Operation Bailey Birthday

Evie

Evie Stone (nine years old)

Juno and Colton’s eldest daughter

“Great-Grandma is taking me to get a new dress!” I tell my brother, Mason.

“You’re gonna make me die!” he yells into his microphone.

“Die? Just because I’m getting a dress?” I sit on the couch in my mom’s office. It’s where the video game console is because Mason is addicted.

At least that’s what my mom says and keeping the games in here keeps him from being able to play for too long.

“Conor!” he yells at our cousin into his microphone, and I realize he’s not even listening to me.

I get up and head into the kitchen. Mom’s making dinner.

“When is she gonna come?” I ask, sliding up to the breakfast bar.

Mom chops up some lettuce and puts it in a bowl. Taco Tuesday is my favorite, but I’d rather have a night alone with Great-Grandma Dori.

“She said soon. But I’d really prefer it if you two ate here and then went shopping.” My mom raises her eyebrows and I think she might be asking my opinion.

I never get a choice around here. “Great-Grandma promised me Lard Have Mercy pie.”

My mom walks over to the fridge and grabs the cheese while meat sizzles in the pan.

“I think I should go with you. I mean, now that she’s using the retirement van as her mode of transportation since Ethel lost her driver’s license, I’m not sure it’s safe. I could drive you two and drop you off?”

“Mom. This is special. I never get Great-Grandma all to myself.”

Her shoulders fall and she blows out a breath. Her red hair, which is the same as mine, is falling loose from her ponytail. “I know. We’re a big family and you never get as much attention as you want.”

The garage door opens and Dad walks in before petting Goldie on the head and taking off his coat. He’s got the best job in the world. He’s a vet and spends his whole day around animals.

I want to be like him one day.

“Daddy!” I jump off the stool and run to hug him.

He hugs me tightly and kisses the top of my head. “Hey, kiddo, I heard tonight’s a special night?”

He eyes my mom with a look I don’t like. It’s like the time he asked me about a sleepover at my cousin Maven’s, but my mom had to tell me she’d gotten sick and it was canceled.

This time better not be like that.

“Yep. I’m getting a new dress for her birthday.”

He crouches in front of me because my dad is tall. He towers over my mom so much he complains about his neck every time they kiss. But he still kisses her all the time. It’s so gross.

“Don’t mention the party. It’s supposed to be a surprise.” He tilts his head.

I nod.

“I’m not sure it’s much of a surprise,” Mom says.

“Where’s Mas?” Dad asks me.

I point down the hall as though we can’t all hear him screaming about his video game. Dad heads down there. A second later, Mason screams as if someone is murdering him.

Dad walks out with the controller and the headset, Mason following.

“Dad, I was playing Conor! He’s going to brag that he beat me,” my brother whines.

“That’s it for today. I had a horrible day and the last thing I want to listen to is your Bailey temper.”

“I’m a Stone,” Mason says.

“And a Bailey,” Mom says, smiling sweetly at my dad.

“More like he’s a Stone with the Bailey temper,” I say and smile when Dad ruffles my hair. I reposition my headband.

“I can’t believe our son gets Savannah’s temper and she’s got sweet Asher who helps out at the Northern Lights Retirement Center every Sunday.” Dad shakes his head. “Genetics make no sense.”

“If it helps, I’m not sure Savannah understands it either. I’m thinking Asher got Liam’s temperament and Brinley, well, she’s all—”

“Savannah,” all four of us say in unison and laugh.

Brinley is nice to me. She’s really pretty and always wears awesome clothes, and her lip gloss is the perfect shade. But I’ve heard her talk to her parents.

Once, she and Aunt Savannah screamed at one another for ten minutes straight until Uncle Liam went in there. I can’t imagine yelling at my mom.

The front door opens and Great-Grandma Dori walks in. “I’m here!”

Mason and I run down the hallway and attach ourselves to her legs.

But not too hard because my mom warned us that Great-Grandma is pretty old now and we have to be careful not to knock her off balance.

“I see you still have a key,” my dad says, gaze shifting to my mom.

“Oh, Colton, you should feel lucky. In case anything should happen, I can get inside and help where I’m needed.”

My dad kisses my great-grandma on the cheek. “I know. You’re always looking out for us.”

Mom places the spatula down and my dad ventures into the kitchen to watch over dinner while Mom hugs Grandma hello.

“Funny how I always find you two in the kitchen,” Great-Grandma says.

“I’m thinking about coming with you guys,” Mom says. “I could get some work done at Brewed Awakenings while you guys shop.”

My great-grandma’s smile turns into a frown. I’m with her. This is our time.

She pats my mom on the shoulder. “No, we’re good. I got Earl, and don’t worry, I just saw the nurse give him his narcolepsy medicine.”

A gurgle or some weird sound comes out of my mom, and she looks over at Dad.

He says, “To be honest, Dori, we don’t feel entirely comfortable with the two of you going out on your own.”

“Colton Stone!” Great-Grandma says.

Mason and I step back and find chairs at the kitchen table because Great-Grandma used our dad’s full name, and she’s got that look in her eye.

The same one she used on Uncle Denver when she was holding my baby cousin Abby, and he tried to tell her how to do it safely.

“I might be turning ninety, but I am not delusional. I am not senile. I am not losing my mind. I would never put your daughter, my great-granddaughter, in harm’s way.”

My dad’s not afraid of my great-grandma normally, but he looks as though he might be now. He always says he’s known her his entire life, and she’s helped him succeed.

That she even helped him get Mom to marry him. I can’t imagine why Mom wouldn’t have wanted to marry my dad. He’s the best.

“With all due respect, you just said the man who will be driving you suffers from a condition where he falls asleep without warning. What do you expect us to think?” Dad asks.

Great-Grandma puts her hands on her hips. “I expect you to know that I’m handling the situation. I just told you he took his medicine. He’s fine.”

“Fine.” My dad nods to my mom, and she disappears into her office down the hall.

“Glad we’re all in agreement,” Great-Grandma says and looks at me. “Get your coat so we can blow this pop stand.”

I rush to the front door before anyone changes their mind.

“Pop stand?” Mason asks, sitting at the table and waiting to eat. He’s probably excited to have a night with just Mom and Dad. I like those nights too.

“It’s a term from way back when…” Dad doesn’t finish after Great-Grandma’s eyes go wide. “Hey, it’s taco night.” He does a little dance on his way to the table. Maybe he is afraid of Grandma.

I hop after I put on my shoes and zip up my coat. “Let’s go.”

Mom comes down the hallway and hands me a small purse. “We got this for you. I thought you’d love to take it with you. It’s like Brinley’s, right?”

“OMG, Mom!” The small navy purse lays crosswise, and it’s just like Brinley’s. “I love it!”

“Cute,” Great-Grandma says.

“Why are you getting a dress, Evie?” Mason asks from the table.

“What do you care?” He wasn’t interested when I was talking about it before. Why does he care now?

“Just in case there’s a party, Evie should be prepared with a very pretty dress,” Great-Grandma says.

“But there—” Dad’s hand covers Mason’s mouth.

“Evie,” Mom says and squats, opening her arms. “Have fun.” She squeezes me tightly and whispers in my ear, “And if anything happens, find someone you know.”

“Okay.”

“You two have fun.” My dad hugs Great-Grandma then me.

We walk out toward the big van and I spot Earl reading a magazine in the driver’s seat. He sees us and perks up, shutting the magazine.

Once we’re in the van, Earl lets me decide what station to listen to as he backs up out of our driveway. I wave to my mom and dad from the window.

My mom looks like she did the day I went to kindergarten.

“Can I see your purse, sweetie?” Great-Grandma asks.

I hand it to her. “It’s just like Brinley’s. I love it so much.”

She smiles and opens it as my head bobs to the music.

“I knew it.” Great-Grandma takes out a cell phone. Great-Grandma struggles a bit but opens the sliding door and throws the phone into a snow bank.

“Trust me, my a… butt.” She smiles at me and hands me back the purse.

My eyes are wide with confusion. If Mom and Dad got me a phone, why didn’t they tell me? And why would Great-Grandma throw it away? “They got me a phone?”

“No, they put it in there to track us.”

“You just threw away my phone?” Why would Great-Grandma do that?

She smiles at me. “Don’t worry. It wasn’t a phone for you. Besides, we don’t need to be tracked, do we? We’re two girls out on the town.”

“Two girls and Earl,” I say.

“Two girls and Earl out looking for some fun.” Great-Grandma puts her arm around my shoulders and kisses my temple.

Best night this week.