"I don't want cereal!" four year old Marina huffed.
She balled her little hand into a tiny fist and smashed it down on the handle of the spoon. Milk and Cheerios splattered everywhere. Manny's eyes went wide.
"Marina Janelle Hogart!" she scolded and she was met with a glare from her daughter.
"I told you! I didn't want it," she scowled.
Manny pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Well you are going to help Mommy clean it up and then you are going to eat what is left in the bowl," Manny instructed.
"Nooooo!" the four year old howl and in a flash she was gone. Manny never understood where her daughter got super speed from.
Manny was ready to tear her hair out. Apparently the terrible twos had carried into the appalling fours. Marina had turned into the quintessential devil with an angel's face. Trouble seemed to find her easily, which Manny truly believe she inherited from her father along with his bright blue eyes.
"Marina! You have till the count of three to get back here! Or you are in big trouble!" Manny winced at how much she sounded like her own mother. It seemed destined to turn into your parents.
"One!" Manny counted.
No answer. No sudden appearance by her daughter in the kitchen.
"Two!"
Manny tapped her foot in impatience. She had a secret weapon or two up her sleeve, but she only liked pulling them out in extreme circumstances.
"Two and a half!"
Ok, secret weapon one.
"I'm going to tell daddy what a bad girl you were being today when he gets home," Manny called out. Usually that worked. Marina was a daddy's girl and would do anything to avoid getting in trouble with him.
She waited, thinking maybe her daughter was just moving slow. Her super speed disappeared when she was in trouble. Manny bit her bottom lip when it was clear her daughter wasn't going to appear, which meant she was in super tantrum mode. There were probably already piles of dolls and stuffed animals on the floor that had been thrown there in anger. Manny cleared her throat.
"Do you want a spanking, young lady?" she called out sternly.
"Noooooooooo!" Marina shrieked from upstairs and that got the little girl moving. She was sniffling and tears sparkled off her cheeks when she appeared in the kitchen.
"Then you will help Mommy clean up this mess and then eat your breakfast like a good little girl," Manny said seriously as she took her hand.
She handed Marina a sponge and the four year old carefully wiped the milk up off the floor while Manny picked up the soggy Cheerios. When the mess was cleaned up, Marina climbed back into her chair and ate her cereal quietly. After Manny tossed the cereal away, she placed a gentle kiss on the top of Marina's head.
"Good girl," she praised and went back to cleaning up the kitchen. She had an audition for a commercial later this afternoon and Jay was coming home from the garage early to watch Marina.
"Mommy?"
"Yes?"
"Can I watch cartoons now?"
"Sure sweetie."
Manny sighed and wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead once Marina had left the room. She loved her daughter more than anything in the world. She sometimes thought about the baby she had created with Craig and those were the nights she usually spent crying in Jay's arms. He could be surprisingly soft and comforting. He was a sucker when it came to Marina's scraped knees and nightmares.
Her life hadn't turned out the way she had expected, but it rarely does. She was happy though and that's all that really mattered. The words she had told Craig awhile ago were true. She knew she was going to be a mother one day and looking back on that day she made her choice, she was at peace with her decision. Marina had been a surprise, but a true a blessing. She didn't regret getting back together with Jay and finally getting married to him.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with peanut butter sandwiches, sing along Disney movies and a cuddly nap on the couch while Manny caught up on some soap operas. Marina was coloring at the kitchen table while Manny created a fast dinner for Jay to heat up later for him and Marina. Jay stepped silently into the kitchen and pressed a finger to his mouth so Marina wouldn't give away his presence. The four year old just beamed happily. Manny squeaked when she felt a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped around her waist.
"Hey, dimples," he grinned against her cheek.
"Hey," she replied.
"How are my girls?" he asked, keeping his wife close and spinning her around so they were both facing their daughter.
Marina looked at her mother with curious eyes, wondering if Manny would give away her misbehavior earlier.
"Both doing fine, I need to go get ready," Manny smiled and gave Jay a deep kiss before disappearing upstairs.
"So, my little troublemaker as a perfect little angel then?" Jay asked as he scooped his daughter up. She squealed happily and kissed the tip of his nose.
"Yeah, I was an angel, daddy."
"I'm glad to hear that, why don't you go upstairs and help Mommy get ready then? Tell her to break a leg."
Marina's face screwed up in horror at her father's comment.
"I don't want Mommy to break her leg!" she gasped.
"Oh no, honey. It is just an expression, it means good luck in the acting world," Jay explained.
"Oh, kay," Marina said as calmness spilled over her small body.
Once her father had sat her down, she run up to their bedroom. She always liked watching her mother get ready. She sat on the bed and stared in wonder as Manny carefully applied her makeup, styled her hair and got dress. Manny applied some lipstick to Marina's cheeks and spritzed her with some perfume.
"Break a leg, Mommy!" Marina grinned.
"Thank you sweetie."
Jay was watching racing while Marina dozed off in his lap. She snuggled in close against his chest, letting out a soft sigh. Just like her mother. Jay gently trailed his fingers through her dark hair and squeezed her even tighter. He hadn't expected his life to turn out this way, but he was glad that it had.
He was glad when he had reunited with Manny at a Christmas party at a The Dot. A kiss under the mistletoe had sealed the deal. He couldn't imagine his life without her now and he couldn't imagine his life without Marina either. Nothing seemed to matter before they came along. Everything just seemed a meaningless blur. Jay figured that was how the teen years were anyway. When you hit your twenties, then it was time to grow up and he did. However, he could still be a smut smartass when he wanted to be.
Marina was tucked into her bed and Manny was snuggled up next to Jay in theirs.
"How did the audition go?" he asked.
"I got asked for a call back, so good."
"That's my girl."
"I like being your girl," Manny purred and nuzzled him.
"Yeah? Well I like you being my girl."
He gave her a soft kiss and pulled her close. Life could be unexpected, but it could also be wonderful.