Summer, 1983 (I'll call you by mine)

In the park

"I love that woman."

"It said it arrived today at the post office so you can pick it up anytime."

"Did she make cookies?"

"I think so, she just said she baked."

"Fuck yes! I'm gonna run down there right now. Talk to you later little bro!"
Christopher jumped over the couch grabbing his shoes.

"What the hell are you so damn excited about?'

Christopher gave him a huge smile.

"Nonna baked and sent us a big box of food."

"God damn I would fly to B just to give that woman a kiss. If she was forty years younger I would so marry her."

"Dude! That's my grandma."

"Yeah but dude have you not seen the pictures of your grandma when she was younger? She was H-O-T!"

"I swear to god man if you don't stop talking about her like that I will punch you. And I won't share the cookies."

Jude's mouth dropped open and his hand went over his heart.

"That's just cruel."

"Well you would have brought it upon yourself."

Christopher and Jude walked to the post office to grab the box. What they didn't expect was how big the damn thing was.

"Jesus christ didn't nonna send the whole fucking kitchen?" Jude huffed as he dropped his side of the box. They had only made it five feet before they were out of breath. It was almost the end of September and still hot as hell in Connecticut.

"So I think we should carry it to the bench over there and you go get the car. Because there is no way in hell we will be able to carry this. And there has got to be more than food in this damn thing." Christopher huffed out.

They managed to move the box to the other side of the street, he flopped onto the bench and watched Jude walk away. Turning he could hear kids playing at the park behind him, closing his eyes and laying his head back he listened to children playing, dogs barking and traffic slowly passing by. It felt as thought ages went by, he felt his face heating up. Christopher was caught off guard by something cold touching his hand. Jolting upright it was a little girl with big blue eyes, a cherub face and her little blonde ringlets were pulled into pigtails. She was smiling wide at Christopher, she had a  half eaten popsicle in her hand.

"Hi" She said waving her little chubby hand at him.

"Hello beautiful, what's your name?"

"Umm, guess!" She gleefully chuckled.

"Umm Katie?"

"Noope"

"Sarah?"

"No" she giggled.

"Then give me a clue."

She held her little chubby fingers up showing him the universal sign for little.

"Oh your name is tiny." He stifled back a laugh.

"No silly my name is Mini. M-i-n-i." She spelled out, Christopher was shocked she couldn't have been older than four.

"Well that's a pretty name, who are you here with?"

"My Daddy!" She shouted.

"Well let's go find your daddy before he gets sad."

"Tris my daddy is already sad. You didn't tiss him by the wake." She said mispronouncing his name as most little kids did. Christopher looked at her wide eyed.

"How did you know my name? I didn't tell you my name."

She took his face in her little hands.

"Cause I ask my daddy. I found a piture of you and my daddy. And he said he's very sad."

"Mini is your daddy's name David?"

She nodded her head and her curls bounced with every movement.

"Yes" She said softly. "Come on let's find my daddy." She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the park.
"Daddy!" She yelled.

Christopher looked up to see David standing not too far from where they stood. Christopher couldn't help but smile. David bent down to pick up Mini, she gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

"What are you doing here David?"

"Jona ran after me that night you didn't show up. He said to give you time."

"I knew I couldn't trust him."

"Chris, I know that I can't keep asking. You know where my heart lies. Just let us take you to dinner."

"Yeah! Tris do you want to go out on a date with us?" Mini asked leaning to the side giving Christopher a smile that lite up her entire face.

"You don't play fair Mini, you make it very hard to say no."

"Then let us take you on a date, Chris, wherever you want your choice."

"I'll only say yes if Mini agrees that we should have pizza."

"Yeah! Daddy can we have pizza?"

"If that's what Chris wants."

Jude pulls up honking his horn.

"I've got to go, but you two can pick me up at 7. I live in the Grant apartments." David waved and walked off smiling.

"Mini he said yes to a date." David excitedly kissed his daughter on the cheek. " Do you like him?"

"Yup!"

"What else do you think about him?"

"He's pretty daddy. Can boys be pretty?"

"Yes, sweetie boys can be pretty."

Mini gasp putting her hand over her mouth.

"What baby?"

"What are we going to wear daddy?"

David laughed.

"I think we can find something pretty to wear."

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"I want Tris to make you not sad."

"Well, Chris does make me not sad."

"Okay, so I don't have to sleep with you so you not sad."

David kissed her forehead, holding back his tears.

"I love you baby girl. How did you get such a good heart?"

"From my mommy." She smiled.

He felt a small pain in his heart, Christine would appear in the was Mini smiled. She didn't look like her mother but that smile was Christine's smile. Mini had her mother's heart, there was no question about it. They walked to the car and drove to the house. David and Mini lived in a simple Victorian house that they had moved into last summer.