Sunrise From Indigo
Fortress: Joey
By skeabs

My child has children. I have grandchildren. Brianna found out she was pregnant on her first anniversary, and nine months later my first grandchild, a girl, was born. You stood with me in the waiting room, both of us too nervous to sit. I'd been through this with Kelly, we both had, but it was different this time. It was my little girl. And then Gwen was there, and she was so beautiful that I forgot all about the fear that led up to her arrival, the months of waiting, the long hours of labor. And two years later, when we went through it again, and we thought that it'd be better the second time and found it wasn't. And I had a grandson.

Now Gwen is four and Tony is two. I have grandchildren, children of my child. This concept is as difficult to believe as any other occurrence so good as to be incomprehensible, like so many other occurrences in my life. I can't believe I was once a pop star. I can't believe I have a daughter. I can't believe I'm married to you.

Brianna dropped Gwen off today. Her excited little laugh rings in the far corners of our house and I can't help but join in. She comes with baggage, a bag full of toys and games and coloring books, and we go through that for a bit.

The coloring book from the latest Disney movie comes out first, as does the desire to watch it while we color. I find the movie buried beneath a change of clothes in the bottom of the bag, and I pop it in the player.

Thirty minutes into the movie, she's bored again, and wants to play castle. She gets to be the princess, I get to be the "evil man" coming to get her, and because we're lacking people, I then get to play the part of the prince that saves her. I suppose I'll be required to fight myself, and I can only hope you'll save me before then.

You walk in during my part as the evil one. I'm growling, crawling up towards the sofa, her "castle." She immediately recruits you as the good prince and you're ordered to attack me.

You laugh as you comply, going down on your knees before throwing yourself at me, knocking me off my knees onto my side. We're both laughing as we roll around on the floor, neither managing to pin the other. Aspersions are cast, and mentions of "old bones" are thrown around.

Gwen, in typical fashion, sighs loudly when no immediate winner is apparent, and proclaiming the game over, plops down right in front of the TV and turns on cartoons.

I lie back on the floor, idly watching cartoons over her head. You rest your head on my shoulder, one arm thrown over my chest, one leg hooked over mine. Both of us are breathing harder than we'd like to admit, the short bout of wrestling wearing us out.

You're laughing as your breath evens out. "Who's gonna save me, Joe?"

I laugh, drawing one knee up and putting one arm behind my head. "I will!" But even the thought of attempting to move when I'm so comfortable is painful. "Well… I'll try. Just… give me a minute."

You nuzzle deeper into my arms, sighing contentedly. "I can wait."

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