Hand In Hand
By Shotzette, Old Time Fan and Missy

Episode Twenty
By OldTimeFan

Thank You To Chesh For Tireless Hours of Betaing!
Just like Lucille Ball, Laverne had a lot of 'splaining to do.

First, she had to get rid of Shirley. But before she could even open her mouth to order her friend out of the apartment, Shirley had glanced over her shoulder, spotted Lenny, and stammered and stuttered her own way through a hasty exit. Laverne watched her slink past Lenny and out the door, resisting the urge to run after her and slam the front door three or four times behind her.

To his credit, Lenny stood quietly and simply waited for her to face him. His seemingly calm response gave Laverne hope, up until the moment her eyes met his. Then hope went right out the window.

"Um, Len?" she tried. "You, ah, you're probably wondering about what Shirl said and, well, that's fair of course, I mean," and she tittered. "It is a pretty crazy story, so I'll bet you're wondering all about it."

"You might say that." His voice was chilling. "It ain't everyday that you overhear how your wife and her best friend's then-boyfriend had an affair. In fact, that really ain't something a guy should hafta overhear, is it? Seeing as how the wife should have already mentioned it!"

Laverne cringed. "I...I know, Len, but it really isn't as bad as Shirl made it sound. Me and Carmine, we didn't exactly have what you'd call an affair...it was a couple of very strange nights, that's all!"

Lenny folded his arms. "A couple nights, huh? Geeze, that's fast, even for you, Laverne."

She scowled. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"Well, your men do bore you pretty quick, don't they?" he sneered. "How long did that Sal guy last again? And Ted Nelson, what was that, a week before Randy came along? Hm, who else was there? Oh, Sonny, of course, that was almost a month long commitment, a real record." He began fiddling with his wristwatch. "How long should I plan on, Laverne? Because my watch has got an alarm...."

She'd known him to be crass. She'd known him to be snide. But she'd never known Lenny to be cruel. It hurt, but it was also a shock, enough of one to jolt her temper into gear. She snapped, "I can't believe you're making such a big deal out of absolutely nothing! Carmine and I are friends, that's all! We never even...."

"I don't need the blow-by-blow!" he shouted. "I've been running around like a beheaded chicken, searching for jobs and getting doors slammed in my face every damned day for you, Laverne."

"I know...what does that have to do with...?"

"You think I'm doing that because this is a temporary arrangement? You think that I've been hunting and begging and doing everything I can do to give you a solid, happy life just so you can up and leave as soon as it gets dull?"

"Are you insane?" She gaped at him. "Do you really think that I'm just hanging out with you until someone else comes along?" When he didn't respond, she thrust her left hand under his nose. "That's a wedding ring on my finger, in case you don't recognize it! We're married, Lenny, married - remember? 'Til death do us part?"

"Did the guy at the rent-a-chapel actually say that line?" Lenny asked, mockingly. "It was all so quick and cheap...you sure we're actually hitched? Maybe that was the point...quickie marriage, hardly any record of it...easy to get out of."

She couldn't breathe. Laverne backed away from him as though he'd transformed into a monster from a B movie. "This isn't about my little nothing fling with Carmine," she whispered. "What is going on here, Lenny? Why are you saying these things?"

He leaned against the apartment door. "You married me to get your father to lay off."

"What! You can't...!"

"But it didn't work, did it? He still ain't satisfied, 'cause you married the dumb Polack instead of the Italian saint. Even in a coma, Sonny's his primo choice for his little Muffin. So, how long is it gonna be before you throw your hands in the air because daddy's still mad at you and start looking?" Lenny snapped his fingers. "Hey, since Carmine's all available again, and doing quite well career-wise, lest we forget...why not give him another shot? We know he makes babies nice and quick; ol' Pop'll love that!"

"Get out." Laverne was shaking from head to toe. It was hard to keep her voice from rising to a shriek, but she struggled for calm. "Just get out of here, now!"

"Oh, right. Yeah, see, I gotta be the one to leave, since this is your place with Shirley and I was just bunking here for awhile. Gotcha!" He spun around, flung open the door, and stormed out without a single, backward glance.

Laverne stood, one hand clenching the top of the sofa, her breath coming in loud, dry heaves. After another minute, all the strength drained out of her and she slumped to the floor, hot tears running from her eyes. She wrapped her arms around her knees and fell onto her side, helpless as a newborn to control her sobs as her entire world shattered to pieces around her.

***
Rhonda watched as Andy limped out of Sonny's hospital room. He closed the door behind him, then just stood there as if he had no idea where to go next. She stood up and went to his side. "Are you all right?"

"Who, me? Next to him, I'm Mr. Olympia." He shook his head. "Y'know, Rhonda, when all this," and he lifted his cane for emphasis, "the MS hit me, all I could think was, I'm done. Everything I'd ever wanted, everything I ever hoped would happen, it was all gone."

"Andy...."

"No, wait. I gotta say this, while it's still fresh in my heart." He looked up at her, and she was startled to see his dark eyes glistening in the harsh overhead light. "You see, I'm finally realizing that I was wrong. Seeing Sonny in there, way much worse than me, kinda cleared a few things up for me, and y'know what? I ain't done, Rhonda."

"Silly. Of course not."

He gripped her fingers with his free hand and led her over to the waiting area. "I'm still movin'. Oh, maybe not so easy as I used to, but I'm getting by. With the medications and the exercises, I might be on my feet for years yet."

"That's what I've been telling you all along!"

"Yeah, but I thought it was just words, what people say to cheer you along when you're doomed. But I ain't doomed, not yet at least. I got all my facilities." He tapped the side of his head. "I got a brand-new, very cool job that I'm pitifully unqualified for, but no one seems to care. I even got Lenny back, at least part-time, to be my best bud."

Rhonda wondered at how her heart was fluttering. Her heart rarely fluttered for anyone but Rhonda. It was disconcerting.

Her husband was twisting his cane in his hands. "But you know what's even better than all that? The thing that lets me know every morning and every night that I'm still alive?"

"The moths?"

He chuckled. "Naw. You. I got you, Rhonda. For real, not just on paper, not just to keep me from being put away somewhere. I got you for my wife in every single way. And I ain't told you this since we were all naughty together that night, even though I wanted to, because I was scared you'd realize you were nuts and run off. But now?" He pressed her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart pounding underneath her palm. "I don't wanna waste any more time, so I'm gonna say it. Whatever you decide to do after is up to you, but I just...."

She pressed her long, manicured fingertips against his lips and shushed him. "I love you, too, Andy."
His eyes widened. Muffled by her fingers, he said, "You do?"

She thought about it. The words had come out before she'd really considered them, but now that they'd been spoken, she recognized their validity. "Yes. Andy, I really do." She laughed. "I love you!"

He gently moved her hand aside and smiled, perhaps the first truly happy, open expression she'd ever seen cross his face. "That's just what I was gonna say! How did you know? You must be like a mind seer or something!"

She lowered her mouth to his. He dropped the cane and wrapped both arms around her neck. They stayed that way for an immeasurable amount of time, pausing only once for him to whisper, "I'm the luckiest guy what ever was."

***

Edna was good and irritated by the time she opened the trailer door. If she had to give Frank one more lecture on the stupidity of turning his back on his only daughter, she was going right out that front door and, this time, never looking back.

"Look, whatever you're selling, banging the door in isn't...." She paused, recognizing her stepdaughter, although only barely. "Laverne? Are you okay?"

"I'm here to see my father," Laverne said. Her face was flushed, her eyes puffy and swollen, hair in disarray.

"Laverne, did something happen...?"

"Is he here?" Laverne interrupted, her voice ragged and determined.

Edna stepped back. "Come on in. Frank's watching t.v."

Laverne gave her a curt nod and pushed past her. Edna watched her go, shaking her head. That girl seems more and more wound up every time I see her, she thought. So much for living happily ever after! Reminds me of when I was with my second husband Harry...or was that Jake...?

Edna tsked to herself as she went back into the bedroom and shut the door. Not that the thin plywood would block the screaming she expected any minute now, but at least it would be muffled a little. "God, I hope Frank heard one word I said tonight," she muttered.

***

Frank watched Laverne snap off the television set, his mouth dropping open. "What in the hell!"

His daughter turned and faced him squarely. She looked like she'd been ravaged, with a crazed look in her green eyes. "Shut up," she said in a cool, controlled voice.

"Wh...."

"I said shut up." Her voice didn't rise, but somehow, the force was there. "I've been listening to you for way too long now, taking whatever you told me to be gospel. Even when I said I wasn't listening anymore, that I was gonna do my own thing, I still managed to obey you. I've played the obedient daughter for you my whole life, and...."

"Obedient?" He laughed incredulously. "You stand there with Leonard Kosnowski's ring on your finger, and you got the gall...!"

She glared at him with such ferocity that he again fell silent, then continued in a measured tone. "I rushed Len into marrying me. I told him it was all because of love and I was ready and I wanted to be with him, and all that was true. But the main reason I did it, underneath it all? Was to please you, so you wouldn't think I was some puttana no more.

"But that wasn't enough for you, was it? I thought it was all about me getting married, but it wasn't. It was all about who I married, where I married, how I married. All about you and controlling my life, because yours is so out of control. Couldn't work through your own marriage's problems, but hey, you could still manage mine, right?"

"All I wanted," and he slowly rose to his feet. "Was for you to marry a decent, hard-working paisan like Sonny. Maybe if you'd listened, he wouldn't be all-but-dead now, and you wouldn't be stuck with that bum!"

He saw her hands ball into fists and for a crazed moment, wondered if she was actually going to strike him. Laverne merely stood her ground though, and said, "You threw me out of your life, said I wasn't your daughter no more. All I got a chance to do then was cry and run away. Now? Now I'm telling you that you ain't my father no more. I'm throwing you out of my life, Frank DeFazio. You don't have a say in anything from now on, and any bambinos I may have won't know you exist. So enjoy your life with your sometimes-wife and her daughter. I'm sure Amy won't mind you telling her what to do or who to be with...she's a nice, simple girl who likes to do whatever makes other people happy."

"You done?" he asked.

She nodded. "Boy, am I ever."

Frank took a deep breath. "Y'know, you gotta lot of nerve, stamping into my home, throwing your weight around, 'specially after our last conversation." She just glared back at him. "That nerve, that comes from your mother." He waggled a finger at her. "She'd be furious to hear you talkin' to me like that, you know..."

"Don't you dare use my mother's memory against me!" Laverne cried, her voice cracking.

"Let me finish! My 'sometimes-wife,' as you so rudely call her, pointed out a few things to me tonight, and not for the first time, mind you. Like about Josephine - she'd be even madder at me for sayin' you wasn't mine no more. In fact, she'd probably have smacked me upside the head with a pizza paddle, if she were there." He saw the corners of his daughter's mouth twitch at this. "Oh, trust me, the woman was a saint, but she wasn't the Virgin! She had a temper...phew!"

Laverne managed an actual grin at this. "Yeah, I remember."

"And my mamma? Forget it, she'd plant her size five lace-up boot so far up my patoot that I'd never stand up straight again!"

This time, she chuckled. "No one messed with Grandma!"

"True enough." Frank took a tentative step toward her. "Look, what I'm tryin' to say is, well, maybe, just a little bit, you got a point here. Not the biggest one, mind you, and not the only one. But a point."

Laverne's eyes widened. "You mean it?"

He let his shoulders slump. "Yeah. Laverne, I've been hard on you for awhile now. This past year especially...what with Edna runnin' off and Mamma dyin'...I guess I let it all make me a little, you know." He drew circles in the air beside his head. "Nutty."

"As a fruitcake," his daughter muttered. But she was still grinning.

"I wanted you to be married to the right guy, to be happy, to have a family. That way, when I went, I could do it knowin' you was all set. The thought of leavin' you in this world with only Lenny...."

"Don't!"

He threw his hands up and let them fall to his sides. "The point is poor Sonny ain't even an option no more. And," He thrust one hand toward her. "Before you jump all over that, I know that even if he was still hale and hearty, he wouldn't be your choice. You married the guy you wanted, for whatever reason, and, well, that's that."

Laverne blinked. "Are you saying what I think your saying? Are you actually giving me your blessing on my marriage?"

He nearly choked on the words. "I don't know about blessing. But maybe I could kinda get used to the idea, someday."

She just stared for a few more moments. Then she burst into tears.

"Maron, what now?" he mumbled under his breath. He went to his daughter and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Muffin, what is it? I thought you wanted...?"

"I do, I do!" she gasped between sobs. "It's just...timing...oh, Pop!"

He was Pop again. That was definitely progress. She threw herself into his arms and he stood there, just holding her as she shook and wept against him. As miserable as she was, and as much as he was choking on all the pride he'd just swallowed, all he could think was how good it felt to hold his baby girl in his arms once again. When it came right down to it, as sweet and obedient as Amy was, she wasn't his flesh and blood. Edna had been right when she'd said no one could replace his own child, no matter how much he tried. For better or worse, Laverne was his only daughter - just as flawed, headstrong, and fiery as he.

***

Carmine looked down at Sonny's pale face and shook his head. "God I wish you could talk to me," he said softly. "You made a lot of sense, pal."

He tried to picture Sonny as he had been, tall and strong, always a sly smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. It was difficult to reconcile that image with the one confronting him, a man scarred and shrunken as he slowly wasted away.

Carmine patted Sonny's forearm, careful not to dislodge any tubes or wires. "A little while ago, I'd have sat here and apologized to you, and beat my chest over the friend I was losing, how much it hurt me to see you like this. Me, me, me, I, I, I. My shrink calls it narcissism. You'd probably have called it something more straightforward, something along the lines of, 'you're an asshole, Ragusa.'" He chuckled. "Comes right down to it, both of you are right. I've been an asshole, Sonny, completely wrapped up in how everything affected me. But you know what, pal? I'm gonna change that."

He glanced at the door, which was partially open. Through it he could see Squiggy and Rhonda snuggling together in the waiting area. "Look at Squiggy. The guy's got a debilitating, permanent illness. Is he moping around, crying into his soup, swallowing bottles of happy pills? Nope. That little so-and-so has a budding new career, a wife that's way out of his league, and he keeps on fighting. Now I ask you, how can I do any less than Squiggy, for God's sake? Am I crippled? No. Am I in constant pain? Again, no.

"And let's look at you, buddy. Lying here, all messed up, probably for the rest of your days." He held out his hands and examined them. "No burns, right? Nothing strapping me to a bed, no machines keeping me alive. Yet if you hadn't saved me, Sonny, I might have wound up lying right next to you, or worse. Now if that ain't the act of an asshole, trying to eliminate his perfectly healthy self, then I don't know what is." Carmine took a deep breath and smiled down at his friend. "There ain't much I can do for you, and I really, really do regret that. But there are a few other people I can help, starting by getting the hell over myself and my anger and going from there. I didn't think I could do it before, man, but now?" He tapped his forehead. " I think a few gears have finally clicked into place."

Carmine stood up, giving Sonny one last look. "Time to pull my own weight. It's what you wanted me to do, it's what my shrink told me to do, and it's what I'm finally ready to do. I'll see you later, my friend."

He turned and headed toward the door, nearly colliding with Sonny's primary doctor, who was just entering. "I have those papers, Mr. Ragusa. Are you sure you want to do this? Long term care can become very costly."

"It's the least I can do. I owe him. Besides," Carmine shrugged. "He's my friend."

"Mr. St. Jacques is fortunate to have a friend like you. Just sign here, and here. The billing cycle is typically month by month."

Carmine accepted the pen and began writing his name. "So there's no chance he'll just be ignored, right? He'll be kept clean and comfortable, get whatever care and food he needs so long as he lives, even after his insurance runs out?"

"Yes, Mr. Ragusa. Your generosity will ensure that."

"Cool." Carmine finished signing. "That it?"

"Yes. I'll make sure your friends know what a wonderful thing you're doing...."

"No."

"Ex...excuse me?"

Carmine smiled. "No one needs to know. This is between Sonny and me."

"But some of them have already asked about his long-term care." The doctor blinked. "I'm sure they'd want to thank you for taking it on."

"Just tell 'em the studio's taking care of Sonny. That's all they need to know." Carmine winked, then strolled out the door. He nodded and smiled at Rhonda and Squiggy, who grinned like a couple of high school sweethearts before returning their attention to one another.

***
Rose called, "Hey, Shirley! The bastard that stomped all over your hopes and dreams is here!"

Shirley started. "Carmine?"

She heard him chuckle as he walked into the apartment. "Amazing how you knew right off she was talking about me."

"Who else?" But she said it with little venom. Shirley found that she could no longer summon up much emotion at all when she saw Carmine, neither rage nor hurt nor grief. Although she did hope that he wasn't here to berate her for another imagined sleight. She had a lot of unpacking to do tonight, and didn't want to waste time rehashing the past yet again.

"Shirl, would you mind if we talked for a little bit?"

"Carmine, I'm really swamped...."

"Please." He held out both hands in a gesture of surrender. "I swear, I'll keep it short."

She sighed. Glancing at the door to her room, she saw Rosie still standing there, anticipation on her round face. "Rose, would you mind giving us a few minutes?"

Rosie grumbled, "Just when it's gonna get fun." She reluctantly turned and stalked away, kicking Shirley's new bedroom door shut behind her.

Shirley steeled herself. "Okay, say your piece."

He just looked at her. Finally he said, "It's like you're a whole other person now."

She rolled her eyes. "Carmine, how many times do we have to have this conversation? Are you ever going to let go...?"

"And let God?" He shrugged. "Hey, I've heard the AA mantra."

"So we're going to make fun of my sobriety tonight?"

"No." He shook his head. "This...okay, I'm just gonna say it. Shirl, we're through. Over. Finito. Done. The end."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Do you honestly think you are breaking up with me for the first time? Carmine, you are completely delusional."

He shook his head. "No, you're not understanding me. I get that we've broken up. I dumped you, you dumped me...I'm not retarded, Shirl."

She saw him wince at his own comment and knew he was thinking of Amy. "Go on."

"What I'm trying to say here...the reason I came...oh, damn. Maybe I should've warmed up with Amy first." He plunked himself down on her bed. "Look, I'm doing what you wanted. I'm over it - us. I'm moving on with my life and I just felt...I needed to start fresh and to do that, I had to tell you...this."

She studied his face. There was something different in his eyes tonight, something other than the desire or loathing usually present when he looked at her. It was almost familiar, yet also completely different. "If that's true, Carmine, then I'm happy for you. I wish you lots of luck."

"I know what you did for me."

"For you, or to you?"

He grinned. "I thought it was to me, but I was dead wrong. Shirl, I found out that you're the reason I didn't wind up locked away in a booby hatch. I thought that you wanted to get rid of me, any way possible, but now I know you saved me. As much as you were hurt and angry, you helped me out."

"Well, of course. I wasn't about to let you get locked up like some mad dog." She sighed. "You were just unhappy and got a little too wrapped up in those feelings. I knew that if they locked you up, you'd only wind up more miserable and probably try to finish yourself off again. You think I wanted that on my conscience along with everything else?"

"No, no, I'm sure you've had plenty to weigh you down. I know, because so have I." He propped himself up on one elbow. "Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you. I really appreciate your hooking me up with Dr. Schnable and letting me keep my career. The income means a lot, especially now."

"Well, you're welcome." She hardly knew how to react to this. Was he setting her up, trying to get her back? It didn't seem that way, but she'd been wrong about his motives before. "Is that it?"

"Yeah. That's it." He bounced off the bed and headed for the door. "Bye, Shirl."

"Carmine, wait." She rose from her desk chair and stood in front of him. "Are you really ready to let the past go? Just...move on?"

"I hurt you, Shirley. You hurt me. We can keep on doing that, all wrapped up in our own self-righteous pain, or we can just let go. I think you're a little further down that path than me, but I'm catching up. Fast."

"I don't mean to be cruel, not anymore, but at the same time, I'm not going to lie around and let you lash out at me over and over again." She bit her lower lip. "I really want to believe that we can end this stupid cycle of recriminations and resentment, for both our sakes."

"How can I convince you?" he said, seemingly to himself. Then he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.

As soon as his lips touched hers, she felt the urge to pull away and run. But something made her stop. She stared back into Carmine's dark eyes, which were open and looking back at her with no more interest than if they were discussing the weather. His lips were dry and gentle - there was no passion in them, neither the heat of anger nor of desire. He may as well have been kissing Lenny.

They pulled apart, a mutual, if unspoken decision. "Oh," was all she could say.

"Goodbye, Shirley." He gave her a pleasant smile. "I wish you the best of everything."

"You, too," she murmured.

Then he was gone, and all she could feel was overwhelming relief, tinged with just a bit of nostalgia for what had been.

***

Amy stood in the doorway, her face partially protected by her long blonde hair. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to see how you were feeling," said Carmine. His hands were in his jacket pockets. He looked almost cheerful for the first time since she'd really gotten to know him.

"Is Sonny all better now?"

His smile faded. "No, sweetie. Sonny's the same. But don't you worry, he's getting all sorts of help from really good doctors."

"Sonny saved me," she said, closing her eyes at the memory of that scary, bad day. "He got hurt because of me."

"No, Amy." Carmine sat down on the step outside the doorway and she joined him. "You were frightened and confused and you ran. You didn't know that it was dangerous."

"Because I'm a dummy." She felt her eyes getting wet and blinked fast. "Only a dummy would run into a place where they could get blown up."

Carmine put an arm around her shoulder. "Amy, you're no dummy. Look, you have to believe me, blaming yourself for what happened to Sonny won't change anything. It won't make him better; all it will do is eat you up inside. He liked...likes you, Amy, and I know he wouldn't want that."

She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "You really think Sonny likes me?"

He grinned. "I know it. He told me so. He said you were really pretty and sweet."

She ducked her head. "Not me. I'm just a slow girl."

Carmine shook his head. "You're a lot more than that, Amy. You're a good person, and a lovely young woman. You made me feel better when absolutely no one else in the world could. Why, because of you, I've become a success for the first time in my life."

"Really? Because of me?"

"Absolutely! If you hadn't let me sing to you in the park that day, my boss would have never met me and never given me my great job. I owe that to you, Amy. Thank you."

She blushed. "You're a wonderful singer. You would have been famous someday anyway."

"I also owe you an apology." Carmine stroked her hair and she felt all tingly. "I was very loud and mean to you at the movie set. I want you to know that wasn't your fault either; I was just feeling very, very sorry for myself, and I took it out on you. That wasn't fair."

"No, it wasn't." She frowned. "You hurt my feelings."

"I know." His eyes were sad again. "That was the last thing I wanted to do."

"Then you will be my boyfriend now?" she asked hopefully.

He pressed his lips together and shook his head. "No, Amy. I can't be anybody's boyfriend, at least not for a while. I've gotta get...happy...again, first. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings like I did yours."

"And Shirley Feeney's, right? You aren't going to be her boyfriend again, are you?"

"No, Amy. That's all done."

She considered his words. They were pretty clear this time. "Okay. Will you still be my friend and sing to me sometimes?"

He laughed. "Absolutely! I'd be honored. And hey, these are for you and your folks." He reached into his jacket and handed her two small pieces of paper.

She took them and read them carefully. "These are tickets to see you!"

"Just like I promised. Front and center, for my very dear friend." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

She squealed and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, thank you! I'm going to wear my red dress...oh, no, maybe the blue one, Lenny used to say it made my eyes all pretty...I'd better find it!" She hopped to her feet and hurried back into the trailer, running straight past a wet-faced Laverne, who was just heading toward the door. She was so excited that she didn't realize until later that she'd forgotten to tell Carmine good night, but had a feeling that he forgave her for that, too.

***

Carmine ran through his mental checklist. Made my peace with Sonny, Shirley, and Amy...wow. Not bad for one night.

He was just considering approaching Edna and Frank to fall on his sword over his treatment of Amy when Laverne came stumbling out of the trailer and nearly fell down the few cement steps. He managed to catch her before any damage could be done. "Hey, be careful, there!"

She blinked at him and he was stunned by the devastation in her eyes. Her makeup was smeared, tears still running out of her swollen red eyes. "S...sorry," she mumbled. "I gotta go."

He didn't let her. Grasping her arm, he asked, "Did someone hurt you, Laverne? My God, were you attacked? Because I'll fucking kill him, I swear!"

She managed a trembling grin. "You sweet talker, you," she sniffled. "No, Carmine, no one attacked me, at least not like you're thinking. Only with words."

"Words are sometimes enough." He wondered if Frank had gone off on her again. Maybe he'd have to have a different sort of discussion with the old man. Rubbing the sobbing girl's back, he said, "Is there anything I can do to help you? You look like you just lost your best friend."

She sighed. "My best friend, my ex-boyfriend, my husband...I got my father back, though. I guess one out of four ain't bad."

"Wait a minute. I know you and Shirl have been at odds lately, and there's Sonny's accident...but your husband? What happened to Lenny?"

She sniffled again and he dug around in his jacket pockets until he located a clean handkerchief. She accepted it and wiped at her eyes and nose. "Len and me had a fight, Carmine. A big one this time, maybe even a permanent one."

"I find that hard to believe," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Lenny loves you more that life itself. Everyone knows that. I thought you did, too."

"Maybe he did, once...oh, Carmine! I ruined everything!" She started to sob again. "I rushed him...and pushed him about work...and my father was always there...."

"Sh, sh. Calm down, there." He held her, stroking her hair. "Vernie, come on. Whatever you guys fought about, you'll get past it."

"I don't know, Carmine. I thought we were so solid...there wasn't anything...and now? I feel so alone!"

He knew what that was like. Thoughts churned in his mind as he struggled to find the right words to say to her. There wasn't much he could do about their quickie wedding or her father, but maybe... "Say, Laverne. Maybe I can give Len a hand, take some of the pressure off, if you think he'd be interested."

She blew her nose juicily into his hanky and asked, "What are you saying, Carmine?"

"I'm saying that I've got a solid gig at the club, one that involves music. You know, me singing, other people playing instruments?"

"Yeah?" She started to look interested.

"Well, I never learned how to play a guitar."

She hiccupped. "Do you mean that?"

"Yeah. I stink on ice, trust me. Sounds like I'm killing a cat."

She burst out laughing. "No, you idiot! I mean, about Len playin' guitar for you! That is what you're saying, right?"

He shrugged, wondering how many strings he'd need to pull to actually make it happen. "Len can play a mean guitar, Laverne, no joke. Assuming he's kept it up...."

"Sure! I mean, not with Squiggy lately, but on his own."

"He's got a decent voice, too. Certainly good enough for backup vocals. Since I've been doing a lot more rock and blues, I think he'd fit in with my act really well."

"Yeah!" She brightened, but then hesitated. "But don't you already got a back up group?"

"Just studio guys that come and go. I'd kind of like a regular band, so I always know what to expect quality-wise. I trust Lenny's playing, he'd do good by me." Mentally, Carmine gulped, wishing he were as confident in Len's skills as he sounded.
Laverne just stared at him. Then she threw her arms around his neck and nearly strangled him. "Carmine, thank you! I don't know if it'll fix everything, but it sure as hell wouldn't hurt!"

He hugged her back, and managed to gasp, "You've stood by me no matter how much of a jerk I've been, Laverne. Now it's my turn."

She kissed him and he smiled into her hair. This really does feel a lot better than wallowing in self-pity, he thought. Should have tried it sooner.

Carmine felt a hand land on his right shoulder. Pulling away from Laverne, he saw Lenny standing behind him. "Hey, Len. We were just talking...."

"No, you weren't!" snapped Lenny. Then the furious-looking young man punched him right in the face.


FIN






To Chapter 19

On To Chapter 21











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