If there was one thing about Ireland that drove Cassidy crazy in their decades together, it was the fact that she was a bright, bubbly, music blasting and lights on full blast morning person. Six thirty on any given day would find her baking something and singing along to the radio, clad in whatever she'd worn to sleep the night before, usually underwear and one of Cassidy's shirts. As far as he was concerned, she'd missed some critical piece of vampire DNA that carried the whole "creatures of the night" thing.

Like every morning, Cassidy grumbled himself awake before checking the attitude. He forced himself to physically curl his lips into a smile. Fighting his urge to sleep until noon, he sat up and stretched. It was a small price to pay for such a straight up blessed life. God himself had hinted that Cassidy wasn't worth good things, but here he was with a perfect – literally perfect – life. Well, besides the early mornings.

"Morning!" Ireland called as soon as he opened the bedroom door. She danced over and kissed him on the cheek. She swung her hips to the music and tried to get him to dance. "Remember this one? The thirties had the best music."

Ever feeling like she was just a youngster, he snorted and humored her with a few steps. "I know you're not talking about the 1930's. Terrible."

"You're ancient," she giggled. "What is this gorgeous young girl doing with an old, old, old man like you?"

Cassidy ducked into the bathroom and grabbed a toothbrush. "Traveled the entire world looking for someone better and didn't find anything, did ye?" He slid out his fangs and paid them special attention as he brushed. They'd hunted down a pedophile the previous night and he swore he could still taste it. Maybe it was in his mind, but evil people were starting to taste bitter. Or maybe it was just humans changing over time. Species evolved, after all. It had been a century since he'd had his first taste of human blood. He pondered it while he showered.

"Hey, Eye," Cassidy mused as he pulled on clean clothes. "You think people are starting to taste different?"

"Like, what they ate?" she called from the kitchen.

"In general."

"I haven't thought about it."

He strode into the kitchen and grinned. Ireland had plated breakfast for him and whipped him up a fancy coffee while he was in the shower. "Thanks, love." All his favorite were represented. Scones, berries, crispy bacon, fried eggs with runny yolks. "What's all this for?"

She stared at him in disbelief. "Cassidy. It's your birthday!"

"Oh." He nodded. "Yeah, it is! Well, thank you." For several years in the early 1900's Cassidy swore off his birthday since it didn't carry much meaning anymore, and he vowed to never celebrate or acknowledge the day he was reborn as a vampire. Best to just go about life and take things a day at a time.

Ireland, on the other hand, was a stickler for tradition and never missed an opportunity to celebrate. She gestured to the food. "Eat up. There's a full day of fun ahead. Breakfast, airport by ten, flight to Mexico-"

"Flight to Mexico?" Cassidy repeated in delight. "No! You didn't!"

"Of course I did," she said matter-of-factly. "And once we're there, there's all sorts of fun planned." She winked.

Mexico was a blast. Ireland had thought of everything, even things Cassidy forgotten over the years. The brain could only hold so many much, and he clung to memories and let go of everything else. The fact that he really loved horseback riding didn't mean anything if he didn't remember the way Humperdoo laughed at his jokes.

He couldn't help but get misty eyed when after dinner a waiter brought out an Irish dairy cake like his grandmother used to make.

"How did you get a Mexican to make this, and make it right?" Cassidy asked through a mouthful. It tasted like childhood. "I haven't had anything like this for," he trailed off to think. "A century. More than."

Ireland bit her lip. "Don't be mad. I did some meddling."

He cocked his head, interested in how cake could be meddling and why cake would make him mad.

"I hired someone to do a big genealogical dive. This is your grandma's recipe. Some of your family handed it down. I talked to a Cassidy who lives in Limerick." She beamed. "Not just a Cassidy. Like, your family Cassidy."

"Granny's cake?" he said, looking down at the piece in awe. "You did this for me?" He beamed. "You went through all the trouble?"

"It was no trouble at all. You've got a really interesting great great et cetera grand nephew." She touched his hand. "I'm glad you like it."

He exhaled in a loud puff. "Eye, that's… no one has done anything like this for me. I… thank you."

The birthday surprises weren't done yet.

"Proinsias."

Cassidy held his breath. He was in trouble, or something important was happening. Ireland never called him that.

The nerves radiated from her. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and then smiled. "Um, I booked us a trip to Ireland. To Balbriggan."

"Balbriggan," Cassidy said slowly, letting his tongue mull over each syllable. His hometown. He had avoided the village like the plague since he'd been turned. No need to scare his granny or any of the kiddies to death, thinking they'd seen his ghost. Now the danger had surely passed. Everyone who had known his personally when he was a human was long dead. "You've done your research," he said at last.

Ireland nodded. "There's something I want to do there. That is, if you want." She knelt down on one knee and pulled a small green velvet box from her jacket. "Proinsias Cassidy-"

It was like a train hit him. Or he'd been doused with a bucket of water. Maybe like that tenth can of Four Loko was finally hitting. Either way, Cassidy could hardly believe what was happening.

"What?!" he exclaimed in glee, falling to the floor beside her. "Y'aren't!" His cheeks felt as if they'd split open from the manic smile beaming from his face. "Ireland. No. Y'want to marry me?" He grabbed her and pulled her to her feet, laughing and crying like a madman. Finally, he picked her up and swung her around a few times before setting her back upright and staring at her in disbelief. "No. Really? Really?!"

"So that's a…?" Ireland goaded him.

"Ireland Heathman, you absolute goddess. Of course I'll marry you."