“Maybe I can run the girls out to my parents place, you can be left alone to pack undisturbed. Then we take off?”
“That sounds wonderful! Before you go downstairs, do I look okay in this dress?”
(Does she look okay in that dress)…

“Our twelfth anniversary is coming up.”
“Good God! It’s been Twelve years already?”

“Daddy? Regina is climbing on top of the couch again.”

“Daddy? Wydia hit me”

“Regina! It’s time to sit on the potty!”
“No!”

At the movie theater, “My nose! Mommy, my nose! Mynose mynose mynose!” I watched Annie practically fly out with Regina.
Five minutes later they returned, “What the hell was that all about?”
“Regina put an M&M up her nose.”
“No kidding?” I thought about it for a few seconds. “Anyway, here’s what you missed.”

“Can I have dessert after breakfast? I’ll take a lollipop.”

“So the Parent/Teacher Conference has been scheduled for Tuesday?”

“I need six paper plates for my art this morning. And can you cut them?”

“Can you pick up bananas after work?”
“Sure.”
“I Love You.”
“Love you too!”

“Regina? Where are your pants?”

“Do you have any ideas for dinner?”
“I’m thinking, Taco Thursday!”
“Great!”
“I need to stop for sour cream on the way Home. Love you!”
“Love You too!”

“I pooped!”

“So…you take both girls to swim class. I head out there thirty-ish minutes later and pick up Regina. Then you bring Lyd Home?”
“Yup!”

“Internet’s down. We’re expecting Lord of the Flies in forty-five minutes.”
“I’ll go find the Conch.”
“You’re funny. I Love You.”
“Love you too!”

“Is…is that an apple slice?”
“You found it Daddy! Can I eat it?”
“No! It’s mummified!”

“Tomorrow we’re supposed to dress like Cowboys and Cowgirls for school.”
“Tomorrow? When were you told about this?”
“Uhm…”
“Were you told about it today?”
“No…”

“The windshield wiper blade sprung loose. Fix it please? You complete me!”
“Love you too.”

“Regina threw up again.”

“Is that the floor?”
“I know! Right? It’s called ‘tidying’. I’m going to try it in the bedroom next!”

“What do you think of this flavor?”
“What is it? Is it a new jam?”
“Yes. It’s a jam. I’ll tell you what’s in it after you taste it.”
“It’s…delicious! It’s my new favorite!”

“I hate the color of our van…I call it Aggressive Beige”

“What? I like having this hole in my shirt. I can scratch my bellybutton!”

“Who cares if her middle name is a male name? Let’s do it!”

“Hello Regina…you have given us a helluva ride so far. Want to go meet your Mommy?”

“Mom and Dad will watch Lyd, we gotta get you to the emergency room. Don’t worry about the blood, I’ll clean it up later Hun.”

“Anyway, this is the living room, Mommy will be feeding you in that chair in the corner. This is your bedroom, that’s called a crib…”

“So did you like it?”
“I did like it, but I just can’t get past this sentence in the second paragraph.”
“Where?”
“This one, right here. That is possibly one of the most poorly written sentences you have ever written.”
“Oh come on. That’s kinda harsh! Let me look here. Hmm…Oh. Yeah. That is pretty awful. I see it now. Sorry about that. I guess I was in a rush when I wrote that one.”

“What would you want to name her?”
“I’ve been thinking about your great-aunt Lydia, I’ve always liked that name.”

“Babe! Get in here…Now!”
“What? What? Uh…Holy (Bleep)! Where’s the package?”
“Right here, look…Babe. I’m pregnant!”

“What are you doing?”
“I’m practicing writing my name after we are married.”

“I do.”

“Yes! Yes I will marry you!”

“Annie?”
“Yes?”
“I…I Love You.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“I Love you too.”

“Brooks? Brooks?”
“Sorry! What was that again?”
“Do I look okay in this dress?”

Twelve years of marriage, two daughters, job changes, moves, miscarriages…
I stared at her, I stared and stared and stared. I took in our memories, the life we have built together, the life we are building together. I took in her olive-colored skin, her black hair, her giant brown eyes. The gorgeous sharp arches of her feet and her curves…
I really won the jackpot…

“Seriously…you look better than okay Hun. You look beautiful. You have never stopped looking beautiful. You become more beautiful every year. I fail at words, all I can say is that I am so happy in Love with you.

And the dress looks great. It’s a keeper.”