Revisiting My Past

"You never gave me a chance!" I was wondering what could possibly be next when her mother stuck her head into her bedroom.

"Kids, dinner is ready. I think the two of you two could use a little break." She was right.

We ate silently, watching each other. Her mother asked what I'd been up to, how my parents were, and if there was anything new? She stopped for a second and smiled. "Sorry about that."

"Tomorrow you and I are going down to the courthouse and take care of that birth certificate omission. I can't very well have my son going through life with an 'unknown' listed on his birth certificate under father." Her mom smiled, but Angie didn't.

"Steve, we still have issues to resolve."

"Damn right we do!" I shouted. Carla frowned. "I mean darn right we do," I repeated in a much quieter voice. Carla smiled and nodded this time. "But we can't address them apart from each other and certainly not through e-mails and phone calls."

"Why don't we take it slow and see what happens."

"Angie, it's already happened."

"You know what I mean. Just because you're Dwayne's father doesn't mean we're back together again. I need time, everything's happening too fast, and I don't want to make another mistake again. I can't, it's not just me any longer."

"Look, I don't know how many times I have to say I love you. I loved you before Dwayne, and I love you even more now if that's at all possible. I'm willing to take another shot at it if you are." I reached for her hand. "Please?" I looked at her and then back at her mother who was again smiling, showing her approval

We spent the next six months getting reacquainted. We talked, did a lot of the same things we'd done before, and made new memories. Was it easy? Hell, no. More than once I didn't think we'd make it. I now had to adjust to being number two in her life. But we did things like a family and took Dwayne with us wherever we went.

All my family was overjoyed with Angie and Dwayne, but it was touch and go with her two older brothers. They'd watched their pregnant little sister get fat and go it alone for nine difficult months and wanted to make me pay. I'm glad they were there for her. I can't say even now they've forgiven me totally but we're working on it.

"What do you want to do today?" Angie asked me early one Saturday morning, waking up next to me in bed.

"I don't care," I said, stroking her arm. "But I have a few ideas I'd like to explore." Her kisses were hot and things were progressing nicely when I heard a familiar cry.

"Your turn," she said, rolling over and grabbing her pillow. I slapped her on the ass.

My son, our son, was changed, fed, and brought smiling to our bed. I laid him down between us, put my lips on his bare belly and blew hard as his stomach rippled and made a loud noise. He smiled and giggled. Gently I put him on his mommy's stomach.

"After all this time you still can't put his diaper on right," she said, turning and adjusting it. That's when she noticed the extra large safety pin on the front. "Steve, you wouldn't have to pin them if you'd do it right. Then she saw it sparkle. Angie looked at me and undid the oversized pin.

The ring came off and fell into the palm of her hand and still she said nothing. She slipped it on her finger and stretched out her hand just looking at it.

"Aren't you supposed to say something? You know like making an honest woman out of me or something to that effect?"

"Naw, I think I'll just ask you to marry me and live happily ever after." She didn't scream, shout, or yell, we done all those things before. We kissed and I asked her the question seriously this time around and she said yes. No one was surprised. Our moms both said it was long overdue.

She wanted a splash of a wedding and that's exactly what she got, white gown and all. Because of our conflicting work schedules the best we could do was schedule a four-day honeymoon, but in essence we'd been on a honeymoon for the last six months.

I think her father summed it up best. Looking over at his wife he announced to all our wedding guests that the honeymoon only ends when you let it. Picking his wine glass up off the table he said, "I would like to propose a toast."

He looked at his daughter and her new husband. "Angie and Steve, remember to live each day like it was your last and to love each other like it was your first time together," he stopped, took a breath, lifted up his glass higher and added, "and one more thing, never go to bed angry." Everyone shouted out, "Here, here," as we gave each other a soft, tender kiss that sealed the bond between us, we were one again, forever and always.