The year 1950 began amazingly. Henry was just married to his longtime girlfriend Nancy O'Connel. They had just moved into their new home in Winnetka Illinois. They loved the married life and things were going great for them. They had a great time on their honeymoon to Niagara Falls, and they were already planning a skiing trip to Denver in the winter. Nancy was enjoying her new job as a housewife. She enjoyed doing the cooking and cleaning. She also enjoyed sewing and quilting. Her favorite thing was to make fancy scarfs out of big balls of yarn. She enjoyed staying at home doing the menial tasks that made life better for the both of them.
Meanwhile, Henry was busy looking for a job, and he didn't have to go far to find one. John O'Connel helped him out with that by getting him a job at his uncle's newspaper: The Chicago Tribune. John currently worked there as a photographer. He got Henry hired on as a writer. His first story was on a police officer who risked his life taking on five bank robbery suspects. That story alone sold out newspapers all across Illinois. His writing style was so amazing; people compared Henry to the greats like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Charles Dickens. Henry enjoyed his new life as a writer. It was his dream job. He loved sitting at his desk with his typewriter, typing away the news articles that flooded his room. The managers were impressed with Henry. They all told him that one day, he would become one of the greatest writers in Illinois history.
At home, Nancy and Henry attitudes were changing. Even though they deeply loved each other, something inside of them was tearing them apart. It started on the 5th of March, when Nancy was trying to cook something in the oven. The oven, even though it was on, did nothing to warm the food. When she took it out, it was a block of ice. Nancy went to complain to Henry about this. The only thing Henry could do was promise he would get it fixed, but he never did. It went on like this for two weeks until finally Nancy could not take it anymore. She barged into the living room where Henry was working and demanded that he go and fix the oven.
"Henry!" she shouted as she burst into the living room while he was typing.
"Augh! What is it?" He asked jumping out of his seat startled.
"The oven! You promised you would fix it!" Nancy stated.
Henry rolled his eyes. "I told you I would take care of it. I called a guy and he will be right over to repair it."
"When will he be here?" Nancy asked.
"A week from today," Henry replied.
"Henry!" Nancy moaned.
"Look that is the best I can do. He said he was booked up all week. He said that next week would be the earliest he could get here," Henry replied.
"So what am I supposed to do?" Nancy asked. "How am I supposed to cook?"
"We'll just order out," Henry replied.
"We don't have the money for that," Nancy replied as she crossed her arms.
"I'll take care of it. I will get us the money," Henry replied.
"We can't eat out all week. We can't afford that and the bill for fixing the oven! We just don't have the money!" Nancy stated.
"I'll borrow some from your dad if we really need it," Henry replied.
"You already borrowed two thousand dollars from him. How much more are we going to borrow?" Nancy asked.
"Just enough to fix the stupid oven!" Henry stated.
"…And then what? What happens when something else break uh?" Nancy asked.
"I will find a way to take care of it," Henry replied.
"What if you don't? I mean you only get payed five dollars a story. You write about seven stories a day. It won't be enough to support us to the end of the year. You won't be able to raise a family on that kind of salary," Nancy remarked.
"The editor says I am the best writer he ever has. He says I can get promoted to some pretty important jobs on the staff. Once I get promoted, we will have a better income," Henry replied.
"If you can get promoted," Nancy remarked as she rolled her eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Henry asked. "Are you saying I can't get promoted?"
"No, it's not that. I'm just saying it will take time for you that job, and we don't have time. We need money now!" Nancy stated.
Soon, a heated argument began. Things were said that were hateful and mean. The battle left Henry hurt and Nancy crying. Henry was about to walk out of the house, but Nancy stopped him. She pulled him close and cried into his shirt.
Not again…Henry thought to himself as he did his best to comfort his wife.
"Don't leave me," she cried. Henry stroked her hair and kissed her on her forehead.
"It's okay," he replied. "Everything will be okay." Henry stayed by his wife that entire day. It was just another one of her 'episodes'. Ever since she pulled the trigger on Frances, Nancy was different. She began having nightmares which made her stay awake all night, and when that happened she was usually crabby the next day. In addition, she became very clingy towards Henry, making stay with her for the whole day. She would make him sit on the couch with her and hold her. She wanted him to comfort her and he did, even though it usually cost him a whole day at work. But the one thing that bothered him the most was Nancy's constant pleading for love. Every hour, when Henry was home, she would come to him and begin crying. She then looked at Henry and asked if he loved her, in which he always replied yes. He couldn't stand her doing this. Yes, he did love her, but he felt that saying it ever hour of the day was very repetitive. When he didn't respond to this question, Nancy would lie in bed for the whole day depressed. She would not eat or drink until Henry came in and assured that he loved her.
It was on one such a day that Henry did not answer Nancy's request of love. It was a Thursday morning. Four days before the handyman was supposed to show up. Nancy was in the kitchen and Henry was rushing out the door because he was late for work. Nancy stopped him in his tracks and asked him if he loved her. Henry did not respond. He just squeezed passed her and went out the door. Later that night, there was hell to pay.
"Honey!" I'm home!" he shouted as he came inside the house. There was no answer. The house was dark and dirty. Henry looked inside the kitchen and discovered that the dishes had not been cleaned up since breakfast. What was worse, dinner had not been made.
"Nancy! Are you in here?" Henry asked as he went inside. He journeyed to the back to his old room where he found Nancy laying in his bed listening to the radio.
Oh Nancy…he thought to himself as he approached the bed. He lied down beside her and began to rub her arm to comfort her. Nancy began to cry.
"You don't love me do you," Nancy cried.
"I do love you!" Henry stated as he tried his best to comfort his wife.
"Then why didn't you day it this morning?" she asked as she rolled over to his side.
"Because I was late for work. I had to get there precisely at six or they would have fired me," Henry replied.
"Oh! So you love your work more that your wife!" Nancy stated as she rolled over again in anger.
Henry bit his tongue. He calmed down before he continued talking. "Nancy, I need this job…we need this job. If I lose this job that's it…we'll lose everything. The house, the car, everything."
"At least we will still have each other," Nancy remarked as she wiped the tears off her face.
Henry could not believe the words he was hearing. Did his wife really want them to lose everything he had worked so hard to get? He was working out in the field from morning until night, just for her and she did not appreciate it. He felt anger but he kept it to himself. He forced a smile and continued to talk. "Yes, we would have each other. But I would love you more if we lived in our house and not a box…though that could be romantic." Henry forced out a chuckle which caused Nancy's face to lighten up.
"Do you love me?" she asked clinging in suspense for an answer she already knew.
Henry kissed her on the forehead. "Of course I love you. I will always love you no matter what. Remember what we said in our wedding vows? We said we would love each other in sickness and in health. For rich or for poor, for better or for worse, until death do us part. I promised that Nancy and I plan to stick to it."
Nancy kissed Henry on the lips. Then she got out of bed. "Well, then I better go make some dinner for us," she replied. "I hope you like sandwiches." She left Henry alone in his room. He faced the nightstand and reached over. He picked up the radio and turned it off. That is when something caught his attention. Facing the nightstand, behind the radio, he discovered something shocking. It was his gun. The gun Nancy used that fateful night. He picked it up and checked the chamber. He discovered that there was one bullet still in it. He looked towards the door and then back at the gun. He took it and walked out of the room towards the kitchen.
He was going to confront Nancy about it but then he stopped in his tracks. He realized that if he told her he found the gun, she would go into panic mode, and he did not want that. So, he took the gun and put it back where it belonged, in a lockbox down inside the basement. Once Henry locked it, he came back upstairs and ate dinner with his wife. The next day, Henry hoped that Nancy would be feeling much better, however she was back to her old moody self. It was like the events that happened the day before did not even occur. Nancy was in the kitchen making breakfast when Henry made a break for the door. Nancy stopped him in his tracks and asked him the fatal question.
"Do you love me?" she asked as she clutched his shirt tightly.
Henry, not wanting to repeat yesterday's fiasco, "Yes, of course. I love you." He kissed her on the face and walked out the door. Nancy turned and stopped him.
"Do you have to go to work today?" Nancy asked.
"Yes, I do. The boss says if I want to get promoted, I should be at my desk at six, or he said he'd fire me," Henry replied.
"Why don't you want to stay home with me?" Nancy asked.
"I told you Nancy. I have to go to work," Henry replied.
"If you stay home with me I will make you happy," Nancy declared as she smiled at him.
Henry thought about the idea and he loved the thought of it. However, he knew the job came first. He approached his wife and gave her a kiss. He then turned and got into his car, and drove away.
Nancy stood at the front door. She felt betrayed and sad. She went back inside the house and finished making breakfast for herself. She sat down and ate it alone. As she was eating, she began to cry again. However, she stopped when she heard a knock at the door. She walked over and opened it and was surprised to see a man standing there. He was a tall man wearing blue coveralls and a blue hat. He was covered in white paint and he was carrying a toolbox.
"Hello," he said. "Can I come in?"
"Who are you?" Nancy asked.
"Where are my manners?" he asked as he extended his hand. "Name's Michael, Michael Simmons the Second. I'm the handyman."
"The handyman?" Nancy asked.
"Uh! You know, the one who is supposed to fix an oven," Michael replied.
"The oven? OH! The oven! Oh yes, come in. Right this way," Nancy replied as she let the stranger into her house.
"Wow! This is a nice little place you got here," Michael replied as Nancy led him to the kitchen.
"Sorry, about the mess. I was still eating breakfast. Wasn't expecting you until Monday!" she exclaimed as she tried to clear the table of plates.
"One of my clients cancelled so I had time. By the way your husband sounded on the phone, you were desperate to have this fixed. I decided to squeeze you in," Michael replied as he approached the oven. "Is this the one that is giving you a hard time?"
"Yes, it's not heating up. I can't cook any food in it," Nancy replied.
Michael, using his big strong arms, pulled back the oven and looked behind the machine. "Ah! Here is your problem. Your wiring back here is shot. This thing is toast, I don't know if I can do anything about this."
"Can't you use your hammer and repair it?" Nancy asked hoping he'd say yes.
"I could but that would be a fire hazard. The best thing to do is to order a new oven. In fact, I know someone who is selling an exact oven like this, well, the only difference is that the new one will work," Michael replied. "Would you like me to give them a call?"
"Yes, please…wait how much is this going to cost?" Nancy asked.
"I estimate about three hundred dollars," Michael replied.
"Oh…." Nancy replied looking down towards the ground.
"Is there something wrong?" Michael asked as he stood up.
"Yeah, we don't have that kind of money right now," Nancy replied letting out a depressed sigh. "I guess we will have to wait a bit before we can get this repaired."
Nancy looked as if she was about to cry. Michael looked over and saw that Nancy was distressed. "Look, I will call my friend and see if he can give it to you for cheap. He is a softy so it shouldn't be that hard to persuade him."
Nancy wanted to give Michael a hug, but she refrained herself. Michael looked around the house and saw that it was in disarray. He looked at the walls, the floor, and the appliances. He checked out the electricity and the plumbing. He was not pleased at what he saw. "Uh! Miss. Everything in this house is falling apart! The floor boards are coming up, the wallpaper is pealing, and the appliances are all shot to hell! What moron put all this together?" Michael asked.
"That would be my brother," Nancy replied.
"Is he a handyman because if he is. He is a poor one!" Michael exclaimed.
"Can you fix it?" Nancy asked.
"Let me get the rest of my tools. I will see what I can do," Michael replied.
"How can I ever repay you?" Nancy asked.
"Just start with a nice cup of coffee," Michael replied.
Meanwhile, Henry and John were at the office preparing to write tomorrow's news. All the reporters were in the office being briefed on their assignments.
"Alright, we have a story on an arsonist on the loose. He is targeting low income families in downtown Chicago. I want a reporter on that!" the editor shouted.
"I am on it!" a reporter yelled.
"Great! Now who is covering the strike at the auto shop?" the editor asked.
"I am!" a reporter stated.
"Okay! John, do you have the pictures of the bank robbery that happened last night?" the editor asked.
"Right here," John replied as he handed the editor a folder.
"Where is the story for this?" the editor asked as someone handed him a sheet of paper. "This is complete garbage! Where's Henry? Henry!"
"Right here boss!" Henry stated.
"Henry, this story is garbage! Make it better!" the editor stated.
"Right away sir," Henry replied.
"I knew I can count on you! Now, why are you all still here! We have work to do! There is an interview I want one of you to conduct. It is on a gangster who is in police custody. He is the one who shot up that bar last month. His gang is moving into Chicago. I want a story on these Al Capone want-a-bees and I want it on my desk tonight! No one is going home until it is done! Understand?!" the editor stated. "Now get to work!"
Henry ran over to his desk and began typing his story. He worked late not even taking a break for lunch. He worked until the late hours of 6 PM. Mostly, everyone was still working on their special stories.
"Hey, Henry, it is getting late." John remarked.
"Uh? Oh! I know," he replied as he continued typing on his typewriter.
"Are you going to go home?" John asked.
"I have to get these stories in before 8 tonight! I am almost done!" Henry stated.
"What about your wife?" John asked.
"What about her?" Henry asked.
"Will she be worried that you are not home?" John asked.
"No, she knows I am working late. Besides, it is not like I am going home to a fresh cooked meal," Henry remarked.
"Marriage troubles?" John asked.
"Broken stove!" Henry remarked as he pulled a piece of paper out of the typewriter.
"Okay," John replied.
"Look, she will be fine. I am sure of it. She is probably just sitting at home relaxing and doing her knitting," Henry replied.
At home, Nancy was just making some sandwiches for Michael who was just finishing up putting new floorboards down.
"There, that should do it! The floor should stop creaking now," Michael replied as he wiped the sweat off his brow.
"Thank you so much," Nancy replied as he handed him a sandwich. Michael gave her a puzzling look. "I hope you like peanut butter. This is all I have right now," Nancy replied.
"This is fine! Just like how mother used to make it!" Michael smiled as he took a bite.
Nancy looked over at the clock and saw that it was getting late. She shook her head as she went over to clean the dishes. "Is something wrong?" Michael asked as he approached Nancy.
"No, not really. It is just my husband is not back from work yet," Nancy replied.
"Where does he work?" Michael asked.
"The Chicago Tribune," Nancy replied.
"He works at the newspaper? Oh, the boss probably just has him working overtime. No need to worry," Michael replied.
"But there is you see I am here and he is over there in the big city! I am not with him! He could be doing something there that I do not approve of," Nancy replied.
"You are afraid he is cheating on you? How long have you been married?" Michael asked.
"About a year," Nancy replied.
"First off, if your husband is cheating on you, he would be a fool because he has you: A very attractive young woman. Two, I doubt he would be cheating on you because of number one!" Michael stated.
"What?" Nancy asked with a confused look on her face.
"You two are young. I highly doubt he will be cheating on you," Michael replied.
"I guess. Look it is getting late. You better head home to your wife," Nancy replied.
"Oh! I am not married. Not anymore at least," Michael replied.
"What happened?" Nancy asked.
"You don't want to know. It is a sad story and you don't need to be sad right now," Michael replied.
"What happened?" Nancy asked again.
"She betrayed me, let's just leave it at that," Michael replied.
"Was it with another man?" Nancy asked.
"You can say that," Michael replied. "Anyway, thank you for the sandwich. I will be back tomorrow to fix everything else."
"But what do I pay you?" Nancy asked.
"Pay me in your love and sandwiches," Michael replied as he took his tools and packed them up into his van. He then drove off down the road. Nancy went back inside and waited for her husband to come home.
It was not until 10 PM when Henry was finally done. However, instead of going home he headed over towards the bar and bought a drink. He then sat down into a booth and just watched the ice slowly melt away. It was midnight when John came into the bar and sat down next to Henry.
"I thought you didn't drink Henry!" John stated as he sat down next to him.
"I don't," Henry replied.
"Can I have it?" John asked. Henry nodded as John took the glass and gulped it down. "Ugh! It tastes like water! How long have you been sitting here?"
"About two hours," Henry replied as he stared at his watch.
"Why are you here? You should be at home with your wife!" John stated.
"I can't go home," Henry replied.
"Why not?" John asked taking another sip of the watered-down beer.
"John, do you think I am a failure?" Henry asked.
"Why would you say that? You accomplished more stuff in your life than I did! How can you be a failure?" John asked.
"I can't afford a new oven, can't console my wife, I can't do anything!" Henry stated.
"Henry, the oven is old and out of your hand, and with the thing with your wife well, what she went through with your mother was a traumatic experience for the both of you. I can understand if you are having a hard time consoling her," John replied.
"It's just that she is so emotional! She always wants me to be near her! Oh! And she wants me always to tell her that I love her! She knows I love her! Why do I have to tell her that every minute of every day?" Henry asked.
"That is life Henry. I mean sure I wish women behaved differently. Hell, I wish they behaved like a radio. If you don't like something they are saying just flip the station. But, that is not how they behave. They behave like they are because that is how they are, and sadly nothing can change it," John replied.
"Then what do I do?" Henry asked.
"You can do two things: You can hide out here every time you two have an argument, or you can go home and console your wife. Just be there for her and she will be there for you," John replied.
"You think?" Henry asked.
"Yeah, I do," John replied as he finished off Henry's watered-down beer.
"I don't know," Henry replied.
"Tell you what, take this to her and I think it will patch everything up between you two," John replied handing Henry an envelope. Henry opened it and discovered that it contained a total of five thousand dollars.
"John! I can't take this!" Henry stated.
"Yes, you can, it is a gift," John replied.
"Where did you even get this?" Henry asked.
"My dad is rich. I am sure he won't miss five grand," John replied.
"John…" Henry moaned as he tried to give him back the cash.
"You two need this more than I do. Please take it," John replied.
Henry slipped it under his coat. "Thank you," he replied.
"Thank me by making things right with your wife," John replied as he slid out from the booth. Henry smiled as he followed his friend out of the booth and walked out of the bar. He started walking home by himself when he noticed a young woman struggling on the ground. Her grocery bag ripped and the food was rolling all over the place. She reached over and was about to pick something out of the street. That is when an automobile came and nearly struck her. Henry ran into the street and stopped the vehicle. He then proceeded to help the woman pick up her groceries.
"Are you okay?" Henry asked as he picked up a can of beans.
"I am fine, thank you," the woman replied with shyness in her voice. Henry looked at the woman and discovered that she was young, pregnant, and vulnerable.
"Hey, you can't carry all this by yourself. Here, let me help you. Where do you live?" Henry asked.
"That apartment over there," the woman replied pointing to a rundown old building in the center of downtown Chicago.
"I will take you there, by the way. I am Henry. Henry Elsner," he replied.
"Veronica, Veronica Parson," the woman replied.
"Glad to meet you Veronica," Henry replied. Henry took the woman back to her place and helped her unpack. She lived in a rundown apartment in the center of town. The walls were cracked and leaking, there was no heat, and no plumbing. The floors had huge gaps that could swallow at least ten people. It made the Elsner house look like the Ritz hotel. "You live here?" Henry asked. "Where are your parents?"
"I live alone," Veronica replied.
"But you're so young," Henry remarked.
"I am 19 years old!" Veronica stated.
"19 and alone! How can you live like this?" Henry asked.
"I get by; stupid boyfriend brought me here to this dumb city and then got me pregnant! Then he left me for some blonde in California! Oh! If I ever see him again I'd….!" Veronica shouted.
Henry chuckled a bit.
"What's so funny?" Veronica asked.
"Nothing…it's just that your story reminds me of my story," Henry replied.
"How?" Veronica asked.
"My mother had me at 19. My father left me when I was young. She raised me in a dump like this. I understand what you are going through," Henry replied.
"No you don't! You do not know what it is like to go through this!" Veronica stated as she began to cry. Henry approached and hugged her. He was doing this to soothe her. This situation reminded him of his mother, but it felt different. It felt like he was transported back in time to when his mother was pregnant with him. He felt like he was being there for her when no one else was.
"Everything is going to be okay. I promise," Henry replied. Henry stayed for an additional hour. He cooked a meal for Veronica, and made sure she was warm enough to sleep well for the rest of the night. When she was finally asleep, he slipped her the envelope containing the five grand. He then slipped out the front door and headed home.
It was 4 AM when Henry finally made it home. He was an absolute wreck. He was tired, his clothes were dirty and stained, and he was empty handed. When he came through the door his wife was waiting there for him. He did not say hello to her as he walked passed her towards the bedroom.
"Where were you?" Nancy asked looking tired exactly like him.
"Out," Henry replied.
"Out where? I was worried sick about you!" Nancy stated.
"I was just out okay," Henry replied.
"Henry, your job ends at 6 PM! I can understand that you work overtime but 4 AM! This is ridiculous! There is no way you were working till 4 AM! Where were you?" Nancy asked.
Henry looked at her with a tired look. He put his hand to the door and slouched over. "Nancy! I am tired! I have to go to work tomorrow! Please! Let me get some sleep!" Henry pleaded as he approached the bedroom door. He collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.
The next morning, Henry was late for work. He got dressed quickly and tried to make it to the door. Nancy stopped him in his tracks. "You're not going to even say good-bye to me?" Nancy asked.
"Nancy! I have to go to work! I am already late!" Henry stated.
"I want to know what you were doing yesterday," Nancy replied.
"Making money and working," Henry replied.
"Working until 4 AM?" Nancy asked.
"Nancy, I am busy, I will talk about this later," Henry replied as he slipped by heading out the door.
He didn't even kiss me good-bye. Nancy thought to herself as she closed the door behind her. Nancy ate some breakfast then went into the living room and closed the door. She sat down in the chair and starting knitting. All the while she was crying. She continued this until she heard a knock at the door. She went over and opened it. It was none other than Michael Simmons the Second.
"Hey, I have some great news! My friend said he is willing to give you the oven for seventy-five dollars! It is a brand new beauty! Isn't that great!" Michael stated.
Nancy started sobbing as she leaned over and grabbed his overalls. She started crying into his shirt.
"Uh! I can get him to drop the price more if you are not satisfied!" Michael stated.
"It's not the stupid oven!" Nancy yelled through her tears. "It is my husband!"
"Come inside," Michael replied. "Pull up a seat and let's talk."
Michael led her into the living room and they began talking. Nancy told Michael about the night she shot Frances Elsner. She told him about what she was going through, and that how Henry was treating her.
"I just want to know that he still loves me. Is that too hard a thing to wish for?" Nancy asked.
"No," Michael replied sitting back on the couch. "You disserve to be loved. Every wife disserves that…well, every wife except my ex-wife! But that is not the point! Henry should not be treating you this way especially after everything you have done for him."
"I just want love," Nancy replied.
"…And I am sure Henry loves you. I think he probably just needs help expressing it," Michael replied.
"…And I want to know what he is up too! I don't believe for a second that he is working until 4 AM! He is up to something! I know it!" Nancy stated.
"Yeah, it is not like he is a police officer, what could he be up too? I know! Maybe he is hitting the bars," Michael suggested.
"He doesn't drink!" Nancy stated.
"Well, then maybe he's hanging out with…." Michael replied. He then saw Nancy about ready to tear up so he bit his tongue. "…his FRIENDS! Maybe he is hanging out with his friends."
"He talks to John a lot," Nancy replied.
"Who is John?" Michael asked.
"My brother, maybe I should talk to him. He might know what Henry is up too," Nancy replied.
"Good! You do that and I will get started working on the tearing wall paper," Michael replied.
"Okay! Oh and Michael thank you for cheering me up. You are really good at it," Nancy replied.
"Thank you, all those years at counseling really paid off!" Michael remarked.
Michael then went to work repairing all the wall paper in the house while Nancy was on the phone talking to her brother. She asked him the whereabouts of her husband. It took a full hour to get the story out of her brother. When he was done, Nancy was shocked. She hung up the phone and went into the kitchen. Michael was just finishing up patching the areas up.
"Alright…I have this part done, now I need to know if you like this color and….what just happened?" he asked.
"I was just talking to my brother. He said he saw my husband in the bar at midnight," Nancy replied.
"Well, was he alone?" Michael asked.
"Yes," Nancy replied.
"That is good then! He just hangs out at the bar until late at night!" Michael stated.
"My brother said they both left like twenty minutes later and he says that Henry was heading home," Nancy replied.
"Uh-oh! That's four hours unaccounted for, that is not good," Michael replied.
"Where could he have been?" Nancy asked.
Michael had an idea but he bit his tongue again and kept quiet. "I have no idea where he could have been."
"What's worse, John says he gave Henry five grand and that he was going to bring it home to surprise me. Why did he not tell me about this?" Nancy asked.
Oh boy! This Henry is definitely cheating on his wife. Probably spent the money on a girlfriend. I have to tell her this…No, I can't. If I do it would break her heart. I never met this Henry before so I could be totally wrong about this. Oh! What do I tell her? Michael thought to himself.
"What do you think I should do?" Nancy asked.
"Um! You should ask where your husband was last night, and see what his response is. If you want, I can follow him around in my van to see what he is up too," Michael replied.
"You don't have to do that," Nancy replied.
"It will be an honor. I let my marriage fall apart because of a cheating spouse. I can't sit by and watch your marriage be torn apart from the seams. I have to do something!" Michael stated. Nancy smiled at this. She gave Michael a hug and he hugged her back.
Meanwhile, Henry was sitting at his desk doing work. John came running over and interrupted him. "Henry! Where is the money?" John asked as he tried to catch his breath.
"John calm down," Henry replied as he got out of his chair and led his friend into the room.
"Don't tell me to calm down! Where is the money?" John asked.
"What are you talking about?" Henry asked.
"I just got a call from Nancy! She says you didn't come home that night until 4 AM! She also says you did not have the money on you when you went home! Where is it?" John asked as he started to panic.
"Calm down!" Henry stated. "It is safe."
"Safe where? That is five grand!" John stated.
"It is with a friend," Henry replied.
"Who?" John asked. At this, Henry blushed causing John to get suspicious. "Henry, are you cheating on my sister?"
"Of course not you moron! I love her! I decided though to give the money to someone else," Henry replied.
"Who?" John asked.
"Another…girl," Henry replied.
"HENRY!" John shouted.
"John! Relax! Her name is Veronica Parson and she lives in the poor house. She has nothing John! Nothing!" Henry stated.
"The money was for you though! If you wanted to help her, you could have given her a few dollars and sent her to a homeless shelter!" John exclaimed.
"She is pregnant. She reminded me of my mother and how she did not have anything. I had to help her. If my mother had that help when I was born then my life could have been different. I have to help her John," Henry replied.
"But what about Nancy? I don't think she will be happy about this," John replied.
"I will deal with her later, don't worry, everything will be fine," Henry replied.
It was not fine. Henry came home late again after spending most of the night taking care of Veronica. Nancy was sitting up in her bed waiting for him. Henry did not say hello. He just went into the bathroom and got dressed. He then came into bed with his wife. The two of them were silent. Both of them were personally ignoring the problem. Not one of them wanted to say they were sorry. Nancy was the first one to talk.
"Where were you?" she asked.
"Out!" Henry stated. Nancy then let out a depressed moan. "What's the problem?"
"The problem is all the secrecy, Henry! You are not being honest with me!" Nancy stated.
"Nancy, I am working all day trying to make money to support us. I am tired and busy most of the day! I am doing this for us, Nancy! I am trying to make a living for us!" Henry stated.
"I know you are but I feel like you are being dishonest towards me!" Nancy shouted.
"About what?" Henry asked.
"YOU ARE NOT TELLING ME WHERE YOU ARE AT NIGHT!" Nancy stated. "Is it that big of a deal that you can't tell your own wife?"
"Nancy, I am doing my best….I can't do anymore," Henry replied as he got out of his bed.
"Where are you going?" Nancy asked.
"I'm sleeping in the living room," Henry replied.
Nancy began to cry. She looked up at Henry and Henry looked at her. "I love you," she replied. "Do you love me back?"
Henry moaned and shook his head. "Yes, dear! I love you!" he stated angrily as stormed out of the room leaving Nancy all alone. It went on like this for the next five months. Henry coming and going as he pleased while Nancy stayed at home trying to be a perfect housewife. Henry spent more and more time over at Veronica Parson's apartment. He spent the money helping her fix it up. He was able to get the heating fixed, and new appliances installed. Meanwhile, Michael continued to help around the Elsner's house. He became real close to Nancy for she felt like he was dear friend which he was. It was one day while Nancy was ironing clothes that Michael came in with some dire news.
"Nancy! Where are you?" Michael asked as he burst through the front door.
"I am right here," Nancy replied as she put the iron down. "What's wrong?"
Michael grabbed her arms and gave her a concern look. He tried to catch his breath as he began speaking to her. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes, I trust you," Nancy replied.
"Follow me, I have to show you something," Michael replied as he led her outside. He led her into his van and they drove off to Chicago. They drove downtown where Michael parked into an abandoned alleyway. They were facing a rundown apartment building. "Where is Henry?"
"He is supposed to be at work," Nancy replied.
"He is not," Michael replied handing her a pair of binoculars. "I did what you said and I have been following him…And every day for the past few months Henry has been coming here. The windows were all boarded up and I couldn't see anything inside. Today, they just took the boards off the windows. Tell me what you see."
Nancy looked up and saw her husband inside chatting with another woman. She was younger and more attractive that she was. This broke her heart.
"I'm sorry you have to see this," Michael replied. "But I know you have the right to know."
The sadness inside of her boiled into extreme rage. She opened the door to the van and ran across the street. Michael chased after her.
"Where are you going?" Michael asked.
"I am going to give him a piece of my mind!" Nancy stated.
"You can't do that! Oh shit! Wait for me!" Michael yelled as they ran into the building.
Meanwhile, Henry was busy cleaning up huge piles of newspapers that were littered on the floor.
"So, when is the flooring guy coming?" Veronica asked.
"In two weeks, once I make a little more money, they can begin repairing the floor," Henry replied.
"I don't want you spending any more on me, Henry. You have a life," Veronica replied.
"Hey, you disserve it," Henry replied.
Veronica smiled at him as she reached down and felt the baby inside of her grow. "Two more months," she replied.
"You are going to be one happy mother," Henry remarked. This caused Veronica to become sad. "What's wrong?"
"Henry, you know the baby can't live here, no matter how much money you put into fixing this place, it will never be good enough," Veronica replied.
"I can make this work! The baby will be happy here!" Henry stated.
"This place is a dump and besides I barely have enough money to raise him! I don't know the first thing about bringing up a child! It has been causing agony inside of me for the past few months! I know the child cannot live here! It is just not safe" Veronica stated.
"Then what are you going to do?" Henry asked.
"You are the first decent person that has taken time to help me. I want you to raise my child," Veronica replied.
Henry was taken aback at this. "What! Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yes, you are a good man and the way you talk about your wife makes her sound like a good woman. She sounds like the perfect mother to raise my child," Veronica replied.
"But what about you?" Henry asked.
"I need to do a bit of maturing. Maybe get a job and stop begging. Maybe I will find the perfect man and settle down in a decent house. Regarding the child, I just want to hold him once before I give him away. I just want to run my hair through his head just once, and then I will give him to you. I know with you he will have a happy life," Veronica replied.
Henry walked over and hugged her. The two embraced for a long time. After it was over, Henry released her and went back to pick up the newspapers. It was the first time in a long time that Henry was truly happy. Veronica stepped outside to compose herself. This happened just as Nancy was coming up the stairs to confront her husband.
"Can I help you?" Veronica asked.
"I am just looking for someone," Nancy replied.
"Oh okay," Veronica replied. "I'm Veronica by the way."
"O'Connel," Nancy replied.
"Nice to meet you!" Veronica stated.
Nancy stared at the woman for a long time. Her voice. Her beautiful voice triggered her synesthesia. She could see the color of Veronica and discovered that she was a navy blue. She also noticed the color of her unborn baby and was shocked. The color was black and white. Just like her husband. This caused her to cry. She turned around and ran down the stairs passing Michael on the way by.
"Wait! I just got up here! Are we going back? Oh! Wait for me!" he shouted as he ran back down the stairs. He caught up to Nancy who was waiting for him in the van.
"Boy! You sure do run fast!" he remarked as he hopped inside.
"Take me home!" she ordered as she cried.
"What?" Michael asked.
"I SAID TAKE ME HOME!" she snapped at him. Michael put the van in drive and drove her home. Before they even reached the house, Nancy jumped out and ran inside. Michael stayed outside for a full twenty minutes before going in.
"Nancy?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
He heard her crying upstairs. He slowly walked upstairs into the bedroom where he found her crying on the bed. "Nancy, are you okay?"
"I am not okay," Nancy replied as she cried.
Michael reached in and began to comfort her. They just sat on the bed for hours doing nothing. It was a long silence that was only destroyed by Nancy's sobs. After she calmed down, Michael tried to get all the information out of her.
"So, what happened?" Michael asked.
"I confronted the girlfriend," Nancy replied.
"What is she like?" Michael asked.
"She's perfect…way more perfect than me," Nancy replied.
"That is not true!" Michael stated.
"Who is telling the story here?" Nancy asked.
"Sorry," Michael replied.
"She's so beautiful. Her color resonates with my own. Hers is blue. The color of beauty and of a heart. A heart that listens and understands. A heart that can love. Love unconditionally. A heart that can make sacrifices. Sacrifices of love!" Nancy stated.
"I'm sorry, but colors?" Michael asked.
"I have a condition that can make me see color by the voices around me. I can see a person's personality because of it. I saw her baby's colors. They are the same as my husbands," Nancy replied.
"Does that mean?" Michael asked.
"The baby is his," Nancy replied.
"That can't be! It can't be! I mean your condition could be wrong! It has to be wrong! Right?" Michael asked.
"It's never wrong…the baby is his!" Nancy stated with a moaned.
Michael threw his hands in the air in disgust. "Oh! It is like my ex-wife all over again! Except this time it is being done to a person who does not disserve it!"
"What do I do?" Nancy asked. "I can't leave him!"
"Then we will make his girlfriend leave!" Michael shouted.
"What?" Nancy asked.
"Earlier today I asked you to trust me! Do you still do?" Michael asked.
"Yeah, I do," Nancy replied.
"No matter what I am about to say, will you still trust me?" Michael asked.
Nancy hesitated for a moment. Then the thoughts of Veronica and Henry came into her head and she nodded. "Yes, I trust you."
"Nancy, it is not a coincidence that you and I were brought together. Nancy, when I was younger…I used to work in the Chicago mafia," Michael replied.
Nancy just tilted her head in confusion at this statement. "While in the mafia, I worked as a hit man. I killed people for a living," Michael replied.
This caused Nancy to get sick. Michael held Nancy's hands and tried to get her to calm down. "I did it for a job and not because I felt like it! After I left, I vowed never to go back to that lifestyle! I tried to make a living doing good! I became a handyman to help people and not hurt. But now I see someone innocent being hurt by a whore! I can help you save your marriage! If you will let me, I can be the answer to your problems," Michael replied.
It took a minute for Nancy to process the information. When she was able to collect herself, she began speaking to him. "What are you proposing?"
"I say we let the bitch disappear," Michael replied.
"But what about Henry?" Nancy asked.
"We're not going to hurt him. We are just going to hurt a complete stranger. A stranger who is destroying your marriage. After we do it, we can talk to Henry and make him see what he is missing out on. We can make him love you again, Nancy. But only if you want it," Michael replied.
Nancy thought about it for a good long time. On the one hand, she loved her husband. On the other, she wanted to rip the heart out of Veronica Parson and feed it to her unborn baby. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to do it. Finally, she blurted out the words: "Let's do it!"
"Are you sure? Because once you commit there is no going back. Are you sure you want to fix your marriage this way?" Michael asked.
"I do, I want to end Veronica and save my marriage!" Nancy blurted out.
"Good, then let's get started," Michael replied.