The Odd Family's Book of Bedtime Stories

Dinner Date

Emily wanted a break. She needed some time off. She had been locked up in the house with just her baby, for far too long. One of her coworkers, a man named Alan, had even asked her out on a date. It was the perfect time. Everyone said she deserved to go out after all of her hard work but Emily couldn't bear to leave her baby alone. They had never been separated for very long and the baby was still small. It was hard to find help too, especially on short notice.

Emily's mother convinced her she should let her grandmother watch the baby. She had watched Emily when she was small and had been more than capable then. Emily eventually gave in despite worrying about her grandmother's mental ability. There had been rumors in the family that she was forgetting things. The baby was well behaved, though, and they wouldn't be gone very long. Alan was going to take her to a movie and then they would come back to Emily's house for dinner. When the night came, Emily told her grandmother to take it easy. All she needed to do was put a roast in the oven and take care of the baby. That was simple enough.

The movie was amazing and Emily had fun. She enjoyed spending time with Alan, but couldn't wait to get back. Throughout the night, the baby had stayed on her mind. When the date was over, Alan suggested they go get ice cream, but Emily insisted they head back. She had ice cream in the freezer and a roast in the oven. He was more than happy to oblige, eager for a home cooked meal.
When they got home, Emily got a pleasant surprise. Her grandmother had cleaned the entire house from top to bottom and even set the table. The smell of roast filled the air as she told Emily how easy it had been to sit for such a well behaved baby. She had rocked her to sleep and put her to bed before resting to watch her shows. The baby hadn't made a sound or fussed at all, as usual. Emily thanked her profusely and sent her on her way, feeling a little guilty for worrying so much.

Excusing herself to go change and check on her baby, Emily headed upstairs. She could see the neatly tucked in form through the bars of the crib as she tiptoed over. Cautious not to wake her, she peered over the edge of the crib and frowned. It didn't look like the baby wasn in the bed at all. Whatever she was looking at was much too large and entirely too still. Emily reached down and jerked the blanket back, alarmed. For a moment, she couldn't comprehend what she was seeing.
Instead of her baby, sleeping peacefully, there lay the perfectly seasoned roast neatly wrapped in a diaper and tucked in. Panic started to rise in Emily's chest, leaving a sour taste in her mouth. A scream welled up in her throat.

Downstairs, the timer for the oven sounded. Dinner was ready.