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A birthday cake with peanut shavings atop marble icing. Sugar lettering in red reads ‘Happy birthday Anya!’, with the ‘ya’ partially cut out as part of a removed slice. The severed slice shows that the inside of the cake is a mix of light and dark brown layers. The label beneath the photograph reads Seventh Birthday.
A blur of white fills the shot. Only a large black spot above a flash of a pink tongue identifies the subject, and the label beneath confirms it. Bond.
Anya’s face is close to the shot, framed by her pink locks. Her green eyes are alight with excitement and a wide smile reveals a beautiful set of teeth, save for a small gap where one of her bottom incisors should be. The gum is slightly bloody, and the teeth to either side of the gap are slightly stained with red, but she’s clearly unaffected. This photo is labeled First Baby Tooth Gone!
A frame within a frame, the television is in shot. Bondman is frozen, mid-run down a darkened street. His trench coat sweeps behind him as his left arm is raised out, pointing his gun at some off-screen enemy. The label reads Spy Wars Is Cool!
Papa and Mama are sitting across from each other at the table, which holds an in-progress game of chutes and ladders. Papa smiles softly at Mama, who is looking down at the board in concentration. The label beneath the photograph reads Game Night.
Mama is in the living room. She has her hair up in a ponytail, a look of determination on her face. She is holding a very large weight in one hand, clearly mid-curl. Bond sits in the background, watching her curiously. The label reads Mama Is Strong!
Becky’s dark hair is down, with a silver knife pin holding back her bangs. The tips of her hair are down to her shoulder-blades now and look as silky as ever. She is still adorned in her Eden College uniform – black and gold dress with the pristine white shirt and red ribbon – and she holds up a peace sign amidst a backdrop of golden and red leaves. The label reads Best Friend! ♡
The angle for this one indicates it was taken from a very low position. Papa stands at the threshold between the hallway and the living room, wearing black sweatpants and a white tee shirt. A small towel hangs around his shoulders. It’s clear he’s just come out of the shower, as his face and neck are still red from the heat of the steam. His eyes are on the camera, an expression of confusion marring his face, but he stands there anyway. This photograph is labeled Papa After Shower.
Bond is lying on his side in the living room, the light of the setting sun from the window glancing off his thick, white fur. Black paws sprawl lazily, and his tail is tucked between his back legs. Anya’s small body lies curled up and sinking into him, her pink hair and blue dress standing out in stark contrast to the white surrounding her. The label under this photo is Anya and Bond After a Day Out.
A tall purple flower amidst a shorter cluster, petals smooth and delicate, with a small explosion of yellow radiating from the center. Blurry with mid-flutter movement are the wings of a small butterfly. Smatterings of gold and brown and red, like autumn leaves, stand out against the petals as a small, black body and a long, probing tongue reach towards the pansy’s center of nectar. The label for this one reads Butterfly.
Mama is standing near the dining table. She has her hair up in a braided bun. She is wearing a sparkly red dress that reaches almost to the floor. Her hands are clenched tightly around a small black clutch, indicating nerves. Her face is slightly red, but she stares into the camera lens resolutely, with a small smile on her face. This photo is labeled Mama is Very Pretty
Right below the photo of Mama is another one of Papa. Papa is caught stepping into the living room, looking towards the direction of the camera, but clearly not looking into it. His blond hair is slicked back slightly, and he is wearing a dark blue suit and no tie. His suave appearance is slightly weakened by the dumbfounded look on his face that makes him look more boyish than anything. A blush is clear on his cheeks and his lips hang open. This photo is called Papa Sees Mama Being Very Pretty.
Damian Desmond stands with his body facing away from the camera, his arm stretched out towards it. His mouth is open, clearly chiding Anya for trying to photograph him, but she can see the slight blush on his face that would have negated any harsh words coming from his lips. The label for this photo is Sy-on Boy Is Shy.
A pile of small, golden balls sits perfectly balanced in a pyramid on a plate. Flecks of green garnish adorn the whole pile. A creamy white sauce sits in a bowl just beside the plate, making it clear that the two dishes were clearly supposed to go together for a delicious meal. The label reads Papa Made Croquettes! 10/10!
The frame holds two figures, low to the floor. Papa is dressed in blue pants and a green sweater, crouched down and planting a kiss on the side of Anya’s face. Anya is dressed in her favorite black pajama dress, trying to push him away. She appears to laugh as his fluffy hair tickles her face. This photograph is labeled Papa and Anya.
A leg takes up the whole shot, from a first-person angle above the knee. It is a scratched up leg with wraps of white gauze around the shin. There is a small spot of blood peeking through the bandage, but not enough to be worrisome. The label reads Tried to Save a Cat.
A hamburger patty rests on a plate, sitting in a bed of sliced tomatoes and drizzled messily with a cheese sauce. The meal is half eaten, with a messy fork and knife lying crossed over the dish. The inside of the hamburger is a slight pink but, given the chef in question, pink was better than black. The label for this photograph says Mama Is Getting Better at Cooking! 5/10!
This photo was taken sneakily, as half of the image is taken up by a wall corner. Peeking around the corner, the camera catches Papa and Mama standing very close together in the kitchen. Mama is washing the dishes, Papa is talking to her, and both have smiles on their faces. This photo is called Papa and Mama are flirting!
There is a profile shot of Anya, in a straw hat and a sleeveless pink dress, sitting on Bond’s back. She seems to be getting a bit big to be using the dog as her steed, but Bond doesn’t seem to mind. A smile rests on her face as she holds his collar for balance. They are both frozen in time, mid gallop. The label for this photograph reads Starlight Anya, Away!
There’s a full family photo. The Forgers, together, on a picnic blanket in the park. Anya sits in the middle, cross legged and beaming, her body squished between the arms of both Papa and Mama on either side of her front. The adults’ faces show pure contentment as their other arms link around one another’s shoulders. Bond’s head peeks out in the perfect gap left between the top of Anya’s head and the adults’. The label beneath this photo reads Forger Family ♡
~*~
The photo album sits on Anya’s bedside table, ready to reach for in times of comfort. In times of strife. In times of sadness and happiness and boredom and excitement. In all the years that pass, as the Forger family grows closer, so does her collection, immortalizing the little moments that mean so much more. The photos were real. The moments were real.
Her family was real.
There were a few photos that she kept on the camera. Ones that she never asked to be developed. Ones that she didn’t want to reach for when thinking of comfort.
Ones that she never wanted labeled:
Mama sharpening a knife in the kitchen, her eyes on the blade but her mind on her last kill.
Papa cleaning up a wound on his arm in the bathroom, not realizing that the bathroom door was slightly open.
Damian huddled in an empty corridor, crying because his mom and dad failed him again.
A self portrait of Anya with tears streaking down her face
Mama picking glass out of Bond’s tail fur after he knocked over a vase.
Unkie Yuri glaring at Papa.
Papa lying exhausted on the couch, covering his face with a newspaper.
Mama cleaning a ripped and bloody hem.
There’s only so much of one’s life that can be immortalized in snapshots. Best let it be the ones worth remembering, and being remembered for.