Memories of the Past

Bucky fixed the cufflinks to secure the ends of his blue sleeves, although it was the fifth time he had done so in the past twenty minutes. He stared at his reflection on the full-length mirror and quietly sighed. Everything about him was fine—from his smooth charcoal gray suit to his newly trimmed haircut that was perfectly styled for this special day.

His daughter's wedding day.

Bucky did not see his daughter, Amelia, for most of the morning. Instead the bride insisted her father to wait until she was fully ready. Of course Bucky respected her wish, how could he say no to his little princess?

A soft smile appeared on his lips as he recalled a memory.

A low light illuminated inside Amelia's bedroom and the little four-year-old girl happily giggled at her bed. Her tiny hands clutched the violet blanket as she eagerly listened to her father read 'Green Eggs and Ham' for her bedtime story.

"They are so good, so good, you see!" Bucky exclaimed as his blue eyes widen with fascination. He sat beside Amelia's bed and held the Dr. Seuss book in his right hand while constantly glancing at his daughter's smile. It made him grin harder and he enthusiastically continue reading the book. "So I will eat them in a box. And I will eat them with a fox. And I will eat them in a house. And I will eat them with a mouse. And I will eat them here and there. Say! I will eat them anywhere—"

"I do like green eggs and ham!" Amelia's sweet voice echoed alongside Bucky's deep tone and the together they finished the story. "I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-Am."

Amelia clapped as Bucky closed the book and placed it on her bedside table. The little girl turned to the super soldier. "Can we make green eggs and ham, daddy?"

"I don't know, princess..."

"Please!" She begged as she gave him her best puppy face. Bucky made the mistake to look directly at her eyes, bright blue like his, and he knew he could not say no to her. His wife often joked that the only time he would say no would be when she starts dating. Deep down Bucky dreaded the moment when Amelia would bring home a boy. It meant she was growing up, however that was the future—there was still time for Bucky to enjoy his days with Amelia, his little girl who greeted him with open arms and searched for him whenever she got scared of a loud thunderstorm.

"Okay," Bucky agreed as he kissed her forehead. "We can make some on Saturday with your brothers."

"Thank you, daddy!"

Bucky chuckled at the memory and moved away from the mirror. Someone knocked the door and Bucky turned around to see his elder son, Steve, enter the room.

"Hey, dad," Steve greeted him with a quick hug. The man was the spitting image of Bucky, except for his eyes—they were chestnut brown like his mother. Steve gave his father a small black box. "Mom said you forgot to take this with you."

"Of course I did," Bucky rolled his eyes, she knew him too well. He opened the box and inside was a blue pocket-handkerchief. His fingers glided slowly over the silky fabric and Steve crossed his arms.

"You know, the color really reminds me of her Columbia graduation gown."

"It actually does," Bucky agreed, remembering that spectacular day as if it were yesterday.

The sky was cleared and the sun shined brightly, making it a perfect background for Columbia University's Class of 2038 Commencement Day. Bucky sat on one of the chairs settled on the Butler Lawn beside his wife, Lillian, and his two sons, Steve and William. Just like the other families sitting around him, Bucky was here to celebrate his daughter's graduation from Columbia University and the man took in every single detail of the large campus.