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"I think just one more trip oughta do it," Kermit says to himself as he wipes the sweat from his brow. He glances around the room, the boxes strewn about haphazardly, and futzes with the buttons on his overalls. Piggy has already begun unpacking and some of their keepsakes and photos are either hanging on the wall or sitting on a shelf. Right now she's upstairs, organizing her new studio.
He starts to make his way outside to grab the last few boxes, but stops when he notices a picture laying on top of a box marked "Living Room Mementos" in Piggy's swirling and intricate handwriting. She has to make everything into a piece of art. Even something as simple as a box presents a world of opportunities, he thinks. He gingerly picks up the photo, as a lump begins to form in his throat.
The photo is of him, Piggy, and their three children- Ripley, Mortimer, and Phoenix- in matching red robes, standing in front of a Christmas tree. It's hard for him to believe that it's already been 20 years since it was taken. All of them have moved on and are pursuing their dreams, just like he wanted them to, but there's still a part of him that wishes he could go back and be their father all over again. He yearns to teach them their first steps, their first words, their first songs, all with the love of his life by his side, once more, if only...
His thoughts are interrupted by a voice behind him, making him jump and yelp. "Hey, uh, where d'ya want these ones to go," asks Sweetums as he holds out a stack of boxes.
"Those, uh… those go in the kitchen, thanks," Kermit says. He sets the photo down and shakes his hands softly by his sides, breathing slowly in an attempt to calm down.
"That's what I said, but he insisted that they said 'bitchin' and that meant they were supposed to be put in your bedroom for some reason," replies Gonzo as he pulls a short, blue vase out of a nearby box. "Say, do you mind if I take this? I've got a great idea for an act I can pull off with it, all I'll need is a giant rubber band, some super glue, 6 pounds of raw pork, and a dump truck full of dandelions."
"What?" He pulls his attention away from the photo again and stares at him blankly. "I mean, uh. Sure, Gonzo. Go nuts."
"Go nuts? They've been nuts for decades! Eh? Wocka wocka!"
The room goes silent. A cricket, perched on the windowsill, begins chirping and everyone turns to look at it. It slows its chirping before stopping. "Sorry," it yells in a high-pitched voice before hopping out into the grass below.
Kermit clears his throat. "Great joke, Fozzie." As they walk outside, he stops on the porch. As he glances down at his watch, the swing sways softly in the breeze. "I'm gonna go grab the last few boxes, can one of you go pick up the pizza? It should be about ready," he says.
Sweetums raises his hand. "Ooh, ooh, I wanna go, I'll do it, I'll do it," he exclaims.
"I wanna go too! I like the way the warm boxes feel on my fur," adds Fozzie as he rubs his paws together. "Plus I wanna put away that banana and salami pizza before he has a chance to get to it," he adds in a whisper, jabbing a claw in Sweetums' direction accusingly.
"I should probably go too if he's going, you know how he is with directions," says Gonzo as they pull up the location for the pizza shop on their phone.
"Alright, just… be safe," Kermit says as he pulls out his wallet and hands Gonzo the money. "And no 'quick pit stops' at Home Depot for plywood."
"What, I would never do that, not in a million years," he mumbles nervously as he quickly removes the stop from their route.
With that, the trio walk to the front yard, pile into Fozzie's Studebaker, and drive off. Kermit sighs and walks to his small blue pickup truck. He climbs into the back and grabs the last two boxes. He carries them to Piggy's studio, and sets them in the middle of the room. She already has her mannequins set up, he thinks as he scans the room. At least a dozen line the walls, all dressed in various outfits of her own design. From a frilly pink dress with gaudy silver trail, to a lightly patterned purple tuxedo paired with a bombastic gold top hat, to a blue nightgown adorned with pink and white fabric, to a simple brown jacket with green accents and small frogs sewn into the chest pocket. Most of them are several years old, and definitely not in season, but Piggy likes to have these ones out year-round, because they all have a special place in her heart.
"Admiring my work, Kermie?" asks a voice from behind him.
He nearly jumps out of his skin, whirls around, and yells "Will people please stop sneaking up on me today, I'm gonna have a gosh darn heart attack for crying out loud," as he places a hand over his rapidly-beating heart. She chuckles and moves closer to him, taking his hand and kissing him on the cheek.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She pushes a strand of hair behind her ear and smiles. She's never looked more stunning to Kermit in his entire life, in her matching overalls (which she insisted on making for them herself) and green undershirt to match his pink one. To him, she is an angel, a being of pure radiance and beauty… while he is a mere mortal, unworthy of her grace. He gulps and pulls at the neck of his shirt.
"I-It's okay, just… a little on edge, I guess. I keep thinking. Wondering if this is the right decision, y'know?" He shallows hard and chokes back tears. "I mean, we blew all of our savings on this place, and the kids are all on the other side of the country now, a-and I know they said they'd call, but you know how kids are, and what if we never get to see them again? What if they don't come around during the holidays like they promised, what if-"
"Kermie. Look at me" She places her other hand around the one she is already holding and looks him in the eyes, smiling slightly. Her face is soft, but stern. "It's ok. I'm worried too. But this is our dream. It's a beautiful dream built on our hope and love, and no matter what happens, we'll always try and find a way to make it work out. I know new things are scary, and there are so many things to worry about, but…" she pauses and takes a shuddering breath. "But we have each other. And that's what matters most."
Kermit wipes away his tears and sniffs. "You're right. I'm sorry. I've been a real sourpuss about everything since Ripley moved out. It's just that… we're getting old, Piggy. We won't be here forever, and I don't want us spending our last few years somewhere that we don't know if it'll be completely stable until we… well… y'know."
"At least we'll be spending that time together," she says. He pulls her in close and hugs her. They stand there for what feels like an eternity, absorbing each other and letting the moment truly sink in. Despite the words that lead up to it, they don't want it to ever end.
Suddenly, they hear a car pull up, and they slowly pull away, wiping away their tears and looking each other in the eyes. He grabs her hand with both of his, and sighs while looking at the floor.
"I'm sorry. I overreacted… this is our dream, and I'm happy that we got to see it come to life." He looks up, places one hand on her cheek, and pushes a strand of hair back with the other.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
They kiss, then head downstairs hand-in-hand.
A few hours later, the pizza is gone, most of the boxes are unpacked, and everyone else has gone into town to sleep at the hotel Kermit rented out for them. He and Piggy sit on the porch, swinging steadily back and forth as they watch the sun set. As it slowly sinks beneath the valley, he looks at her and the rest of the world melts away. In that moment, he knows that she's right. Everything is going to be okay.