"How did you and Mommy meet?"
Tony, caught off guard, looked up from trying to find Azalea's favorite bedtime story. "Huh?"
She sighed, sounding quite like a little kid version of Ziva. "How did you and Mommy meet?"
"You know how we met," he said, standing as he located the book. He walked over to her bed and tapped her lightly on the head with it. "We worked together. With Gramps."
"No," Azalea said impatiently. "I mean, did you love her right away? Like in the storybooks?"
Tony barely kept a scoff from escaping his mouth. "I wouldn't say that."
"Really?"
He took in his daughter, curled up under her comforter, and wondered if he should indulge her fairytale mindset. What could he tell her about his first encounter with Ziva, anyway? Certainly not, "Well, your mother asked if I was having phone sex, and the rest is history…"
"Yeah, really. Actually, she didn't like me all that much." Azalea's wide eyes made him laugh and lean over her. "But it's a good story, Azalea. It's real good."
"Are you going to tell it to me?"
Tony kissed her on the forehead, then sat down on the edge of her bed and opened up the book. "Let's read this tonight. Sometime, I'll tell you all about me and Mommy."
As she snuggled into her father's side, the little girl murmured, "I bet there's a happy ending."