Ten Years Later
“Tell me the story, Daddy. I want thestory,” Tracey asked, not for the first time.
Daniel looked toward his wife, who wassmiling.
Their engagement story was a fascination totheir oldest daughter. Their son, Michael, wasn’t interested inanything other than playing football, which he was doing next totheir picnic blanket. The fair was in full swing, and he and Amywere able to get away from the bar and the café to simply enjoyit.
It probably helped that Amy was sevenmonths pregnant with their fifth child, and, well, he was a Reaper, and he got whathe wanted. The guys were more than willing to help him spendquality time with his wife. It would seem Amy produced some of herbest recipes after spending a prolonged time with him. Of course,they were the parents of five children, the oldest being ten injust a few months.
“I was working at the bar late at night, andI had this feeling that came over me. I knew in that moment that Ihad no choice but to go and be with your mom. She was at the café,as you all know.”
He looked at his children, even Michael hadcome to sit with them, holding his ball, pretending he didn’t careabout any of the stories.
“And I was in the kitchen,” Amy said.
“Yes, she was in the kitchen, and themoment I stepped inside,I knew I didn’t want to miss a moment with this woman. I dropped tomy knee, she approached me, and that was when I had thering.”
“From my grandmother, so yourgreat-grandmother,” Amysaid.
“And I told your mother how much I lovedher.”
“And I told your father how much I loved himand that I did love him for a long time.”
“Then I asked her to marry me.”
“And I said yes,” Amy said.
“About eight months later, you, my sweet,were born,” Daniel said, reaching over to give her cheek a little pinch.
Tracey shook her head, trying to brush himoff. Then, she reached for the ball out of Michael’s hands, and took off, running aroundthe blanket. Their three other children did the same.
Amy moved toward him, resting between histhighs, as they watched their children play. He put a hand on herstomach, rubbing at the spot he knew his son was kicking. Thedoctor had spilled the beans on this one at the lastultrasound. They hadn’tknown the sex of the other children, but they knew a son was on theway.
“I think we tell a pretty good story,” Amysaid.
“What we tell is the truth of what shouldhave happened that night. They don’t need to know the otherintricacies.” He wrapped hisarms around his wife and watched his children.
The fair was still in full swing, and hesaw men and women across the field. Some of them were Reapers, others tourists, and therest locals. He was always on alert, ready and prepared to protectthe town at all costs.
The End
