How I Met Your Father

"As you kids know, my favorite movie is Home Alone," I spoke with a small smile on my face.

"Of course, daddy," Monique giggled.

"Well, I thought he was crazy when I discovered how much he loved that movie," Alex smirked at me as I rolled my eyes.

December 8, 2004

The phone rang a few times before Alex answered, sounding out of breath.

"Hello?" Alex spoke, gasping for air.

"Hey! Do you wanna come over and watch a movie?" Jack had a huge smile on his face.

"Uh, sure. Give me an hour or so and I'll be over."

"Great, see you soon,"" Jack hung up and ran down to the basement to watch a some tv before Alex arrived.

He must've dozed off because he was woken up by the doorbell ringing. He jumped up from the couch and ran up the staits to answer the door. Alex was standing in the December air in basketball shorts and a light hoodie.

"It's December and you're wearing shorts?" Jack questioned, raising an eye brow at the shorter boy.

"I didn't have any clean jeans," Alex shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, everything is set up. Do you want popcorn?"

"Yeah," Alex was looking around Jack's house. It was fairly large and nicely decorated with antiques. He stood in the living room, looking at family portraits. He smiled at photos on the wall of Jack and his older siblings. He was looking at one of Jack and his sister on the Fourth of July, Jack was maybe 10 years old, he held a sparkler in one hand and a soda can in the other. He had a smile on his face, but he could see bruises on his arm and a cut on his face.

"I got into a fight at the park. I remember pushing the kid off the slide and then his older sister beat me up," Jack laughed and ate a handful of popcorn from the bowl.

"You got beat up by a girl?" Alex was fighting back a smile.

"Shut up. She was like 13 or something. And scary."

The two of them walked to the basement and made themselves comfortable on the couch. Jack pressed play on the remote and the movie began playing.

"This is my favorite movie ever. I've seen it so many times," Jack said, a grin on his face. He looked over to Alex, who's face was in shock.

"Home Alone. Really?" Alex shook his head at Jack as they watched the movie, Jack whispering almost every line under his breath, smiling the whole time.

The credits started rolling at the end and they finished the rest of their popcorn, talking about what they would do in Kevin McCallister's situation.

"I should get a pet taranchula," Jack spoke, drinking the rest of his soda.

"My mom would kill me. She hates spiders," Alex laughed.

"My sister, May is terrified of them. One was crawling on the bathroom floor when she was little, and crawled over her foot and ever since, she hates them."

Alex and Jack laughed at the image of May screaming at a small spider crawling on her. Alex spoke again.

"Lisa's birthday is a couple days after mine. The 16th. So, we're going to have a big birthday party at her house the Saturday before our birthdays. She wants you to go."

"Really? What should I get her?"

"That's for you to figure out," Alex said, smiling. "I know she likes photography. There's a lens she wants, ask her about her favorite to use. She'll tell you."

"So, take her out and ask her about photography?" Jack asked.

"Exactly," Alex grinned. "You know, she really likes you."

"She does?" Jack said, over excitedly.

Alex nodded. Jack was grinning so big when he fell asleep that night. He tossed and turned, never seeming to get comfortable. His face hurt from smiling. His heart was racing and he couldn't wait until he saw Lisa again.