Valentiniversary Day

I was backed up against the fence as they came closer. I covered my head and shrieked. But nothing happened, instead I heard. "Daaaaaadieeee!"

I looked up and my assailants had retreated, approached a man standing at the edge near Jo. The girls ran up and wrapped their arms around a leg each. I gingerly walked back over to them, Jo and the girls' father laughing loudly.

"I meeeeean, neither of you thought to help me out there? I could have died!" I said dramatically, touching my chest.

"Uh-uh. There was no way I was getting in the middle of that war," Jo said amusingly, shaking his head.

"And I just came out to see who was the grown ass man playing with my daughters," the guy said.

"I'm Micah," I introduced myself. "And this is my husband Joseph. And we're staying in this beautiful place celebrating our Valentiniversary and just found out that we're having twins, so eeek!"

"Twins!" he said shockingly. "Wow. Congratulations, man." He shook Jo's hand first and then reached for mine. "I'm Ethan. Boys or girls?"

"Boys," Jo said happily.

"Ah, boys. Boys are a handful on their own, but two of them...sheesh. Girls are a handful too..in a good way," he said to his daughters and rubbed their backs as they held onto him. "My son just turned 12 and he works very hard at pretending to not give a shit about anything."

We chuckled. "Daddy!" the redhead scolded.

"Sorry pumpkin," Ethan said remorsefully. "I will put a quarter in the swear jar. Go inside and grab a seat for all of us."

"Okay!" they chorused together again and obeyed their father.

"Any fatherly advice?" Jo asked as I leaned onto him. He wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Hmmm...I was 23 years old when I found out I was going to be a dad and scared shitless. And I was a single dad for a few years before I met my partner. The best advice I can give you is to trust your instincts. And each other. Be flexible, love who they become, even if who they become is a pain in your ass. Forgive all their mistakes, ask for forgiveness of your mistakes and hug often. Sometimes a good hug at the end of the day can solve the problem."

"You sound like you're giving marriage advice," I told him with an eyebrow raised.

Ethan laughed out loud. "Well it just might work for both." He turned to go inside and we followed him. "I'm glad you like it here. We put a lot of time and effort into making it homely for our guests. I hope you'll come back again."

"Oh. You're the owner too?" I asked, surprised. "We met another guy..."

"Jack. Yes. He was here the last couple of nights making sure the guests were well taken care of. I'm taking over the next couple of nights." Ethan looked over at his daughters who grabbed a table that seats six. "Let me know if you need anything." He shook Jo's hand again and went to sit with his girls.

Jo and I found seats and filled our plates again. We didn't talk but kept looking at each other with goofy smiles on our faces. Then Jo looked up beyond me, but quickly looked back down. I asked, "Mr. Green Eyes just came in?"

He smiled. "Yes."

"Hmmm..." I gave him one eyebrow raised. But then I turned around as well just in time to see him walk into the dining room baby wearing his brown skinned son again. He walked right up to Ethan and kissed him on the lips, then sat down at the table.

I gasped with my eyes wide. "Ooooh, they're gay!" I said quietly. "That's why this place was on a gay-friendly website."

"I knew he was gay," Jo said smugly.

I looked at him. "You did not."

"I did."

I rolled my eyes back to their table mumbling, "All a sudden you have good gaydar. Boy bye!"

Jo laughed out loud. Behind Jack a preteen boy came in and sat at the table too. We watched the family of six for a while in silence. "That's so nice. That's going to be us one day. And the kids are alright."

And then Jo did the unthinkable. "Happy Valentiniversary, Micah Angelo."

I gasped and looked at him. "Happy Valentiniversary. I love you, Joseph. So much."

"And I love you, Angel," My Jojo replied. "Forever my angel."