Another Shot: A Modern-Day Ruth and Boaz Story (2 page)

Chapter 2

"I'm going with you." I moaned.

I thought the words would come out properly, but the grief rested on me like a heavy cloud, causing everything to be slurred and blurred. It came out more like a moan.

"Hey sleepyhead," Laura said. She was sitting at the table in her robe—her hand around the coffee mug that rested on the table. I stared at her as I shuffled into the kitchen. She tried to smile when she called me sleepyhead, but the gesture couldn't break through the mask of sadness.

Anna was sitting at the table across from her with her back to me. She turned with a slightly more convincing smile to greet me as I approached. I glanced at the clock, which read 10:32.

"I slept late," I said. Again, my voice was giving me trouble, but I got it out and they seemed to understand me.

"I tried not to wake you when I came in," Anna said.

"I didn't hear anything," I said as I sleepily settled into the chair next to her. They had both showered and changed since the funeral, and I was still wearing remnants of my black mourning clothes. I was extremely out of it, and wondered if they were too.

"Coffee helps a little bit," Laura said, reading my mind. "Do you want me to make you a cup?"

"I'll get up and get it in a second," I said. I stacked my arms on the table and used them as a pillow, resting my head and closing my eyes.

"I called Anna over here this morning to talk about some things," Laura said. "I wanted to wait till you woke up to fill you girls in on some things Joey and Vinny told me last night."

It was then that I remembered what I'd been trying to say right when I woke up. "I'm going with you," I said, lifting my head and regarding Laura from across the table.

She and Anna both looked at me with perplexed expressions.

"I heard your conversation," I explained.

Laura searched my face. "What did you hear?"

"That you have to move to New York."

Anna gasped and put a hand over her mouth and Laura looked at her with a regretful expression.

"Is it true?" Anna asked.

"I'm afraid it is. My brother's there, and Gianni's cousin Frankie who's helped us out in the past. I've got to sell the house and car lot, so staying here isn't really an option."

"You can't leave," Anna said.

I glanced at her to see tears well in her eyes. I knew exactly how she felt. Laura's eyes filled with tears at the sight of Anna's.

"I can't even begin to tell you how sad this makes me," Laura said. She spoke in a slow, even tone and put a hand to her chest. "You girls are my heart, and to have to leave you right after this happened… " She blinked and tears fell onto her cheeks. "I just keep thinking it can't get any worse. I feel like God has completely forsaken me."

"I'm going with you," I said.

"Me too," Anna said. "Or we'll figure out a way for us all to stay."

Laura shook her head.

"I heard the whole conversation last night when I was half-asleep. I knew before I even walked in here this morning that I was going. I was trying to say it when I walked in. I'm going with you, Laura. I've already thought about it. I can help you."

"I'll go too," Anna said.

Laura's pain showed on her face as she stared at us, deciding what to say. "You have no idea how much it touches my heart that you would even say something like this." Silent tears streamed down her face as she continued. "But the truth is, I have nothing to offer you. It kills me to admit this, but I truly believe God has turned his back on me. If you came with me, I'd just bring you down."

"I've already thought about it," I said. "I'm going."

Laura put a hand in the air. "Just hear me out. Believe me, it pains me to think about leaving you girls. I love you so much, and…" she paused, and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. "…I have no one over there. I haven't been back in twenty years. I'm a stranger to them. I'm just an old woman with no connections or sons for you to marry." She blinked and tears rolled onto her cheeks. "Stay here and find yourselves good men. You'll have good lives, and raise a family. You would have a much easier time doing that here. I have no prospects for you in New York." Laura reached over the corner of the table, and Anna and I put our hands in hers. We sort of all huddled in an awkward hug.

"I can't believe you have to go," Anna said, beginning to sob. "I'm gonna miss you so much."

We cried together, much the same as we'd been doing for the last four days. We were all holding onto each other, and I gave Laura a squeeze. "I'm seriously going," I said.

She wiped at her eyes. "You can't," she said. "I can't do that to you. I have nothing to give you. I have debts, and—"

"I can help you. I want to help you." I shook her arms and looked into her bloodshot eyes.

"Anna's doing the right thing," Laura said, begging me with her expression to stop making it so difficult. "She's staying here with her mom, and it's the right choice." She squeezed my arm. "I know you love me, Rae. There's not a doubt in my mind that you do. I love you too."

Anna continued to wipe at her eyes as I stared at Laura.

"Please don't ask me to leave you again," I said, crying. "Wherever you go, I want to go. I want to live where you live. I want to be a part of what family you have over there, and if that turns out to be nobody, then I'll just be with you." I squeezed her again. "Please understand how important it is for me to stay with you. I'm not letting you go alone."

I could tell by the way Laura stared at me that she finally understood I was serious.

"I don’t know when you have to leave, but I can take care of things here," Anna said, practically.

"Vinny's taking care of the car lot. He's helping with the car and house too."

"When were you thinking about leaving?" Anna asked.

"Thursday. I've been on the phone all morning. Joey helped me rent a truck. Vinny's gonna help me get my things into it and when I get to New York, Frankie will help me unload."

"When
we
get to New York," I said.

She let a hint of a smile touch her lips. "When we get to New York," she said softly.

I smiled even though it hurt my face. I knew it was the right decision. Every bone in my body was telling me to go with her.

***

It had been exactly a week since the accident, and the whole situation still seemed surreal. I wondered if I'd ever feel normal again, or if the shock of everything had somehow permanently altered me. It was Thursday when Laura and I took off, headed for New York in the mid-size U-Haul truck her brother, Joey, reserved. We resolved to take turns driving, but I took the first shift.

Anthony and I each had a car. I knew I couldn't sell them for what we owed on them in such short notice, but Vinny worked it out where the dealership bought them back before we left.

I had about ten boxes of personal belongings and just over a thousand dollars to my name. Anthony kept track of all the money, so I had no idea what we had until I went to the bank to withdraw it. He and I had been saving for a down payment on a house for the year we'd been married, and I was surprised to find that there was only a thousand dollars. I was convinced that I was making the right choice, though, and had to trust that everything would be okay.

I felt a little better about my financial prospects after Laura spoke with Frankie on the phone during that first day driving. It was on speakerphone so I could hear the whole conversation.

"Hey Frankie."

"Hey Lulu, where you at?"

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? I called you that since I can remember."

"That's a happy name, Frankie, and I'm not a happy woman."

He was silent, for a second, and when he continued, he sounded considerably less cheerful. "When are you ladies planning on rollin' into town?"

"Saturday night if all goes as planned. Joey said we can sleep in Jersey if we don't want to mess with traffic in the city, in which case it'll be Sunday."

"Let me know what you decide, and I'll send some boys to unload your things. I went by the apartment today. It's in good shape, but you should know that the second room is barely fit to be an office. I list it as a one bedroom. You could probably fit a single bed in there but not much else. I hope the girl isn't claustrophobic."

I glanced at Laura from across the truck and she gave me a regretful smile. I smiled back letting her know I'd be just fine with whatever accommodations were awaiting.

"The good news is, I think I got her a job lined up."

"How'd you do that?" she asked.

"You remember Big Willie Russo. His oldest boy has that camera place down on 53
rd
. It's right down the street from the apartment. Anyway, he does a lot of online business, and he's always looking for people in the shipping department."

"Have you already talked to him?" she asked.

"Yep," he said proudly. "I ran into him at the deli earlier and told him you were coming back to town and bringing your daughter-in-law. He said he'd email with instructions. She'll probably just be able to say Dominic sent her and they'll hand her a nametag. It won't be much, but it'll get her started and she can work her way up."

I glanced at Laura again, and we shared a little smile.

"We're gonna pay you back, Frankie," Laura said. "Rae's gonna help me, and we're gonna make good on what the boys borrowed."

"Just get here," he said. "It'll be fine." I could tell by his tone that he didn't believe in a million years that Laura would be able to keep that promise. If anything, he probably expected to spend money on us rather than get paid back. Well, we would just have to prove him wrong.

They said their goodbyes and she hung up with him a minute later. "It's good that Willie's boy wants to give you a job," was the first thing she said when she hung up the phone. "The Russo's are a good family. I knew about Dominic's camera business. I think it'll be a good place to start, like Frankie said."

Laura and I drove for three days straight. It was late Saturday when we got close, so we decided to stop in New Jersey for the night. Joey and his wife, Maggie, were kind hosts and made us feel welcome, but it was late when we got there, and we really didn't talk much before going to bed.

They only had one spare bedroom, so Laura and I shared the queen size bed. September was much cooler in New Jersey than it was in Arizona, and I slept like a rock under the thick comforter.

We got an early start the next morning. We ate a quick breakfast before getting in the truck to follow Joey and Maggie into the city.

There were two Italians in leather coats standing outside when we parked on the street in front of the apartment building.

"Lulu Milano, you look like a million bucks!" The bigger one yelled when we got out of the truck.

"Don't call her Lulu," the other one said.

The bigger one looked at him with a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, and I suppose you don't wanna be called Frankie either," he said nudging the smaller guy, who I now knew was Frankie.

"He's right. I don't wanna be called Lulu," Laura said. She offered a sad smile and reached out to give a sideways hug to the guy who'd said it. "It's a happy name, and that's a word that no longer applies to me."

"I'm sorry," the big one said.

"It's okay." She sighed and put a hand on my shoulder as I came to stand beside her. "I've got Rae to help me through."

Frankie came over and took us both into his arms at the same time, giving us a tight squeeze. My cheek pressed into the cold leather on his lapel. "You girls are gonna get through this," he said with conviction. "I'm sorry for your loss. We loved Gianni and the boys."

My eyes burned and I did my best to hold back the tears that threatened to come out at the mention of Anthony. I distracted myself by staring at the big guy's haircut. I stared at it thinking about how much product he must have to use to make it slick back like that. I never saw men in Arizona wear their hair like that, and I enjoyed the distraction of imagining him combing it in the mirror like the movie Grease.

Frankie greeted Joey and Maggie, who had just gotten out of their car as he released us from the hug. Then he turned to the big guy. "What time are the other two getting here?" he asked.

The guy shrugged and Frankie scowled as he stared down the street to see if they were coming. "I'm Rae," I said extending a hand toward the big guy. Frankie and Laura both apologized at the same time for not introducing us.

"This is Little Mike," Frankie said, slapping Mike's shoulder. Mike shook my hand with a shy smile, and just as we finished our greeting, an old, brown, classic car in restored condition pulled up and two guys who were also very Italian, got out. They spoke to the driver for a second before he drove off, and then they turned to head toward us. Both of them were smiling.

I knew Anthony's family was Italian, but for some reason, it really didn't come across when they were in Arizona. Being here, seeing all these big, dark Italian guys with New York accents, leather coats, and pomade was not at all what I expected. I felt like I was in a scene from Goodfellas. I should have known to expect this with names like Vinny and Frankie, but the level of Italian-ness still came as a surprise.