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The room fell silent as the sound of a clinking glass filled it.
Juliet stood up. Tall, piercing blue eyes and long blond hair falling over her shoulders.
She straightened her back and threw the crowd a shy smile.
The room was filled with circular tables accommodating her friends and family all giving her their undivided attention and encouraging smiles.
She then cleared her throat and a small nervous laugh escaped her lips. “Shit” she said and then laughed again, looking down at her hands.
She seemed to gather the courage needed, because she then looked up again and out towards the tables with a determined smile on her face.
“Dear friends and family.
Thank you so much for coming today. I am overwhelmed by all your kind words and gifts. It’s not every day you get to be the center of attention like this. I would be humble and say that I did not expect it."
She held her breath for a few seconds and then continued with a sly smile on her face.
“But who am I kidding. You all love me and I absolutely love you for it.”
There was laughter from the audience and a few people gave whoops.
“That’s one thing I never doubted in my twentyone-year-long life. So thank you. For everything. I will try and repay you in love as well, because let’s face it. I am a poor university student who will not be able to buy any of you anything for many years.”
The crowd chuckled along with her.
She then turned to her attention across the table from where she was standing and a fond smile took over her face. She locked eyes first with a pair of forest green eyes smiling back at her with all they had and then with a pair of blasing blue eyes that matched her own in intensity and color.
“Dear dad, dear papa. Thank you for never letting me doubt that this world is filled with love and giving me the chance to experience it.”
The man with the piercing blue eyes leaned in and gave his husband a kiss on the cheek and took his hand. Intertwining their fingers.
She then turned to face the room again and took a deep breath. She had only started and already seemed to have a lump in her throat.
“We are not a particularly religious family, but we are suckers for symbolism and signs from the universe.”
She winked at her parents and her dad’s green eyes winked right back at her while throwing her a wide and encouraging smile.
“I am currently studying mathematics at the university of Oslo and this makes me kind of a number-nerd to say the least. So I thought to myself, why not give you all a taste of the wonders of numbers. And yes, the rhyming was on purpose and yes and am a complete dork, thank you papa!”
He was laughing out loud at the remark, but his husband just put his arm around is neck and silently whispered “my dork” into his ear before kissing his temple before returning his full attention to their daughter.
“You may not all remember this, but my papa was born on the 12th of the month and my dad on the 21st, at 21.21 to be precise. And because my papa is a hopeless romantic and a sucker for symbolism - have you seen any of his films lately? - they of course had to get married on the 21 of december the year 2021.
If you’re not already catching on here I can enlighten you. The numbers 1 and 2 seems to follow them around everywhere they go and have somehow turned into the lucky numbers in our family.
I stand before you today, celebrating my 21st birthday and cannot believe that I got so lucky in life to deserve everything that I have been given. Some look to their God for thanks, but me being a born and raised symbolist, science nerd and trained mathematician look to the universe for thanks. Because out of all the infinite parallel universes I could have been born into, this was the one I got.
On the night of my parents wedding my aunt Eva went into premature labour. I was not due for another three weeks so I took everybody by surprise to say the least!”
Eva giggled from her seat next to her dad's and shook her head.
“Oh honey you have no idea! I was just sitting there with my swollen feet letting your uncle Jonas feed me nachos - Best wedding food EVER Isak! - when you decided to cut the party short. Your papa was besides himself, totally flustered and panicked. Running around trying to find anyone sober enough to drive me to the hospital. He was a Goddamn mess!” She laughed out loud. “I just wanted to finish my damn nachos! But you had different plans”.
Juliet grinned at her, her bright smile taking over her entire face.
“I have always kept you guys on your toes! Didn’t want you growing old and boring too soon.”
At that comment her uncle Magnus scoffed loudly from where he was sitting at the next table. “Oh sweetheart, you had us all either losing our hair or growing grey ones before we turned thirty, you rascal! But it sure was fun seeing your parents try to handle your tantrums.”
At that Isak turned around in his chair and unimpressed look on his face. “Yeah, thanks for the help Magnus, you really stepped up there.”
When all Magnus did was make a mock offended expression, Juliet’s papa turned around as well and said: “Oh, nevermind honey, remember when Vilde was pregnant with the twins and he had to drive around town most nights looking for whatever crazy craving she was having that night? I think he learned then not to mess with parenting-karma.”
“EVEN! I always take your side. ALWAYS. I feel so betrayed. Are you saying you were sitting back then totally smug thanking karma for my misery?”
Even only smiled his crooked smile and wriggled his eyebrows at Magnus before turning his attention back to Juliet who stood giggling at the familiar banting. The rest of the guests did the same thing and she continued to speak.
“In the cab on the way to the hospital I was born on the 21st of december 2021 at 20.12. So this is not only my day to celebrate, but also my parents’. Today is their 21st wedding anniversary as well.”
Isak looked up at Even through his eyelashes with a small smile on his face and Even bumped their noses together and gave him a small peck on the lips.
“These guys have always been my ultimate role models. Teaching me the two most important things in life, which I will share with the rest of you in a moment. But first -”
She looked at her parents with the fondest smile on her face.
“Dear dad, dear papa. Thank you for giving me the life that I have. You two became one 21 years ago only to become two again a few hours later, when I arrived. You always tell me that I am the best thing that happened to either of you, but I believe you are wrong, not because I could ever doubt your love for me, but because without you two meeting and becoming one there would be no me. So you are without a doubt the best thing that happened to each other. In this universe and all the infinite others where you also find each other. I am, if I may say so myself, a bonus, a product of your love and I will live my life everyday trying to be worthy of the gift I have been given, this life as your daughter.”
She felt tears in the corners of hear eyes and it did not help the situation at all that her papa already had a slow stream of tears rolling down his cheeks, smiling at her like she hung the stars, eyes full of endless love.
“SO!” She sniffed a little and dried a tear from her cheek. “Dear guests I will ask you all to get on your feet...”
The sound of many chairs scraping against the floor filled the room immediately.
“...and help me make a toast to the most important men in my life, my parents. Here is to you and your love. The universe would be a different place without it.”
She raised her glass and everyone of the guests did the same.
“To my parents, my role models and the greatest love story in the universe. Happy anniversary!”
“Happy anniversary!” the crowd repeated and everyone drank from their glasses and broke into applause and cheered.
Even stood up closely followed by Isak, rushing to their daughter. They dragged her into a bone crushing hug and cried into her soft hair telling her how much they loved her and that she was the light of their life and all the other sappy things she was used to hearing by now. She hugged them right back, crying and laughing at the same time.
When they broke apart. Isak cupped her face in his hands and kissed the tip of her nose and leaned his forehead on her's closing his eyes for a second, just slowly caressing her cheeks with his thumbs.
Their moment was broken by Magnus, because he never was one to decode a social situation.
“You forgot to tell us the important life lessons they taught you?”
Juliet tipped her head towards her papa and he met her smile. Then he spoke in a clear voice the words she had heard so many times.
“Alt er LOVE”
Isak took Juliet’s hand and turned to face Even with the same smile on his face and said:
“and Livet er nå”.