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The remains of a family picnic in a sheltered part of the garden, soft rain falling around your little piece of paradise. His wife was already asleep, head resting on his lap, the baby also fast asleep in her arms.
Usually Leonardo would have taken them both inside. A lazy afternoon in bed was usually too appealing to pass up, especially on a rainy day. But today he found himself watching over them for a little longer.
In all his years, he had never imagined such a happy moment. Not with him in it. For him, happiness and love were for other people, his cursed existence above this kind of normalcy.
Then she had come into his life and slowly changed his world. Changed him, into someone who lived for those idyllic moments. Lived for her and now the family they were starting. She had given his life purpose, brought such brightness to it that now he feared going back into the darkness of the lonely days.
And he wouldn’t. Leonardo always told himself.
She was bright like the sun to him, but also like the spring rain. Fleeting, but made everything around grow and bloom into something beautiful that remained even after her shower of love was gone.
For him, these blooms came in the form of memories he would always cherish, their presence bittersweet, but bright enough to keep him in the light. He was sure that would be enough. Her love would be with him for all eternity.
He caressed her hair, smiling tenderly, when he heard a tiny whimper and shifted his gaze to meet a pair of eyes the same color as his. The girl’s big, bright, curious eyes, besides the color, reminded him of her mother instead.
“Awake already, bambina?” He whispered, carefully picking her up from his wife’s arms, then kissing her forehead. The little girl’s attention quickly shifted from him to the rain and she reached out and started making noise as if talking to it. “You’re as energetic as your mamma, aren’t you?” Leonardo laughed in a low tone. “But you can’t go there today, so be a good girl, okay?” He started to gently rub the baby’s back, which seemed to calm her down a little.
“I think she just likes the rain.” His wife chuckled, reaching up to touch his hand. “Soft rain like this just makes you want to go outside.”
“Did she wake you, cara mia?”
“No. I was half awake.” She sat up by his side, leaning into him, and touched her other hand to her daughter’s, who tried to close her tiny hand around her mother’s. “Should we go inside already?”
Leonardo thought for only a moment, watching the rain fall.
“Just a little longer. We hardly have moments just for us in this place.” He leaned in and kissed her. “At least until she goes back to sleep.”
And his touch and warmth really seemed to be lulling the girl back to sleep.
“Okay.” This time, she was the one to kiss him. “Happy birthday, Leonardo. I love you.”
“And I love you, amore mio.” He whispered to her. “I love both of you. Always.”