I sit here on top of the rooftop, carrying out another mission for the secret agency I wasn't supposed to work for, and wished I was back on the homestead with my wife and our two beautiful children.
Someone had to make a living, though, and we'd agreed we would switch it off. Half a year for each of us, away. She worked full time for Stark now, remotely from home while I worked away, and I worked our farm while she worked discreet infiltration missions for SI the other half.
Nothing dangerous for her, and usually nothing dangerous for me. Something that would nearly guarantee we'd make it home to each other and the miracles that we never thought we'd have.
Today, I was away, and it was unavoidable. I knew I was letting her down — and I don't mean Tasha, I mean the other curly haired redhead in my life. A million miles away and she'd always be the best part of me. Something that I never would have dreamed Tasha and I would have.
Our daughter, and it was her fourth birthday. Here I was, letting her down again. I hate to let her down, and I'm counting down the minutes until this op is over and I can hold her in my arms and kiss her pretty face.
I see my target, and take a deep breath before I take aim.
I'll never let her down again, I pray.
Two weeks later, I'm walking through the front door of our house, and I see Tasha at the stove. Her red hair piled on top of her head in a messy mom bun, Bluetooth in her ear, and her green eyes connect with mine. I see the smile on her face as she says, "I'll have to call you back, Tony."
I quietly cross the room and kiss her, wrapping my arms around her tight.
"I missed you, Tasha," I tell her, and then slide the paperwork out of my back pocket and put it into her head, "and I'm not leaving anymore. Officially retired. Farmer Barton, at your service."
"Do you mean it, Daddy?!", an excited voice asks from the doorway and there...
There are the best parts of me.
"Yeah baby I mean it. I'm sorry I missed your birthday, Penelope... I won't have to again."
And then another mass of big green eyes and curly red hair is wrapped up in my arms, with her head on my shoulder, and I kiss her pretty face, wrapping my other arm around her brother Nicholas. He is calm, quiet, and the image of me.
They are the best part of me.
I lock eyes with my wife of over fifteen years, and I know she thinks the same.
