Page 50 of Wrong Number, Right Unicorn

“So, you’re saying my mooning an officer was a good thing?”

“That’s exactly what we’re saying.” I laughed. “But maybe let’s not do it again.”

Epilogue

Errol

“Evelyn!” I called up the stairs. “We’re leaving in five minutes!”

The smell of fresh-baked cookies filled the air as I walked into the kitchen. Evelyn was taking them to class in the morning for her birthday treat. It was hard to believe our baby was already in kindergarten. Time really did fly.

Davien stood at the counter, balancing our son, Davies, on his hip while trying to gather the last of the birthday party supplies with the other. On the table in front of him was Evelyn’s present in a brightly colored birthday pack with balloons on the front.

“I’m going to load up the car. I’ll stop on the way and let Grams know we are leaving in a few.”

“Sounds good.”

Today wasn’t just a special day for Evelyn. It was special for all of us. I tried not to look back at the scary part of her birth, the part that reminded me that we so easily could’ve lost her that day, but birthdays were always a reminder. Thank gods, Davies’ delivery was easy peasy. I had an uncomplicated natural birth a week before my due date.

Evelyn came bouncing into the kitchen, her energy as contagious as ever. “Look at me!” She grinned, eyes wide, waiting for our reaction.

We did, and as soon as she saw she had our attention, Evelyn twirled in her dress, the poofiest skirt we could find, layers upon layers of tulle flying out like a fairy around her. There had to be more tulle in that one skirt than the entire fabric store. I was sure of it.

She was beaming. Not just because it was her birthday, but because she had picked the outfit herself. Normally, Evelyn was a jeans-and-mud kind of girl, always running outside to play, coming back with dirt smeared across her face and twigs tangled in her hair, and if I wasn’t careful, something alive in her pocket—a worm, a frog, a grasshopper? It was anyone’s guess. But for days like today—special occasions—she became a different version of herself, diving headfirst into the world of glitter and sparkle.

Today, she was a birthday fairy princess.

Her silver shoes caught the light as she bounced from foot to foot. Who needed light-up shoes when you could have glittery ones? They were adorable, but I was going to keep them as home shoes. I could only imagine the distraction they’d cause the way they constantly reflected the light back at you.

“I’m so going to meet a fairy today.”

While meeting Davien had taught me that not all mythical creatures were truly mythical, fairies weren’t on the list of real creatures. There was no dissuading her, though. She was sure we hadn’t been patient enough to meet one, and she was going to be the first. A not-so-small part of me hoped she was right.

“You look amazing, birthday girl—very fairy-esque.” I picked up her birthday present and the diaper bag. Everything else had been loaded in the car already.

We were heading to Davien’s favorite place, the orchard, for her family birthday. It wasn’t the kind of place you typically dressed up for, but Evelyn was very much like her namesake in that way. She didn’t care about what was expected. She wanted what she wanted, and today she wanted to fairy hunt with her papa in what had become her favorite place, too

I looked in the diaper bag from the counter, making sure to double-check that we had everything: extra clothes for Davies, wipes, bottles, a binky… It was all there. I followed them outside to the car. Evelyn skipped ahead, her tulle skirt bouncing with every step.

Grams was already waiting when we reached the car. She cradled the cake she had made. I was no longer allowed to make cakes for anything but an after-dinner treat. She said the one I made for Davien when we first met proved I couldn’t be trusted, especially for special occasions. She wasn’t wrong.

“I can’t believe it’s been five years,” she said as I popped the hatch for her. “Five years with two of these Evelyns in the world—what a lucky place.”

“Oh, Grams!” Evelyn giggled as she spun, her dress flying high just the way she liked it.

We piled into the car and set off, singing songs the whole way. Davies wasn’t a huge fan of long car rides, but if we sang, he was happy enough to be a part of them. So sing we did, every time, and it was fun.

“I wonder if our next one will like music as much as Davies,” Davien mused aloud, resting a hand on my already growing belly.

“Hard to say. They might be the silent type… or maybe they’ll prefer classical music.”

“Or maybe they will like bugs.” Evelyn was so ready for another sibling. It was adorable.

Once we arrived at our destination, it didn’t take long before our meal was spread out across the blanket. Grams had made her famous chicken salad sandwiches, and Davien had made Evelyn’s favorite—mini deviled eggs. There were bags of chips, fresh fruit, and homemade lemonade. We ate slowly, savoring the moment… everyone except Evelyn. She couldn’t wait to dive into her presents, and wanted to be done before we even began.

“Can I open them now?”

“Go ahead, birthday girl,” I said with a smile. Cake could wait.

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