"Oh!" Lydia exclaimed as she took the box. "Thank you, Miss Vess! I didn't think anyone knew!" Or remembered, as she was vaguely sure she'd told a few people about her birthday last summer, but, well, that was last summer. Who could remember that long ago? "It's tomorrow, actually--I'll be twenty, you know--but there's some sort of rainbow festival tomorrow and all. Little old me couldn't possibly compete."

She could wish she could, but she knew deep down that was rather silly of her.

"But you really shouldn't be giving me gifts at your party..." She wasn't making any effort to hand the box back, though.