How to Save A Life (Anthony Rizzo)

61- Thank God You Picked Me

Anthony

After spending a total of four days in the hospital we were all finally able to come home. I had been in and out of the hospital and our home after missing a few games to be with Clara and Daisy. The organization was great throughout this whole thing and gave me time to be with my girls while they healed up. And with good fortune they did get better and I went back to work not too long after I was sure they were okay, but it is really nice to have finally have them come home. I had everything at the house set up to the way I had planned it and just pray that everything works out the way I hoped it would. I needed everything to be perfect.

Once I park the car I get out to help Clara out of the passenger side before she goes around to the other side of the car and grabs Daises car seat from the back. She carries Daisy into our home and we take her out of the carrier to introduce her to Maddie. I was really hoping she was good with the baby because I really didn't want to get rid of her. But Maddie, being the great dog she is, was so excited yet so gentle with her. I mean Maddie loved Daisy before she was even born, and now she's here and the dog just loves her so much more, just like we did. Clara shows Daisy around the first floor explaining everything to her. Daisy won't remember any of this and it was kind of silly to think about her trying to tell the baby all of this, but I liked silly. I loved how excited Clara was to have the baby home and I was so happy to watch my girls walk around our beautiful home for the first time.

Clara shows her every inch of the house before finally getting into Daisies room. I hold my breath as Clara opens the door and I stand right behind her. I had nervously been waiting for this exact moment since Daisy was born, and now that it's actually here I felt like I could throw up.

As soon as the door opens Clara lets out a small gasp. Inside the room was a bunch of flowers of all different kinds and colors. Some laid over the floor in separate vases and others just laying there. The dresser was full of them and so was the window sill and the closet and everything else. The changing table had layers of them and the babies bed was clear because I figured Daisy had to be somewhere while we cleaned this up. But flowers also hung from the ceiling and filled the floor causing it to smell really strong in there but it still looked nice. There was every color imaginable and a bunch of different types of flowers, every type I could find at least.

"Anthony... what did you do" she asks as she looks around. She looks up and sees the flowers hanging from the ceiling before taking her free hand and softly cupping one. She takes a long sniff before that beautiful smile comes up on her face.

"Well why don't you find the yellow daisies and figure it out" I tell her.

I take Daisy from her arms and she easily finds the bundle of yellow daisies sitting in the middle of the floor. She reads what is on the card and I quickly grab the ring box out of my pocket and drop to one knee. I open the ring box and hold my breath as I wait for her to turn back around.

"Oh Anthony, this is so incredibly sweet. I don't know what to say..." she trails off. Once she sees what's happening her eyes grow large as she lets out a louder gasp. She covers her mouth with the hand not holding the daisies as the tears start to form in her eyes. "Oh my god" she whispers.

"Clara Marie Simpson. The woman who will always be the most beautiful flower in the garden. The one who has had my heart from the very start. The one who could make the strongest man look like a scrawny middle schooler. You have made me the happiest man in the world by giving me this precious gift that I have in my arms, in this beautiful home we created together. Another gift that I will love to give with all my heart is to spend the rest of my life is you. Most people would say I have it all. But in order to really be complete, I need you by my side forever.

You always talk about how much you needed me and how much I helped you, but in all reality, it was you who helped me. I gave you a place to stay and you gave me a reason to come back to a place I could call home. I gave you a sense of safety and you gave me a sense of purpose, a reason to protect something much bigger than myself. I showed you that I will never let you hurt and you showed me how love is the best way to do that. For every great thing I've done for you, you've given it back to me with a absurd amount of love and you haven't even noticed. And that's what makes you so special. You don't even realize how great of a person you are, you just are. No mater who is watching or who you're helping out. There's so many reasons I love you, but that's one of my favorites.

And in order for me to feel complete, I want to know that you will be by my side forever. That for every bad day I can have you in my arms to take the pain away. That every time one of us cries the other will be there with a carton of ice cream wiping away the others tears. That when I finally win the World Series that you'll be right by my side reminding me that you're proud of me like you always do. That I can be everything you need me to be and then some.

So Claire, will you make me the happiest man to ever live and agree to marry me" I ask. My hand was shaking like crazy and I didn't want to drop Daisy as she sleeps in my other arm. But I had a lot riding on this and I was quite nervous.

"Yes" she mouths, not a sound passing her lips. I take the ring out but I wanted to show it to her first.

"Oh Anthony, that's so incredibly beautiful" she sniffles. A tear slips and I easily catch it.

The ring was kinda big but still pretty, but it was what was on the inside that was important. It had the words "thank god you picked me" sketched on the inside of the band with a daisy next to it.

I finally slip it on her finger and she looks at it. She quickly pulls me into a hug and I make sure not to drop our baby. But I was able to hold both of my girls safely as we share this precious moment together.

And it was then I knew I had a new favorite moment.