An Invisible Thread (30 page)

My first communion, in 1958. That’s me in my special dress with (from left) my baby sister Nancy (sitting on my father’s knee), my brother Frank, and my sister Annette.

The Carino kids in the mid-1960s: (from left) Frank, me, Annette, Nancy, and Steven.

Here I am in pigtails hanging out with my high school friends Darcy (center) and Sue. The Mustang belonged to Darcy’s parents.

My friend Barbara and me graduating from Walt Whitman High School in 1970.

An old photo of Maurice’s extended family. That’s his mother, Darcella (holding Maurice’s sister, center), and his grandmother Rose (far right).

Me in my West 56th Street studio apartment at the Symphony. It was only one room, but it was my sanctuary.

That’s Maurice on one of his visits to my apartment in 1986. He’s wearing the watch I bought to help him get to school on time.

I took Maurice to ride the carousel in Central Park in 1986. I could always tell he was having fun by his smile.

I took this photo of Maurice trying to fly a kite in Central Park. He had a little trouble at first but eventually got the hang of it.

Maurice and I on the outdoor running track on the tenth floor of my Manhattan apartment building in 1986.

Maurice in my apartment in 1986; he’s wearing some sweats I gave him while we did his laundry.

Maurice loved visiting my sister Annette’s house in Greenlawn, New York. He couldn’t believe how big the front lawn was.

That’s my sister Annette and her husband at home with their wonderful kids (from left) Derek, Brooke, and Colette.