~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Days...rolled into weeks and months....another year elapsed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This year, Jessy would like to celebrate her 18th birthday with her friends. So, one month before her birthday, she already called Ivy~inviting her along with Nathan and Matthew on her 18th birthday.

It will be nice seeing them again.

Holding Nana Aida's cookbook in her hands, she perused the delectable menu for her birthday. Nana Aida will bake a cake for her, it will be design into a rose with steam and all. She does wonder how the cake will look like after Nana made it? Will it look like how she envisioned it to be?

She made a list of the dishes in her notebook: Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Roasted Pumpkin Cream Soup, Chinese Braised Pork Belly with Dark Soy, Pineapple Fried Rice, Singaporean Chili Crab, and Crunchy Korean Fried Chicken.

Hmmm, she's done with the food list, pleased with the choices she made, she smiled.

The door to her room opened.

Adam walked to her side and kissed her cheek.

"What are you doing?" he skimmed over her notes.

"Planning for my 18th birthday! I already invited Ivy, Nathan, and Matthew" she said in an excited voice.

"Great! Let me check your food list, Jess." He read her list and grimaced. "Why human blood is not on your list? It's my favorite dish!" he grumbled.

She sighed. "Okay, I will request Nana to make a pork meat stew with human blood and lot's of chili, how does it sound?"

They looked at each other...

Then they dissolved into heaps of laughter.

A few moments later...Adam become silent.

"Ah, I felt sorry of myself. Why I can't even attend my girlfriend's birthday party?" he continued his ranting.

Jessy felt sad watching his gloomy face.

"I can introduce you to them," she said in a clear voice. "Yeah, why not-?" her face beamed with determination.

Wait...

Adam stared at her girlfriend's face in amazement. "You want me to...to ruin your grand celebration? With my hideous look?"

She ignored his doubt and hesitation.

"Nah, don't worry much about it. My friends are not a bunch of as*holes, they won't judge you harshly because of your looks. They are a friendly bunch," she said. She still has lingering doubts though, but she won't let Adam know about it. She doesn't want to hurt his feelings.

"I will think about it. On the other hand, it would be a good chance to scare them upfront, what their reaction would be?" he grinned from ear to ear, imagining their reaction, they will surely be horrified.

Jessy punched him on his arms. "Jesus! Don't ever think about doing another prank again!" she scolded him.

"Don't worry-I will behave then," he turns serious.

She caresses the area of his arms where she punched earlier. "But I really want you to join us in my birthday party. I think it's about time you will have a chance to meet and talk with them. That will be fun," the more she thinks about it the more she wants to really do it.

"Am okay with your idea, meeting them will be cool. Let's just hope they won't run and hide after they will see me," he mumbled.

Adam lay down on Jess' bed, staring at the ceiling above. He lay still and kept to himself.

Jess' watched him with a quizzical look. She went to the bed and lay down on his belly.

"Do you think my hair looks good with brown? I want to color it brown for my birthday and if it looks good I will keep it permanent," she said while looking at his eyes.

"Ah, Jess. Please don't color your hair. You got a beautiful hair already, it's black and shiny. I love it that way. After I'm gone you can do anything you want with your hair. You can even go bald if you want," he said joking.

She pinched him on his side. It produces rich laughter from him.

"Hmm, which you love the most me or my hair?" asked Jess.

Adam chuckled. "You of course, your hair is just part of you. I love everything about you," he twirled his fingers around her hair.

"Awww sweet." She giggled and snuggled closer to him.

He enveloped her in his awaiting arms. They hold each other in a comfortable silence.

>>

"Nana, is it possible for Adam to attend my 18th birthday? I want Ivy, Nathan, and Matthew to meet him in person. Maybe it's about time for Adam to experience mingling with other people up close. His end is near, we can make this party a memorable one for him. I want to make it a different unforgettable experience for him. What do you think, Nana?"

The older woman looked at Jessy with skepticism in her eyes.

"I will see what I can do, Jess..."

"D-do you think, Nathan, Matthew, and Ivy will not freak out if they see Adam?" asked Jess.

"N-not sure, Jess." Nana Aida felt uneasy with Jess' request. Although she's proud of her children's good upbringing, still she can't guarantee that they will behave in good manners if they will see Adam.

Jessy looked at her Nana's face intently, she can read the doubts, uncertainty, and worries on her face.

"Nah, forget it...Nana, I guess am asking for too much," Jessy said sadly.

Nana Aida's eyebrows rose...

"What I'm afraid of is that Adam might get hurt in the process if my children will behave in a different way. Adam is comfortable with you and me, not sure if he will act the same if he is around with people he's not accustom hanging out with," she explained.

"Adam said he will try to be nice and cordial with my friends. He will try his best," said Jessy.

Nana Aida stays silent for a while, lost in her own thoughts.

"Never mind Nana, just forget what I told you earlier. Let's not torment ourselves with my need for Adam to join us on my birthday celebration." She intended to drop the issue and go on discussing her preparation regarding the dishes to be cooked in the event.

Jessy lay the cookbook on the kitchen table. She pointed out the variety of dishes she wants. Nana Aida looked at the dishes and nodded.

"Sorry-It's a lot of dishes this time. Don't worry I help you prepare and cook all the dishes, Nana."

The older woman looked at Jessy with love and fondness. She wants Jessy to be thoroughly happy on her 18th birthday and she also wants Adam to join and enjoy the celebration. She still has many days to think of a concrete plan, actually, she already had a plan. Just that she's not sure if it will work successfully. But there's no harm in trying...

"That's all the dishes I want to be prepared, Nana. Are you okay with all that?" she glanced at her list of dishes.

"No problem, Jess. Let's make it a dinner party so that we have all morning to prepare the dishes and the cake."

Jessy nodded. She's beaming with excitement with all the planning. Nothing should go wrong!