refrigerator handle, he shook his head no. “Water, soda, or tea. No beer, unfortunately.” He couldn’t help but think about how a beer would relax him, just like the night before at the baseball game. Why was he suddenly resorting to thinking about how a beer would calm him? He had been pretty good about shoving those thoughts to the back of his mind, but then again, he hadn’t been put into so many tense situations with people he didn’t know well.
“I’m just kidding there, Mickey. You must think I’m one of those crazy ass alcoholics for asking for a drink so early. Water will be fine.”
He tossed Albert a bottle and cringed at the sound of being called Mickey again. He wasn’t sure if he should correct him or not, so he let it be. “Sorry you missed, Eva. Seems I hardly get to see her, too.” He drank down almost half of his water and slid it between his hands on the bar.
“It’s fine. While I’m here though, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“You gonna be able to take care of my daughter?” His dark eyes were hard and his serious expression didn’t fade. He wanted an answer, and it took Michael a second to grasp his bearings from being put on the spot.
“Of course I’m gonna take care of her, sir. I wouldn’t have asked her to marry me if I didn’t intend to.”
Albert sipped on his water, never taking his eyes off of Michael. “I know your intention is to take care of her, but what I’m asking is if you will be able to. There’s a difference.”
“Yes, there is a difference. And yes, I’m able to.” Michael wanted to boot him out of the door. He should have never let him in to belittle him under his own roof. The last thing he needed to do was show his frustration. Part of his duty in taking care of Eva was tolerating her family.
“Being FDNY implies so much. Like I said the other day, it’s dangerous, it’s…”
Michael cut him off, leaning forward. “I hear you, loud and clear, but with all due respect, Mr. Crisante, we could step out on that street and be hit by a cab. We could die in our sleep. There are risks in life just getting out of bed in the morning. If you’re gonna stand here and judge my ability to take care of your daughter based on my job, it’s not a real fair assumption about the man I am.” He folded his arms over his chest and stared the older man down. “I’m no stranger to the possibilities of what could happen to me on the job. I lost my dad when I was fourteen in a fire. His death screwed my family up more than you can probably comprehend. But here I stand. I’m marrying your daughter, and I’m gonna make damn sure she’s taken care of. You can take it or leave it.”
The room fell so silent that the ticking sound of the second hand on the clock seemed to echo around them. Albert continued to stare him down, and Michael had a hard time reading his body language. It didn’t matter. He had said what he wanted to say and there was no reversing it. It was all true.
“Damn, Mickey, you make some good points.”
“It’s Michael,” he responded quickly.
“Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry, bud. Eva calls you Mikey, though, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, she does.”
Albert extended his hand for Michael to shake, and he quickly returned it, their grip tight against each other. “I know Eva found a good man. Just by what you said here today, I can tell you’ll do her good.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Michael let out a deep breath, shocked that he took it so well.
“There is one thing I want to tell you, and you remember this.” Albert released the handshake and pointed his index finger at him. “One day you might have a daughter and you’re gonna be the same way. It’s different when you have a girl. When her heart gets broken, my heart gets broken. You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when it’s your turn to be a father.”
The words hit Michael hard and there was so much truth in them. “I hope I get the chance one
“I’m just kidding there, Mickey. You must think I’m one of those crazy ass alcoholics for asking for a drink so early. Water will be fine.”
He tossed Albert a bottle and cringed at the sound of being called Mickey again. He wasn’t sure if he should correct him or not, so he let it be. “Sorry you missed, Eva. Seems I hardly get to see her, too.” He drank down almost half of his water and slid it between his hands on the bar.
“It’s fine. While I’m here though, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“You gonna be able to take care of my daughter?” His dark eyes were hard and his serious expression didn’t fade. He wanted an answer, and it took Michael a second to grasp his bearings from being put on the spot.
“Of course I’m gonna take care of her, sir. I wouldn’t have asked her to marry me if I didn’t intend to.”
Albert sipped on his water, never taking his eyes off of Michael. “I know your intention is to take care of her, but what I’m asking is if you will be able to. There’s a difference.”
“Yes, there is a difference. And yes, I’m able to.” Michael wanted to boot him out of the door. He should have never let him in to belittle him under his own roof. The last thing he needed to do was show his frustration. Part of his duty in taking care of Eva was tolerating her family.
“Being FDNY implies so much. Like I said the other day, it’s dangerous, it’s…”
Michael cut him off, leaning forward. “I hear you, loud and clear, but with all due respect, Mr. Crisante, we could step out on that street and be hit by a cab. We could die in our sleep. There are risks in life just getting out of bed in the morning. If you’re gonna stand here and judge my ability to take care of your daughter based on my job, it’s not a real fair assumption about the man I am.” He folded his arms over his chest and stared the older man down. “I’m no stranger to the possibilities of what could happen to me on the job. I lost my dad when I was fourteen in a fire. His death screwed my family up more than you can probably comprehend. But here I stand. I’m marrying your daughter, and I’m gonna make damn sure she’s taken care of. You can take it or leave it.”
The room fell so silent that the ticking sound of the second hand on the clock seemed to echo around them. Albert continued to stare him down, and Michael had a hard time reading his body language. It didn’t matter. He had said what he wanted to say and there was no reversing it. It was all true.
“Damn, Mickey, you make some good points.”
“It’s Michael,” he responded quickly.
“Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry, bud. Eva calls you Mikey, though, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, she does.”
Albert extended his hand for Michael to shake, and he quickly returned it, their grip tight against each other. “I know Eva found a good man. Just by what you said here today, I can tell you’ll do her good.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Michael let out a deep breath, shocked that he took it so well.
“There is one thing I want to tell you, and you remember this.” Albert released the handshake and pointed his index finger at him. “One day you might have a daughter and you’re gonna be the same way. It’s different when you have a girl. When her heart gets broken, my heart gets broken. You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when it’s your turn to be a father.”
The words hit Michael hard and there was so much truth in them. “I hope I get the chance one
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