The Way We Were

The Way We Anniversary

Mal hung up the phone and crossed flowers off his list. He went to the next item, which was dinner. He tapped his bottom lip. What could he make for dinner?

It was his and Marcy's first wedding anniversary and he wanted to make it special. He already got her present (her engagement ring) and he ordered the flowers (lily-of-the-valley). Now what he needed was food.

He thought about all the foods he could make and what she liked. He had it! Spaghetti and meatballs. He knew how to make it and she loved the dish. He knew how to make her favorite salad (Caesar) and he would ask his mom how to make the rolls she liked.

He wrote down the menu and a reminder to ask his mother about the rolls before going to the next thing on the list. Entertainment. How was he going to entertain her? They could go skating or to the movies or to Color Me Mine.

He didn't want to ask anyone for a ride so he decided they could do something at home. Maybe they could watch Dracula? She loved the original movie and it didn't scare him.

Yeah, he'd do that. This was certainly harder than Valentine's Day, where he'd been able to get away with what he'd always done. A stuffed animal and flowers. He was lucky she hated the holiday and barely permitted him to do that.

He crossed off entertainment on his list and sat puzzled at clothing. What would he wear? Should he dress up? Was it causal? He was trying to make it nice for her but he didn't know what he was doing passed what he'd seen in the movies.

So he decided to ask his father...

He knocked on his father's office door. "Dad?"

"Come in!"

Mal opened the door and saw his father working. "Dad?"

"Malcolm." Michael looked up. "What's going on? Is your mother alright?"

Mal frowned. His father always asked that. "She's fine. I'm not. I don't know how to do this anniversary stuff."

"Anniversary stuff?" Michael set aside his pen.

"Yeah. Marce and my anniversary is tomorrow. I followed the plan that's in the movies so I got food, flowers, a present and I think we should watch a movie in the den. But I've never seen an actual anniversary."

"It's really just spending time together and connecting. What you have is fine." Michael steepled his fingers together.

"Are you sure? I don't know what she's expecting." Mal didn't want to mess this up.

"I assure you, she'll love anything you do. For your mother and my first anniversary, I made your mother dinner and we got food poisoning."

Mal laughed. "Really?"

Michael's lips twisted. "Really. So it doesn't matter how much you plan, just make sure you're both happy."

"Thanks, Dad."

W.W.W.

"What are you doing for your anniversary?" Mercedes squealed excitedly.

"I don't know. He told me to dress nice but that was it." Marcy kissed Mally's head. He'd awakened from his nap early and she wanted to get him back to sleep so she could go get dressed.

"I bet it's the best surprise!" Quinn geeked.

Marcy adjusted the phone against her ear and shoulder. "You know I hate surprises."

"Just go along with it just this once." Laura advised from the bed. She was going to help her get ready.

"I called you here, didn't I?"