As of an hour ago or so, it's May 20th where I live, which means I'm (sadly) a year older officially. As I usually do this day, I'm posting all the updates I have ready :) I hope you'll review, because they're the best birthday presents I can receive :D

This chapter is actually one of the first scenes I came up with when I planned this series. Hope you like it :)

The Picture

The meal passes as smoothly as Gracia hoped it would. Alphonse tries everything on the table. He is careful about how much he eats, mindful of the doctors' orders, but his eyes shine with happiness and childish delight the entire time, and he keeps constantly complimenting Gracia on the food. Elicia is happy to help Alphonse decide what to try next, offering input on her favorite foods, while Edward and Roy mostly watch the scene unfold. It's hilarious, because Edward is trying to pretend he isn't as emotional over this moment as Alphonse is and Roy has put a calm mask on, as though he hasn't been waiting for years to see Alphonse retrieve his body. Somehow, despite staying mostly silent, they manage to end up bickering more than once, and watching then trying to keep their bickering child-friendly has Gracia snickering into her napkin every time.

Then, once they have finished dessert, Gracia waves off the offers to help her clean up and orders everybody to go sit on the couch.

She takes a deep breath.

She has been thinking about this ever since that horrible day at the hospital. She knows, has known it for months, that at some point she will have to start taking pictures again. It would be an insult to Maes' memory if she avoided them because they remind her so much of him.

So Gracia opens the drawer that holds Maes' camera and takes it out.

She walks to the living room, where Roy's eyes widen in realization when he sees what she is holding, and directs everybody to settle in the right position. Alphonse sits on the middle of the couch, with Edward and Roy flanking him, and Elicia is sprawled sideways across their laps, one elbow digging in what looks to be a painful way into Roy's thigh and her feet resting on Edward's stomach.

Gracia can't think of a better picture to be the first new one in the house since Maes' death.