How I Met Your Father - JJK

Chapter 1. The party

It was a stormy Sunday afternoon in the middle of December, your kids were visiting your home for Christmas break from college and the sharp cold from outside kept them trapped under the warmth of the fire in the living room.

You were having a drink with them,  finally old enough to let them experience the taste of the good and quite expensive liquor from your tiny bar while they shared with you some anecdotes from their recent adult lives. They were growing so fast you almost forgot the last time you spent a moment like this with them and you wanted to enjoy it as much as you could.

"Danny would've loved this weather" said your daughter, Olivia. Her boyfriend was supposed to come with her but unfortunately, he had to stay at the hospital he was working at as a doctor.

"Let the man enjoy some peace and quiet away from you"

"Mark, don't talk like that to your sister" you reprimanded him, to which he just shrugged in response, showing no regret about his statement and took a sip from his drink. "Besides, I'm sure he must be missing her a lot. Back in the day, your father and I would have our asses glued to each other, I can't even remember a day spent without seeing him"

"That was different," said your son while getting comfortable on the couch. "You and dad were glued to each other even before you started dating, right?"

You took a pause to remember those days with a sentiment of nostalgia hitting you directly to your chest.

"Not really, you would be surprised. It was a long way before we got to that point." you answered refilling your cup, age didn't make you any weaker to the effects of alcohol, in fact you didn't feel any difference from your first sip "Now that I think of it, I haven't told you how I met him, did I?"

Olivia sat right next to his brother on the couch "Mom, you don't have to"

"Oh I think I do"

"Oh my God" both your kids lamented.

"Guys, get comfortable. You're set for a long, long story"

.

It was around summer 2023, I just got out of a job interview and I was calling your auntie Shoko to give her the good news.

"How did it go?" she asked anxiously.

"Have a guess"

"Oh my God just tell me, I'm dying here!"

"¡I got it! ¡I'm starting next week!"

"¡Guys, she got it!"

A bunch of celebrating screams were heard at the other side of the line, she was at the bar with the rest of the little group we formed and I was also on my way there as fast as my shoes could get me. It was an amazing day for me, it was the beginning of my professional career as a vet, no more partial jobs that would force me to choose between paying rent or having dinner and I wanted to celebrate.

The Kaizen bar was our sacred place during our college days and it stayed that way even after we graduated. Your auntie and I would spend almost every night there talking about how our days went, it was a way to keep the friendship alive despite our adult lives trying to keep us away. We used to live together in the same dorm during college, but after that our jobs got in the way and we had to look for apartments in different parts of the city so we agreed to keep coming to the same place as a way to keep in touch no matter what.

The bar was down my block and halfway from Shoko's place so it didn't take her long to get there, plus it was close to the clinic where I had my job interview which was a blessing for me. In a matter of minutes, I was walking through the door of the Kaizen to get welcomed with a small round of applause from my friends.