PART 1
"Well, Rick, it was a successful first month!" Jerry, the manager that Rick had hired for his club Rhythm, closed the ledger books that the two were going over one early Sunday morning after the orchestra had left.
Rick stood up from his chair and stretched. "Terrific. And I'll be glad to have a couple of days off now!"
Jerry laughed. "You've been going nonstop, man. What are you going to do with yourself until Tuesday?"
Rick turned his chair backwards and straddled it. "I'm taking the train to Connecticut to see my mother. I haven't seen her since opening night and I think she's a little lonesome for me."
Jerry smirked and looked at Rick sideways. "You need a social life, man. You need to find a girl. Or a few girls! You see the way they look at you every night? You could have your pick! But you're going to see your mother?"
Rick shrugged him off. "I notice them, Jer. But it hasn't been that long since my Dad died and I love my mother. There's plenty of time for dates."
"Alright, Alright. I'll see you Tuesday night, then. Try not to get overcome by excitement up there in Westport." Jerry punched Rick playfully in the arm.
Rick shoved him back lightly. "Yeah, get outta here."
Jerry walked out of the club, slinging a coat over his shoulder. Rick gathered the ledger books and walked to the office backstage. He locked the books into a filing cabinet and sat in the leather chair by his desk. He stared at the wall for a few moments, thinking about what Jerry had said. He wanted to find a nice girl, but not like the ones who hung around the club looking to snare a husband. Anyway, he was much too busy right now getting Rhythm off the ground. He glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that the next train out to Westport would be leaving in an hour.
He stood up, grabbing his coat. As he turned for the door, his eyes caught an old framed photo that his father had always kept here. Rick never wanted to move it from its place on the wall. It was a photo of his parents dancing at the club. A photographer from the Times had taken it while doing a profile of his father. They hadn't known that the picture was being taken at that moment, according to his mother, and Rick believed her. There was such intimacy evident between them; an intimacy that Rick had seen between his parents over the course of his life. This picture was his father's favorite.
Rick smiled as he switched off the light and started out of the club.
PART 2
The train jerked to a stop at the Westport station. Rick tucked some sheet music into his bag; he had been composing the arrangement but had no lyrics to go with it yet. Once on the platform, he headed toward the cab stand. His mother didn't know he was coming, but he talked to her on the phone often and talked to her all about how the club was doing. She was always more concerned with how HE was doing.
At the cab stand, a man stood at the podium. When Rick approached, he looked up. "Should be another cab here in about 15 minutes." He was gruff.
"Thanks." Rick sat at a nearby bench and looked up at the midmorning October sky. He hadn't slept yet, between the Saturday night show and his meeting with Jerry. Before long, a yellow cab pulled up to the stand and the man at the podium pointed to Rick. The driver hopped out of the cab. "Where to, mister?" He grabbed Rick's bag.
"360 Cedar Crest Lane." Rick followed the driver and sat in the backseat.
PART 3
Lucy was up early. She had prepared breakfast for herself and done a little housework. She was preparing to read a magazine when Ethel walked in through the back door.
"Morning, Lucy!" Ethel sat at the table and poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot.
Lucy closed her magazine and smiled at her friend. "Hi, Ethel."
"What do you want to do today?" Ethel sipped her coffee and her eyes moved toward the front door when she heard it click open slowly.
When Rick stepped in and saw that Ethel had noticed him, he put his finger to his lips so she wouldn't alert Lucy.
"I don't know. We could go into town and go antiquing, maybe get some lunch…" Lucy was unaware that Rick was walking up behind her.
He smiled at Ethel, who had a grin on her face.
"Well, alright, but I was kinda hoping for a home-cooked meal…"
Lucy spun around in her seat, her eyes wide. She looked at him a moment before a broad smile crossed her face and she jumped up, wrapping him in a loving embrace. "Ricky! Oh, darling, I'm so glad to see you!"
Rick laughed as he hugged her and Lucy's heart seemed to stop. His laugh was so like his father's.
Lucy kissed his cheek and held his hands. "Let me look at you. You're thin, dear, are you eating well? You're working too hard."
Rick smiled. "Yes, mother, I'm eating fine. It's been a long month, but I don't have another performance until Tuesday night, so I came to see you for a couple of days."
"Of course! Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" Lucy beamed as he walked around the table to Ethel.
"Hi, Aunt Ethel, how are you?" Rick kissed her on the cheek.
"Oh, I'm good, Ricky, it's so good that you're home." Ethel rose from her chair. "Lucy, I'll let you two catch up. I have some things to do, but I'll be back later."
"Ok, Ethel." Lucy was still smiling as Ethel walked out the back door. "Ricky, come sit down and talk to me…" She walked to the couch, sat down and patted the space next to her.
Rick sat next to her. "Well, we had a good first month! Jerry and I went over the books last night and we made quite a nice profit."
"Oh, that's great." Lucy put her hand on Rick's knee.
"How are you, Mom? You look great."
Lucy patted her son's knee and looked away. "I'm doing fine. I miss your father, but Aunt Ethel is wonderful at taking my mind off things." She looked at him and smiled. "You are handsome, son. But you look tired."
Rick nodded. "I haven't slept yet."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Ricky! Well, go upstairs and get some rest! Right now, go on!"
Rick stood up and headed for the stairs. "Yeah, maybe I am ready for a nap." He grabbed his bag and climbed up to his old bedroom.
"And while you're having a nap, I'm going to go into town and get some things for that home-cooked meal you wanted!" Lucy turned and headed for the kitchen.
Rick stopped and called after her. "Mom, I didn't mean for you to go to any trouble…"
"Nonsense!" Lucy laughed as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Rick chuckled and continued up the stairs. When he reached his old room, he dropped his bag on the floor and sat on the bed, looking at himself in the mirror across from him. The length of busy hours were catching up with him and he yawned. He turned on the small radio next to his bed and adjusted the volume to a soft hum. He lay back and started drifting off to the sounds of a Bee Gees ballad.
PART 4
When Rick's eyes blinked open, there was the soft light of mid -afternoon flowing in the windows. There was a light blanket draped over him and his radio had been switched off. He sat up slowly and noticed a note propped up against the mirror on the dresser. Moving the blanket to the side, he rose and picked up the note.
Ricky,
I didn't want to wake you. I had to go back into town for some things I forgot. Your Aunt Ethel is with me. I'll be home soon.
Love,
Mom
Setting the note down, Rick walked sleepily out of the room. He felt a bit hungry and started for the stairs to see what was in the kitchen. When he passed by his parents' bedroom, he noticed some things spread out on the bed. He didn't want to pry, but curiosity got the better of him and he walked in.
As he approached, he recognized some of the items as his father's. A watch, a pair of cufflinks and a medal that he always wore around his neck. Rick picked up the medal. One side bore the image of St. Christopher, the other side was engraved with the words "Love, Lucy".
Rick set the medal down on the bed again and turned his attention to a large book. He had never seen it before. When he opened it, he realized it was a scrap book of sorts. He flipped through pictures of his parents together, pictures that they took of each other, newspaper clippings about his father, and even love letters and telegrams that they had sent to each other during times that he was away with the band. He saw a copy of their marriage license folded neatly and nestled in one of the pages. Turning more pages, Rick saw pictures of his clearly pregnant mother, one of them with a small slip of paper tucked underneath. He removed it gently and unfolded it to see it was a note.
Dear Mr. Ricardo,
My husband and I are going to have a blessed event. I just found out about it today and I haven't told him yet. I heard you sing a number called We're Having A Baby, My Baby And Me. If you could sing it for us now, it would be my way of breaking the news to him.
"We were so happy. I had never seen your father cry before that night…"
Rick was startled and turned around to see his mother looking over his shoulder. "Mom, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to look at your private things." He scrambled to put the book back in its place, but Lucy touched his arm to stop him.
"No, honey, don't be sorry. This isn't just mine, you're our son."
Rick relaxed and picked up the note again. "You never told me about this." Lucy smiled. "We didn't want to bore you."
Rick laughed. "You can tell me now."
Lucy sat on the edge of the bed. "Well…where to start…"
Rick pulled a chair from a corner of the room and sat next to the bed. He ran his hand over the open book and looked at his mother.
Lucy picked up the medal that Rick had held earlier and turned it over in her fingers, her eyes distant. "We had been married 11 years by the time I wrote that note. We were happy, in love. But what we always wanted was to have a child and it hadn't happened. By the time I learned about you, I thought it would never happen." She paused, remembering. "After I found out I was going to have you, I tried all day to tell your father. But he was having such a terrible day at the club that I couldn't get a moment with him. Finally, in desperation, I went to his show and gave that note to the maître d'. He gave it to your father and he read it without knowing I had written it." Lucy laughed. "He walked all over, singing and trying to find out who wrote the note. When he finally got to me, he pointed to me. I nodded to let him know that it was him who would be a father, but he didn't believe it right away. When I nodded again, he understood and…" Lucy looked at Rick. "…here you are."
"He was happy?"
Lucy leaned over to touch Rick's hand, eyes wide. "Oh, he was thrilled. We both cried, we were so happy. And when he saw you the first time, it was like he had waited for you his whole life!"
Rick looked at the thick book full of mementos. "You kept all these things…"
Lucy touched the book. "Yes."
"You really loved each other, didn't you?" Rick could feel his mother's heartbreak. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask you these things. I don't want to upset you…"
Lucy looked at Rick intently. "It's alright, Ricky, it doesn't upset me to talk about your father. My memories of him…" Lucy looked wistful. "Ricky, your father and I loved each other very much. I think we were in love from the moment we met."
Rick flipped through more pages, now seeing pictures that he remembered, pictures that included him throughout his childhood.
"He was so proud of you. So am I."
"Thanks, Mom."
PART 5
Tuesday morning was raw and rainy, the chill of October taking hold. Rick went over the last two days in his mind as he sat at the kitchen table, eating the eggs and toast that his mother had prepared for him. She had cooked each of his meals since he'd arrived, despite his occasional protests that she didn't need to do so. Each protest had met with a resounding "Nonsense!"
He had spent his time alternately between reminiscing with his mother and Aunt Ethel, and spending time with friends in the area. Now he looked at his watch. He had to catch the morning train if he was going to be back in New York in time for rehearsal. He rose from his chair slowly as he sipped some coffee.
"Mom?" Rick called out to Lucy, who emerged from the kitchen. "Mom, I have to get going to catch the train."
"You called a cab already?"
"No, Bruce is going to give me a ride into the station. I'm going to walk next door and meet him."
Lucy rested her hands on a dining chair. "Alright, dear. I left your bag on the couch."
Rick grabbed it and walked up to his mother. "Thanks for everything, Mom. I'll be back in a few weeks and I'll call you soon."
He hugged her with his free arm and kissed her on the cheek. As he went through the door, she called out to him. "When you get on the train, take a look in your bag, darling."
He laughed. "Now you didn't pack me a lunch, did you?!"
Lucy smiled. "No, dear, no."
Rick smiled and waved as he left.
PART 6
The train was loud and busy as it sped through the rain toward New York. Rick had wanted to continue working on his musical composition, but he knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate amid the noise. In the chaos, he had forgotten that his mother had told him to check his bag. He sat staring out the window as the train pulled up to the stop before his, allowing riders to get off and on. But more people were getting on than off and space was at a premium.
Rick had tried not to pay attention to all the people and at first didn't hear the voice.
"Excuse me!"
Rick was shaken and looked up. His eyes met with a slender young lady with long brown hair and deep brown eyes. Her face softened when he looked at her. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I just found this on the floor near your bag and I thought maybe it was yours." The girl held out her hand and Rick was stunned to see his father's medal. He suddenly remembered his mother's words as he left that morning and was grateful it had been found or he might never have known it was gone.
"Yes, this is mine! Thank you so much, miss, you have no idea how special this is…" Rick smiled at her as she slipped the medal into his hand.
"Oh, you're welcome. I'm sure your girlfriend would be very upset if it was lost, it's beautiful."
Rick looked at her puzzled. "Girlfriend? No, I don't have a girlfriend…"
"Wife, then? It says 'Love, Lucy' on the back of it…"
Rick laughed. "Oh! No. Lucy is my mother. This was a gift from her to my father."
"Oh! Well, then I'm sure he'll be glad to get it back."
Rick's smile decreased a bit unconsciously. He moved over in his seat to make a little space. "Would you like to sit down?"
"Sure, thank you." The girl sat and looked at Rick, who was fastening the medal around his neck. He tucked it inside his shirt. She giggled. "That's a much safer place for it. If he's anything like my father, he'd never let you forget that you lost it!" She was immediately sorry for her joking tone when she saw Rick's face grow serious.
"Uh, I'm sorry. I was only joking, I'm sure your father isn't like that…"
Rick looked at her and smiled. "It isn't that, you don't have to apologize. My name is Rick Ricardo. It's nice to meet you."
"My name is Anna Carmichael. It's nice to meet you, too. Rick Ricardo? That's your real name?"
Rick chuckled at the very pretty girl. He found her mannerisms endearing. "Well, yes and no. Rick is a nickname. If you must know, my name is Enrique Alberto Ricardo, Jr."
Anna froze for a moment. "Ricardo…Enrique Ricardo…that name was in the news recently, are you famous?!"
Rick shrugged. "Well, I don't know about that, but I own Rhythm in the city and I perform there."
Anna shook her head and then looked at Rick with wide eyes. "No, no. You can't be Ricky Ricardo, the band leader and the movie star…can you?"
Rick realized why she had heard the name in the news recently. "Uh, no, not me. That's my father."
"Right, because I think I read that he passed away. Oh! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Me and my big mouth!" Anna put a hand over her mouth, thoroughly embarrassed. "I'm so stupid!"
"No, you're not, it's alright, really." Rick was gracious and warm.
The train lurched to a stop at Rick's station and they both stood up. "This is your stop?" Rick flashed a smile at Anna.
Anna blushed. "Yes it is."
"Mine, too." Rick motioned to Anna to walk in front of him and he followed behind her. Once off the train, they faced each other.
Rick slung his bag over his shoulder. "Do you live here or just work here?"
Anna looked at Rick and she saw him better in the natural light. She thought him very handsome. "I live AND work here. I have an apartment and I'm a secretary at a lawyer's office."
"Me, too. Well, I mean, I live and work here, too." Rick stumbled over his words.
"At Rhythm…" Anna volunteered.
"Yes! Uh, I'm performing tonight, maybe you'd like to come see me? I mean, see the show? As my guest? Because, uh. Well, I'm really grateful to you for finding this medal." Rick touched his chest where the medal lay.
Anna smiled. "Sure! What time does your show start?"
"9:00. I'll tell the guy in front that I'm expecting you."
"Alright. See you tonight, then." Anna lingered, looking at Rick before turning and walking out of the station.
PART 7
The crowd to get inside Rhythm seemed to get larger every night. It was quickly becoming one of the best places to be in New York, due in no small part to Rick's ability to recognize talented musicians to perform. But his performances were among the most anticipated, with his Latin roots and dashing smile.
Rick finished his set and introduced a group of singers he had auditioned the week prior. With Rick's own musicians backing them up, they launched into their set and the crowd began dancing.
Rick started to make his way around the club. Normally, he talked to various people or sat down for a drink with Jerry or other musicians.
Tonight, he was looking to see if Anna had accepted his invitation to be his guest. He walked out toward the front entrance, where he met up with Rocco. Rocco was the man who allowed patrons in and managed the crowd.
When Rick walked out to where Rocco stood, he looked out over the crowd still outside. Four people wide, the line snaked around the side of the building. "We're at capacity now, boss. Can't let people in unless people leave." Rocco stood with his arms crossed over his chest.
"I know, Rocco, that's fine. I was coming over to ask if you saw a girl asking for me…"
Rocco laughed before Rick could finish. "They ALL ask for you, boss!"
Before Rick could get another word out, a woman in the front of the line recognized him and started shouting. "There he is, it's Rick!" The crowd started cheering and calling out to him. Young women started pushing themselves forward, hoping to catch his attention. Rocco moved forward to control the crowd and Rick turned to go back in the club.
Jerry was in the doorway. "Did I hear you ask about a girl? Anna?"
"Yeah, you saw her?" Rick's heart skipped unexpectedly.
"Yeah, she asked for you and her name was on the list…" Jerry smiled at him slyly. "A date?"
Rick ignored his question. "Well, where did she go?"
Jerry looked around as they walked together in the club. "I don't know. She didn't leave, I haven't seen her walk out…"
Rick started walking away from Jerry. "Alright, thanks. I'll look around."
As Rick walked, he smiled cordially at each young woman who called out to him and tried to catch his eye. They were all very pretty, but he knew they were attracted to the glamour of his job and his background. No girl had talked to him on a personal level the way Anna had.
After several minutes, Rick looked over at the bar and saw her sitting on a stool. He didn't approach right away and just stood looking at her. Her long hair fell gracefully on her back, a few soft curls lay against her shoulder. She wore a short navy blue skirt with black knee-high boots. She was really very beautiful.
Rick started walking toward her and as he approached, she turned and noticed him. A smile crossed her face as she admired how striking he looked in black slacks and a white shirt. His raven hair was combed back except for a lone curl resting on his forehead.
"HI! I'm glad you made it, I've been looking for you." Rick sat on a stool next to Anna.
"Hi, yourself. I really enjoyed your show, you're wonderful. I mean, a wonderful singer." Anna blushed.
Rick smiled. The music was loud and the noise of the crowd was making conversation difficult. "Do you have a coat?" The question caught Anna off guard. "Well, yeah. I checked it." Anna pointed to a coat room near the entrance.
Rick and Anna walked to the room, where she retrieved her coat. "Come on." Rick walked her to his office, where he pulled his coat off the leather desk chair. Anna was curious. "Where are we going?"
Rick smiled. "Just follow me." He started climbing some stairs behind the office, with Anna following behind him. When they reached the roof, Anna looked around in awe. The earlier rain had given way to a cloudy night, with peaks of stars shining through small clearings. It was chilly, but the wind was gentle. It was mostly quiet except for the dull, faraway hum of traffic and bustle on the streets below.
Anna smiled at Rick. "You can see half the city from up here." Rick nodded. "Yeah."
"Do you come up here a lot?" Anna leaned against the wall and looked over at the street below.
"Not really, no. I've never brought a girl up here before." Rick breathed the cool air in deeply.
"I'm the first, huh?" Anna laughed. Rick chuckled softly. "Well, you're nice to talk to and I didn't feel like I could talk to you down there."
The two talked for the next hour about their jobs, their lives, their childhoods. They sat on a small bench that Rick discovered, and looked up at the clearing sky as they talked. Rick couldn't help but wonder silently if it had been placed there by his father years before; if he had sat there with his mother looking at the same sky.
"So, do you see your mother often?" Anna had been very interested in the story of Rick's famous father.
Rick nodded. "Yeah, as often as I can. I talk to her more on the phone lately. It's hard to get up to Connecticut sometimes."
Anna glanced at her watch. "Oh. I should really get going, I have to work in the morning."
Rick was disappointed. "Yeah, I should get back downstairs. Um, Anna?"
Anna looked at Rick as they stood up. "Yes?" Rick ran his hand through his hair. "I really like you. Can I see you again?" Anna blushed and looked at her hands. "I really like you, too, Rick. Yes, I'd like to see you again. When are you free?"
Rick paused a moment, thinking. "Well, why don't we have lunch tomorrow?"
Anna smiled and pulled a small card out of her purse. "This is the address of the office I work at. If you can come by around 12:30, I'd love to have lunch with you." Rick took the card and his eyes widened when he read it. "You work for Arnie Bennett?"
Anna tilted her head. "Well, yeah. You know him?" Rick laughed. "He's my lawyer!" Anna giggled. "Talk about coincidences!" Rick looked at Anna's eyes. "Really."
"See you tomorrow, then?"
"Definitely." Rick stood with the card in his hand as he watched Anna descend the stairs. When she was gone, he sat on the bench quietly, resting his elbows on his knees and looking at the card again. He thought back on how Anna had found his medal and now, how strange it was that she worked for someone he'd known and trusted for years. He also thought about how comfortable he was with her and how beautiful she was, especially when she laughed.
Rick looked up at the sky and a few stars that seemed to wink at him. "Message received, Dad…"
PART 8
Rick locked up his apartment and headed outside, carrying his packed bag and pulling his coat collar up around his neck. He stood on the sidewalk and hailed a nearby cab, amid flurries of snowflakes and the sound of a street corner Santa Claus ringing his bell. He gave the driver Anna's address and they merged into traffic.
Rick smiled to himself. In the last two and a half months, he had fallen in love with Anna. Now, he was travelling home to Connecticut for Christmas and he was bringing Anna with him to meet his mother and Aunt Ethel. In his phone conversations and during his Thanksgiving visit, he had talked to his mother about her. Lucy had been pleased to hear about Anna and was glad to meet her. Now Rick hoped that all would go well because he wanted to ask her to marry him.
The cab stopped in front of Anna's apartment house and Rick started to get out. "Please, wait, we'll be going to the train station next."
Rick went quickly up the stairs and knocked on Anna's door. After a moment, she opened the door. Rick smiled when he saw her. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she was bundled up in a wool coat with a fur collar framing her face. Her brown eyes were bright. "Hi, Ricky!" He put an arm around her and kissed her softly. He had never before told someone to call him Ricky instead of Rick, but when she started to get so close to his heart, he felt it was only right that she called him by the name that had been reserved for those who loved him most. "Hi, sweetheart. Ready to go?"
"Yes, definitely!"
Rick grabbed her bag and they started outside for the cab. The driver got out when he saw them, and placed Anna's bag in the trunk.
Once on their way, Rick held Anna's hand.
"Ricky…" Anna bit her lip.
"Mmm?"
"Ricky, do you think your mother will like me?"
Rick kissed Anna's hand. "I know she will love you as much as I do."
PART 9
Rick and Anna got out of the cab in Connecticut, in front of Lucy's house. Rick carried the bags to the front door as Anna walked closely beside him. He looked at her and smiled; he could see that she was a bit nervous.
Rick set the bags down and turned to her, putting his hands on her arms. "Don't be nervous. Your parents liked me, right?"
Anna nodded. "They think you're wonderful."
"And you're more wonderful than me, so you have nothing to worry about." Rick kissed her. "I love you."
Anna smiled. "I love you, too."
Rick fished in his coat pocket for his key to the house, then opened the door slowly. His mother was nowhere in sight, but a Christmas tree had been decorated near the staircase and the smell of apple pie was in the air. He picked up the bags and the couple walked in.
"Anna, would you mind getting the door, please?"
Anna closed the front door behind them and Rick set the bags down near the stairs. "Mom? Mom, I'm home!"
At the sound of Rick's voice, Lucy scurried out of the kitchen with Ethel close behind her. "Ricky! Oh, I thought you'd never get here. Merry Christmas, darling."
Rick laughed and hugged his mother. "Merry Christmas, Mom." Ethel came up behind Lucy and he hugged her. "Merry Christmas, Aunt Ethel."
Both women smiled as he turned to Anna, who stood nearby shyly.
"Anna, honey, I'd like you to meet my mother." He took her hand and smiled warmly. "Mom…this is Anna."
Lucy smiled broadly at Anna and her eyes were bright. "Hello, Anna, dear, Ricky's told me all about you and I'm very glad to know you."
Anna smiled. "It's a great pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Ricardo. Ricky's told me all about you, also."
Lucy touched Anna's arm. "Please call me Lucy, dear."
"Alright."
Rick beamed. "Anna, this is my Aunt Ethel."
Ethel smiled and extended her hand. "Hello, Anna, nice to meet you."
Anna shook Ethel's hand. "It's very nice to meet you, too."
Lucy touched Rick's arm. "Ricky, take Anna's coat so we can sit down and get to know each other. I made a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner. Come on, Ethel, help me in the kitchen." Lucy looked at the couple. "We'll be right back!"
As the women hurried back to the kitchen, Rick took Anna's coat and his to the closet. He walked back to her and put his arms around her. "I told you." He kissed her sweetly.
PART 10
Christmas morning, the sun rose over a thin layer of snow that frosted everything it touched. Rick, Anna, Lucy and Ethel sat around the Christmas tree talking and laughing over coffee.
Seeing his mother and his girlfriend get along so well was music to Rick's heart. And he was glad to see his mother so happy on what he feared would be a difficult first Christmas without his father.
By noon, all the presents had been opened and breakfast dishes and coffee cups were scattered around the living room and dining area. Ethel got up and started gathering some dishes and Lucy started to help her.
Anna reached out and touched Lucy's shoulder. "No, Lucy, let me help. You sit down and spend some time with Ricky. After all, you made that big dinner last night and breakfast this morning."
"Oh, Anna, but you're our guest…" Lucy tried to protest, but Anna had already started gathering cups and dishes and was following Ethel into the kitchen.
Lucy sat on the couch next to Ricky and called after her. "Thank you, dear!"
When Anna and Ethel were in the kitchen, Rick looked to his mother. "Mom, what do you think?"
Lucy smiled warmly. "About Anna? Oh, she's lovely. She's a very sweet and beautiful girl."
Rick looked at his hands. "I'm really glad you feel that way. Um…because when we get back to New York, I'm going to ask her to marry me."
He looked in his mother's eyes for her first reaction and saw them mist over tearfully. "Mom, are you happy for me?"
"Yes, of course! I'm just crying because you're my baby and you're getting married!" Lucy pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed her eyes.
Rick smiled. "Well, she hasn't said yes yet." Lucy's eyes widened and she laughed softly. "She's going to say yes, dear. It's very obvious how you feel about each other."
"Is it?" Rick chuckled.
"Yes and that's wonderful." Lucy patted Rick's hand and kissed him on the cheek.
PART 11
The next day was the last day that Rick and Anna could spend in Connecticut before he had to return to the club. Rick had done some thinking overnight and after breakfast he asked Anna if she would mind staying behind at the house while he ran some errands.
Anna agreed and started to help Lucy pack away decorations from the Christmas tree. As they worked, Lucy stopped, turning an ornament over in her hand.
"Lucy, is something wrong?"
"No, dear, I'm sorry. I was just remembering that my husband gave me this ornament one Christmas. In fact, he gave me most of these in the 33 years we were married." Lucy looked up and down at the tree.
"I'm sorry I didn't have the chance to meet him. Ricky loves him very much." Anna picked another ornament from the tree and admired it.
Lucy looked at Anna and suddenly set down the box of ornaments on the coffee table. "We don't have to do this now, this is work. Would you be terribly bored to see pictures of Little Ricky?"
Anna's face brightened. "Not at all, I would love that!"
"Would you? Come with me." Lucy led Anna upstairs to her bedroom. "Sit here, dear." Lucy patted a spot on her bed while she walked over to the closet and pulled out a box which contained some items, including the large scrapbook that Rick had found more than 2 months before.
Lucy sat across from Anna on the bed and lifted a smaller picture album from the box. Anna took it and opened it carefully. The book was filled with pictures of Rick, starting with his very first picture in the hospital after his birth.
"Oh…he was just adorable!" Anna touched the pictures gently.
Lucy laughed softly as she pulled out the large scrapbook. "I've saved everything."
Anna noticed a picture inside the scrapbook. "Is this Mr. Ricardo?"
Lucy lifted the picture from the page. It was a picture of Ricky from right after they were married. Lucy remembered taking the picture herself and her heart fluttered at the sight of him on the beach in swimming trunks and a white t-shirt. He was smiling brightly and his black hair was windblown.
"Oh, yes, this is Ricky. My first Ricky." Lucy smiled knowingly at Anna.
"He was very handsome. Ricky looks exactly like him."
Lucy nodded. She and Anna poured over the pictures and mementos for the next two hours, with Lucy telling her stories about Rick and Ricky.
By the time Rick came home in the late afternoon, they were laughing like two girlfriends over things that Rick had done and said as a child. Seeing the half disassembled tree and hearing the goings on upstairs, he went to the bedroom. He leaned against the doorway and knocked on the open door. "What in the world is going on in here?" He laughed when he saw a flood of pictures and letters scattered across the whole bed, some of them tumbling to the floor.
"Your mother is showing me all your pictures and telling me all about you!" Anna giggled.
"Oh, no…" Rick rolled his eyes.
Lucy looked at her son, laughing lovingly. "Oh, honey, you were the most adorable little boy."
Rick sighed and looked warmly at Anna. "Wanna go get some dinner?"
Anna nodded. "Sure! Lucy, do you and Ethel want to come along?"
Lucy shook her head. "No, no, dear, you two run along and have a nice dinner. There's enough leftovers to last Ethel and I a lifetime."
"Well, at least let me help you clean up this mess…" Anna started gathering photos, but Lucy put her hand on top of hers.
"Anna, go on, it's alright." Lucy looked at Rick, who smiled at her warmly.
Anna stood up and walked toward Rick. He put an arm around her. "We won't be back too late, Mom."
Lucy waved them off. "I'll be here!"
PART 12
Rick and Anna walked through downtown Westport hand in hand. They walked past little shops and businesses and finally came upon an intimate café. Rick looked through the window and saw secluded tables lit with candles and dim lighting. There were a few people sitting inside, but it wasn't crowded.
They entered and were seated at a corner table, sitting next to each other on a bench seat, a lone candle flickering inside a glass vase on the table. They shared a light dinner and some wine. When they were done eating, Anna cuddled up next to Rick, his arm around her.
"Anna…" Rick kissed her forehead gently.
Anna looked up at him.
"Anna, you make me very happy. I love you very much."
"I love you, too, Ricky."
Rick gazed at her. "I have a very small family. But it would mean very much to me if you were part of it…"
Anna smiled and rested her head against in the crook of his neck. "I would love that."
Rick reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He held it in front of Anna. She sat up straight looking at it. Rick smiled at her surprised reaction. "This is for you, honey, please open it."
Anna took the box from Rick slowly and opened it. She put a hand over her mouth in surprise when she saw a sparkling round diamond stone sitting on a smooth gold band. She looked at him, eyes wide. "Ricky?"
"Anna, will you marry me?"
"Oh, Ricky! Yes, I will."
Rick smiled and pulled Anna into an embrace, kissing her deeply.
PART 13
Rick buttoned his tuxedo shirt, his father's medal resting beneath it. He looked in the mirror in the church's dressing room and smoothed his hair back with his hand. He took a deep breath to calm himself when he heard a knock at the door.
"Come in." Rick turned to see who would enter.
Lucy entered and smiled, looking very pretty in a lavender dress, her hair in soft red curls. A sparkling broach fastened a silk scarf around her neck, billowing softly behind her shoulders. "Hello, darling, how are you?" She approached him warmly.
Rick smiled nervously. "I'm great!" He fumbled with his tie.
Lucy reached up gently to help him tie it. "Are you nervous?"
"Me, nervous?" Rick looked into his mother's knowing eyes. "Yes…"
Lucy laughed as she secured his tie. "Remember the first drum recital you had? You were fine until I asked you if you were nervous. And then suddenly you had stage fright and you wouldn't perform!"
Rick laughed. "Well, you and Dad fixed THAT. But it's not you this time. I was nervous before you walked in."
Lucy touched Rick's cheek, looking at him with the greatest love of a mother, and she felt her eyes well up with tears. "It's natural to be nervous on your wedding day. Your father and I were like two scared rabbits…"
Rick smiled and reached for his tuxedo jacket. "If my marriage is half as happy as yours and Dad's, I have nothing to be nervous about."
Lucy brushed Rick's shoulders with her palms. "It will be exactly as happy as mine and your father's, because you and Anna are wonderful and in love."
Rick nodded, thinking of Anna. Lucy looked down at Rick's wrists and lifted the sleeves of his jacket. He was wearing the simple white cufflinks that had come with the shirt. "This won't do, Ricky."
Rick frowned. "What's wrong?"
"These cufflinks are wrong." She reached into her small lavender purse and withdrew the pair of gold cufflinks that had belonged to Ricky, each engraved with a letter "R".
Rick's eyes were teary for the first time since his father's funeral. "Mother, you don't have to give me these, they're special to you. And I have Dad's medal…"
Lucy removed the simple cufflinks and fastened Ricky's. "Darling, these things are as much yours as they were mine. And I can't do anything but look at them in my hand. You can wear them and enjoy them…and pass them on to your son sometime."
As hard as he tried to suppress them, tears rolled down Rick's cheeks and he hugged his mother. "I wish he was here, Mom…"
Lucy's voice cracked. "So do I. But in a way, he is." She looked at her son and smiled as she wiped his tears with her own handkerchief. "Now. No more tears, because I'll need this for my own when I see my baby get married!"