Violet was excited, because today was her birthday. The eldest Baudelaire had been deprived of having birthdays during the unfortunate years of her life, and now when she had them they were a big deal. Violet liked being the center of attention, she liked when people made a fuss about her. Because for a while, there had been no one to make a fuss over Violet. If she wanted someone to make a fuss over her, she was going to have to make one over herself.
Klaus had asked her if she wanted to have a party, and of course, Violet had said yes. She adored birthday parties. She loved the cake and the ice cream, the neon colored balloons hanging from the ceiling. She loved the way the birthday boy/girl's eyes would light up when they were making their wish. Violet loved to make the wish. She knew it wouldn't come true, but she felt like a little kid again when she could make a wish.
Violet was only having a very small party though. After the hard time in her life was over she hadn't really made many more friends. Basically her best friends were still her siblings and the Quagmires. She felt like that was all she needed, and that was all she really wanted. Except for her parents… if only her parents were able to attend… Violet let out a small sigh.
Violet remembered back to the time when her parents were still alive. She tried to remember some of her birthdays and the one that came up most prominent in her memory was her 10th birthday. That was the year that Sunny was born, and Violet had felt as if her parents had given her a sister for her 10th birthday. Violet had liked to look at Sunny's little fingers, and her little toes. She was so small, and it amazed Violet more then anything else she had ever seen. Sure, she had seen babies, but having one in the house was a whole new experience for her. Klaus had, of course, been a baby once too, but Violet had been too little to remember that, and having a little sister felt different to Violet, anyway. She felt sure that they would grow up to be the best of friends. Violet would teach Sunny everything that she knew, and Sunny would adore her. And in a way it had turned out to be that way. They really depended on each other a lot, but Sunny was still her own person, and very much of an individual. Violet wouldn't change it for anything in the world.
Klaus had told Violet to stay away from the kitchen, because he was making her something in there. The rest of the day, before her party, Violet spent the whole time in her room, reading The Weekly Inventor. It was her favorite magazine, and this issue's main story was about a girl who had figured out how to make essentially the opposite of a microwave oven. Of course, it had happened completely on accident. Violet wasn't sure how this could be, since she spent a lot of time dedicated to her inventions, and she sure hadn't come up with anything like this. Stuff to save her life yes, but nothing practical like this.
When Violet heard the doorbell ring she headed downstairs to get it. She knew it was the Quagmires. After all, they were the only people she had invited. When she opened the door she saw that they were holding a couple of presents. Violet loved presents. Not to be greedy or anything, but still, she loved to be fussed over. She loved the crinkling while she unwrapped the paper, and the surprise of seeing what was inside. Violet lived for the little things in life.
Violet smiled at Quigley and he smiled back. His smile melted her heart to a puddle.
"Come in," she said.
"Quagmire's here?" called Klaus from inside the kitchen.
"Yup!" yelled Violet.
"I'm almost done!"
"Okay, Klaus. We'll just go sit down in the living room. You can come in there when you're ready for us to go in."
"Will do!" yelled back Klaus. At that point Isadora smiled for no apparent reason. Well, she had a reason, Violet knew, but that was her business. She knew what it was like to smile just because someone talked.
They made small talk in the living room for a while, but very soon Klaus told them that he was ready for them to come in.
When she entered the room she gasped. All on the kitchen walls and counters were pictures. Pictures of everyone and everything Violet loved. There were pictures of Quigley, there were pictures of the other two Quagmires. There were pictures of Ben Franklin (one of her favorite inventors). There were plenty of pictures of the Baudelaires when they were young, and how they were now. There were even a couple pictures of their parents, but not too many (Klaus didn't want to make Violet cry). But she did anyways. She cried tears of happiness.
"Thanks, Klaus. This makes me really happy." She said sincerely. She ran over and enveloped him in a hug, and Sunny ran to join the fun. Soon all the Quagmires were part of it too.
"Happy Birthday, Violet!" they all screamed.
That birthday was the best birthday of her life. And when she made the wish she wished that she and Quigley could be together. That he would love her like she loved him. She knew it would happen some day. Or at least she hoped it would.
It was the first year since her parents had died that she hadn't wished for them to be there. Not that she didn't want them to be there. She did. But today Violet felt completely and totally satisfied with how her life was playing out.
That night she went to bed very quickly. And when Klaus came into check on her, (he had gotten into the practice of doing that every night, just to make sure she was okay) he saw that even as she slept, she smiled.