Page 136 of Don Caselli

I kissed her cheek. “More than sure, Pooh.”

Avril was hanging onto every word, trying not to pass out in front of us. “What is happening here?”

“Mommy, you and Daddy can quit your jobs. I’m retiring you both...we’reretiring you both.”

“She’s retiring you… this not me, Pooh. All you.”

Avril stared at us both as her hands started to shake. “Noooo, stop messing around with me, Bleu.” She looked at her daughter, who wiped away tears.

“Mommy, you and Daddy have given me the best life. Even when I drove you two crazy, you never turned your backs or forced me to do what you both had been forced to do. You allowed me to dream, follow my dreams, and never made me feel bad about it. Encouraged it, bought me a tripod from the dollar store. Even when you didn’t have it, you still made a way for me. Even now, I can call either of you and you would both come running and I’m grown. Not everyone gets to experience parents… a family like ours.”

Not everyone was blessed enough to have two supportive parents. Ro and Avril were the perfect example of choosing their daughter and allowing her to come into her own. They raised her and trusted that they did their job well enough that their daughter could make her own decisions.

“Navy Bleu Perkins, you are shitting me.” Tears poured down her face as she looked at us. “Landon, tell me she’s lying.”

“She’s telling the truth.”

She came rushing around the bed, and hugged the both of us, squeezing our necks. “Mommy, my neck… sheesh.”

“Oh God, I’m sorry, Navy. I forgot.” She held both of our faces in each of her hands. “What did you both do?”

My phone started to ring, and I saw the number. “Let me get this… you alright?”

“Handle business,” she smiled, and moved so I could stand up.

Avril took my spot, and I left and went down the hall. “Yo, we need to meet.”

“When?”

“Give me like an hour.”

“Bet.”

When I looked up, I saw Beans coming down the hall. Didn’t matter where I went, Beans would always find me. “Got that call?”

“Yeah.”

I went back into the room and Avril was crying in her daughter’s arms. Navy had tears in her eyes, too, and smiled at me. “What can I do for you? Cook your meals, clean your home… name it.”

“Ma, I don’t need anything in return. Keep being you… I need that in my life.”

Navy winked. “Love you, Landon.”

“I need that, too.”

“Mommy, go home and get some rest. Tell Daddy… I am fine here.”

She was so excited she didn’t know what to do, or how to move. “Alright… I will be back in the morning.”

“I will probably already be back home… just come to my apartment,” Navy told her, and she kissed her face a dozen times, then came and kissed my cheeks.

“I love you both… I will see you in a few hours.”

“Beans, make sure Jett drives her home.”

“Got you.”

I returned to my seat and kissed her on the lips. “How you feeling?”

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