rather do something small."

"I see. What about Aunt Eugenia?"

"I invited her, but she had to attend some function with Uncle Phupha and you know how he gets if she doesn't."

"Yeah, I know. I wish they just let her do her thing though."

"Me, too. Anyways, I still haven't taken a picture of it yet."

Melanie brought out her phone and tried different angles to capture the cake to her liking. Serena watched in amusement.

"Too bad you didn't ask Praya to do it."

"Oh, right. The two of you were starting your own photography studio, right?"

"She did start one. It's called Everlast Skies, but she hasn't hired anyone and wants to recruit me."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Photography is a hobby. I don't really see it as a long-term career. Anyways, dunno if I can work under Praya as we've been friends for years."

"That's not a bad idea though since the two of you actually know each other really well. Besides, Praya could really pull it off with how she is and she actually has the funding to get it up and going unlike others. Plus, you can make a lot of money based on the field you guys decide to go into, especially as a freelancer."

"Yeah, well I'm fine where I'm at."

"You don't even like your boss."

"You don't like yours either."

"Thomas and Lisa just don't know how to run a business, but I'm staying on so I can move up the ladder before dipping out since I started that other job of mine."

"Wow, but that's not bad either. Anyways, if Zara doesn't get her act together soon, then I'll let Praya recruit me."

"She'll never get her act together since you're there to cover her and clean up her mess like all the time. And you're not even in the same position as she is."

"True, but luckily I have Haley and Niki to help me out with all that."

"They should dip out, too." Melanie remarked with a knowing look at her sister.

Serena rolled her eyes, but nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I know, but I'll let you know if and when I go through with the whole photography business with Praya."

"You better because then I can get special treament."

Serena rolled her eyes in good-nature as she watched Melanie happily take several photos of her birthday cake along with appearing in some of them every now and then.

"I seriously don't get why you always do this even though we're not that far apart."

Serena commented a moment later with a sour face.

"You're just old." Melanie teased as she snapped one more picture.

"Okay. I'm not that old. We're three years apart."

"Yeah you are. You're pretty ancient."

"Wow, okay, whatever."

Melanie laughed as she finished what she was doing and looked at Serena expectantly with a huge grin.

"Alright, ReRe. I want you to know something about my other job."

Serena eyed her sister suspiciously.

"You're not gonna try to set me up with those kids, right? I'm practically their older sister and maybe a possible mother. Heck, bro, some of them aren't even legal, dude. They're like thirteen or fourteen or something like that."

"Okay, well Theo turned nineteen back in March. Chris just turned eighteen last month and August turned seventeen three months ago."

"That's still not okay, Mel." Serena commented with a displeased look.

"If not those two, then there's Paris and Lapat. Paris just turned seventeen last month, too, and Lapat turns seventeen next month." Melanie suggested playfully as Serena narrowed her eyes at her.

"That's all wrong. They're still practically a baby to me." Serena huffed in annoyance.

Melanie laughed as she sister some more.

"Ooh, Kevin's turning eighteen next year. Oh, wait! Oh, wait!"

Melanie grew excited upon the next person she was about to mention.

"Stop." Serena groaned wanting to throttle Melanie mercilessly.

"Jeffrey! He'll be twenty-one next year!"

Melanie laughed heartily and continued the teasing.

"If not them, then how about Ryusei. He's nineteen and he even has the same birthday as you!"

Serena groaned causing Melanie to continue the fun.

"Yuta recently became twenty. Kun will be twenty in less than two months. Jaylerr will be twenty also, but next year."

Melanie backed off with a mischievous grin upon noticing her sister's glare a moment later.

"Okay, okay. If not the kids, then this one mentor named Andrew."

Melanie said with a playful tone before having this dreamy-like look on her face.

"He's been there for about four years now. I think. Anyways, he's super tall, darked hair and fair features, and like super drop dead gorgeous, handsomeness. Plus, he has these really, I do mean really, deep dimples. He's a gorgeous man overall."

"Are you sure that he's not your type?"

Now it was Serena's turned to sister.

"Maybe?" Melanie answered with a chuckle while Serena slightly shoved her.

"Don't you have a boyfriend though?"

"Oh, you mean Mark. It's complicated."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, I