I'll Always Choose You #Watty's2023

29. Nico

To say I was nervous would be an understatement of the century. I couldn't stop shaking with nerves as I watched Celine do my hair while the boys busied themselves with the tablet Gio had gotten them to share two months ago. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest with how fast it was beating. Less than half an hour to go before I'll be walking down the isle with Uncle Mickey. I can't imagine anyone better to walk me to my husband than my parents' best friend—the only connection to them I have now.

"You're Papa would be very proud of the man you've become," I looked up at the sound of Uncle Mickey's voice to see him standing on the threshold with a faint smile on his face, "He always wanted the best for you since before you were born. And your Mama too," I bit my lip as tears burned my eyes at the mention of my parents. Ever since I was little I always knew that I wanted my Papa to walk me down the isle to the man that I'd end up marrying. Knowing that neither my mother nor my father would ever watch that happen kills me. It's been nearly 14 years since the day my life was torn part by their deaths. Losing them was and will always be the worst moment in my life.

"I wish they were here," I tell him as Celine and the other ladies helping me get ready left us alone to talk. I appreciated them giving us privacy.

"Is mama going to be okay, Auntie?" I heard Tanner ask her as she led him and Aros out the door

"He'll be perfectly fine, love, now come along you two, let's leave him and grandpa to talk," Celine replied. I smiled at her as she suene my boys out. Ever since I got reacquainted with Uncle Mickey, he's been at the house a few times and the boys—ever since they met him—have taken it upon themselves to call him Grandpa Mickey. It has taken all three- Gio, Uncle Mickey and myself—by surprise when Tanner called Uncle Micky grandpa for the first time. We had been having a pleasant conversation about my childhood when out the sudden Tanner walked up to Uncle Mickey.

"Look grandpa," He had said as he held a crayon drawing of all of us. We sat frozen at his choose of word. I looked over at Uncle Mickey to see him blinking and he cleared his throat before smiling down at the soon to be five year old.

"Is that me?" He asked, emotion clear in his voice, as he looked at the stick figure with a blue suit and swirly hair and Tanner nodded with a wide grin, "oh wow, that's amazing, you're such a great artist."

If Tanner's smile could get any bigger it would split his face in half. He was smiling so big that it made my heart burst with happiness, "And who are these over here?" Uncle Mickey asked as Tanner climbed onto his lap. Gio and I exchanged looks as Tanner isn't one to be so open and comfortable with strangers—even if Uncle Mickey has been over a few times since he and Aros came to live with us—so watching as our son and Uncle Mickey talked was something new and I was so proud of Tanner for taking the initiative instead of feeling forced to interact with a someone new.

"I'm going to be hanging this drawing up on my wall in my office," I heard Uncle Mickey say as Tanner finished pointing out each stick figure to him.

"Really?" Tanner asked with wide eyes and a beaming smile that Uncle Mickey returned with a nod. Tanner cheered before he was climbing off his lap and running back to the table beside his brother.

"He's never done that before, with anyone that isn't Gio or me," I said to him as we watched the boys draw with Aros occasionally helping Tanner and whispering to each other and smiling.

"It took Tanner a while to get comfortable with us," Gio had agreed and Uncle Mickey hummed

"I remember you being that way, Nico," He said as he turned to me, "When your parents introduced me to you, you were very reserved and quiet and very skittish, neither knew why, but I have a feeling as to why now, after learning what happens with him." I swallows the lump in my throat at just the mention of him. It's been so long since he was killed and het there are moments where he pops into my mind and freezes me in the spot as my heart races in my chest and sweat forms in my brow. And I knew wha the meant. Because I've been having these dreams of what I was younger—around Tanner's age—and Patrick watching me and to-I shook my head at those memories.