Notes: Thanks to Mari and Sammy for bouncing ideas whenever and wherever. And especially for your love and support when I need it most.
Readers and REAL McRollers - thank you for your continued support. It's always appreciated.
Special thanks to my niece for inspiring so many Joan moments over the years :-)
Hope you enjoy!
An Early Birthday Present (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
Steve had just sent the rest of the team home for the day when his phone buzzed with an incoming text. He looked at the screen at saw it was from his sister.
Hey do you have time for a quick Skype?
Yeah - is everything okay? he replied, figuring she would have called if something was wrong but wanting to make sure.
Yes. Joan just wants to show you something.
He relaxed and sat against the edge of his desk, smiling as he typed a quick reply. Okay.
A moment later, he accepted the video call and Mary's face appeared on the screen.
"Sorry, she wouldn't let me just take a picture, she wanted to show you herself."
"Don't apologize," he said immediately. "I never mind talking to you and Joanie."
Mary smiled, and he knew she too was thinking how far they'd come for that sentiment to roll so easily off his tongue.
"Uncle Steve!" Joan's voice came from off screen before Mary angled the phone so she was in view. "It's almost your birthday! I made you something! See?"
She held up a large plastic plate on which rested something that resembled an abstract art installment.
"You made me something? That's awesome, Joanie. What … um … what is it?"
"It's your birthday cake!"
He grinned. "Ohh, right. Of course. 'Cause it's almost my birthday." He squinted to see what was on the plate that wobbled in her hands as she stood on one leg and then the other. "Is that … that looks like clay."
"It's playdough!"
"A playdough cake. Nice. That looks like a star," he said, spotting an orange cookie cutter pressed into the green playdough. "And what's in the little pink bowl on top?"
"Purple playdough. It's all dry." She poked it to show him how hard it was. "But the green playdough is good, see?" She pressed her finger randomly into it, adding more imprints to the surface of the playdough.
He tilted his head, his brow knitting. "And is that … a mermaid?"
"It's Ariel!"
"On my birthday cake?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes!" she cried with an excited little jump.
When he got no further explanation, he laughed. "Okay, then." He smiled broadly. "Joanie, that's really great. I can tell you worked very hard on my birthday cake. I wish I was there in person so I could eat it," he said with a wink.
She stopped bouncing and stood still, looking at him seriously. "Uncle Steve, you can't eat playdough. It's not good for you. It will hurt your tummy."
He chuckled at her firm expression. "I know, Joanie. I was joking."
Her face brightened immediately. "I know a joke! Knock knock!"
"Who's there?"
"Banana!"
"Banana who?"
"Banana!"
He looked confused but repeated, more slowly this time, "Banana who?"
"Banana!"
"We haven't quite gotten the hang of this one yet," Mary explained with an amused smile.
"Banana, Uncle Steve!" Joan prompted impatiently.
"Banana who?" he said, chuckling lightly.
"Orange you glad I didn't say banana?!" She stopped, realizing something was missing. "I mean, orange!"
His chuckle turned into a laugh. "Orange who?"
"Orange you glad I didn't say banana?!" she said again, smiling expectantly.
"Good one, Joanie. Make sure you tell Jacob you're into jokes now when you come visit. He loves them, too."
"When are we visiting, Mama?" she asked, looking at Mary.
"At the end of the month. During Spring Break."
"How many sleeps?"
"Still a lot of sleeps. Like fifteen or sixteen," Mary said, trying to do the math in her head.
Joan turned back to the screen. "Where's Aunt Cath and Baby Angie, Uncle Steve?"
"They're still at Aunt Cath's work," he said, glancing at the time.
"Daddy is at work," Joan told him.
"Still?" Steve asked, knowing the time difference meant it was past their normal dinner time in L.A.
"He had to work a little late," Mary said. "But he'll be home any minute. So how about you say good-bye to Uncle Steve, peanut? We'll talk to him again on his birthday Saturday."
"How old are you for your birthday, Uncle Steve?" Joan asked.
"How old do you think I am?"
"Forty-five," she guessed. "No. Sixty-sixty."
Steve's eyebrows shot up. "Sixty-sixty, huh?"
"Yeah," she said with a satisfied nod.
He chuckled. "Let's go back to forty-five, that's not quite as far off. And is also a real number."
"Uncle Steve is going to be forty-one," Mary told her.
"Ohhh," Joan said, her eyes widening. "That's old."
Mary snorted.
"Hey," Steve said.
The sound of a door opening had Joan running off with a squeal. "Daddy! You're home!"
"I'm home," Aaron's voice came faintly in response.
"Look! I made Uncle Steve a birthday cake!"
"Wow! That looks awesome."
"And just what you always wanted, I'm sure," Mary teased her brother.
"It's great," Steve said. "Like mother, like daughter."
She looked confused. "Huh?"
"Joan's creation reminded me … you remember when you made me a birthday cake out of playdough?"
"I did?"
"Yeah, you were around Joanie's age. Maybe a year older. You used all your playdough and made a giant blob you insisted was a cake."
She smiled even as she searched her mind for the memory.
"You freaked out because I pinched off a corner and pretended to eat it," he continued, "then when I showed you I had just hidden it in my hand you freaked out again because I ruined your masterpiece."
Mary laughed. "That sounds like me." Her face lit up. "Wait, I do remember that. I made it with all the playdough because I wanted it to have all different 'flavors.' "
"Right."
"And you helped me separate them back out into their little containers."
"Yeah," he said, smiling fondly at the memory.
"I'd forgotten all about that."
"Me, too."
The siblings shared a soft smile before they were joined by Aaron and Joan.
"Hey, happy early birthday, Steve," Aaron said as the three squeezed into the frame.
"Thanks."
"We should let you go," Mary said. "I'm sure you want to get going, and Joan here needs a bath before bed."
Joan scrunched up her face, but Aaron gave an exaggerated cheer that made her giggle. "Yay, bath!"
"Thanks for making the cake, Joanie," Steve said. "I'm glad you called to show it to me."
She smiled happily. "I can make you another cake, Uncle Steve."
"Tomorrow," Mary said. She smiled at Steve. "Bye. Love you."
"You, too."
"Love you, Uncle Steve!"
"Love you, Joanie. Talk to you later."
Mary ended the call and Steve smiled, his eyes lingering on the screen even after the picture closed.
He pushed off the desk and put away a file folder before locking up the office. He was still smiling as he headed for the main door, his smile widening when Catherine came in with Angie.
"Hey, I was just heading your way," he said.
She smiled. "I figured we'd either catch you here or meet you on the way."
He scooped up Angie as soon as he was close enough and kissed her cheek. "Hey, you, did you have a good day?"
"Ba baaah!" she said happily, reaching for his chin.
"Dada," Catherine prompted.
Angie beamed. "Ah bah!"
He chuckled and kissed her cheek again before leaning over to kiss Catherine.
"What had you smiling?" she asked, nodding back toward the path he'd taken toward them.
"Joanie made me a birthday cake out of playdough."
Catherine smiled. "Aww."
"Yeah, it was … unique," he said with a little grin. "And it reminded me of the time Mary did the same thing when she was about Joan's age."
"She made you a cake out of playdough?"
"Yeah, I hadn't thought of that in years."
She smiled at his softened expression and ran a hand across his lower back.
He flashed her a small smile. "Most of my good birthday memories involve you."
"I'm glad you have some others, too," she said sincerely. She smiled, placing a hand on Angie's back. "And this weekend we'll try to make some more, right, baby girl? Daddy's first birthday with you."
"Ah ba bao," she babbled, twisting his t-shirt in her fist and tugging.
He smiled. "It's already the best yet."
Hope you enjoyed!
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