Double Birthday

Young Lilly turned over in bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes to check the time.

"Morning already? Ugh. Only a week before my birthday. I don't know how to celebrate it without Granny."

She got up, readied herself and went downstairs to the kitchen, where her mom was preparing breakfast.

"Any ideas for your party yet?" Mom asked, flipping pancakes.

"No. It won't be a party without Granny. It's her birthday too!"

"Yes, honey. You and Granny always shared the party. But she can't celebrate with you anymore now that she's being cared for in Sweetwater Assisted Living."

"That's not fair, Mom. Who's going to be with Granny for her birthday?"

"I'm sure the nurses will make her feel special."

Lilly poked at the stack of golden pancakes on her plate. Usually the enticing aroma of blueberries and maple syrup was enough to make her smile, but not this morning. Mom gave her a concerned look as she sat down with her own meal.

"Would you like to drive out to her place next week and see how she's doing?"

Lilly's eyes widened. She dropped her fork.

"That's it! Can I have my birthday party at Granny's care home?"

"Honey, that's a lovely idea. But how many of your friends would be able to get there?"

"I don't care if no one shows up. We can have a get-together later for my gifts. I want to celebrate with Granny like we always do."

"We'll have to make arrangements. Let me call them and ask if it's ok."

Mom reached for her phone. Lilly watched and listened eagerly as she spoke.

"They said they'd allow it. We can have a meeting room for a couple hours. Please limit the invites to no more than five kids."

"Got it! I can't wait."

Lilly finished breakfast super fast and rushed to her room to lay plans. She called all her friends to ask if they were available.

"I'm sorry, my mom can't drive me so far."

"I have a dentist appointment that day."

With each call, Lilly realized she shouldn't have waited so long to come up with a party idea. The only girl who could come was her best friend Maddie.

"One good friend is plenty," Mom said. "We don't want them disturbing the seniors who live alongside Granny."

***

When the big day came, Lilly and Maddie piled into Mom's car and they set out for Sweetwater Assisted Living. The car was packed with gifts, a birthday cake and party decorations.

"I'm bringing two gifts, one for you and one for your grandma," Maddie said, waving a tote bag. "I hope she likes it."

At the senior home, Lilly had to restrain herself from leaping and skipping down the hall to Granny's room. She burst in with a glowing smile.

"Surprise! Happy birthday, Granny!"

"Oh, honey! I'm so glad to see you." The old lady wrapped her arms around her granddaughter. "I thought you'd be having your party without me."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"I brought you a set of mystery books to read, Mrs. B." Maddie placed the box on her bedside table. "I thought you might be bored here."

"Look, I made a knitted blanket to keep you warm!" Lilly unfolded the velvety multicolored blanket.

When the girls wheeled Granny into the meeting room, Mom and the nurses had everything set up. Garlands lined the walls, the birthday cake and all the food was laid out perfectly on the folding table, and cheerful music played.

Granny's eyelids crinkled as she smiled.

"I'm honored. Lilly, did you forfeit a party with your friends to come here?"

"Yes, but this is way more fun. You know it's your birthday as much as it is mine."

"In that case, would you mind if I invited a few of my own friends?" Granny chuckled. "We can't eat such an enormous cake by ourselves."

When the festivities were over, the girls wheeled Granny back to her room. She squeezed Lilly's hand.

"I'm proud of you, my child. You wanted to make sure I was happy, and you put that above enjoying your own birthday."

As the girls walked back down the hall, Maddie remarked,

"I had no idea old people were so interesting and friendly. Your grandma is really nice, and so are her friends."

"Yeah, I heard Helen say she hadn't had this much fun in years. I think we should visit Granny and them more often, not just on my birthday."

"Great idea. I want to know if your grandma likes the books I picked out. But wait…" Maddie started giggling. "Can we have a huge cake every time we visit?"

"No, silly!" Lilly laughed. "That was just for my birthday. And Granny's birthday."

"We can't have our cake and eat it too, right?"

"Only one day a year."