"But it's MY birthday too, Greenie! You should be getting us BOTH a present, don't you think?"
"I understand that. But YOU are not my fiancee, Jacob."
The two arguing voices could be heard through Evie's compartment window. Neither seemed to know that she was already wide awake and fully alert.
"I'm just saying; why don't you throw us both a surprise party?"
"Because, I want to do something special for her. And besides, how can it be a surprise when you already know about it?"
"It will still be a surprise…for her anyway. And let's keep it down, shall we? Don't want my dear sister to hear our planning."
"Me? YOU keep it down. You're the one bellowing out everything. And who said we were making plans?"
Evie covered her mouth in an attempt to smother her laughter at her brother and her husband-to-be. It was true that she and Henry were to be married, which they had yet to make any arrangements for, but here the three of them were; the two men bickering over birthday presents and the lady snickering at their poor attempt to keep a secret.
She heard their footsteps approaching her room and so she plopped herself back into bed. Just as she was raising the covers up to her chin, she heard one of them knock loudly on her door.
"Hey! Evie! Time to get up!," said the slightly muffled voice. "If I don't get to sleep late, then so don't you!"
Then, a much softer voice said, "If you are awake now, might I come in?"
Evie smiled at that and said with a fake yawn, "Yes, I'm awake now. Come in, Henry."
She quickly checked herself in the mirror across from her bed, making sure not to have any embarrassing issues with her appearance, and then sat up as Henry entered. Upon seeing his appearance, she had to admit she was mildly shocked and a little concerned.
"Why Henry, darling, you look terrible!" she nearly shouted, taking in his tired face and somewhat disheveled clothing.
Her fiance stepped further into the room sheepishly with a hand raking through his unkempt jet black hair and a shy smile on his face. "I am sorry, my love, I had no intention of greeting you like this. I have been up all night, you see, and I haven't been able to catch any sleep since."
Evie leaped out of bed and in one stride made it over to her lover and pulled him into her arms. "Why haven't you been able to sleep, dear? What is troubling you?" she asked even though she had a feeling she knew the answer. The Master Assassin noticed how Henry had been getting gradually more haggard for the past week. And with the twins' birthday coming up in a few days, she started piecing together all the clues of 'celebration' planning that he was no doubt putting in place.
Realizing he hadn't answered her question yet, she put her hands on either side of his face and made him face her. He shyly looked away from her, but then she started squeezing his cheeks playfully, making him look at her oddly with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
"St-stop it! Haha!"
"Well, then, tell me what's wrong, hmm?"
"Aahh…well?" he stuttered. "I, uhh…"
"Oh, what a riveting conversation we are having! Absolutely thrilling!"she stated sarcastically while tapping a foot impatiently. She wasn't truly upset with him, of course. But she did want him to see how unnecessary all of this to-do was. How she was going to go about getting him to see without letting on that she knew what was up; well, that was going to be a challenge…