In the morning, a crisp layer of snow covered the ground. Ed, allowed to get up and move, was standing at the window and watching the last flakes fall lazily. Every time it seemed like it would end, a few more snowflakes would plummet slowly to earth.
"I wish you had heard that song before we left," Eternity told Aria as they opened the door. "I'm sure you would've liked it."
"What song?" Ed asked, curious. The songs described to him before this always intrigued him, and this one was no different.
"It's called 'Existentialism on Prom Night'," Eternity explained. Roy knew what the title meant immediately, but Ed's face was blank. "Pondering the meaning of life on Prom Night." Ed's face lit up with understanding. "By the way..." She pulled out five party hats. "Here." She gave out one to each person, and left one for Winry when she got there.
"What the...?" Roy wondered, looking at the hat in confusion. He copied Aria's way of putting it on, bewildered. "What is this?"
"Party hats," Aria told him. "They're for our party for knowing you two for a year." She clapped twice, loudly, and the door opened once more. Balloons were carried in, about 20 of them. "I've always wanted to do that," Aria confessed quietly to Roy, who grinned. Eternity hummed a tune under her breath as she tied the balloons to various chairs, beds, and plants. Soon they were involved in a celebratory game of Spoons (if a game of Spoons can actually be celebratory). When Winry came in, she was utterly confused.
"What's all this?" She asked. When Eternity explained it to her, she seemed to tighten up. She joined in "party" games (they were just different games than they usually played), but only halfheartedly.
"What's wrong, Winry?" Ed finally asked her.
"Ed, can we talk in private?" Winry asked, her voice sounding fakely happy. Ed nodded and left the room with her, worried lines between his eyebrows. "I don't like this," Winry told Ed from outside the door. Despite her wanting to talk in private, the group inside could hear every word.
"Like what?" Ed replied innocently.
"All of this. How come you never told me that they even existed until I came and visited you? You could've written a letter with a mention of them or something!" Ed sighed.
"Is this because you think that Eternity and I are too close?" He inquired perceptively, his voice weary.
"Um..." They could just imagine Winry biting her lip and looking away, too nice to say it but thinking that he was right.
"I'll be right back," Eternity said suddenly, getting up and walking towards the door. She didn't like this, and would settle it. "Can I talk with Winry alone?" She asked Ed outside the door. He nodded and walked inside, still as anxious as he had been leaving. "You think Ed and I are too close." Eternity stated to Winry once the door was closed. She forgot to walk out of earshot; the people in the room still heard every word. "We're not close enough for anything that you're thinking. Sure, Ed would make a great boyfriend. He's sweet, protective, strong, caring, everything any girl could wish for. But he's way out of my league. Besides, I know a lot of what's supposed to happen just by watching the show. You and Ed should be together. I don't belong." Eternity turned down the hall and walked away, not willing to face the people inside. She was blinking tears away at what she had said. She was right, Ed was out of her league. He did belong with Winry. She was right!
Wasn't she?