Crazy In Love (Anthony Rizzo)

Back Where It All Started

Anthony

After a long 12 hour drive from Chicago to Augusta Georgia, we finally arrive at Melissa's family home. She lived in a huge house on a farm filled with animals and plants and other really cool stuff. She didn't seem like much a farm girl but she was southern through and through. She called people "sugar" and "puddin'" when she worked at the bar and knew all the recipes to southern comfort food. I knew all about that, being from Florida and all. But all the southern states were almost like a place of their own and it's been quite a while since I've been in Georgia.

I was pretty excited to be here, to be able to get to know Melissa's family better and to get to know her better. I know this is a part of her life she doesn't talk about all too often but I know she missed home, everyone misses home every once in a while. But with losing Tim made everyone in her family realized that there's not enough time in our lives to be spent being spiteful and angry, not when there's so much love to be had.

So I go and grab Mallory out of the back of the car as she continues to sleep. I would wake her up but she's grumpy if she doesn't get up when she wants to. So instead I carry her in as Melissa follows behind me. I grab her hand as we walk up to the front doors of her larger than life house. She knocks and not too soon afterwards the door flies open. One of her sisters was standing there smiling big when she sees us. I kinda remember her from the wedding, I think she was Sandra if I remember right.

"Oh goodie you made it" she says pulling Melissa into a hug.

"We're here" Melissa nods as she walks in and I follow her.

Once we get in Mallory starts to wake up a little. We left Chicago at 4 this morning and after 12 hours of driving we got here at 4 in the afternoon, just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. So I get reacquainted with everyone as Mallory runs around with her cousins she just found out she had. I follow Melissa around as she talks to her family. I try really hard to keep the whole pregnancy thing to myself but it was hard, I wanted to tell the world that I was about to have a kid and my little family of three was about to be a family of four.

We found out that she was about 4 weeks along and the baby was doing good. Since shes already had a kid she knew what to expect and how to take care of herself and the baby. I was so new to all of this but she's got it under control, she knew which vitamins to take and what not to do. She was already a amazing mother and now she's going to be a mother of two.

"It's good to have you here Tony" Melissa's brother Patrick says to me as he pulls me into a hug. He looked a lot like Timothy, they could have been twins for all I knew.

"It's great to be here. You guys grew up in a great home, this place is incredible" I admit as I look around.

"With the amount of people who was always in this house it still wasn't enough space. I always had to go to my friends house because if I tried to bring them over it would become a fire hazard" he teases and I laugh.

"I don't doubt it. But it's cool that you all can come together again. I love your family" I admit.

"We're just happy to have Melissa back in our lives. We all looked up to her for her outspokenness and her personality. When she left we all still talked to her but it's nothing like how our tight knit family used to be. I'm just thankful that she's back again. She might be a crazy sister, but she's our crazy sister" he smiles.

"She was so excited to be here, to show me and Mallory around her childhood home. She even promised to take Malory horseback riding" I say.

"Have you ever ridden a horse before" he asks.

"Naw, I'm afraid I'm gonna crush it" I admit and he laughs.

"Come one, I got the perfect horse for you" he insists.

We grab Mallory and Melissa and head out back to the farm. We get to the stables where the horses were and I see about ten horses there just chilling. In Florida I never saw stuff like this but I always wanted to live out on a farm. I feel like that would be really cool.

"I want my horse" Melissa claims and Patrick laughs.

"Fine. You take Mallory with you on Juniper and get reacquainted. I'm sure she will be happy to see you" he assures her. "As for you..." he trails off as he turns to me. "You get the grand daddy of them all... Chomper" he says and I smile.

He takes me to a large black horse that was bigger than anything I've ever seen before. His mane was shiny and his skin was to. He had big black eyes and it was intimidating as hell.

"I'm a little scared" I admit.

"Don't be, he's a lot of fun. He'll take good care of you" he promises.

Patrick helps me up and I hang on to the saddle for my dear life. I look around because I don't think I've ever been this high off the ground like this, it was kind of crazy.

Patrick takes me and Chomper to where Melissa and Mallory were hanging out and Melissa smiles at me. I tip my imaginary cowboy hat at her and she rolls her eyes. My horse walks right up next to hers and stops so I can be by Melissa.

"How ya doin" she asks and I laugh.

"I'm a little less scared now than I was earlier" I admit.

"You'll be fine, just hold on tight" she says. Like I didn't already think of that...

Eventually we take off and stroll around the farm. I have to admit, this was pretty cool. I never thought I would be one to get on a horse, but for my girls I would do anything.

"Patrick's a really cool guy" I admit as we continued to ride.

"He's not bad at all. Timothy was always my favorite sibling, but Patrick was a close second. He always checked up on me, he was one of the first to know about Mallory and he offered to help but I didn't want me to come between him and our parents. But he always reached out to make sure I was good" she explains.

"It's hard to believe that you ran away, everyone in your family loves you. They've missed you" I tell her and she smiles.

"I've missed them too. But I did whatever I needed to do to make sure my baby girl is happy. And I knew that when the time was right I would be home again, and I am" she says.

After riding for a while we head back to the house. The food was out and ready so we all take a plate and fill it with all the comfort foods. I help Mallory make hers and we go to sit at the larger than life table. Melissa has two brothers now and three sisters and their families were here so it was quite busy here. But as you know Tim was gone and a few of her siblings haven't settled down yet. But they were all still so nice and welcoming, I felt like part of her family here.

"I have an announcement to make" Melissa says as she calls for everyone's attention. She grabs my hand under the table and I give her hand a good squeeze.

"What is it sweetie" her mom wonders.

"I wanted to tell you guys that Anthony and I are expecting" she announces.

"Expecting what" Mallory asks and we all laugh.

"A baby, remember" she reminds her.

"Wait! You're pregnant" her sister Tatiana connects and Melissa smiles at me.

"Yeah, we are" she says and I hear a bunch of chatter break out. It was a lot of "congratulations" and "at least you guys are already married this time." Just hearing how excited they were for us warmed my heart. To me Family is everything and I'm happy she had hers again.