The Fateful Heart

"Okay. So your calendar year is divided into four." She paused. "And each season has three lunar cycles?"

"Yes," James replied, waiting for her to answer his first question - though it sounded like she was going to figure it out herself.

Evaline nodded, deciding not to tell him that Earth's calendar year was also divided into twelve segments, which made it fairly simple to figure out, even without dates.

"My birthday is in the summer, in the middle of the first lunar cycle," she answered for him. "Although, that still seems vague. Do you not have a set date to celebrate?"

"Each lunar cycle has 30 days," James said. "So, for example, my birthday is on the 28th of the third fall lunar cycle."

Fall. Third lunar cycle. Day 28.

She quickly repeated that a few times in her head before speaking again.

"Summer. First lunar cycle. Seventh day," she said. "That's my birthday."

James nodded, but then his eyes fluttered as he did the math. Seventh day of the first - his eyes widened. That was nine days ago. Her birthday had already passed, and it had happened while she was here, in the land of Nye, away from home.

He tried to think back to over a week ago. Three days ago, she'd gone into town. Six days before that... what were they doing? Traveling, still, and they had been waiting for his leg to heal.

Oh.

That was before his leg had recovered, and he... he hadn't been very kind to Eve, had he?

"Then it's already passed," James said, sadness leaking into his voice. He looked to her with his apology in his eyes. "That was a week ago."

Evaline's face scrunched in thought. Her birthday had already passed? So, she was 22 now?

She looked back at James, detecting the sadness and sorrow in his eyes and face. She thought the reaction was a bit extreme, but she laughed anyways, shooting him an appreciative smile.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I didn't even know that."

And honestly, I'm happy because I didn't even expect to live to see my next birthday, was what she wanted to say, but didn't for obvious reasons.

"I guess that makes you 22 now," James said with a sigh. "So you were right that you're older than me. But you were wrong when you told Odeta you were 21."

Evaline smirked. "Twenty-two, huh?" she said in a faraway voice. "I suppose you're right. That makes me the liar, then."

"But at least - now you know," James said with a small smile.

He couldn't help but notice the way she said the last bit, though, and what was unsaid. She was the liar. This time. As if, normally, he was the one lying.

Even if she was right in some respects, it still hurt. But he wasn't going to mention it.

Evaline nodded and then let James's words settle down in her mind.

"So, a week ago," she repeated, trying to figure out what she was doing by then. It had been an eventful last couple of days, so it was hard to establish a timeline. "So it's currently Day 14 of the cycle?"

"Well, our weeks here are ten days. And your birthday was 9 days ago. So that makes it the 16th," he said.

Ten day weeks. Interesting.

Evaline swatted the thought away, trying to remember what happened nine days ago. A few seconds passed and then—

Oh.

That was when James was practically giving her the silent treatment. She wondered if that was why he gave her the needlessly sad face earlier.

Well. Being alive on your birthday with the silent treatment was still certainly better than being dead.

"So your birthday is in, what, five lunar cycles from now?" she asked.

She gazed up at him and smiled, just to show that she was teasing him.

"I hope you'll have a better birthday than I did."

James met her eyes but they drifted away, even though she smiled. Guilt crept in quickly, and he didn't know if apologies would cut it. Evaline didn't seem to respond as well to words.

"I'll have to make it up to you," he said quietly.

And he did intend to. "How do people on earth celebrate birthdays?"

Evaline tilted her head and lingered her gaze on him just a little longer, trying to study him. He looked guilty. That wasn't her intention.

"It's okay," she said with an apologetic smile of her own, trying to meet his eyes to show that she wasn't upset. "You really don't have to. I was just teasing you."

She hesitated and looked away, trying to remember what she did for her birthday. She hadn't had a traditional celebration since she was a teenager. Surely James didn't want to hear that she did nothing the past few years.

"I'm sure it's not too different than it is in Nye," she said. "You'd spend time with people close to you. Friends, family, mostly, if they're available. You'd probably eat your favorite dish, or something rarer. Like a fizzy beverage or sugary treats. They usually sing an annoying birthday song, and you usually get some gifts, although that's mostly for kids, nowadays. And then maybe you'd go out and do something fun in the town. I don't know. Stuff like that."