My Princess

“Once upon a time… there was a beautiful princess.”

“Yay!”

“…Did she get blown up?”

Johnny chuckled at his son. Dawn scrunched her nose up. “No, dummy! Princesses live happily ever after. Right, Mommy?”

I smiled at her. “Right. Now may I continue, Jimmy?” He nodded with a look on his face and Johnny chuckled again. “The princess had a happy life, but she was lonely…”

Dawn smiled. “But it didn’t stay that way! Are you the princess, Mommy??”

Jimmy groaned and put his head in his pillows. “Dawn, shut up.”

“Jimmy, be nice to your sister,” Johnny scolded.

Jimmy sat up, frowning. “Sorry, Dawnie.”

Dawn hugged him. “It’s okay, Jim. Now shush,” She looked at me smiling.

I smiled at them both. “The princess had only one friend and he was a special friend.” I smiled at Johnny and he smiled back. “But the king and queen thought her friend was…evil.” I gasped for dramatic effect and Dawn’s eyes widened.

“Why?? Did they stay friends??” She asked. Jimmy rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

“They stayed friends, but in secret. They met, without her parents knowledge, in the maids quarters. They knew the maids would say nothing and her parents wouldn’t dare go down there. The princess secretly liked her friend more then he knew… She was in love with him.”

“As he was her,” Johnny said, taking my place as story-teller. “He didn’t dare tell her his feelings cause she was always surprising him with her reactions. He also didn’t want her parents to kick her out of the castle.”

“He was sweet,” I said, smiling.

Johnny smiled back. “He called the princess “My Princess” every time they spoke. He and the princess would have little outings as kids, when it wasn’t a secret,” Johnny continued, only to be interrupted by Jimmy,

“The balloon thing, right?” He groaned. “The princess had a pink balloon and he had a black one. He had a mohawk and she had lots of pink on. Come on! You’ve told us that one a million times.”

“You know what? The world exploded before they could have an annoying son and a cute daughter. The end.”

Jimmy grinned. “Cool.”

I giggled. “Bedtime.” I tucked Jimmy in as Johnny lifted Dawn into his arms to place her on her own bed. “Sleep well, okay? I love you.”

“Yea, Mom. Love you too.”

I smiled and kissed his cheek. Johnny and I swapped places and Dawn brought me down into a hug. “Mommy? The world didn’t really explode, did it? That’s not how a love story is supposed to end.”

I smiled and kissed her forehead. “Of course not. It ends with, “And they lived happily ever after. The end”. Jimmy just needed something to blow up. Boys,” I shook my head and rolled my eyes, playfully.

Dawn giggled. “Will I ever find my prince, Mommy?”

I nodded. “Of course! And Jimmy will find his own princess one day.” I kissed her forehead again. “Now sleep. Have good dreams, alright?”

She nodded. “I love you, Mommy.” She turned on her side and drifted to sleep.

“I love you too,” I whispered. I left the room, quietly. Johnny pulled me into his arms when I got into the master bedroom. He was in his pajama pants.

“Hey,” He murmured into my hair.

I smiled. “Hi. The twins are sleeping.”

He nodded. “Doesn’t surprise me. They’re pretty good sleepers for being our kids.”

I smiled. “I know. It’s strange.” I shook my head, smiling still. “Hey, Johnny.”

“Hm?” He hummed.

My smile grew. “I need to get into my P.J.s.”

He nodded, not letting go of me. “Yea.”

I giggled. “I can’t get dressed with your arms around me,” I told him.

He kissed my neck. “Damn. You’re right.” He tilted my head back so he could kiss my lips. “I love you,” He murmured against my lips.

I smiled. “I love you too.” I, reluctantly, pulled out of his arms. I kissed him before going into the closet. I smiled as I changed into some sweats that were Johnny’s and a t-shirt. Johnny and I had been together for almost thirteen years. We had known each other for much longer, though. We were doing great! We had enough money for bills, food, and clothes. We had a good bit of money set aside for Dawn and Jimmy’s college fees. We had a nice home on the beach. We were all happy.

Sure we’ve had some bad moments…

Jimmy dying being the worst and it still made me cry almost six years later. Upon learning the twins were going to be a boy and girl, we wanted to name the boy James - or Jimmy - in honor of our lost friend.

I wasn’t big on religion, but I knew if Jimmy went to Heaven he’d smile down on all of us.

I walked out of the closet and to our bed. I climbed into it and Johnny automatically wrapped his arms around me. I smiled and laid my head on his chest.

“…Those are my sweats,” He muttered.

I giggled and he chuckled. “I know. They’re comfy, so I stole them.”

“You little thief,” He teased.

“Who you calling a thief, mister? You’re the one who stole my heart.”

“Oh yea?”

“Yea.” He rolled his eyes with a chuckle and I smiled. “I love you, Johnny.”

“I love you too, Kelly.” He leaned down to kiss the top of my head. “Always have, always will.”

I smiled and traced random patterns on his bare chest. We laid there in a comfortable silence and almost an hour later the door opened. Jimmy and Dawn walked in, Dawn clutching Jimmy’s arm like she’d die without him.

Johnny and I moved apart for Jimmy and Dawn to crawl into bed. “A bad dream?” I asked her softly.

She nodded and curled into my side as Jimmy fell asleep between her and Johnny.

I kissed her forehead. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy and Daddy will make the bad dream disappear. Go back to sleep, okay?”

She nodded again and fell asleep. I looked over our kids heads to smile at Johnny. I mouthed “I love you” to him and he mouthed it back.

We fell asleep with our children with us.

I hope things stay this way forever.