Soothing words on the phone

Bailey sat on the wood patio in the backyard of Megan’s house looking up at the stars in the night. He took a sip of the hot tea before putting the mug down next to him and looked at his phone for the hundredth time rereading the last few text messages from yesterday and today.

Mommy: I swear if it was not for coffee I would have fallen asleep today in my last seminar.

Mommy: Are you still feeling run down or are you feeling better?

Bailey: Feelin like a lot better after rest n takin like the medication miz april dropped off

Mommy: Happy to hear you are feeling better pumpkin. Are you ready for your first day of work?

Bailey: I hav totes worked b4 n like yeah but also nervus

Mommy: You will be fine, just do what April asks.

Mommy: I am positive she will be happy to have you to help, she has been stressing about running the intern project. So having someone she knows there will be a big help.

Bailey: Yeah she seemed like a lil upset 2day she even told me 2 wear a short skirt

Mommy: Did she now?

Bailey: Yep!

Mommy: Well I am going to let you go, sleep well pumpkin. Love you.

Bailey: Love u 2

Bailey: 2day was like wow

Bailey: Call me when u r free!

A shiver ran through Bailey as a small breeze ran through the trees and the yard. He tightened the gray sweater to his body, covering more of the satin red night gown with white lace over the cups and the bottom hem that he had put on for bed. One hand held tight to the phone and the other held the sweater jacket closed as his exposed legs felt the lack of warmth in the night air. The mule heels on his feet did nothing to keep his feet cold. Picking up the mug again Bailey looked over his shoulder to the closed back door and the lit porch light keeping the darkness at bay. ‘Aunt Megan has been like super nice lately, but she is preparing to see Liam tomorrow and I don’t want to distract her.

Bailey sat outside for another half hour sipping on his tea and flipping through a few pinterest boards before his phone started to buzz just before the music started to play.

“It’s just another night, and I’m staring at the moon. I saw a shooting star and thought of you. I sang a lullaby by the waterside and knew if you were here, I’d sing to you. You’re on the other side as the skyline splits in two. Miles away from seeing you. But I can see the stars from America. I wonder, do you see them too?”

Sliding the green phone icon to the side Bailey placed the small device to his ear with a big smile on his face. “Hi Mommy!” Letting go of the jacket Bailey no longer held it closed as he reached up and patted the side of his head, touching one of the rollers to make sure it was still secure after another gust of wind came by.

“Hey pumpkin! You sound like you are in a good mood.”

The smile on his face didn’t budge an inch as he looked out into the night sky. “I am now after like hearing your voice. I miss you.”

“I miss you too, but we only have one more day before I get home. You make it through Friday and then you can meet me at the airport on Saturday.”

Bailey used his free hand to rub his legs, trying to get some warmth into them, wishing he had decided to sit inside till she called. “Yeah… but like.” He took in a deep breath before blowing it out. “Today has been like so so so much!”

“Yeah? Today was your first day at Mega Corp. I know running coffee orders and filing is not something you are used to. A far cry from running your parents store, but at least it isn’t difficult.

Swapping the phone to his other hand and his other ear Bailey used the now free hand to rub his other leg. ‘A like super far cry from my old job!’ He told himself. “Yeah it like isn’t hard, but… Miss Gates. Miss April makes me call her that at work and she told Candi that she isn’t allowed to like coordinate the folders anymore because she messed up a few times.”

“Coordinate folders? Do you collate?” On the other end of the phone Amanda sat in her hotel sweet on the couch nearest to the window in heavy cotton plaid pajama pants and an old band t-shirt that once belonged to Bailey.

Kicking his shoes off Bailey stood up before stepping off the wooden patio and onto the thick green grass of the yard, feeling it between his toes as took a few more steps on the balls of his feet. “Yeah, I totes mean collate! Well so she is working with Auggy in the basement and oh my god is there a lot of files and junk down there!”

Amanda curled her feet up onto the couch with her as she leaned on a small stack of pillows. “Auggy? Oh, yeah August. That poor boy.”

“Mommy he isn’t a boy.” Bailey corrected, scrunching his nose up after, unsure why he jumped to defend him. Unconsciously Bailey held a breath thinking that defending him would suddenly out him for what the two had done together. The breath came out as Bailey relaxed hearing the happy laughter on the other side of the phone.

“No, I suppose August is not a boy anymore. I just meant I made you go out on that date with him and one date led to another. Maybe April, you and I should figure out a way to let him down gently now before he gets hurt when my pretty daughter goes away.”

Biting his bottom lip Bailey squeezed his toes, pulling on the grass thinking back to Miss April’s commands. “Umm Miss April like I think, already has a plan and said she wants me to keep dating him.” Bailey took both sides of the opening of the sweater jacket up near the collar, pulling up over his mouth for a second, taking a deep breath before letting go. ‘Mommy can’t find out about me like blowing him or about today. OMG he better not tell her about what we did!’ The spike of anxiety floating away as he took the breath and heard the woman he loved relent.

“If the two of you have it in hand that is fine. I just hope she isn’t teasing you about becoming Mrs. Bailey Ann Gates like she did me back at the company picnic.” Amanda said laughing at the memory.

“Umm, no she hasn’t said that to me.” Bailey said thinking back to when he was writing that exact name down and what he liked about August for one of Aunt Megan’s assignments.

Holding the phone with her shoulder Amanda used both of her hands to move her hair into a ponytail as she imagined seeing Bailey in a white wedding dress. Bailey acted so naturally like a girl, she still wasn’t fully seeing it or at least grasping what she was seeing even after her sister had told her Bailey was actually happy this way. It wasn’t until Derrick had shown her Bailey’s youtube channel that everything came into focus. Bailey had done so much for her, but the reality of it was that no man would ever pretend to be a girl, let alone one seven years younger just for their girlfriend to get a job, no matter how good of one it was. The last video she saw Bailey post was one of her and Candi dancing in provocative outfits, she had watched it over a dozen times, amazed at the girl she saw. “Well if you ever need to go shopping for a wedding dress you just let me know, pumpkin.”

“Anyways… I wanted to like talk about my day.” Bailey said desperately wanting to change the subject.

“I would love to hear about it. Tell me everything.” Amanda said as stifled a yawn and shifted on the couch so that she was laying on her back instead of sitting up on it.

“Well like today the best thing happened!” Bailey giggled, spinning in place in the yard thinking about the delicious lunch he had. “At lunch…”

“Just going to skip over what happened before lunch?” Amanda chuckled at how Bailey skipped over half the day when she had told him to tell her everything. ‘Him? Her? Her.’

“OH My GOD! Who told you about what happened before lunch!?” Bailey said, feeling panic strike him. ‘Did Candi tell her Daddy and then he told Mommy? Was it Auggy who told Miss April who told her, but she like said she wouldn’t say anything!’

“No, no honey. So far the only thing I know about your day is that apparently the best thing happened at lunch.” She couldn’t help laughing again, this time at how excitable Bailey was this evening.

“Oh, okay umm good because I was going to tell you. I have to assist someone but he like, said he didn’t need me, but would show me how things are done so I could learn and then he let me go down and help Candi with the scanning and she got like two papercuts! But not then, it was later that happened.” With his heart starting to slow down Bailey walked back to the porch telling her about what happened in the morning, working his way up to the amazing burger and then how Miss April and him got in trouble by someone because they were talking instead of getting things ready in the conference room and how Miss April cleaned up after so he could spend more time with Auggy and Candi.

“So it was like in the afternoon that Candi got a papercut, well like two and both on the same finger, can you like believe that!”

Laying on the couch Amanda closed her eyes, she was mentally exhausted before she left the west coast headquarters for Mega Corp, now she was struggling once again to not drift off to sleep, wanting to keep talking to Bailey. Intellectually she knew she shouldn’t feel bad for being with Derrick while Bailey pretended to be a girl, because that was what he wanted, Bailey was loving being a girl, just wasn’t able to say it. So with every verbal exclamation mark Bailey used made her a little happier, and soothed her worries. “Mmm yeah I can, she has to be careful. It sounds like you helped a lot, I hope they thanked you.”

“Yeah, totally! Of course they did! Candi said tomorrow after work we are going to get so froyo!” SItting on the patio Bailey leaned back, plopping down onto his back so he could look up into the sky.

“I never knew how food motivated you are.”

Bailey rolled his eyes. “Yeah well like… that is because I don’t get much. Breakfast shakes, sometimes one for lunch and then like green noodles or vegan ravioli, ick.” Bailey punctuated his statement by sticking his tongue out in disgust, selectively forgetting the actual taste of the healthy meals.

“You could eat more, you do not need to starve yourself to look pretty.” She had noticed before how much weight Bailey had lost, it wasn’t just him getting skinnier, but what little muscle on his body seemed to have softened.

“Umm no, you have like no idea what Candi would say if I gained an inch by the next time we went to the water park. And like I did help a lot but those boxes are like soooo heavy! I took some with a cart over to get shredded and some of the boxes fell off and there really was only room on the top of other boxes for the cart and well umm well I like my arms were tired so I put them on some shelves. Tomorrow I will move them to the shredder.” Bailey giggled imagining the Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was standing in a corner just attacking boxes full of files.

“Bailey Ann we do not do things by half measure.”

“I know, but they are just like going to be shredded so I figured…”

“You figured no one would know you didn’t finish what you were asked to do and I believe you just told me your friend was going to take you out for frozen yogurt to thank you for helping. So what do you think you should do?”

Still laying there looking up at the stars Bailey pursed his lips. “Tell Candi what I did, fix it and like tell her I wont do it again.” He said much to his chagrin.

Hearing the tone of Bailey’s voice Amanda let out a sigh. “I suppose there was no harm done, how about tomorrow you just move those boxes to where they are supposed to be. So long as you promise me in the future you will ask for help if you are too tired to lift something heavy.” She imagined after living a life where men needed to look strong and seen as weak if they asked for help the idea of needing help to just move some files boxes was something she was still getting used to. Amanda knew the boxes could get heavy, but Bailey always did have an ego, and the fact she was willing to accept fault right away when confronted was a massive step in a better direction.

“I can totally do that! I don't have to tell Candi or Auggy?!”

“I suppose not.” Amanda yawned once more. “Listen, I have loved talking with you tonight.” She pulled the phone away from her face to see the conversation had gone on for longer than an hour. An amazing feat when in the past she could hardly get Bailey to be on the phone for twenty minutes. “I am going to let you go so the both of us can get some sleep.”

“I love you Mommy!” Bailey said happily. He hadn’t told her about Mr. Brannon and what he wanted, but he was a man and it was his duty to protect her.

“I love you too pumpkin, sweet dreams.”

With the phone call over Bailey got up, slid his feet back into his mules before bending over at the waist to pick up the mug with the now cold tea inside. Just as he reached for the door handle it hit him. “I totally forgot to like ask her about what Miss April meant about her promotion.”