Chapter 6—Happy Birthday. I Wish I Could Say That…

October 17, 2015

Lana picked up Katara in her arms a few seconds after entering their condo. She struggled a bit, but after Lana pushed the door shut with one of her legs, the little cat calmed down. Ema came trotting up shortly after Lana placed Katara on the floor.

"Can I have my presents now?" Ema asked excitedly.

"Have you done your homework?" Lana asked in response.

Ema's bright smile turned into a begging frown. "Aw, Sis, it's my birthday! Can't homework wait?"

"It may be your birthday, but it's also Monday. And I think your response answers my question."

"I promise I'll finish it before tomorrow!"

"I don't want you staying up late to finish your homework. Once it's done, you can have your presents."

With a sigh, Ema walked off to her backpack, intentionally dragging her feet to emphasize how disappointed she was. Lana managed to maintain the indifferent face she had had almost six months to master, although on the inside, she was saddened by her sister's reaction.

Lana walked off to her room. Barbara was curled up on the bed. Lana lay down on the side that Barbara had not taken. Almost instantly, Barbara got up and curled up on Lana's chest. Had the cat curled up any closer to her neck, she would have been worried about choking. With her right hand, Lana started petting Barbara while she removed her muffler with her left hand. She was at home, so she didn't feel odd taking it off.

The muffler had a somewhat special meaning to her. She had first gotten it when she began law school, and it had been a part of her everyday wardrobe ever since. About two years later, she met Mia, who absolutely loved the muffler and got one of her own—albeit a different color (she had said she hated how she looked in red). When Lana was dating Miles, he commented a few times on how well it contrasted her usually stiff outfits—a rarity for a fair number of San Diegan women these days, considering the climate.

She was starting to question whether or not she should keep living in San Diego. The mostly warm weather made her preferred way of dressing a bad choice, yet she always felt uncomfortable showing too much skin—even though she knew plenty of women who didn't hesitate to show off more. The muffler was useful in that regard, too; it made her feel as if she was more covered up than she really was. Of course, another reason for wanting to leave San Diego was the fact that she and Ema were prone to nosebleeds during the summer due to the dry weather. There was also the horrible traffic, the pitiful public transit, the unchecked development of land, and much more. How much they disliked San Diego was the starting topic of the first conversation she had with Miles. The memory surfaced, although it had probably been warped a little, considering that it was not fresh.

Lana and Mr. Edgeworth had been sitting on that bench together for a few minutes without saying anything. Both were waiting for the other to pick a topic.

This is getting nowhere fast, Lana thought.

"Nice weather today," Lana said in a pitiful attempt at small talk. Weather was a cop-out, but when nothing else came to mind, it served its purpose. It was overcast, so she figured there would be some witty comeback from Edgeworth.

"Agreed," Edgeworth said.

Lana chuckled. "You're the first person I've met who likes clouds."

"Too much sunlight bothers me; it reflects off of everything and makes it a pain to go outside."

"Same here. The sunlight is one of the reasons I want to leave this city."

"The others being?"

"Traffic and bad public transit, for starters."

"Some of the worst traffic in the country," Edgeworth said. "Nothing compared to Los Angeles, but still not something I enjoy driving in."

"The dryness is also a pain. Every summer, Ema and I get nosebleed after nosebleed."

"Ema?"

"My little sister. I've had to keep an eye on her ever since our parents died."

Edgeworth was silent.

"You're not sorry?" Lana asked, a tad offended.

"It's not my fault that your parents are dead, so there's no need for me to apologize. It's not nice to hear about such things, though."

Lana sighed. Well, at least he cared. He just… didn't show it in the way most people did.

There was much more they had talked about that day, but that was the only part Lana remembered well enough. It was amazing that such a difficult start ended up leading to love. Miles's "father" had given him quite a suit of armor, but underneath it was a very passionate man with a great respect for the wisdom of others—and a great disrespect for the stupidity of others. He was a very kind person once one got to know him. Even Gumshoe had managed to become friends with him despite his own stupidity—although the friendship was rather… special. On the surface, it looked as if Miles couldn't stand him.

"All done, sis!" Ema chirped from the doorway. She came in with her notebook to prove she had done her homework.

"So be it," Lana said, lightly pushing Barbara off. When she got up, Barbara curled up on the warm spot she had left behind.

Lana walked over to her closet and took out Ema's presents, struggling—although successfully—to maintain an indifferent expression. When Ema got the first present, she hastily tore the wrapping paper right off. A book on chemical reactions. The second present was a set of chemicals—with a note—typed by Lana—attached to the box that warned Ema to use them outside and to avoid making any messes. Punishment for disobeying would be a one-week ban from all electronic devices except when necessary for doing homework. The third gift was a bunch of containers—flasks, test tubes, beakers, graduated cylinders, and the like.

When Ema was done opening the presents, she ran up to Lana and gave her a hug and a "Thank you, Lana," although the hug was not returned.

"What's wrong?" Ema asked, noticing that Lana's arms were not around her.

"I just don't feel like a hug," Lana lied. Truth be told, she could use a hug to cheer her up, but she couldn't get one. She had to break off from Ema—it was the only way to keep her from getting involved in SL-9 again.

"Please?" Ema begged, her innocent eyes wide open and trying to look Lana in the eye. She avoided her sister's gaze until Ema sighed sadly and returned her eyes to their normal position. "Why can't you just give me one as a birthday present?"

"I said I didn't feel like a hug." Ema let go. Lana could tell from the look in her eyes that she was about to cry. Ema took her presents and ran off to her own room before the tears could come out.

I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, Lana thought, picking up the wrapping paper strewn on the floor. Why couldn't she have just taken her presents and left without pushing for love? The answer was obvious enough for even Judge Clous to notice: Ema loved her sister. And yet Lana could do nothing; as long as the shadow of SL-9 loomed over her head, she had to build a wall around herself—even if it meant alienating the people she loved.