Happy, Happy Birthday Baby -- chapter 5

Spike was driving the motorcycle down a different part of the waterfront, and the sun was low in the sky. This part of town looked newer, brighter, and Ed could see that some of the storefronts were the same names as those that she and Faye had gone to earlier. She was studying an outfit in a window when she realized that Spike had slowed down into a parking space. "What's next?"

Spike kicked down the kickstand. "Well, my intention was to get ice cream, but we had ice cream at Grill."

Ed removed her helmet. She was almost an expert at it now. "Ice cream still sounds good."

Spike grinned and dismounted the scoot. "Yeah. There's always room for ice cream. And pie. There's a place that I remember had fantastic pie, but they're a ways out of town. A bit far for today." Just then, Ed stumbled as she got off the motorcycle, and Spike caught her just before she fell flat on the ground. "Geez, Ed, careful. Are you okay?"

Ed looked up and realized that she was wrapped in Spike's strong, leather clad arms. She felt woozy for a moment. Then she smiled and said, "Ed's okay." Spike stood her back on her feet and led her into the ice cream parlor. They each got a waffle bowl: hers was mint chocolate chip, his was pistachio nut. They went back outside and found a bench that was overlooking the water, where the sun had finished setting. They sat quietly for a while, eating, and then Ed remarked, "You eat weird ice cream."

Spike chuckled. "It's not weird, it's classic. Besides, I'm not a big fan of chocolate."

"How did you know to buy me chocolate that first time you bought me ice cream?"

"I've been around the block a few times, Ed. Females at that time of the month require chocolate. And by the way, thank you for bringing up a painful memory."

Ed giggled. "I'm sorry."

"You are not. I think you planned that whole episode to catch me when I was weakened by pain."

Ed gave a mock gasp. "Did not."

Spike smiled. "Did too." After a few moments, he asked, "So how does it feel to be fourteen?"

Ed was silent for a while before she quietly answered. "The same, I guess. Not old enough to matter."

Spike frowned at her. "You matter to us."

Ed shrugged. "I suppose."

Spike looked at her a moment, and then placed his ice cream aside and turned to her. Ed played with her ice cream with her spoon. "Ed, listen." Spike paused, thinking about the best way to word this. "I don't want you to think that your feelings don't matter, or that you don't matter. Because you do matter, to us . . . to me."

Ed's spoon stopped moving.

"And your feelings are very real, even if you are only fourteen. I know that. And I don't want you to think that I'm discounting your feelings because of your age. But . . . think about it from my point of view. I'm going to be twenty-eight in a few days. Right now, that age difference is huge. Do you understand?"

Ed nodded, keeping her eyes in her lap.

Spike continued. "Ed, in four years, you're going to be eighteen. In four years, if you want, we will revisit this conversation. I promise, we'll have a serious chat about it, if that's what you want."

Ed continued to look at her lap. "Promise?"

Spike nodded. "Promise."

Ed gathered up all of her courage, and looked into Spike's eyes. "Really?"

"Really really." Spike held up his fist, little finger extended. "Pinky swear."

Ed chuckled and a single tear rolled down her cheek. She took Spike's finger in hers and shook on it. "Pinky swear."

Spike took his free hand and wiped away Ed's tear with his thumb. Then he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. He smiled at her and said, "If you're done with your ice cream, I promised Papa-Jet I'd get you home at a decent hour. Are you ready?"

Ed nodded, and they rose to walk back towards the motorcycle. The stars had started coming out, and Spike draped an arm over her shoulder. Just then, Spike looked up to see a flash in the sky.

"Ed, look." He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "A shooting star. Make a wish."

Ed's eyes closed briefly. They began walking again. Spike didn't ask her what her wish was. He figured he could guess.

He had been fourteen once himself, after all.

"Happy Birthday, Space Cowgirl."

---the end---

Grill is located at 100 E Congress St, Tucson, Arizona. I have no idea if Rufus or anyone resembling him works there. Their meat loaf is fantastic, though.

The "Starvin' Marvin" was a sandwich dish available at the Quick Snack in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Quick Snack (which we always called the Quick Snatch) now seems to be known as Quick Grill, which is located at 1208 University Blvd, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Whether the Starvin' Marvin still exists, I don't know. Ask for Diane.

I do not own the CB characters in any way, shape, or form. This is a work of fiction.

Thank you for reading! I appreciate your taking time to review my work. This is a (sort of) continuation of an earlier work, Every Day a Little Death.