The Good Life

Chapter 121

Bruno drove in front of Marla in the pouring rain keeping an eye on her car to make sure that she remained within his sight. She wasn't horrible at driving in the rain, it just was something she hated doing. He could hear her yelling at the rain and all the trucks that were spraying the icky dirty water all over the highway on the way back to their house. Somehow, though, he ended up getting home way before she did. It was probably the lights. He thought to himself as he ran into the house as fast as he could. The kids were at his sister's house so he didn't have to worry about them, but he knew his wife would be in the worst mood ever if she got even wetter than she already was. He grabbed a giant umbrella and opened the door seeing her headlights pull into the driveway as their gate closed behind her. He took a deep breath running out to the car to get her with the umbrella. She opened the door trying not to laugh at what he was doing.

"I was okay walking the five feet to the house." She said as he wrapped his arms around her walking into the house.

"I know you were." He said taking her bags from her. "I also know you were yelling at those trucks behind me."

"Oh my god! Yes!" she told him what she said and why she was upset as she started to pick up some of the toys on the floor. "Where are my kids?" she asked him.

"They're on the way home." He told her handing her his cell phone.

"It's not raining there?" she asked him.

"I guess it went the other direction." He shrugged taking some clothes out for the twins for when they came home. Marla took the clothes from him taking diapers from a box sitting on the counter. "Which one do you want?" she asked holding up a blue onsie and a yellow onsie.

"Can I have the one that doesn't need to have her diaper changed?" he asked her looking over at the pajama bottoms they had laid out for Rosie.

"The answer is always no." she laughed at him hearing the door open and Rosie run into the house with her pants dragging wet down the hallway. They said good bye to his sister quickly while Rosie sat on the couch in her wet clothes playing a video game. "Only until the babies are asleep, Rosalia!" Marla yelled through the house.

"But moommmmm...." Rosie whinned seeing her mother walk in holding her pajamas.

"But nothhhinnnnggg." Marla whined back.

"You're not in your pajamas, mama. If I have to you have to too." Rosie whined.

"I'm not six years old either." Marla answered. "And my clothes aren't soaking wet." She answered looking at her daughter's clothes. "Do you want to get sick? Dad said he would take you to the studio this weekend....but sick kids aren't allowed in the studio."

"But Mommmm! I want to goooo!" Rosie cried ending her game snatching her pajamas from her mother slamming her bedroom door. "Fine! But I'm not happy!" she yelled.

"Mar....what are you going to do?" Bruno asked coming into the room holding a half asleep Angelo.

"Let her yell and scream because she had to put on her pajamas. She'll fall asleep soon enough." She told him taking the baby from him bouncing him lightly trying to get him to fall asleep.

"Should I go talk to her?" he asked.

"No. You were the punishment. I told her she wasn't going to the studio because she was going to get sick. And then she ran off."

"Mar...why like that?" he asked her as they walked back toward the babies' room.

"It just came out. It was the only thing I could think of. And you wouldn't have taken her if she was sick. That's the truth." Marla explained to him.

He shrugged his shoulders over the fact that she made him the bad guy for once. "Okay." He answered throwing his clothes in a pile near the hamper. "I'm going to go check on her."

"Okay." Marla answered laying down in the bed.

Bruno slowly opened the door to his oldest daughter's bedroom seeing toys, clothes, books and blankets thrown all over the room. Where did she even get this moodiness from? He asked himself seeing her curled in a little ball with a blanket. He bent down to pick her up.

"I'm not going to be sick, mama. I don't get sick. " she said in her sleep. "Let me go. I want to sing."

"You'll be able to sing, mama." He told her laying her on the bed with the messy blanket. He fixed it kissing her on the cheek. "Good night mi amor." He told her reaching to turn off the light as he tripped over some of her toys. "But you have to clean this up, tomorrow." He said closing the door behind him.

**

Dear Marla,

Today was the 8th anniversary of me meeting you. You don't remember a lot of that day. But I remember this one second that day when I kissed you for the first time. I didn't think I would ever kiss you again. You were wearing this red dress and these heels I've never seen you wear ever after that night. You were running around like crazy. At that very moment I knew that I could love you. I know that's an old memory, Mar. It's an old memory you'll never get back. But, a while back, when I was talking to Abby, she said to stop focusing on the things you don't remember and to start helping you remember new things. New things like our three beautiful (yet sometimes annoying) children, our time together and everything that happens after today. I hope I help you create the most amazing new memories. I love you so much, Marla.

Bruno