Emily

"Are you excited about turning eighteen, Emily?" Crystal asked her.

"I don't think much is going to change except I'll legally be allowed to drink, which interests me a little bit, smoking, which is a disgusting habit, and then voting, which I'll get to do in the next election."

"Have you thought about what you want for your birthday?"

Turning to meet her cousin's expressive blue eyes, she smiled as she knew Crystal wanted to be eighteen as soon as possible. They were only a couple of months apart in age. Emily had to do a lot of maturing in the years after everything that happened with her family...