Prologue: August 12, 1980
"Hey, papa? How did you and daddy meet?" Erwin looks up from his newspaper, his sixteen year old daughter looking at him hopefully. In his 37 years, he'd said no to many people, but he had a hard time saying no to this pretty little girl with her father's stormy eyes. Levi broke the silence. "People die in that story Sophia. It's not appropriate for a young lady to hear. We'll tell you when you're older." Sophia pouted. "Oh come on, Daddy! You've said that since I was little. Please? Can you at least tell me about how you and mom got together? I barely remember mom. I was only six when she died, you know? You've barely spoken about her." Levi pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit he'd picked up since he'd hung up his uniform. "I said later, Sophie. I mean it. There's chores you need to do before you can go over to Alice's house. I've already boxed up the junk in the attic, go ahead and take it to the curb. After that, clean your room. Erwin, mind helping me with the kitchen?" Erwin smiled at his husband and stood. "Certainly, dear."
Sophia huffed and watched as her fathers headed to the kitchen. She was plenty old enough to deal with a little death and sadness, particularly when the story had such a happy ending. She sighed and headed to the hallway and tugged the string that would bring down the ladder to the attic. She hated the attic. It was the only place in the house that wasn't spotlessly clean. It was tidy, but dusty and smelled faintly of mold. Memories. She glanced around and found the box daddy Levi had been talking about. She took slow, measured steps towards the box, bending to examine the contents. There were old clothes, magazines, a few children's books, and on top, there was a decent sized, leather bound book. Something called her to open it. She knelt next to the box, took the book, and cracked it open. The leather spine gave a creak of protest having not been opened in so long, and it smelled like old paper and leather. The neat, flowing handwriting was familiar. It was her father's. She felt as if she were reading something she shouldn't be. The first entry was dated 'May 23, 1960.'
"Hanj gave me this journal in one of her strange attempts to get me to "open up." She seems to think that I internalize my emotions and shit too much. Crazy four eyed hag. I feel stupid for even writing in this thing, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to humor her. She is one of my only friends, after all. Nothing too exciting has been going on. Dad's still a drunk asshat who is never home, and I still have to deal with a bunch of dillweeds who like to pick on the short kid. Hanji blew something up in chemistry again. No surprise there." Sophia snapped the journal shut, instantly feeling guilty. She placed the book back on top and picked the box up, manuevering herself back down the narrow ladder. Once safely on the ground, she raised the ladder, and let the trap door swing shut. "Hey daddy?" she called, headed towards the kitchen. Her father leaned around the doorframe, papa Erwin joining him a second later. "What is it, hon?" he asked. She held up the journal. "Are you sure you want to throw this out? It looks important." His eyes landed on the journal, his stormy eyes contemplating it.
"Keep it. You want to know about how Erwin and I met, how we ended up where we are, why we are the way we are... read that. It can tell you all the things I've never been able to say. It's sort of an abridged history. I don't remember going into gory details, but it'll at least tell you the things you want to know. When you finish it, do what ever you want with it. I don't need it, I know what it says." She wasn't sure, but it seemed that her father was grateful she found it. "Are you sure, daddy? This seems pretty private..." he laughed. "That entire subject is a minefield of private matters and memories that leave a bad taste in my mouth, but you've pestered us for so long it seems wrong not to tell you. So, read it. But finish your chores first, brat." With that, both men disappeared back into the kitchen, papa Erwin throwing her an odd smile and a wink. She smiled, set the journal on the coffee table, and took the box outside, setting it on the curb next to the trashcan for the garbage collectors to grab in the morning. She felt giddy, she was finally going to learn about the past she was so fascinated with.