The Good Life

Chapter 47

In honor of the Grammy Awards and Rosalia being born on Grammy weekend, I give you a Rosie birthday.  I'll post a few more later this week. 

Marla turned around hitting her phone to turn off her alarm feeling Bruno’s arm around her as she turned around.

”Hey…do you know what we were doing 3 years ago?” he whispered in her ear.

”I was about to kill you.” she told him.

”Oh, Mar. I love you.” he laughed kissing the back of her head as they both heard Rosie run into the bedroom.

”It’s my birthdaaayyyy!” she sang to them jumping on the bed followed by the dog barking at all the noise.

”Geronimo….shut up!” Marla yelled getting out of the bed watching Bruno pick up Rosalia from the bed carrying her out into the living room.

”What do you want for breakfast baby doll?” Bruno asked his daughter.

”I want the brown pancakes!” she yelled running into the kitchen where he was standing.

”The chocolate ones?” he asked confused. Marla nodded her head.

”Okay then. Let’s make you pancakes.” he answered putting her in the middle of the empty island in the middle of their large kitchen.

”Bruno…make sure she doesn’t fall….” Marla said holding her hand as she handed her daughter her medicine. ”Take that, Rosie.”

”But I don’t want to.” Rosie answered. ”I’m sleepy.” she said stretching her arms acting out her feelings. Oh my god. My 3 year old is a drama queen. Marla thought to herself.

”Hang on…” Marla ran to their bathroom getting her medicine. ”Look…I’ll take mine at the same time. On the count of three, okay?” she said grabbing Bruno’s coffee sitting on the counter.

”Hey!” he said grabbing the cup from her. ”That’s mine.” he responded. Marla licked the edge of the cup taking it from him.

”Mine now.” she answered/

”Ugh. Fine. You win.” he kissed her on the cheek walking back to the oven.

”Ready, Rosalia?” she asked. Rosie nodded her head watching her mother put her pills in her mouth. ”1….2….ready? 3!” she said placing the pills in her mouth at the same time her daughter did. After swallowing the pulls she picked Rosalia up walking her to where Bruno was cooking. She put her hand in the dark mixture tasting it. ”Mmmm….” she answered.

”My wife is so gross….” Bruno said taking his daughter. ”Go take a shower. It will be ready when you’re out.” Bruno told her.

”Fine.” Marla replied taking a taste of the pancake mix again walking toward the bedroom. Bruno watched Rosalia sit down next to the dog petting her. ”Rosalia…you haven’t told your secret yet, have you?” he asked her.

”Nu-huh.” she answered him.

”Are you sure?” he asked.

”Daddddyyyy….mama doesn’t know that we made her a doo-wops.” she answered him.

”Okay. Then you want to give it to her this afternoon?”

”During my party?” Rosalia asked.

”Yes, birthday girl. During your party…” he answered.

**

”You have to put it over there…” Marla pointed to the gazebo in the backyard directing Bruno and his brother.

”Mar…I can’t reach that high…” he told her. ”The kids are going to be playing limbo.” She started laughing at him practically rolling over taking a hold of a small ladder they had brought out.

”Here…” she told him handing him the ladder avoiding eye contact knowing that she was going to start laughing again. ”But…I love you all the….oh god. I can’t stop laughing.” she laughed. He set the ladder down grabbing her playfully leaning in toward her ear.

”You know what they say about short boys right?” he asked her. She pulled away from his embrace starting to laugh again.

”They spend a lot of time getting their pants altered?” she asked.

”No. ” Bruno winked at her. ”I’ll tell you later tonight.” he told her seductively.

”Oh god. Quit flirting, please. You don’t want another baby.” Jamie answered them standing on the ladder to fix the Happy Birthday Rosie banner over the gazebo.

Marla finished getting ready for the birthday party welcoming all the children and parents. She barely sat down making sure everything was perfect. The cake was a bright purple and pink with a unicorn on it. The children ran around playing with the balls and jumping in the small bounce house they had rented. Close to the end of the festivities Marla got everyone around in a circle to open the presents. Rosie picked up all the presents herself leaving a small box strategically placed in the middle of the table. ”Why isn’t she picking that one?” she asked Bruno.

”Don’t question her madness, Marley.” he answered her kissing her head. What has he done? She thought to herself watching Rosalia pick up the small box.

”Mommmm…this one is for you!” she screamed waving the box.

”But it’s not my birthday…” she told her daughter. ”You open it.”

”Go open it, Marla. ” he nudged her on the side.

She stood up sitting down next to Rosalia. She ran her fingers along the wrapping paper thinking about the baby shower she had had years ago. She had been sitting in exactly the same place looking at similar smiling faces. She watched Bruno get up holding a cd player. What the fuck is he doing? She continued to think She opened the small box seeing a beautifully designed cd jewel case that said For Marla. ”It’s a doo-wops, mama.” Rosalia told her.

”It is?” she asked knowing her daughter was referring to a new cd. Marla handed Bruno the cd waiting to hear it. So that’s what he did…She watched him press the play button hearing Rosalia singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in her soft melodic voice that had the same sweet tone that Bruno’s baby voice did. She felt herself about to cry. ”Oh, Rosie! You have such a pretty voice!” she said picking her up kissing her all over.

”Eww…” Rosie said wiggling out her mother’s arms over to the cd. ”This one, daddy…” she demanded pressing the button several times. Everyone listened to the start of the song, a soft piano mixed with a slow drum beat. They had never heard that song. And then she started to cry. It was too much. He talked about the poem she recited the first day they met, and her hair and the way she said I love you. And how proud of her she was. And finally that he couldn’t imagine his life without her. It was perfect and just what he needed to do to fix everything that had gone wrong.