Everyone familiar belongs to Janet. Olive and Steph's monkey are mine.
It's been said that you should never make eye contact with a monkey of any kind unless you'd like your face removed from your skull in an extremely graphic and painful manner, but I ignored the advice and locked eyes with the simian Stephanie-lover before flicking mine back towards the branch he descended from.
The monkey proved to be a hell of a lot smarter than Morelli, because it took the hint. With what to me sounded like a petulant sound that resembled one Helen releases when she doesn't get her way, the Squirrel Monkey took a flying leap off my wife but sat sulking in the tree closest to her. That was fine with me. I'd made my point. He may live here, but I'm the King of any jungle I enter.
"Hey!" Steph said to me. "What did you do that scary-eye-thing for? I was just thinking he was small enough to fit in Olive's diaper bag."
"That's why I moved him along. I recognize when you're about to hold onto something and not let go."
"Like she did with you, Dad?" Julie asked. "One minute Steph was still trying to convince me you to two were just friends ... and then you both came down here to tell me about us expecting Olive."
"I'll let you in on a little secret," Steph shout-whispered so I'd also hear the 'secret' as well. "I loved your Dad loooong before then, I was just making sure I was good enough for him ... and you, because I really wanted to be part of your life, too."
My chest felt tight when I held my baby closer as my eldest daughter hugged my wife. In the middle of a monkey enclosure is an odd place to have this conversation, but the fact that it is happening makes the location irrelevant.
"My Trenton family is a huge part of my life," Julie said, looking at the three of us. "I'm glad you guys finally got together. I'm even happier about it because we now have Olivia."
"Speaking of," Steph said, also looking at me and our daughter. "Don't think I didn't see that. Someone's ready for her nap."
"Are you talking about Olive or yourself, Steph?" Julie joked, keeping her arm around her.
"I'm talking about your little sister, Smarty Pants."
"You can call me a smarty pants anytime you want to. I like being smart."
"As you should," Steph enforced. "Brains are important for more than just keeping our heads from echoing whenever we talk."
Julie laughed and Olivia yawned again, her dark head tipping against my neck as she started to give in to what Steph calls 'The Sleepies'.
"Okay, I think we should finish up here," Steph suggested. "Then you two can drop us two off and continue on with your Daddy/Daughter date while Olive gets her nap in. Maybe we can have dinner together afterwards before we have to give you back?"
"We get to have Julie until seven-thirty," I said, finalizing Steph's idea.
Although I don't like leaving half of my family with only a man on the outside keeping an eye on things, this works well for the plan I'd already had in place for this Miami visit.
