My mother told me that when I became immortal, I'd be closer to the Watcher. I wouldn't talk to Her - not yet anyway, not until we're done here. But, after ambrosia, I'd see more. Understand more.
Until then, I'm meant to just enjoy life. My Rosetta brought me a zippy little Kespa back from France, so I've been having fun on that.
My mother says that she's only spoken to Her a handful of times, at the beginning and end of her last life, as a homeless bum (can you imagine?) and just before being dropped in Monte Vista with her new purpose. She did however, have insight on the strange dreams I've been having. She calls them "Crash Dreams." Futures that almost were until forces outside of the Watcher's control reset them.
Ideas of forces outside of the control of the Watcher are terrifying to me. I try not to think of it much. What if She didn't take Goopy away on purpose? What if I'll never see him again? What if Ophelia's next? I spend as much time with her as possible. And I don't tell her about the Crash Dreams.
In my dreams, Eden has aged up twice, under very different circumstances. The first birthday was joyus and bright, right in the afternoon of the first day of fall (which is, as always, her young adult birthday).
The second was later in the day, and substantially more solemn.
As you can see in my granddaughter's thought bubble, Ophelia is dead in this dream. She died in a poetic, tragic way the night prior to Eden's dream birthday.
In the dream, I saw it all. I begged for her to be spared. And I woke up screaming.
It was Eden that heard me, and flew down the stairs to offer me comfort. She confessed to the occasional nightmare, though I know she isn't having Crash Dreams, at least not yet. Not until ambrosia. Suddenly it was two days before her birthday again.
"Eden, I am so proud of you," I managed. "You are the granddaughter everyone wants and no one deserves."
"I love you too, Gran," she said, and hopped out the door to the school bus. I followed her out and waved goodbye to her and to Eunice. I think they were holding hands. Eunice waved to me as well. I really like that girl.
I meant what I said to Eden. She is everything I wish I'd been as a teen. Loving and calm and sweet. She doesn't secretly envy her best friend. She doesn't begrudge the older man she wants to marry of his affections for other women. I'm sure you all remember what I was like at that age. Ha, I'm surprised we all survived it.
For now, I'm glad to let Ophelia do the ice sculptures, though I am perfectly capable. We just finished Rosetta's adult museum pieces together. My daughter is so strangely beautiful, isn't she? She's got nothing of me or Goop, but Eden looks just like the two of us, but with Hiram's facial structure. Genes are a funny thing.
The weekend rolled around, and I admit I was worried that it would all be a dream again. Hiram and Rosetta had their anniversary.
Rosetta served a delectable nectar she'd picked up in France just for the occasion. Hiram claims they all taste the same to him, but this was really high quality stuff.
The full moon hit, causing problems for Rosetta's chess tournaments.
This werewoman's name is Sierra. I see her at the library sometimes, destroying furniture.
Eden, ever the sweet girl, had big plans for the weekend. She finished up her gardening, and then placed the beautiful horse ball she'd purchased for Moonglow with her gardening profits outside of the stable, for Moonglow to find when she woke. She immediately loved it.
She spent the day with both Freddie and Eunice, as well as Freddie's vampire friend Silvia (who didn't last long before needing to retreat indoors). First at Venice Beach.
Then at the festival, where she danced with Freddie while also keeping a close eye on the teen witch boy hitting on Eunice.
"Do you get jealous, Eden?" Freddie asked.
"I don't think so," Eden said. "Eunice isn't my girlfriend or anything. Besides, I can always turn someone into a frog if they make me mad."
Freddie laughed, but I'm not sure she was kidding.
I wonder sometimes what I'll do when Ophelia leaves me. Part of me thinks I'll hang out with Mom a lot, but she's really pretty monopolized these days.
Sherlock aged up to an elder at home. He looks exactly the same. Not a gray fur patch in sight. I'm going to do a big portrait of him for Mom's room as a Snowflake Day surprise.
Rosetta, meanwhile, is very near her requirements. She has 10 more hours of skill tutoring to do and needs two more ranks of chess. She has become dear friends with all of her chess opponents and has been tutoring them in charisma and logic.
When Sunday rolled around, I held my breath through almost all of it. Rosetta and Eden talked about having a little party over breakfast.
"Wow, Eden, you really seem to like those waffles. You keep going 'Mmmmm.' It's a little unseemly."
"Yes, Mom. Waffles. Yum."
She spent most of the day in the garden, but I think wrote Eunice a nice letter before the party. We don't know how old Eunice is or when she's scheduled to age up, but Eden seems to hope it's soon.
When party time rolled around, it occurred to me for the very first time that Freddie is not only wholly aware of Eden's fantasy perception of him, but he loves it. He road up to her on horseback, they had very drawn out eye contact, and then he kept a watchful eye on her as she blew out the candles.
(Watcher's Note: I wish I'd gotten the eye contact. It was perfect, but alas my screenshot finger was not fast enough)
He seemed to anticipate her aging up. Maybe her crush was not all that one sided after all.
Eunice joined some of us at a picnic table that Hiram had set out but she didn't seem to feel welcome now that Eden was an adult. I imagine Eden's told her all about needing to produce an heir, and I imagine she now feels like it's time for her to exit our lives. I would comfort her if I knew what to say.
Eden, however, had pulled Mom aside to have a private chat about her dynasty requirements. I overheard some of it, though they were speaking in hushed voices.
"Yes, but what if I married a girl and still used a boy for babies?"
"Well, what boy would agree to that?"
"One who'd have two girlfriends?"
Ha. Oh, how much effort it was to stifle my laughter. I wish I could've seen Mom's face.
