"He's Five today, Son he's so smart, you'd be so proud of him... I just cant believe your not here to watch him grow."
Little Michael held on to Lulu's hand as she slowly made her way up to her husband's grave. Sonny and Lulu always brought him to his daddy on his birthday.
"Grampa grampa, I made daddy a card wanna see?"
"sure MC do want me to read it outloud?"
"umm yes!" he smiled
Sonny opened up the folded piece of paper and read the words that were written in blue crayon- MC's favorite color.
"dear daddy i am 5 today! i go to kindergarten and my teacher is Sister Catherine. grama livia is teaching me my hail mary prayers and grampa luke is teaching me cards. i love you daddy and i hope heaven is like a yankees game."
His uncles Michael and Morgan would tell him all the time that they and Dante always loved to watch the Yankee's games together.
"This is very nice MC here, go get a rock to put the card under so it wont blow away.." said Sonny with tears in his eyes.
"But grampa how will daddy get it in heaven if we put a heavy rock on it?"
"That is a good question baby how bout we go buy a baloon later and tie the card to the baloon that way it will float up to heaven..." said Lulu
"Ok... Grampa do I look like daddy did when he was little?"
"Michael..." said lulu trying to correct him. that question really hit Sonny hard.
"You sure do sweetie..." Olivia said staring into Sonny's sad eyes.
"Grammma Livia!" said MC running into her embrace.
"how are you doing my love?" Olivia wiped away a tear from her eye.
"I'm ok how are you?" he kissed her on the cheek "gramma are you going to talk to daddy for a little while before you come over for my dinner?"
"If it's ok with you I'd like to stay here with your grampa for a little while... we will be over in an hour." she put MC down and he grabbed his mother's hand.
"I'm so sorry Sonny..." Olivia started sobbing.
"For what? You raised our son into an amazing man and he was a great person."
"MC asked you if he looked like Dante when he was little, and you never got to see that, you didnt get to hold him when he cried you didn't get to tell him that he would meet an amazing girl one day you didnt get to watch him play stick ball, hell you didnt even get to watch him get married! and that was all because of me!"
" I didnt deserve to be in his life, you and kate both begged me to get out of the business when I still could and I ignored you both, that's why you didnt tell me about Dante, because he probably would never have gotten to to do all of those things if I was present in his childhood"
"Still, I should have told you when he came town that he was a cop, and that he was your son..."
"He forgave us both for what I did to him... That doesnt matter now! MC and Lulu matter, taking care of them matters!"
"I just feel so aweful..."
"You and I both know that Dante wouldnt want you to feel guilty! He loved you so much!"
"He did look like you and now MC looks like the both of you, I see Dante and you in him when ever he smiles, he has those dimples oh and those big brown puppy dog eyes... MCs even got you curles... its amazing..."
"Speaking of MC, we should get goihg to the house for his party..."
happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you happy birthday dear MC happy birthday to you!
MC blew out the candles on his cake and made a wish...
he opened up his presents and said thank you to everyone for all of his gifts. his His Uncle Mike had one more present hidden from all the others. MC opened it.
The whole room went silent. It was a shadow box with Dante's Badge mounted inside of it. "Oh Thank you uncle mike, thank you so much for this..."
He embraced his uncle with tears in his eyes. "I was gonna wait untill you were a little bit older but I think Dante would have wanted you to have it."
"That was very thoughtful of you Michael, Thank you." smiled Lulu "Why don't you run upstairs and put that on your self next to the rest of daddy's things.."
"MC its time to go to go to bed..." Called Lulu from downstairs...
"aww mommy just 5 more minutes..."
"Michael Christopher, listen to you mother..." said Sonny.
"Ok , can you tuck me in grampa..."
"i'll be right up"
" alright, lets get you under those covers, you've got school tomorrow, its show and tell right.."
"Mmmhmmm..."
"What are you going to bring" said Sonny inquisitively
"I want to bring daddy's badge in... do you think I would be a good police man grampa?"
Sonny smiled at this and chuckled, "I'll think you would make and incredible police officer MC..."
"really?" he yawned
"Yes, you can do whatever you put your mind to..."
"Grampa will you read me a story?"
"Your supposed to be asleep by now... but I suppose...which one do you want to hear?"
Michael jumped off his bed and ran over to his book shelf coming back with a chapter book..."this one please!"
"Don Quixote? You want me you Don Quixote?"
"Yup it was daddy's favorite book he had to read it when he was in highschool..."
"it was my favorite to..." sonny smirked. Sonny flipped to the page that was dog eared and began to read...lulu had been trying to read it to him for a few weeks.
MC finally began to fall asleep so sonny turned off the light... "grampa, can you snuggle with me untill I'm asleep...
"Sure sweetie..."
Olivia and Lulu whent to check on them and both of them almost started crying when they saw Sonny and MC nestled comfortably together... It was truely a beautiful sight.
"Its a shame, I dont want to wake up sonny..."
"well we can let them sleep... I feel Like Dante would want this..."
"yeah... lets leave them alone...quick take a picture!"
A/N thoughts, questions comments, unnegotionable demands? thanks for reading!