Chapter Text
“Tell me again how you met Mommy!” Angelo begged
“Okay, one more story, and only because it’s Christmas Eve. Then it’s bedtime.” Bedtime with my toddler was a nightly struggle. The kid just did not want to sleep. Mimi jokes that he got it from me. “It was a dark and stormy night-”
“You can’t start the story like that”
“Why can’t he start the story like that?” Mimi asked. She and I had learned quickly that arguing with our three year old wouldn’t get us anywhere. The best thing to do was to try and understand where he’s coming from.
“If it’s a happy story you gotta start with ‘once upon a time’”
“Once upon a time in the distant year 1989, on Christmas Eve, it was a dark and snowy night. The heat was shut off in our building and it was freezing. Your mother knocked on my door and asked if I could light her candle. At first I tried to pretend that I wasn’t interested. That didn’t last very long.” Mimi bounced Angelo on her lap which made him laugh. I continued, “We met again later that night at Aunt Maureen’s show. At dinner afterwards I asked Mimi to be my girlfriend. A few years later I asked her to be my wife. A few years after that we had you.”
“It’s time for bed now, Pipsqueak. You want to be well rested tomorrow so you have enough energy to play with Uncle Collins, Auntie Angel, and baby Abbie. I love you so much” Mimi leaned over and kissed Angelo’s cheek. I kissed him as well and grabbed my wife’s hand as we walked out of our son’s room. I paused in the doorway and watched his little chest rise and fall, surrounded by as many pushies as he could fit in his bed.
We went to finish wrapping the presents. I still kept stealing little glances at her. Mimi was just as beautiful as the day we met. My life has turned out absolutely perfect. My wife and I have the most beautiful son and we have a daughter on the way. I have the best job: being a stay at home dad. An hour later we had finished almost all the presents. There was just one thing left: a child sized guitar for Angelo.
“You should sign it.” Mimi suggested, “You know that you’re his hero.”
I took her advice and signed my name in bright silver sharpie. We put it under the tree and headed to bed together. We both cried a little at how damn lucky we are.