They turned nine faster than they realized, Beth especially as she counted the years before her sixteenth birthday. She dreaded the wait more than ever. To top it off, Sofia refused to follow the tradition of waiting for the red string until midnight during their birthdays.

   For Sofia, her sixteenth birthday couldn't come fast enough.

   Her mom and sister teamed up against her whenever the topic of her birthday came up.

   "How do you feel about celebrating your birthday at the same time as Brianna this year, Fia?"

   They were eating dinner when her mom posed the question. Fia was just about to put food in her mouth.

   "Like, together? On the same day?" She tried to clarify.

   "Exactly!" Greta said.

   It took Fia a second to process it.

   "Does that mean you're going to throw a big party?"

   "Yes."

   "Does that mean I have to pick decorations you like?"

   "Well... you can pick them according to Brianna's taste."

   Fia thought about it.

   "Okay," she conceded. "I guess, Bri deserves a big birthday too."

   "Exactly!" Greta couldn't hold back her excitement. "I can't wait to shop with you-"

   "With Bri. You'll shop with Bri. I'm good with anything she picks."

   Greta's shoulders fell.

   "Don't you want to do it with me?"

   Fia shrugged and said, "I don't really care about the birthday, Mom. I'm okay with no party but since you wanna throw one for Bri, then I'm up for that. Just don't expect me to go along the shopping."

   Though Greta had two daughters, with Fia she always felt one short of a child.

   "You really don't want to?" Greta asked again, looking glum.

   "You'll shop with your mom, Fia. That's your duty as our daughter," Elric commanded.

   "But Dad," Fia started.

   "No buts, young lady. You'll do as I say."

   "WHAT!" Fia angrily placed her fork down and got up. "So, it's everyone's special day except mine, again!"

   She stormed out of the dining room despite her dad calling her.

   "Elric, she doesn't have to go-"

   "Stop giving in all the time, Greta."

   "I wouldn't say I'm giving in-"

   "I don't want to hear it, Greta. Just do what you always do with Regina and throw a big one for Sofia. She doesn't know any better."

   Regina and Micah exchanged glances.

   "Fia doesn't like big parties, Dad," Regina whispered.

   Elric sighed heavily.

   "She needs just as many connections as you do, Regina. Are you saying you know better than me?"

   "I didn't mean that..."

   "Finish your dinner and head to bed."

   Elric finished his food and left the table without another word.

   "Don't mind your father," Greta told the kids.

   "You've been saying that a lot lately, Mom," Regina said, but Greta dismissed the topic immediately.

   That night, Greta stayed up late wondering what to do with FIa.

   "Why aren't you sleeping?" Elric asked.

   "I'm thinking of our youngest girl, Ric."

   "This again?"

   "Please stop making it seem like we're making a big deal of it. It is a big deal, Ric."

   Elric groggily sat up, his eyes half open.

   "I'm not saying it isn't. She must throw a big party."

   "That's not what I was talking about. She doesn't feel excited about her birthday, and I hate to push her to feel otherwise. I would like it if she did, but she doesn't. And us pushing it won't magically fix that."

   "She'll come to understand when she's older."

   "No, Elric. We've been saying that these past years, but it's gotten worse."

   "Maybe you're just not trying hard enough."

   "Me?" Greta almost jumped from the bed. "I do all the preparation for our three kids every year. What do you do?"

   Elric chuckled then said, "I work all day to provide-"

   "And I don't? Do you think food magically appears on the table?"

   Elric couldn't speak as soon as Greta found her rhythm, pointing out everything she did while he was at work. The gear that moved the house was undeniably Greta.

   "We both work, Elric, but I always find time to be with the kids."

   Elric could only swallow back his rebuttal after her finisher.

   "Alright... you're completely right, Gret."

   "Why don't we sit Fia down tomorrow and explain why it's important."

   "That sounds good to me."

   However, they didn't realize how smart Fia was.

   "I know it's to get to know the other families," Fia told them. "But I see them at school anyway and in other kids' birthdays."

   "It's also important to meet them at our home, Fia," Greta told her.

   "Why? They already know we're the richest in the neighborhood anyway."

   "But they don't know you well enough."

   Fia grimaced and said, "Not that I would want that."

   "It's to meet your soulmate," Elric added.

   Fia laughed, looking like her father did last night.

   "I don't believe in God Eros and the red string. I mean, I know it exists. You guys tell me that all the time already. Plus, how would I explain Amber and Tobias? Still, I'm not putting all my money on the red string to find my forever love. I'm not gonna be like Beth, who's losing her mind waiting for it to appear. Do you want your daughter to become crazy because hers hasn't popped up?" Her parents shook their heads. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Beth's lost it. She keeps pestering me about her red string still not appearing, and we're gonna be sixteen soon."

   They couldn't settle the issue with one sitting, but Elric was determined to change her mind.

   Regina noticed her parents forming plans now and again as the year drew to a close and Fia's birthday was only around the corner.

   "You're making Mom and Dad worry about you. Don't you care?"

   Fia raised a brow.

   "They're worrying on their own. I already explained myself."

   Regina frowned at her and said, "You're so full of yourself."

   "Says you."

   The two sisters snarled at one another.

   "You don't deserve all that Mom does to cater to your needs."

   "Just mind your own business, Regina."

   Regina turned tail and tried not to pay attention to her parents constantly worrying about Fia. She's long accepted Fia's probably adopted. Try as she might mind her own business, the closer Fia's day of birth came, the more she started to anticipate it like her parents.

   Invitations were sent out early in collaboration with the Richard family.

   It surprised the entire neighborhood when they realized the date was on neither of the girls' birthdays. Instead, it fell between both dates.

   The first time for any of them, from word of mouth, the birthday became grander and grander. As a complete departure from what Fia and Bri were used to, both families decided to throw it at the Östbergs instead of a separate venue. It gave. both girls a sense of familiarity and comfort.

   "I hate this," Fia expressed once she saw their house decorated all over the place. "And I hate this."

   She wore a white dress, the top was simple with a feathery skirt. Her sister handed her a sash with her name on it. She hadn't bothered with her hair, leaving her brunette locks half parted and carelessly clipped behind her ears.

   "You each get one."

   Regina awkwardly handed the sash to her little sister, not looking at her. They hadn't spoken much in the past months.

   Fia did the same, accepting without looking.

   "Yeah, okay," she said.

   "This should've been just your birthday," Regina couldn't help herself say.

   Fia said nothing, only frowning at the sash.

   This was the biggest birthday party Bri had ever been to, and it was half hers.

   She came early with her mom, wearing a jean-blue shirt dress and a glittery sash pinned to it. Her red hair was gloriously curled.

   "You look adorable!" Greta said once she spotted Bri.

   She looked to her daughter in comparison but bit back whatever criticism popped into her head. She was trying not to nitpick as she often did.

   "Thank you, Mrs. Östberg. My mom did it," Bri said.

   Unlike Fia, Bri was quite close to her mom. As the only daughter, they hung out a lot.

   That too was enviable from Greta's point of view.

   "I can't believe how much work was put into this, Greta." Phoebe smiled, eyes twinkling as she looked around in awe. "Thank you again for doing this for the girls."

   "There's no need for that!" Greta took Phoebe by the arm and led her away. "You know that I enjoy doing this. Plus, it gave us a reason to do something big for Fia."

   "I saw that she wore the dress you picked," Phoebe said.

   "It was tough convincing her, but I said, Bri would be wearing a dress too. So, she buckled."

   Phoebe laughed at that.

   "She's a tough one, Fia."

   "Sometimes I wonder if she's really my daughter."

   "But you can be hard-headed at times too, Greta."

   Greta laughed this time. She couldn't argue with facts.

   They both looked around them, proudly basking in the start of a new tradition for them.