Trickery & Envy (37 page)

Again I gently
rubbed my nose against the baby cheeks and smiling attempted to acquaint her with her father. “She’s your daughter Toni,” I said to him. “You’re not afraid to hold her are you?”

I
placed our daughter into Toni’s now opened, but nervous palms. He brought his 6lbs 9 ounce little girl to his chest and spilled tears onto her. His emotions caused a few tears to trickle from my eyes, which I dabbed at.

“It’s a miracle
. Thank you, Vivian,” he said with a quick glance at me and then looked back at his sleeping daughter.

Toni
then smiled joyously when she opened her eyes a brief second to look at him. At that moment I knew in time I would grow to love every part of Toni.

“I still don’t know
. What’s her name?” Toni asked.

Do you
love me, Toni?” I asked crossing my arms and smiling at him.

Toni looked as if I asked a ridiculous question.

“Vivian, I’m in love with you.”

“
I love you too Toni and I have one more question. Will you marry me?”

Toni’s arms dipped at being surprised
. I quickly placed my hands under his arms. I thought he was about to drop the baby.

“Yes, yes,”
he said fast and with nods of the head.

I
kissed Toni lightly on the lips and looked down at the baby sleeping in his arms. “Did you hear that Toni Lynn Jennifer Gentry, he said, yes?”

Toni
beamed. “You already had given her my name. I love you so much, if you only knew,” he said.

“I know,” I answered and Toni
gently laid Toni Lynn down in her crib. He then took me in his arms and kissed me as if it were the very first time. It felt like it was.

D.C. Johnson is a Chicago native. She is the mother of Victor Johnson, author of
Keep it Simple Believer and currently working on, Off The Surface Into The Deep.