After dinner my dad, Uncle Mark, and I sat down on the beat up couch that we have had for as long as I remember. Uncle Mark set up his camera projector, and my dad sat next to me. Uncle Mark turned it on, and "Today 4 U" started to play. It was mostly clips, but they were great. They showed of homeless people, of group, of Aunt Maureen's protest "Over the Moon," and it showed the younger sides of my parents. My mom looked-well I can't describe it, she was beautiful. "She was full of life back then. Tons of energy." My dad said smiling at the screen. There were clips of my mom and dad kissing. My dad started to cry a little, he really missed her. Her beauty, her touch, her humor, her liveliness. That's what I missed most about her.
There were pictures of Angel, full of life as well. She had energy, my mom's best friend. I saw her and mom dancing. I laughed. "They're probably tearing it up in heaven, being the cool chicks they are." I heard Uncle Mark say.
There were other pictures, of Aunt Joanne and Aunt Maureen…on their engagement! I knew that they dated at one time, but I never knew they were engaged! They were just friends now, I guess sparks didn't really fly so well. I also knew that Aunt Maureen dated Uncle Mark. I never thought that someone of Aunt Maureen's attitude and energy, with Uncle Mark's…well… not so energy, would make a match.
Dad pointed out Benny. He said that if they were still friends, he'd be my uncle. They told me about all the crap he did to them, I was kind of happy he wasn't my uncle. I mean, not caring about his friends like that, evicting them. What a jerk wad.
After it was over, I was speechless. "That was AMAZING, Uncle Mark." That was all I could get out. "Amazing." I smiled.
"Thanks kid." He said.
"Mom was really beautiful back then dad." I smiled turning him. He simply smiled and nodded.
"She was, she is. You look just like her." He kissed my forehead. "Alright, it's getting late, get to bed love."
I nodded and gave dad a hug. "Thanks for showing me." I said as I walked into my room and closed my door. I walked to my bed and picked up a photo album that was under it. Dad didn't know I had it. There were pictures of Mom and Dad before I was born, of the whole family smiling and laughing. There were pictures of Mom when she was pregnant with me. And some when I was little. Birthday's and stuff. My favorite was in the back. It was a picture of mom and dad on a bed. Mom was in dad's lap, and there hands were over my mom's stomach. She was big with me. But they weren't looking at the camera, they were smiling at me, well, mom's tummy.
I did my normal tradition; I took that picture, every night and kissed it. After, I'd put it back in my album, and get my stuffed bear that was my moms. I was fluent in Spanish, from my mom. I would look up toward heaven, smiled with my bear that I named Fighter and said Te quiero a Mamá y Angel. I always said I love you to mom and Angel. Before she died, she'd say that to Angel, and me so I kept with the tradition, just saying it to her.