Birthday Gifts

Everyone gathered around the birthday girls singing as the two blondes looked at the Chantilly cake. It was a round white cake layered with whipped cream frosting, fresh strawberry and blueberries around the edges, but both of their eyes were focused on the two number shaped candles indicating it was their eighteenth birthday as the small fires burned. “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Princess Candace and Princess Bailey!” Bailey shifted from one foot to the next, his feet as uncomfortable as his mind. He hardly celebrated his birthdays, he was pretty sure the closest thing he had to a cake was a cupcake with a single candle on it and that wasn’t even recent and here he was now looking at a fruit and candle covered cake while people sang. His eyes started to tear up and he felt stupid for it, he was a grown man and didn’t need this and yet despite adding the title Princess to his name it brought him back to a happier time. “And many more!!!” The group finished and Bailey felt Candi take his hand as she leaned close to whisper. “Let’s wish for the same thing, that we will get to become real sisters. Okay on the count of three.” Bailey watched as Candi’s free hand counted up and on the count of three he blew on the candles as she did. He didn’t wish for them to be sisters, he didn’t even wish for all of this to be over. Right now he just wished his feet didn’t hurt so much. To others, like Amanda they could only see two teen girls appreciating what was going on. One was with a smile bursting with joy, eyes wide enough to see the flame of the candles reflecting in them. The other shifting from foot to foot in anticipation of blowing out the candles on the cake, her normal small smile on her face, but eyes glistening with tears from the touching moment of having family and friends come together for her birthday and then the first girl taking her friend’s hand and whispering something before they blew out their candles together.

Megan moved to start cutting up the cake, while Candi went from just holding Bailey’s hand to hugging her friend. “Happy Birthday little sis!” Putting his hands around her waist he replied in similar fashion. “Happy Birthday sis.” Candi pulled back, her bottom pink bottom lip sticking out a little as she mock pouted. “Come on, say it right.” Bailey rolled his eyes, but complied. “Happy Birthday big sister.” The large smile returned to her face before she looked Bailey in the eye and moved to the balls of her feet so they were of similar height. “Why are you still wearing your shoes, I don’t like you being taller than me.” Candi said, her shoes never returning to her feet after she took them off to continue dancing. Bailey glanced at Aunt Megan who was putting slices of cake on tiny plates and gave a small shrug. “Suffer for fashion and all that.” Candi scrunched up her face. “You are such a girl.” And then let out a fit of giggles. That comment hurt, but as Bailey thought about it, the way he looked and the only answer he could think of to her question was so girly that she was absolutely right. This entire day had been one horrible thing after another with most of his clothes locked away as punishment for not doing laundry. Getting his dick locked away in a vagina and celebrating his eighteenth birthday for a second time in a dress and a pair of heels he wasn’t allowed to take off, while a horny boy was nearby that he would have to please if it came to that. Bailey started to laugh, it was all too much and he laughed along with Candi. Her giggling turned into laughter, the two seemingly feeding off one another in that moment.

When the laughter was over, sides still hurting Bailey sat down next to Candi at a table surrounded by gifts. Bailey enjoyed cake like most people, but didn’t care for fruit to be on it, yet with a shake for breakfast and little else that day the sweet berries were delicious. “OH MY GOD, THAT IS GOOD!” Bailey said, his mouth still partially full of cake and cream. “Birthday or not, it is not polite to speak with your mouth full young lady.” Came the voice of Nana Connors from the table next to theirs. Bailey swallowed quickly and gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry Nana.” The elderly woman gave him an approving smile and showed off an empty plate with only small traces of the white frosting. “That is quite alright, and I do think oh my god that is good was accurate. Your mother picked out a wonderful dessert for tonight.” Bailey’s eyes scanned the room for the woman he loved, she was close by and it looked like she had been watching him. She didn’t have a plate in hand so Bailey pointed to his almost empty plate and then gave a thumbs up. His approval must have meant something because she smiled back at him. Bailey’s attention returned back to his own plate and paid little attention to Derrick bringing a large slice of cake and two forks over to her. Bailey really wanted another slice, but when he looked back over to where Aunt Megan was giving out slices it looked like she was eating the last one. His mind initially grabbed on to the fact she had denied him once more, but the slide she had was much thinner than what she had given him before. “What are you.. Oh.” Candi said, looking over where Bailey was looking. “Aww she hardly got any, do you think she would want the rest of mine. Turning his head slightly to the side Bailey could feel his mouth watering seeing still half of her cake on the paper plate. “I.. can I have it?” Candi gave Bailey a side eyed glance and frowned. “Your Aunt hardly got any, and I know you see it. You are acting like I used to before Nana told me I was being a spoiled brat. Now take this and give it to Aunt Megan.” The plate with the partially eaten cake was put in his hands and Bailey frowned at it, thinking how it wasn’t fair. Wrinkling his nose and stick out his tongue at her before popping a blueberry into his mouth. Thinking how he was far from spoiled, but as with everything else as of late, if the shoe fit.

Stepping over to the woman who had tortured him Bailey gave her a small smile and held the plate to her, hoping she would say she didn’t want it. “Candi wanted to see if you wanted more cake.” Megan had the little plastic fork in her mouth and as she pulled it out she smiled at the feminized man before looking toward the sweet teen girl. “Sweetheart, why don’t you or Bailey finish, it’s your birthday cake.” Candi shook her head, still turned around in her seat looking in that direction. “We are both really full and you were so nice to give out some for everyone before serving yourself.” His hopes died as the blonde blue eyed woman took the plate from his hands and pushed what was left of her own plate onto it. “Aww thank you both, such sweet girls. Now why don’t you two get ready, I think it is almost time for presents.” Megan said the last part wagging her eyebrows and it caused Candi to cry out in joy and motion frantically for Bailey to come back to their table, as if it was the only thing holding back the promise of gifts. “Yayy, I just love presents. Who do you think we should open the up from first? OH how about the ones from each other! Oh my god yes, that is a perfect idea. Oh I love how we just think alike!” The excited girl was more than willing to answer her own questions and give credit like Bailey was in complete agreement. Bailey sat still while Candi pulled two gifts from the pile. One was a cube almost the size of his head, covered in white wrapping paper with different horses on it and as Candi put it in front of Bailey she had the biggest smile on her face. Bailey’s long glossy nails shimmered in the light as he ran his fingers over the horse covered paper, he couldn’t help but smile looking at it as he thought about how she took the time to match the wrapping for the gift to something he enjoyed. The tag read From: C, To: B, reading it Bailey looked over to what she held in her hands. A thin rectangular box that he sure did not recognize, and with a glance back at the gift in front of him Bailey felt a spike of guit. She had spent time, money and obviously a great deal of thought on this gift and he had gotten her nothing and she must have taken another present from the pile so that both of them had something in front of them. “Should we open them one at a time or both at once?” Candi said to everyone watching. “One and then the other dear.” Candi smile and nodded to her grandmother. “Okay sis, you go first.”

Looking over at the gift in front of Candi, Bailey swallowed before looking back at the perfectly wrapped box in front of him. He didn’t want to just rip into it like he normally would, it was just wrapping paper, but at the same time Candi hadn’t treated it like it with taking the time to choose something personal. So instead he slipped one of his long nails in a seam and carefully removed the tape. “Hurry, hurry, hurry!” Candi chanted beside him while Amanda looked on in amusement at Bailey being so delicate. When Bailey was able to peel the paper away he was blown away by seeing a brand new video camera. His eyes bulged at seeing the gift, it was the same model Candi used to make her videos and with the box being sealed it was clear she hadn’t just reused her old box. “Candi you shouldn’t have.” He said, turning his head slowly to the teen girl next to him. “Please..., now you don’t have any excuse not to make videos of your own. Now we just need to get you a decent microphone.” Bailey put one hand on the box, running it across the surface thinking how expensive this gift was and how he hadn’t gotten her anything. “My turn!” When Bailey looked back to her the wrapping paper was almost completely torn away and she was pulling something from the plain brown box underneath. “OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD I LOVE IT!” In her hands was a simple three part black picture frame with all three slots taken up. On the left it had a photo of Bailey, on the right was a photo of Candi. Both looking as if then were taken from a single image as if the girls were standing back to back and the photo in the middle was a photo Bailey had never seen before. It was a photo from that first day at the park when they were running the three legged race. In the photo their legs were tried together, both barefoot and running across the finish line both with wide open mouthed smiles on their faces. He hadn’t remembered enjoying any part of that day, but seeing that photo and himself smiling his mind slipped back to that moment where the two of them had worked together to out pace everyone else. He watched as Candi traced her fingers along the engraved words. “Friends are the family you choose.” Before sliding town to rest on the center image. “Bailey…” Candi said in a low voice that sounded full of sadness as she drew out the name. When she turned Bailey she was already crying, tears coming down from her eyes ruining her makeup. He was stunned not moving when she plowed into him almost toppling the both to the floor as she hugged held him tight. Bailey could feel her tears on his bare shoulders. “I love so much, I feel the same way!” Bailey could hear a collective aww from everyone or close to it. He was never good with dealing with girls crying. “I like feel the same you, you have to stop crying. If you don’t then I will cry and you said I ugly cry remember. You don’t want to see that right?” Candi looked Bailey in the eye, her eyes still welling up with more tears, but she nodded.

With tears of his own in his eyes Bailey looked for his Mommy, finding her he pointed to the photo frame, trying to keep his uncontrollable emotions from taking him on another trip that he would be pushed on if Candi didn’t stop. She didn’t mouth any words or give any hand signs, just smiled back before whispering something to Derrick and getting up from her chair. Candi was sniffling when she rounded their table and put a hand on each of their shoulders. “I think the birthday Princesses need to freshen up before we open any more gifts.” Amanda escorted them both out hearing Bailey mutter “I hope no one takes a photo of me like this.” and Candi responded with “That would be the worst.” She let out a little chuckle as she ushered them out into the cold windy night and into the bathroom. Looking at himself in the large bathroom mirror Bailey was shocked at how much of his own makeup had come running, he wasn’t nearly as bad as Candi, but it didn’t look pretty. “My purse!” Bailey said realizing he had no way to fix his face, when Amanda put both of their purses on the bathroom sink counter. “Don’t worry I have you both covered.” While the two went about cleaning up their faces and reapplying makeup Bailey noticed Mandy watching with a small smile on her face. He smiled at her, she had been a great help with getting them out of there before anyone captured the moment and had thought ahead to bring their purses and when her smile turned larger as she smiled back it made him feel good as he turned back to his task. She had to have gotten that gift and put his name on it, she was always doing things like that and he thought how she really would be a great mom. His own Mom loved him and doted on him plenty, but she mostly gave him space to do what he wanted, to succeed or fail. Mandy took the time to try and head off issues and even when he didn’t like the choices she made to help him fit his character, but moments like them laying in bed together looking at dresses, or when she was showing him his way around the kitchen the other night to prepare a meal and now with the photo. She really was a good Mommy. His thoughts turned on him, inciting more tears. “Oh Sugar!” The outburst caused Candi to stop applying mascara to her lashes. “You okay, do you need help?” Candi asked before noticing Bailey tearing up again, she raised her eyebrows questioningly. Bailey shook his head and glanced back at the woman he loved leaning on the wall watching them to make sure they were okay. “Was just thinking of our parents.” Candi smiled and looked over Bailey’s shoulder to where her Mom was. “They are like super great, I think we are lucky.”

Never would have Bailey imagined going to a birthday party and all the guests waiting around for the birthday girl to fix her makeup midway through the gifts, yet that is exactly what happened and he was one of the girls that had to go do so. August must have felt impatient with all the waiting and Bailey couldn’t blame the guy for it, because he didn’t wait for them to get back to their table before putting an envelope in each of their hands. “This is from me and Ryan, I mean in addition to the crowns and ahh you both look wonderful in them.” He had immediately rubbed the hair on the back of his head after giving the cards to the two, almost stumbling over his words. Bailey wondered how he could be so nervous handing over a card and not when he was trying to whisper sweet nothings into his ear. “Ryan and I.” Amanda corrected him, causing him to look more nervous. “Yes Miss Best, sorry Miss Best.” August couldn’t see her, but from Bailey and Candi’s perspective they could clearly see April laughing at her brother's plight. Ignoring her Bailey put his long nail under the seal and cut open the envelope, waiting for Candi to do the same before pulling the card out. When he did he saw a white, pink and purple card with decorations of flowers and covered in matching glitter. Inside were tickets to Taylor Swift for her Red tour, with opening act Ed Sheeran over in Salt Lake City. The card fell to the floor as Bailey held the two tickets in hand. He didn’t care much for the girl, but knew a pair of tickets to the show would have cost anywhere from a hundred dollars to two hundred. For a second he imagined going to the concert with just him and Mandy, both looking their best for a night out after a four to five hour drive. “This is amazing!” Candi said holding up a pair of tickets in her hand. August gave a kiss to Bailey’s cheek and a hug to Candi, looking much less nervous now. “Road trip and a date, they say you never really know someone till you go on a trip with them. Sorry we couldn’t get better seats though.” Candi looked down at the tickets and then gave August a bright smile. “We love her and if you boys are trying to make us love you, then this is a good start.” August rubbed the back of his head again as he blushed, making eye contact with Bailey for just a moment before both of them looked away. “I wish Ryan didn’t have to go to work tonight.” Candi said before giving August a quick kiss on his cheek like he had just done to Bailey. “You can tell I love the gift, but you got his kiss.” Putting his hand to his chek August looked between the two beautiful blonde girls, knowing his cheeks were burning. “If that is how it works I hope he doesn’t make it to the concert and it's just the three of us.” August laughed a little till his eyes fell on Mr. Connors, who he wasn’t sure heard what he said, but he didn’t like the idea of what he would say or do if he had. “Umm forget I said that, and I’m glad you both like the gifts.”

The next gifts that were given to the two were a gift from Amanda to Bailey, and Derrick to Candi, each one having a card attached. Candi read out loud the card from her father that came with a small box. “We consider the age of eighteen the transition from childhood to adulthood, but every parent knows as the years go by and they watch their little girl turn into a young woman that they will forever be that little girl they remember running into their arms. I know you like your friends to call you Candi, but to me you will always be my Candace. I am proud of who you are and I know your mother is looking down on you loving the remarkable young woman you have become. Your gift is not something new, but passed down, I know she would have loved to see you wear them.” Bailey could see Candi’s hand trembling and instinctively put his hand on her back. “Oh Daddy… that is perfect and you are going to make me cry again.” Derrick smile and nodded to the still unopened gift. “You know I can’t help but being sappy.” Opening the small box everyone could see a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings that appeared to sparkle in the different lights of the room. “She wore them when we got married.” Candi couldn’t remember ever seeing her Mom wear these other than a photo he had of the two of them from their wedding day. Getting up from her chair Candi wrapped her arms around Derrick and he did so in return. “I love you Daddy, thank you for everything you do.” Letting them have their moment Bailey sat looking at the box in front of him, not wanting to open it till they were done. He wondered what she would have gotten him, heck for his last real birthday he got a blow job and he was sure he would rather have another one of those than whatever is inside it still felt good that she took the time with how busy she has been. It was actually kinda nice she had been around so much more recently. When Candi sat down she hardly looked up from the earrings in her hand and Bailey dug into the wrapped gift. Inside he found a pink Barbie Volkswagen Beetle with a skipper doll behind the wheel, Bailey looked at the girly toy in astonishment. He wasn’t sure this was an appropriate gift for an eighteen year old girl and yet Mommy had given it to him, when he looked up at her she smiled.

“You forgot to read the card first sweetheart.” He was more of a private person and would rather read the card to himself, but considering Candi had read the one from her Dad out loud it seemed fitting. Opening the envelope he found a picture of Barbie and her sisters saying “Birthday girl!” and on the inside saying “From us to you, may your wishes come true.” But when he opened the card a piece of plastic fell out. It was a gift card to the Mall that showed it was good for fifty dollars. “Bailey Ann Best.” The Barbie toy was obviously a gag gift and after the waterworks earlier he thought it would be best to ham this up and point at himself. “That's me, but tonight I’m Princess Bailey Ann Best.” Bailey felt his friend bump him with her shoulder and he continued reading. “You are a constant surprise and source of joy, this past week alone you have shown me how much you care and love others. You don’t have a driver's license, but I thought you would still like a car.” The toy was indeed a gag gift, and he was able to read between the lines on what the card said, she had said it out loud before, but it was nice to have the affirmation with how much Mommy appreciated him. Deciding to keep playing it Bailey held up the gift card and looked down to the Skipper doll to speak to it. “Do you think you could take me to the mall?” It was Amanda that went to Bailey for a long hug when he felt the kiss on his forehead Bailey smiled and looked into his loves blue eyes. “I love you Mommy.” He did love her and wished he didn’t ruin the moment with adding Mommy on the end, but it just came out, but at least it had earned him another hug.

More gifts were given, like from Aunt Megan to both girls. She had enrolled all three of them in a night course for baking once per week for the next few weeks. Say that both of them asked her about baking and figured the three of them could learn more together. A terrible gift as far as Bailey was concerned, but Candi loved the idea of spending more time with the terrible woman. Jeremy apologized profusely for not being able to afford much, he had given them a single card with a gift certificate to his Mom’s shoe store in the mall and a promise to use his employee discount to make it go further. Candi of course knew exactly what to do to help the boy feel like he had given them both the best gift ever. She had Bailey give him a hug at the same time as her and thank him for even coming to their birthday party let alone giving a gift at all and it meant a lot to both of them that his gift allowed them to come see him at work and spend more time with their friend. Nana had given her granddaughter a slew of gifts, with Candi at one point having Bailey stand up and holding up a red dress she was given to Bailey and giving her friend a wink. “This maybe mine, but you can always have access to my closet.” She then moved it to infront of herself and smiled with a little more mischief. “But I get to wear it first.”

The last gift was a letter from Derrick to Bailey that he gave when both the girls were still standing. Unfolding it Bailey looked up at the green eyed man thinking he was about to read some sappy droll from the smuck. Reading the letter his hands gripped it tighter, his eyes looking up from the piece of paper to Derrick and then back to it. “You didn’t!?” Derrick nodded with a warm smile. “I didn’t do it alone, but I did do it.” Bailey reread the piece of paper, tears once again coming unbidden. “What did you do?” Amanda asked, she didn’t know he had given her anything. Candi pulled the piece of paper from Bailey’s hands, gently patting her friend on the back whispering. “We found her for you.” Before reading the letter to everyone. “Bailey, I have been told you are fond of horses and Candace has told me how your father once owned a few and how you were particularly fond of fillie when you were younger named Cherry. I have some good news, Cherry is a little older as we all are, but the mare is in fine health and lives at a range roughly an hour and a half from where you live now. I’m no cowboy, but I do enjoy riding and would be delighted if we could take a trip and ride together and you could introduce me to your old friend Cherry. Her new owner seemed more than happy for our visit, all we have to do is say when.”

Bailey remembered that photo he looked at earlier and that day with his father and how all his muscle faded away when he got sick and how they had to sell their horses. He didn’t even take the time to go say goodbye, it was just a horse he thought, but now she was a lost connection and this stupid, horrible, smug, kind, wonderful man found Cherry for him. Bailey plowed into Derrick much like Candi had done to him many times, hugging him and burying his face in his shirt crying again, ruining his freshly madeup face and at least doing the same to stupid Derricks shirt as he held on and cried with joy and pent up sadness and regret. Putting his arms around the emotional teen, Derrick made eye contact with the woman next to him and gave a small smile and half whispered. “She either loves it, or hates it. What do you think?” Candi smiled on, still holding the letter her Daddy wrote to Bailey as she watched Amanda give her Father a kiss on the cheek and smiled at Bailey as she sobbed. She didn’t dare move, let alone dance like she felt like doing. Her wish was going to come true, she just knew it.