Sequel: Baby Doll ›
Pleasant Trees
Chapter Three
"Daddy, tell me the story again."
"Well, let's see. It was on a Sunday. And at the time, I was working as a waiter in a small restaurant. I had to walk to and from work every day. And it was on that Sunday when I looked through a window of a dance studio that was on the street I walked on. I remember that was the first time I saw her with her pretty brown eyes that sparkled in the light and her long brown hair. She danced so well. And the longer I stared at her, the more I realized that she took the air I was breathing away from me."
"She took the air?"
"Not literally, darling. She was just so beautiful that I forgot to breathe."
"Oh. I understand."
"Of course you do, smarty pants."
"Daddy!"
"Okay, okay, I'll continue. So I waited. I waited outside the studio until she walked out. The second she walked out, she paused and turned and stared at me. She gave me a small smile as she waited for me to speak.”
“What did you say to her, Daddy?”
“Nothing.”
“Huh?”
“I was so nervous that I didn’t know what to say.”
“Daddy!”
“I know, I know, baby. But I was lucky?”
“What do you mean?”
“She spoke to me.”
“What did she say?”
“I said, ‘Hello, David.’”
“Mommy!”
“Hey, baby girl.”
“How did you know his name?”
“Well, your daddy didn’t know at the time, but I actually knew who he was for a long time. I always saw him passing and I thought he was so cute so I found out his name.”
“How did you find out?”
“A girl at the dance studio worked some shifts with him at the restaurant.”
“Oh, I get it.”
“She said hello. I said hello back. And from there, we kept talking.”
“And talking led to meeting more often. And meeting more often led to dating.”
“And dating led a wedding.”
“Yay! How did you ask her to marry you, Daddy?”
“I had just taken your mommy on a picnic and we were sitting outside, watching the stars. And you want to know what I told her?”
“Tell me.”
“I told her, ‘I love how your heart beats whenever I hold you, how you think of me without being told to, and how your kisses are heavenly. But most of all I love how you love me.’”
“Cute! What then, Daddy?”
“Then I told her, ‘Wouldn’t you like to be older and married to me?’”
“So what did you say, Mommy?”
“I said, ‘David, you make me smile, you make me laugh, and you make me, me. And my heart is forever yours. I’d be glad to marry you.’”
“You did good, Mommy.”
“Yes, I did, baby girl.”
“Did you always love Daddy?”
“I knew that I cared about him a lot. But I didn’t think I’d love him so much. But I do. And I’m glad that I do.”
“And I’m glad, too. Besides, it’s obvious that you belong with me.”
“Obviously.”
“Eww! Mommy, don’t kiss Daddy! He has cooties!”
“Says who?”
“Antonia Reygoza.”
“And who is this Antonia Reygoza who knows everything?”
“She’s a first grader at school.”
“You know, just because she’s a year ahead of you at school doesn’t mean she knows everything.”
“She seems like she does.”
“Does she know why the sky is blue?”
“No.”
“Do you?”
“Yep.”
“Why is the sky blue, Sasha?”
“Because the sky is a mirror of the ocean and the birds are just air fishes.”
“Nicole, our daughter is creative. But she’s wrong.”
“I’m wrong?!”
“Yes. The sky is blue to match your beautiful eyes, darling.”
“Daddy!”
“I’m serious.”
“Daddy, do I make you happy?”
“Darling, every day with you is the best day of my life.”
“Mommy, what about you?”
“Baby girl, I’ve dreamed about you my whole life. My place in the world is right here, staring at your beautiful face and loving you. You make me unbelievably happy.”
“Mommy, when I grow up, will be as beautiful as you are? I mean, as beautiful as Daddy describes you.”
“Darling, you’re already beautiful.”
“Daddy, don’t lie.”
“I’m not lying, darling. You are so beautiful you make Disney princesses jealous.”
“Just like fairy tale characters are jealous of you and Mommy’s love?”
“Who told you that, baby?”
“Grandma Maggie and Grandpa Phil.”
“That’s funny. Mom used to say that about Grandma Sarah and Grandpa Robert all the time.”
“We’re just awesome like that, I guess.”
“David.”
“I’m serious, Nicole.”
“I want fairy tale characters to be jealous of me, too.”
“They will be, baby. It’s in your blood.”
“Daddy, what day was I born?”
“March 3, 1986. It was a Sunday.”
“What day did you get married on?”
“May 10, 1984. It was a Sunday.”
“I’m going to get married on a Sunday, Mommy.”
“I’m sure you will, baby.”
On June 11, 2010, a woman named Sasha Henrietta Evans was married to Christopher Alexander. It was said by all attendees that she was a vision in white, a pure angel. Her silk and lace dress glowed in the light as her beaded bodice glistened. She grinned widely from behind her veil as she stared into the eyes of her groom as her father walked her down the aisle. He whispered words of adoration and happiness into her ear as she thought similar words of her future husband. It was said to be the wedding to end all weddings. And even her grandparents had to agree to that. Sasha made sure she kept up the family tradition. She found a love that made fairy tale characters jealous. She met her true love in the most unpredictable of ways and married him on the perfect day.
It was a Sunday.
"Well, let's see. It was on a Sunday. And at the time, I was working as a waiter in a small restaurant. I had to walk to and from work every day. And it was on that Sunday when I looked through a window of a dance studio that was on the street I walked on. I remember that was the first time I saw her with her pretty brown eyes that sparkled in the light and her long brown hair. She danced so well. And the longer I stared at her, the more I realized that she took the air I was breathing away from me."
"She took the air?"
"Not literally, darling. She was just so beautiful that I forgot to breathe."
"Oh. I understand."
"Of course you do, smarty pants."
"Daddy!"
"Okay, okay, I'll continue. So I waited. I waited outside the studio until she walked out. The second she walked out, she paused and turned and stared at me. She gave me a small smile as she waited for me to speak.”
“What did you say to her, Daddy?”
“Nothing.”
“Huh?”
“I was so nervous that I didn’t know what to say.”
“Daddy!”
“I know, I know, baby. But I was lucky?”
“What do you mean?”
“She spoke to me.”
“What did she say?”
“I said, ‘Hello, David.’”
“Mommy!”
“Hey, baby girl.”
“How did you know his name?”
“Well, your daddy didn’t know at the time, but I actually knew who he was for a long time. I always saw him passing and I thought he was so cute so I found out his name.”
“How did you find out?”
“A girl at the dance studio worked some shifts with him at the restaurant.”
“Oh, I get it.”
“She said hello. I said hello back. And from there, we kept talking.”
“And talking led to meeting more often. And meeting more often led to dating.”
“And dating led a wedding.”
“Yay! How did you ask her to marry you, Daddy?”
“I had just taken your mommy on a picnic and we were sitting outside, watching the stars. And you want to know what I told her?”
“Tell me.”
“I told her, ‘I love how your heart beats whenever I hold you, how you think of me without being told to, and how your kisses are heavenly. But most of all I love how you love me.’”
“Cute! What then, Daddy?”
“Then I told her, ‘Wouldn’t you like to be older and married to me?’”
“So what did you say, Mommy?”
“I said, ‘David, you make me smile, you make me laugh, and you make me, me. And my heart is forever yours. I’d be glad to marry you.’”
“You did good, Mommy.”
“Yes, I did, baby girl.”
“Did you always love Daddy?”
“I knew that I cared about him a lot. But I didn’t think I’d love him so much. But I do. And I’m glad that I do.”
“And I’m glad, too. Besides, it’s obvious that you belong with me.”
“Obviously.”
“Eww! Mommy, don’t kiss Daddy! He has cooties!”
“Says who?”
“Antonia Reygoza.”
“And who is this Antonia Reygoza who knows everything?”
“She’s a first grader at school.”
“You know, just because she’s a year ahead of you at school doesn’t mean she knows everything.”
“She seems like she does.”
“Does she know why the sky is blue?”
“No.”
“Do you?”
“Yep.”
“Why is the sky blue, Sasha?”
“Because the sky is a mirror of the ocean and the birds are just air fishes.”
“Nicole, our daughter is creative. But she’s wrong.”
“I’m wrong?!”
“Yes. The sky is blue to match your beautiful eyes, darling.”
“Daddy!”
“I’m serious.”
“Daddy, do I make you happy?”
“Darling, every day with you is the best day of my life.”
“Mommy, what about you?”
“Baby girl, I’ve dreamed about you my whole life. My place in the world is right here, staring at your beautiful face and loving you. You make me unbelievably happy.”
“Mommy, when I grow up, will be as beautiful as you are? I mean, as beautiful as Daddy describes you.”
“Darling, you’re already beautiful.”
“Daddy, don’t lie.”
“I’m not lying, darling. You are so beautiful you make Disney princesses jealous.”
“Just like fairy tale characters are jealous of you and Mommy’s love?”
“Who told you that, baby?”
“Grandma Maggie and Grandpa Phil.”
“That’s funny. Mom used to say that about Grandma Sarah and Grandpa Robert all the time.”
“We’re just awesome like that, I guess.”
“David.”
“I’m serious, Nicole.”
“I want fairy tale characters to be jealous of me, too.”
“They will be, baby. It’s in your blood.”
“Daddy, what day was I born?”
“March 3, 1986. It was a Sunday.”
“What day did you get married on?”
“May 10, 1984. It was a Sunday.”
“I’m going to get married on a Sunday, Mommy.”
“I’m sure you will, baby.”
On June 11, 2010, a woman named Sasha Henrietta Evans was married to Christopher Alexander. It was said by all attendees that she was a vision in white, a pure angel. Her silk and lace dress glowed in the light as her beaded bodice glistened. She grinned widely from behind her veil as she stared into the eyes of her groom as her father walked her down the aisle. He whispered words of adoration and happiness into her ear as she thought similar words of her future husband. It was said to be the wedding to end all weddings. And even her grandparents had to agree to that. Sasha made sure she kept up the family tradition. She found a love that made fairy tale characters jealous. She met her true love in the most unpredictable of ways and married him on the perfect day.
It was a Sunday.