How to Save A Life (Anthony Rizzo)

62- Think Fast

Anthony

"She is by far the most precious little thing I have ever laid my eyes on" my mom nearly cries as Clara sets Daisy in her arms. She was all swaddled in a pink blanket looking so comfortable. A little hat on her head as her big blue eyes look around trying to figure out who this new voice belonged to.

"She's still really small but she's pretty tough. Anthony already nearly lost her off the changing table" Clara teases.

"I caught her" I defend.

"She's not a baseball" Clara chirps and I laugh.

"You got me there."

My mom takes about a million pictures with Daisy until she handed her off to my dad. My dad smiles big as she looks up at him. She can't do all that much, she was just a week old anyway. But she was kind of perfect. Never really cries and has only completely crapped herself twice. And I only had to clean it up one of those times.

"So this is what it is like to feel proud to hold a child" my dad jokes and I send him a playful glare.

"You're the worst" I mumble.

"I'm just messing with you" he laughs. "But in all seriousness, your little girl is beautiful. I'm really happy for you guys. I'm honored that she is my first grandkid" he claims.

"I know she wasn't planned, but I couldn't imagine it happening any other way. I don't like that she was born premature because Clara was sick but I'm happy to have her already. I couldn't wait to meet her and then I didn't have to. She's doing good now and doesn't have any apparent health issues so far. So we're taking the situation and making the best of it, and it sure is great" I admit.

"She's pretty incredible" he agrees.

After my parents get to spend some quality time with her she was pretty tired. So I change her diaper and put her down for a nap in the little crib we had downstairs for when we wanted to keep a eye on her but not walk up the stairs.

"So Anthony, when were you planning on telling me that you purposed" my mom shuns as I sit across from her at the island. She was making a salad and making me blush all at the same time.

"It was kind of spur of the moment type of thing" I defend.

"You filled a whole room with flowers in the spur of the moment" she asks.

"Well no" I admit.

"My point exactly" she argues. "Does anyone else know you purposed" she questions.

"Not really" I admit.

"You're letting him spring this on you" my mom asks Clara as she cuts up some salmon for dinner.

"I had just gotten home from spending four days in the hospital with my new born baby, he could have purposed with a ring pop and I would have said yes" she claims. "But I loved what he did. It was very romantic and very cute."

"It was beautiful. But I'm just trying to figure out when my dear son was planning on telling his own parents that our family was growing by two" she says turning to me.

"Now" I shrug.

"Okay then smart ass. What do you have planned" she asks.

"Nothing" I admit.

"When do you want to get married" she questions.

"Before next season" I admit and the room falls silent. Everyone kind of slowly turns to me, if Daisy could she probably would too.

"Anthony... it's already August. What do you mean you want to get married before next season" Clara asks.

"I mean that I don't want to wait. By the time next season comes around I want to stroll into spring training with my amazing wife who has sold a dozen of her paintings to the best art institutes in the world. Have our baby in my arms and a ring on my finger" I admit. I don't know a lot of things but I do know I want that.

"Well Kris and Jess are getting married in February and we're both in that wedding. There's no way we can get married any time next year. We already agreed to be in their wedding" Clara reminds me.

"So do it in January" I say.

"Between rehearsal dinners in Vegas and the parties and everything? There would be no time" she insists.

"Okay. Well Christmas time is out of the question so we'll get married in November" I insist.

"That's in three months" she says.

"It's a small wedding. It won't be hard to plan" I defend.

"Why though? Why so quickly" she wonders.

"I love you Clara. I love you so much. And if it was up to me we would get married tomorrow. But that's not going to happen so I'll take the next best thing which would be.... November" I say.

"Okay" she agrees and my mom gasps.

"Really" my mom questions.

"Well yeah. I mean our relationship is anything but normal. We didn't fall in love first, he saved my life and I fell into his arms. He caught me and protected me and eventually loved me. I don't want the fairy tale wedding because I never wanted that.

When my ex found me I told Anthony that my life was like a movie where I was the damsel in distress and he was the noble man who saved me. But my issues started before that day and will go on well past it. It was no fairy tale and it was nothing like what my friends ever went through. It was scary and it was painful and for a while it was terrible.

But now I get to marry the guy who made my life a real one again. So I have no problem getting married in November even if it seems a bit crazy. There isn't a thing I want more from this wedding than going home a Rizzo" she explains.

"You're so lucky you got a good girl" my mom shuns me and I laugh.

"Hey, I kind of know what I'm doing" I defend.

"Okay genius. Where are you going to find a place to get married in three months" she asks.

"I promised Claire we would get married on a beach. There's plenty of beaches in this world. Bam" I say as I act like I drop my mic.

"Okay. Say you don't have the wedding in the U.S., how are you going to get people there" she asks.

"It's a small wedding. Just you guys and my brother, Kris and his fiancé, Farrah and their family, Dexter and his family and David and his family. All of us on a beach soaking up the sun in shorts and a shirt. We have a intimate little ceremony then hang out at a resort afterwards. No DJs or seating arrangement. No stress or fancy food. Just us and the people we love the most" I explain.

She finally softens and I think I got to her. She smiles at me before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"I'm proud of you" she whispers in my ear.

"Thanks mamma" I reply.