Being old isn't so bad, you know. I became an elder on the night Freddie ... left. I don't like the other word. I realize I'm very lucky to still have Eunice and that it could be like Grandpa Goopy and I would spend my final days of mortality alone. That'd be awful. We miss him lots. We miss Sherlock too, but his urn gets to stay out, so he visits sometimes. Mostly he likes to play with Moonglow.
He doesn't seem to notice Penni much. She's kind of a ditzy dog and came with the piggy trait, so maybe genius, neat Sherlock doesn't feel she's worth his afterlife attention. She is super cute, though.
There was only one day between losing Freddie and Eureka aging up. Honestly, it flew past, but that could be because I kept asking my plants if they remembered the day she was born. If they could slow time down a little. And then suddenly it was dark outside, and Eureka was at her cake (which was my cake, but I never got to it).
I'm ashamed to say I've often had trouble relating to my precious daughter. She is very different from me. More cunning and more serious. I've never felt as elated in my life as I did when she shot us parents a look of true happiness and excitement on the cusp of her adulthood. She was more ready than any teen in the history of time.
Maybe that's why the sparkles came so fast. Faster than I've ever seen them come.
"You're going to have The Hair!" Mona Lisa shouted. She was right.
Eureka, though, didn't seem upset or fazed at all. "Oh, finally," she said, and then I heard her laugh, maybe for the first time in years. It was music to my heart.
She took the time to sit down with us for cake before dashing off to the mirror. Granny was suggesting we have a nice party after her graduation day, maybe in the park.
I was just trying not to cry. I never cried before Eureka was born, but it's not sad crying. I felt really happy! Eunice handed me her hanky. She always knows what to do. Then, Eureka ran off to her room and Mona Lisa cleared her throat and told us about a shower dye prank from a bygone era.
It was still not really full preparation for what Eureka was doing to herself.
It's blue! Blues, even! And for some reason, it's very pretty! I don't know what to say! I'm impressed and horrified! Oh, just so long as she's happy. We had planned for Eureka to take on the handy trait as her final choice, but she surprised us all and went with great kisser.
"I need to have more fun," she said. "I'm too depressed too much."
"Well, if you're feeling blue, darling, it might just be because of what's on your head," Eunice said.
Eureka threw a marshmallow at her and once again I felt like crying! I'm such a big baby. Eunice cuddled me that night and we cried a little together over how proud we are of our little girl.
It is true that Eureka's sadness seems to have lifted. She even included a picture of her particularly awful formalwear that she'd aged up in and let everyone laugh about it.
She has blossomed into perfection. Everything is ripe and perfect and well tended. Perhaps I'm not a bad gardener when it comes to my baby girl after all. I do grow plasma fruits and ghost chili peppers that I can never eat. It doesn't mean I don't take care. It doesn't mean they aren't perfect. Right?
Anyway, I'm just being a sentimental old bag. You want to see Eureka's clothes!
Everyday:
Formal:
Sleepwear:
Swimwear:
and Outerwear:
As much as I wanted to figure out a way to bond with this new, miraculous, shining creature, I allowed her time to herself on that first night as a woman. She did what she's always done. She built me a toy. (It's a cow! It says
Moooo and everything! I love it!)
The next morning, we all woke to find her in her cap and gown, ready to go.
She graduated with honors and was voted most popular. This surprised her so much that she started laughing and snorting right in the middle of the ceremony. We were all so happy to see her happy. It didn't matter at all.
She'd asked Mona Lisa to prepare her museum room right away. She said that if we regret not putting her in a wedding dress for it, we can always do that for her adult set.
We spent the night of her graduation at the pub. Worries and Woes indeed. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Eunice was even learning a bit of mixology.
I decided to buy my daughter her first drink. Honestly, it was my first drink too, but I own a pub, so we'll keep that between us.
It was nice. It kind of tasted like soda pop, and sunshine, and burning. It was wonderful and awful.
And for the first time, Eureka and I really
talked.
"I've always wanted to be like you. Airy and light and happy with everything. You seemed so ethereal, so unapproachable before. This is nice. We should talk more."
To my credit, I managed not to cry (at the time).
Then she put her head down a bit and sucked in her air. "Oh, Watcher. It's him!"
"Who? Who!" I asked, excitedly.
"Oh, no one. Oh God," she moaned. "Now I feel like a teen again."
"Ooh, he's handsome. He's been to the house, hasn't he?" I asked.
She grinned a little. "I was awful to him."
"Well, then, he'll just be so happy to see how much you've changed," I said, taking her empty glass. "Go on then, go on. Say hello."
"I can't," she insisted.
"This is where I seduced your father. Good ju ju."
"Gross."
"Go on!"
"Oh, fine!"
And she did.
