Evangeline sat in front of the fireplace. It had been an unusually cold November and the fire provided a comforting warmth. Suddenly, she heard chattering coming from the foyer. A smile appeared on her face and she dashed towards the noise.

Several of her closest friends had arrived and upon seeing her they all smiled and squealed. "Happy birthday, Eva!" They cheered in unison.

Evangeline smiled and beamed with pride. She was finally fourteen years old. She felt more like an adult already, although her mother told her that sixteen would be her most important birthday. "Thank you," she told them. "Come into the parlor with me, cake will be served soon."

She led her posse of young girls towards the parlor, and couldn't help but sigh when she saw Willamina sitting in one of the chairs. After nearly two years of living with her, Eva could still hardly stand her. They were just too different. They would never be able to get along.

She took her seat near the fireplace and looked at the girls. "You can set the presents around my chair," she instructed. They obediently followed her request before turning to Willamina.

"Would you like to come over and sit with us?" One of the girls. Caroline, asked.

Willie smiled, happy to be included for once. "I would love to." She rose from her seat across the room and sat down with the rest of the girls.

Mild annoyance rose in Evangeline's chest, but she allowed it. It was her birthday after all and she was in a generous mood. She just hoped Willamina wouldn't get used to being a part of the friend group.

Ever since Suzanna had moved out west with her family, she had expanded her friend group. She of course only included the daughters of wealthy families.

Still, there were times when she greatly missed Suzanna. She had received a few letters, but one day they just stopped coming. She didn't know what had happened.

"Why don't we play a game?" Willamina suggested, her smile just as bright as ever.

After two years, Eva had learned that her cousin hardly ever stopped smiling. She silently wondered if Willamina ever got tired of smiling. Surely her face ached after so many hours. She had also learned that Willie had a rather childlike nature. The girl still enjoyed children's games and activities.

Eva shook her head and suggested an activity of her own. "I have an idea. Let's talk about boys. Are there any boys you fancy, Willamina?" Her icy blue eyes landed on the brunette, singling her out amongst the group of girls.

She watched as her cousin's face turned a deep shade of tomato red and all the girls giggled. "Don't be shy," she said. "Tell us. We're all girls here." She wasn't going to give up, and she knew Willamina would give in easily.

There was a moment of hesitation before Willie spoke again. "Roy Smith." Her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red, if that was even possible. She looked like a cherry now.

Laughter erupted from the girls.

"But he's so skinny!" One exclaimed with wide eyes and a grin.

"He has too many freckles," another said distastefully.

Evangeline wasn't surprised. Roy had been the only boy her cousin had danced with at the ball all those months ago. She watched in mild satisfaction as Willamina's smile faded.

Willie's entire body seemed to sink in disappointment and she remained quiet for the rest of the game. Eva glanced at her every now and then, and each time found her staring at the floor or at the fire in shame.

Each of the girls took turns stating which boy in their class was the cutest and why. The others would comment with their own input.

It was a rather fun game, but it was cut short when Abigail called and said the cake was ready. There were squeals and giggles of delight as they all rose from their seats and made a dash for the dining room.

Evangeline tried to follow, but something tugged on her arm. Confused, she turned to see what it was and locked eyes with Willamina. The brown-haired girl had caught her wrist at the last second and was looking up at her with a sad expression.

"Why didn't you invite Maggie?" She asked with a frown.

Eva stared blankly. "Because Maggie is your friend, not mine." She pulled her wrist away and turned to follow her friends to the kitchen. She couldn't wait to taste some of the delicious chocolate cake that was in there.

She took her seat at the head of the table once she reached the dining room. All of her friends were already seated. Elliot was at the very end, already munching on a piece of cake. Her mother was sitting beside her and her father wasn't able to make it.

The first time he had missed one of her birthdays she had cried for hours, but now it hardly bothered her. His role in her life was small. It was something she had quickly learned to come to terms with.

Alberda finished serving cake to everyone and disappeared back into the kitchen. That was when Eva noticed one of the chairs were empty. She had thought Willamina had followed her, but she realized now that she was wrong.

As they sang her a birthday song, she wondered where her cousin was. As much as she hated to admit it, she had gotten used to having the other girl around and the empty chair made things feel strange.

No one else seemed to notice because they all started eating. She shrugged off the feeling and ate her chocolate cake with a smile on her face.

"Can everyone quiet? I'd like to say something." Abigail rose from her seat. She wore a warm and motherly smile. The chattering grew silent as they all looked at her expectantly. "I am so proud of my daughter," she said. "It makes me so happy to see her growing up into a beautiful and strong woman. Happy birthday, dear."

"Thank you, Mama," Evangeline replied softly. She smiled up at her mother, so happy in that moment. While her mother wasn't always the best, she still loved her and was closer to her than she would ever be with her father.

Despite her mother's constant criticisms. Despite how it seemed Eva could never be good enough at manners or French or dancing to satisfy her. Despite all that, she still felt close to her mother.

After several minutes, they made their way back into the parlor. Eva was surprised to see Willamina sitting exactly where she had left her. She felt guilt wash over her, but only for a moment. She pushed it away and pretended it had never been there in the first place.

She took her seat by the fireplace once again and began to open her presents. Caroline gifted her styling oil for her hair. From Ruth she received a handmade, small ceramic swan. Mary gave her candy. She received a few other gifts and made sure to thank each girl individually.

She looked around, and not seeing any more gifts, rose from her seat. They could find something else to do. If it wasn;t too cold it might be nice to go for a walk, she thought.

"Wait, Eva. I have a gift for you."

She turned her head to see Willie holding out a thin object wrapped in cloth. Stunned, she gently took it and sank back down into the cushion of the chair. It was a lovely gesture, but an unexpected one. She was mean to her cousin, and she knew it. She took pride in it most of the time. Yet the girl still showed her kindness. This both confused her and warmed her heart.

She carefully tugged at the ribbon and unwrapped the gift from the cloth. It felt delicate so she moved slowly and handled it gently.

A gasp escaped her. Gasps were heard from the other girls as well.

"Do you like it?" Willamina asked. "I painted it myself."

Evangeline opened the fan with delicate features. The wood was a light color. Perhaps birch. The fabric of the fan was an off-white color and on it, the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen. "You painted this?" She asked, forcing her gaze to turn to Willie.

The other girl nodded and smiled slightly. "I hope you like it. They're azaleas."

Eva's eyes turned back to the fan to study it further. They were azaleas. Pink azaleas, to be exact. She wondered how Willie had known those were her favorite. It was painted to look like the flowers were blooming as they moved across the page. At the very left, they started as only small buds. The very right was covered in fully bloomed pink flowers.

"I didn't know you painted." She had meant to say thank you but she was so stunned that those were the only words she could muster.

Willamina laughed softly. "I haven't in a long time, but I wanted to take it up again. This was the first thing that came to mind."

"Thank you," Eva breathed. She smiled brightly at her cousin. "I love it. It's beautiful" For a moment, she allowed herself to think. Maybe she had been judging Willamina too harshly. Maybe she hadn't been treating her fairly. That feeling of guilt she had felt earlier came back even stronger.

"It is a lovely gift," Abigail agreed. "And very thoughtful. Good job, Willie."

Evangeline continued to stare at the fan, admiring the art as well as thinking heavily about things. She decided suddenly that she wanted to be nicer to her cousin. She just didn't know how.

~~~~
Word Count: 1640

The chapters will get longer as the book goes along and more things start happening.

I apologize if this chapter was boring. I thought I would add in this cute scene for some Eva character development.

Thanks for reading!