066. Cake


Joey Baines didn't really understand people's aversion to jail. Sure, it wasn't all sunshine and daises, but then what was?

The beds were comfortable enough, there were toilets and running water and even cable TV...

There was of course, one thing jail didn’t have.

Family.

Joey had always been surrounded by family, at least until that day when the Judge had passed sentence and he had been led from the courtroom in handcuffs.

That had been seven years ago, it seemed like a lifetime.

He hadn't expected to be in here so long, in fact he'd been up for parole just two years after he first went in. But he had been denied...even though that fire hadn’t been his fault. Or at least, he hadn't meant to set it... Try telling that to the parole board, though.

But today was one to look forward to.

It was his birthday, his 25th and his entire family would be coming to visit him.

It was a rare occurrence, not that Joey could blame them, hanging around in the Visitor's Area of Hill County Jail wouldn't be anyone's idea of a good time.

Taking a look at the small clock that was bolted to the desk on the opposite side of the cell he saw it was time to get ready.

It didn't take too long, just running his comb under the water, then running it through his hair – if there was anything Ma hated, it was messy hair.

"Righto, Mr. Baines, you got some visitors." The Warden always said it as if it was the biggest surprise in the world that any prisoner would have someone who cared.

At least it was minium security so he didn't have to walk into the Visitor's Area in cuffs (that would have got Ma crying), although the Warden did stick close.

Finally, they arrived at the double doors, which opened with a buzz.

And there they were, all the Baines's, excepting the in-laws and his nieces and nephews...mostly because of visitor number limits – at least that’s what Joey hoped. "Joey!" Ma got to her feet, holding out her arms and he hurried over to embrace her, it had been almost four months. "Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks, Ma," he was surprised that he felt a little teary.

He stepped back and looked at his father, who gruff as ever, patted his shoulder as he shook his hand in greeting.

The next thing he knew he was on the receiving end of a noogie from Milton, his eldest brother's favourite form of greeting.

"Hey!" He gave his brother an evil grin as he rubbed his head. "Don't mess with me, I'm a convicted felon."

"Joey!" Ma shook his head.

"Sorry."

The last of his siblings to greet him was the eldest of them, Lorraine, who could only give him an awkward hug considering the fact she was holding a large cake box.

Joey had been a fan of his sister's cakes for as long as he could remember and he couldn't wait to see what creation she'd come up with this time.

"You baked in the file, I hope," he said in a low voice.

Lorraine raised an eyebrow.

"Joey," Ma chided him again.

"Just kidding," he assured her. He turned back to his sister. "Come on, let me see it then."

Lorraine made quite a show of flipping open the box lid, revealing a mouth-watering cake, decorated with balloons and blue icing that read Happy Birthday, Joey!

"All right! Sis, you're the best!" Joey swept her up in a hug that almost upset the cake box.

As Lorraine set the cake box down on the table and the Warden brought over a plastic knife, Joey was pleased there wasn’t a file in it...it would have totally ruined the cake!


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