Page 30 of Forever Focused

“Relax, Thing Two,” Houdini uttered, chuckling. “They’re going to be here shortly with danishes. and I guarantee my daughter never saw this coming. I have to say that I’m pretty happy with how you two act together. Thank you for taking care of my baby girl.”

“Thank you for trusting me with her – and you’re sure about the green?”

“I’m positive,” he replied simply. “Besides, that was the last panel and I think this was a brilliant idea of your dad’s.”

“See?!”

“Fifty-eight, huh, Alpo?”

“Can it, Houdini…”

“Here’s the ‘Welcome-Wagon’ now,” his Uncle Jackson interrupted from near the street. “Michael, can you make sure the front door is unlocked and get ready to start pointing where you want stuff.”

Michael gaped in shock as he saw his uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends all pulling up in long lines, letting someone out of each car with a few boxes on the lawn before driving forward to park along the street. Box after box, tote after tote, all were being chucked into the yard until they got to the trucks. The trucks had a mattress, a television, a dinette with chairs, and a coffee table loaded up.

“What’s all this?” Michael asked openly, shocked as his father walked over and put an arm around his neck, hugging him.

“When you get married and settle in your first ‘true’ home, we all kinda step in to make sure you are settled. I never dreamed you’d be in that apartment for a year. That place is a dive. That’s why your mama and I pushed you to move. You both deserve better. Now, when the next person gets married and moves into their home, you’ll need to be ready to bring a box of things and help them move in.”

“You’re kidding me…”

“Nope,” his father joked and winked at him. “We stopped bringing you because you and your sister nearly electrocuted yourself when Ghost and Aunt Mary moved into their place. From there on out, you stayed with Aunt Delilah while we did our thing.”

“Is that why we had to go over all the time?”

“To keep you both alive – and me sane?” his father grinned. “Yes! Now, get inside and start pointing. You might want your recliner in one corner where we might think differently. Hop to it, son.”

“I love you, Dad,” he smiled, hugging his father – who squeezed him tightly, before whispering to him.

“No more complaining about the green, okay?”

“Okay.”

* * *

Three hours later, Michael heard his name shouted at the top of his Uncle Paradox’s lungs.

“MICHAEL PETERSEN, FRONT AND CENTER! IT’S GO TIME!”

Michael cussed under his breath, sprinting down the stairs and nearly going over the railing in his rush to hurry as he heard a few knowing chuckles in the distance. Poppy was here – and he wanted to see her face, meet her in the yard, and couldn’t wait to surprise her. Sure enough, she was getting out of the car, talking to Madison. His twin was doing a bang-up job keeping her distracted with his wife’s back toward the house.

Sneaking up behind her, he wrapped his arms around Poppy’s waist and treasured her throaty laugh of awareness before feeling her tense.

“Why is there green paint on your hands?”

“Why is there nothing on yours?” he countered playfully and heard her sigh as she turned around – and he smoothly knelt down on one knee before his beloved wife, pulling out a velvet box.

Poppy’s dark eyes widened as she stared at him – and then looked past him at the house. He knew the moment something clicked in her mind, because she started shaking her head ‘no’ – and patting his head emphatically, ‘Yes’…

“I dink I bit my tongue…”

“Michael… Mike… oh man, Mikey… uh… there’s a… ring… and a thing…” she stammered, waving her hand at the house frantically – before patting his head again, trying to get his attention.

Problem was – his attention was always on her and always would be.

“Happy anniversary, my beloved soulmate,” he said tenderly, slipping the diamond anniversary band on her ring finger as she threw herself into his arms. “Do you like it? I wanted to show you how much you mean to me, and I want us to start to make a true home together. I mean, someday I want to have a child or…”

“Oh, Michael,” she yelped happily, hugging him again. He simply picked her feet up off the ground slightly, wrapping his arms around her waist, and carried her forward toward the door.

---