"Honey, I'm home!" I sing-song, dropping my bags on the floor and walking into the living room.
"Gabanti!" I hear William yell, and his footsteps going down the hallway soon after. When I hear smaller steps following after him, I smile. I turn around just in time to see William lunging at me and pulling me into a tight hug. I laugh and wrap my arms around him. "You're home early." He says when he lets go. "I was expecting you later." Just as he says that, small arms wrap around my leg.
"Papi!" Olivia exclaims, beaming up at me with a toothy smile. I let go of William and pick her up, spinning her around before settling her on my hip.
"How are you doing, niña? Did Bilvy teach you anything today?" I ask.
"Daddy taught me to play piano!" She says excitedly. I raise an eyebrow at William, who shrugs.
"She seems to like it better than drums." He says with a smile. I shake my head.
"Bill, you know you're supposed to be teaching her things for school." I scold playfully.
"I am. She just tells you the fun parts." He replies. I smile and kiss him lightly. I kiss Olivia's forehead, and she giggles.
"Papi, can we have spaghetti tonight?" Olivia asks, looking up at me with big, brown eyes. We had adopted her not even a week after she was born, and we had known the mother. She was in college, and not ready for an child. We had expected her to be a little underweight, but she had actually been healthy. She had William's eyes, and dark brown, curly hair, like mine. We were just lucky, I guess. To have a baby that looks somewhat like us. She's pretty tall for her age, too. Which is weird, because her mother was particularly short. I smile.
"Sure. Wanna go play while I talk to daddy?" She nods and runs off to her room, her short dark ponytails bouncing behind her. As soon as she rounds the corner, William's lips are on mine. I smile into the kiss and grip onto his hips, pulling him closer. When we finally pull apart, we're both smiling goofily.
"I missed you," He whispers. I laugh.
"I was only gone for about nine hours." He sticks out his bottom lip. "But I missed you too." I say quickly and kiss him again.
"You better go play with your daughter, she missed you too." I nod and walk down the hall, while William turns towards the kitchen to start dinner. I knock on Olivia's door.
"Hey, niña, how are you doing?" I ask, sitting down next to her on the floor. She looks up and beams at me, setting down her action figures that William had got her. We had tried giving her barbies, or really, anything for girls, but she always gravitated towards the boys section.William and I were both fine with it, of course. I mean, who could hate their own child for being themselves?
"Papi!" She says, jumping up and wrapping her arms around my neck. "Wanna play with me? You can be Batman!" I nod and pick up the Batman figure, smiling almost as brightly as she is.
~
Later that night -after we ate Olivia's new pledged "faborite foo" while she had a mouthful- WIlliam had me tuck her in. While pulling up the blanket to her chin, she yawns and asks "Papi?"
"Yes?" I say, sitting next to her.
"When will you and daddy get married?" She looks up at me with big, brown eyes. I sigh. Her eyes are so much like William's, and it makes it that much harder to do anything that would make those eyes water.
"Well, niña, whenever we're allowed to, I guess."
"Why don't you just go somewhere that will let you?" She understands so much, for her age. Sometimes it's a good thing, and other times, like this, it's a bad thing.
"Well, that would be like surrender. I would rather fight for it then move somewhere else and give up everything here." She nods, her eyes closing. I kiss her forehead and get up, turning off the light. I close the door and walk down the hall to William and I's room, where he's sitting cross-legged on the bed scribbling in his notebook. I smile. "Hey Bilvy, still writing?" He looks up and smiles shyly. He's still as adorable as he was when I first saw him.
"Well, yeah. You know me, always writing."
"Damn right I know you." I laugh. He pats the space next to him, and I happily walk over and occupy the space. "Olivia asks when we were going to get married." I say softly. William's eyes soften .
"Well, an Illinois state law will take effect in a few months to legalize it." He says, smiling. My eyes widen.
"Really?" I say. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Marcie came over today and told me while you were with the Cobras. It goes into effect on June first, and then we can apply for a license." He says, smiling excitedly.
"Oh my god." I whisper. I stare at him for a second. "Oh my god!" I exclaim, pulling him in for a kiss. I hear his pen and notebook fall to the floor, but I don't care. "Bilvy... Bilvy. We're gonna get married, right? You'll marry me?" He smiles.
"Of course I will, Gabanti. I always will."
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
So, I'm celebrating Illinois' law of gay marriage that takes action on June 1st even though I don't live there. Indiana sucks. Anyways, comment what you think? I hope you enjoyed!
