Michelle Stoker looked up from her desk surprised to see her brother-in-law Tim in the doorway of her office.
Tim smiled. "So this is where Cooperative Charities hides its events coordinator." He entered the tiny room.
"It may be small, but it's cramped," Michelle joked as she indicated a chair opposite her.
Tim sat.
"So what brings you to these hallowed halls?"
"A favor, actually." Tim didn't know quite where to begin. "Mike's birthday is coming up next month..." He grinned as she nodded. "Of course, you know that." He paused to rub his hand absently across his pant leg. "I know there's a tendency to have a party or... " He shrugged. "Do something."
Michelle contemplated her brother-in-law. "What are you trying to say?"
"I was thinking of maybe this year just me taking Mike somewhere. Kind of a brother thing. Go to a ballgame, eat incredibly unhealthy food. You know what I mean." His comment was not a question just a statement.
Michelle smiled. "I know. Sounds exactly what Mike would love for his birthday. But how on earth are you ever going to break it to Bev?" Michelle's sister lived for others' birthdays, anniversaries and whatnot.
"It's covered," Tim assured her. "I went to her office first. She's fine with it."
Michelle gave him a look.
"Well, I did have to promise that she could be in charge of the cake."
"Cake?"
"Yeah, the compromise. I take Mike out for the day and spend it just us and your sister gets to have a cake and ice cream thing back at your house afterwards."
"Cake and ice cream thing?"
Tim rubbed at his pant leg again. "She figured just a few close friends."
Michelle nodded. "Mmm hmm."
"Mike knows about it," Tim put in. "No surprises. Well, except for one. I'm getting tickets to the Dodgers' game." Tim seemed pleased with himself.
"It sounds fine. Like I said Mike will really love it."
June 1976
"You ready to go, big brother?" Tim stood in the doorway of Mike's house grinning like a kid.
"You bet!" Mike sported the same silly grin as he adjusted the baseball cap he had atop his head. "Look out, world. The Stoker brothers are coming." Mike kissed his wife good-bye and the two children were out the door.
Three hours later Jeff and Bev were at the Stokers' door Bev balancing a large bakery box in her arms. Jeff, in turn was carrying two of those five gallon ice cream buckets, the kind crafters make into trash baskets.
"A few friends?" Michelle questioned her sister as they entered the kitchen.
"Well, you know how it is," Bev told her, depositing the box on the table. "The list starts out small but before you know it..."
"Everyone this side of Disneyland is coming," Jeff finished for her. He opened the freezer. "I told you there was no way to store these big things of ice cream," Jeff told his wife.
"Uh. Not there!" Bev admonished. "Put them in the chest freezer in the garage.."
Jeff grumbled but removed his burden to the specified location.
When he returned Bev sent him to the car for the decorations.
"This was supposed to be just simple cake and ice cream for a few people," Michelle seemed to complain to the air. Nobody was listening. Bev was too busy telling Jeff where and how to hang the crepe paper and balloons. All Michelle could do was sit back and watch.
The Stoker brothers had a great day together. And now turning down the street to Mike's house they saw it... the long line of cars parked on the road. Mike sighed. "I guess there's no doubt where all the owners of these vehicles are."
Tim steered his car to his brother's house.
"Just park on the lawn," Mike told him.
"I really didn't mean for this to happen," Tim confided as he brought the car to a halt. He threw the gear shift and shut off the engine.
"It's okay," Mike told him. "I expected nothing less." He laughed slightly. "Bev sure does get excited about these things."
A feeling of gratitude washed over Tim at his brother's understanding and he leaned over and kissed Mike's cheek before opening his door and climbing out of the car.
"Yeah, might as well get this over with," Mike joked as he exited the vehicle. The two started towards the front door. Mike stopped suddenly on the porch and halted Tim as well. "Just please tell me they're not planning on yelling surprise..."
Inside, the Stoker house was bustling.
"I think I hear them," Bev announced. She had been waiting impatiently for the return of the guest of honor. "Now remember, we're not yelling surprise."
"Like he couldn't figure out that a bunch of people are here by all the cars," Jeff retorted and got a laugh from everyone.
"Maybe we should just shout 'Happy Birthday'," Tim's wife Fran suggested.
The door opened and Mike soon found himself rushed by friends and family, hugging him, shaking his hand, slapping him on the back. Poor guy was jostled into the main room.
The rest of the night was a flurry of cake, ice cream, wrapping paper, ribbons and voices. There were so many it seemed as if Mike had just finished greeting them all when he started on the farewells. Jeff shook Mike's hand. "Now for my birthday," he told him, "I want your wife to make me one of those chocolate cakes with the coconut."
Mike smirked as he glanced toward Michelle who shrugged.
Bev gave Mike a kiss. "Next year we'll just have to rent a hall."
The engineer's eyes widened. Then he smiled and shook his head. "You do that," he conceded.
With that the Matheus' left with Jeff mumbling, "She wants to rent a hall."
Fran hugged the birthday boy. "Next year in Jerusalem," she joked.
Mike laughed. "I'm not sure Jerusalem is big enough."
Tim now faced his brother. "I tried," he offered, shrugging.
Mike placed a hand on Tim's shoulder. "I already told you. I expected nothing less. Gotta let Bev be Bev. Today was really nice."
"It's not really what you wanted."
"Will you hush? I have what I want. Tonight is proof. I have lots of friends and family who care about me, including a brother whom I love more than anything..." There was a pause as Tim swallowed hard. "Even if he does fall into Bev's schemes," he teased trying to lighten things.
Tim's mouth twitched slightly. "Happy birthday, Mike." He took one step and wrapped his arms around his brother's neck, hugging tight. Mike returned the embrace. They held each other for a few minutes, Michelle and Fran looking on.
Mike placed a kiss on Tim's cheek signaling the end to the clench. The two separated giving each other a quick kiss. Then Tim turned and headed out the door with his wife while Mike and Michelle retreated to the living room.
"Your sister really does go all out," Mike commented eyeing the decorations that still peppered the house.
The two sat beside each other on the sofa.
"That was really sweet what you told Tim."
Mike rubbed his wife's arm. "I don't know about that. It was true, though." He leaned against the back of the sofa taking Michelle with him. "So, what was the final head count anyway."
Michelle sighed. "This wasn't one of my events. I didn't take one."
"Where was Freddie this year?"
"Oh." Michelle jumped up. "He had to be in New York, I think. He left something for you." She disappeared for a moment then returned with a wrapped package which she handed to her husband before sitting beside him again.
Mike shook the package. There was a sound of metal. The couple looked at each other puzzled.
"I guess you'll find out when you open it."
Mike tore into the paper and opened the gift box inside. Reaching in he retrieved a shiny new *Chico and the Man lunch box. "Okay, what do I do with this?"
"Take your lunch," Michelle said matter-of-factly.
Mike laughed. "It'll make a real hit at the station."
Michelle took the box and set it on the coffee table. "Hang on to it. It might be worth something someday."
"Oh, yeah, I can see it now. Some giant auction where people bid on the same stuff that they got rid of years before."
Michelle chuckled. She then turned to gaze at her husband. Mike returned the gaze then gently carded his hand through her hair leaving his fingers tangled there. He leaned in tenderly pressing his lips to hers easing her down into a lying position on the couch, coming to rest on top of her.....
THE END