Double Birthday

Linnea had news for Collette at church that morning.
“I became a Christian yesterday,” she said happily, with a shy smile.
Collette gave her a hug.
“It’s like a double birthday for you,” OLeif said.
It was close enough, and made Linnea’s 11th a particularly special birthday.
Later that afternoon, the grandmas arrived. And soon Linnea had opened a wealth of gifts. A backpack full of survival equipment: flint, emergency blanket, first aid kit, headlamp, etc., a pink bag from Grandma Snicketts and two new Webkinz, a Nancy Drew computer game, the second season of I Love Lucy, Collette’s book, money from Grandma Snicketts to spend at will,
a jumbo box of 30 mini assorted cereals, and another jumbo box of assorted hot chocolates. She had struck the jackpot again.
Around the dinner table for chicken patty sandwiches, homemade macaroni and cheese, and Caesar salad, Francis was keeping his distance. He had come down with another round of poison sumac or oak or ivy. It covered his face.
Out came the ice cream cake. Linnea blew out her candles, missing only one.
Carrie took her slice and a random fork off the table, and began to eat.
“Oh!” she cried. “Francis, is this your fork?!”
Francis nodded, giggling.
“AH!” Carrie tossed it aside, and ran into the kitchen for a clean utensil.
Grandma Combs, in particular, thought this was very funny. Hopefully, Carrie had not exposed herself unnecessarily to any sort of poisonous residue.
“It’s ok,” Francis assured the table. “I took a chemical bath this morning.”
Then the conversation turned to old family stories, until Dad was rolling with laughter, recalling the trouble he and Uncle Balthasar used to cause Grandma Snicketts.
And so Linnea had a good preview birthday.