Meet Anthony

I tried to hold back my tears to be strong but I couldn’t.
We all cried and shed tears together as I held them all saying I love you with all my heart.

Incarcerated: 3 years

When I met her I knew right then and there I wanted her forever. If I was asked what my favorite love story is, I would say ours. She thinks that I’m soft and lovey-dovey, but I know deep down she feels the same way.

She’s my other half, one of my most memorable moments in our relationship was a visit we had in San Quentin. From start to finish I could feel the happiness and love my wife and two kids shared with each other that day.

My daughter had recently learned how to walk. She looked like a little penguin, she was super cute.

My wife and I had our usual Hostess cupcake fight where she knows at one point I’m going to smash it all in her face. She’s a goof and falls for it over and over. I always lick it off and she smiles and giggles with the look of an angel, I can’t resist her, she’s so beautiful.

As the end of the visit approached, I sat holding my son and daughter in my arms as my wife laid her head on me while our hands locked together. As I went to line up to leave on my side of the visiting room, my wife and kids waited in line on the other.

Across the room, we locked eyes and as soon as I was walking through the x-ray machine, my son started yelling my name “DAD …I want my DAD, wait don’t leave Dad.”

My wife tried to hold him back but he managed to break her grip and ran into my arms, crying, tears rolling down his face. He jumped in my arms and put his face into my neck and sniffled.

My wife came over to take him and like a domino effect, my son started crying again saying “Dad”, my daughter cried “Da-Da-Da” then my wife looked at me with sad puppy eyes. I remember saying “Not you too babe” and then she was crying. I tried to hold back my tears to be strong, but I couldn’t.

We all cried together as I held them all saying “I love you with all my heart, it’s going to be over soon just hold on and be strong.”

In that moment I told myself I would never let anything keep me from my family-ever. As I turned around to leave, a few guys had tears in their eyes and told me that was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.

They said your wife and kids love you like crazy. I said that’s crazy love.