Summery- The day our favorite cop's life fell apart
Disclaimer- I don't own TW, but Tess, and her family, and some others
belong to me.
January, 18, 1981
"Would Maurice Boscorelli please bring his things, and come to the office."
Maurice's entire fifth grade class turned to stare at him. He could feel their eyes on his back as he grabbed his book bag from off the back of his chair. As he walked through the classroom, his eyes fell on his best friend, Theresa Riley. He gave her a questioning look.
"I never told anyone about the frog in the principal's mug Moe,'' She whispered,'' No one.''
He nodded, and gave her their special signal, a hand in the shape of a 't'. They had learned sign language in class because one of the other students was deaf. They had decided to incorporate it into their best friend hand signals. Maurice signed 't' to Tess, and Tess signed 'm' to him.
He left the classroom, and shut the door softly behind him. Why did they want to see me in the office?, he wondered as he walked in trepidation towards the office. When he got there he saw his mother seated on one of the small plastic chairs he had become so accustomed to.
Great, he groaned inwardly, it's bad enough to call Ma.
He approached her cautiously,'' Ma?,'' He asked quietly,'' What are you doing here?"
She looked at him with a smile,'' I thought we'd go out for lunch baby," She said, standing up.
The bell for the students to go to lunch rang. Maurice looked from his mother to the desk in the office where the secretary sat. He smiled up at his mother,'' Sure Ma,'' He said happily, then pulled a small brown paper bag from his book bag.
'' What are you doing honey?,'' Rose Boscorelli asked her eleven year old son.
He stepped quickly up to the desk,'' Can you give this to Tessa Riley please?''
The secretary smiled at him. She was a younger woman, but one who knew Maurice and his best friend Tess well. They were regulars in the office.
'' Of course Maurice,'' She assured him.
'' Thank-you,'' Maurice said solemnly. Rose looked confused, and as she and Maurice exited the building she asked,
'' Why did you give Tess your lunch?''
'' 'Cause Ma, Billy Peters took her's and dumped it in a mud puddle,'' Maurice replied, opening the car door, and climbing in.
'' What did Tess do?,'' Rose asked as she carefully lowered herself into the car and pulled the door closed behind her.
'' Uh....,'' Maurice stalled, he wasn't sure he should tell. Because what if Ma called Tessa's Mom? Then one of her brothers, mostly likely her oldest brother Joey, would have to walk them to school again, and what kind of fun was that? You couldn't plan anything, or trade secrets. They had finally got rid of Tessa's brothers at the beginning of the year. But he also knew Ma wasn't a tattle tale, '' She kicked him in the leg. Then we ran away.''
Rose shook her head,'' Did she tell the teacher?''
Boy parents could be dense!, Maurice thought. If she told, then she would get in trouble for kicking him! Duh!
'' Where are we going Ma?,'' He asked trying to change the subject
'' How about 'Dan's Diner'?,'' Rose smiled softly at her eldest son, and placed a hand on his knee. She squeezed it gently.
'' Sure Ma,'' Maurice smiled widely.
Rose pulled the car into the parking lot, and both she and Maurice hurried into the diner, it was a very cold January day, and it had begun to snow.
They slid into a booth. Maurice pulled off his hat, and mittens, and stuffed them in his coat sleeve. Rose slowly unwound her scarf, and took off her coat. A waitress came over,
'' Hello, my name is Danielle, and I'll be your waitress today,'' She handed them their menus, and then smiled brightly,'' Well aren't you a cutie,'' She patted Maurice's shoulder,'' You're going to be a heartbreaker some day.''
Maurice gave her an annoyed look. The girl took it as her que to go,'' I'll be back in a few minutes for your orders.''
'' Did you have a good day at school Maurice?,'' Rose leaned her chin on her hands.
'' Yeah, great,'' Maurice answered,'' We learned about fractions.''
'' Interesting.''
Maurice watched his mother intently. What's going on?, he thought, why did Ma take me out for lunch? She doesn't usually.
Danielle came back over,'' Are we ready to order?''
Maurice knew exactly what he wanted,'' Grilled cheese sandwich and a cola please.''
'' I'll have the same,'' Rose said. Danielle nodded,
'' I'll be right back with your drinks,'' She left again.
Rose was silent. She watched her eldest son as he sat across from her. Did he suspect something? She would have to tell him soon, and she thought that breaking it to him gently would be the best way to go.
'' There you go,'' Danielle slipped their drinks onto the table, '' Your sandwiches will be ready in a second.''
'' Thanks for taking me out Ma,'' Maurice said as he sipped his soda.
'' Your welcome baby.''
A few moments later, Danielle brought over their sandwiches,'' There you go cutie,'' She smiled at him again.
'' Thanks,'' Maurice managed as he started to eat.
Rose slowly sipped her soda, thinking of when to broach the reason she had brought him here.
Maurice put down his sandwich, and took a big gulp of his cola. Rose decided it was now or never.
'' Honey,'' She began,'' I have something to tell you.''
AHA!, Maurice thought, I knew it!''
'' Maurice, your father and I have decided to get a divorce,'' She said quietly.
A divorce?, Maurice thought, why? He knew what a divorce was. One of his friends, Andrew's parents was divorced. It meant the parents didn't love each other anymore. But Maurice had never heard or seen anything to give any indication of that.
'' A divorce? How come Ma?,'' Maurice asked.
'' Your father and I don't love each other anymore baby, not in that way,'' Rose tried to explain it to her eleven year old son, and didn't mention any of his father's extracurricular activities,'' He's not going to live with us anymore.''
"He's not going to live with us anymore."
Those words ran through Maurice's head as the realization of them kicked in.
'' But we both still love you and Michael very much,'' Rose rushed on as she saw the expression on her son's face.
He nodded slightly.
They finished their lunch in silence. Maurice forced himself to finish his sandwich. He glanced up at the clock over the wall,
'' I'm going to be late,'' He exclaimed.
'' Baby, you don't have to go to school this afternoon,'' Rose said gently.
'' I've got to. Tessa and me are presenting our project in science today,'' Maurice began pulling on his coat and hat.
'' I'm sure Tess can do the presentation on her own,'' Rose reasoned.
'' No,'' Maurice shook his head,'' She's depending on me, and I'm her partner.''
'' Are you sure Maurice?,'' Rose asked.
'' Yes!,'' Maurice insisted.
'' Alright,'' Rose waved Danielle over and pulled on her own coat. She paid the check, and they left quickly. As she pulled the car up in front of the school, she began,
'' Maurice, you,''
But Maurice cut her off,'' Ma!''
'' Alright honey.''
'' I'll see you after school!,'' He pulled open the car door, and hopped out. He slammed it shut behind him, and raced off towards the school. Rose caught sight of Tess inside the school, and saw the girl wave to her. She waved back, then drove off. As she pulled away she realized what she had just done. She had, in a single swoop, turned her son's life upside down, and shook it. Nothing would ever be the same.
January, 18, 1981
"Would Maurice Boscorelli please bring his things, and come to the office."
Maurice's entire fifth grade class turned to stare at him. He could feel their eyes on his back as he grabbed his book bag from off the back of his chair. As he walked through the classroom, his eyes fell on his best friend, Theresa Riley. He gave her a questioning look.
"I never told anyone about the frog in the principal's mug Moe,'' She whispered,'' No one.''
He nodded, and gave her their special signal, a hand in the shape of a 't'. They had learned sign language in class because one of the other students was deaf. They had decided to incorporate it into their best friend hand signals. Maurice signed 't' to Tess, and Tess signed 'm' to him.
He left the classroom, and shut the door softly behind him. Why did they want to see me in the office?, he wondered as he walked in trepidation towards the office. When he got there he saw his mother seated on one of the small plastic chairs he had become so accustomed to.
Great, he groaned inwardly, it's bad enough to call Ma.
He approached her cautiously,'' Ma?,'' He asked quietly,'' What are you doing here?"
She looked at him with a smile,'' I thought we'd go out for lunch baby," She said, standing up.
The bell for the students to go to lunch rang. Maurice looked from his mother to the desk in the office where the secretary sat. He smiled up at his mother,'' Sure Ma,'' He said happily, then pulled a small brown paper bag from his book bag.
'' What are you doing honey?,'' Rose Boscorelli asked her eleven year old son.
He stepped quickly up to the desk,'' Can you give this to Tessa Riley please?''
The secretary smiled at him. She was a younger woman, but one who knew Maurice and his best friend Tess well. They were regulars in the office.
'' Of course Maurice,'' She assured him.
'' Thank-you,'' Maurice said solemnly. Rose looked confused, and as she and Maurice exited the building she asked,
'' Why did you give Tess your lunch?''
'' 'Cause Ma, Billy Peters took her's and dumped it in a mud puddle,'' Maurice replied, opening the car door, and climbing in.
'' What did Tess do?,'' Rose asked as she carefully lowered herself into the car and pulled the door closed behind her.
'' Uh....,'' Maurice stalled, he wasn't sure he should tell. Because what if Ma called Tessa's Mom? Then one of her brothers, mostly likely her oldest brother Joey, would have to walk them to school again, and what kind of fun was that? You couldn't plan anything, or trade secrets. They had finally got rid of Tessa's brothers at the beginning of the year. But he also knew Ma wasn't a tattle tale, '' She kicked him in the leg. Then we ran away.''
Rose shook her head,'' Did she tell the teacher?''
Boy parents could be dense!, Maurice thought. If she told, then she would get in trouble for kicking him! Duh!
'' Where are we going Ma?,'' He asked trying to change the subject
'' How about 'Dan's Diner'?,'' Rose smiled softly at her eldest son, and placed a hand on his knee. She squeezed it gently.
'' Sure Ma,'' Maurice smiled widely.
Rose pulled the car into the parking lot, and both she and Maurice hurried into the diner, it was a very cold January day, and it had begun to snow.
They slid into a booth. Maurice pulled off his hat, and mittens, and stuffed them in his coat sleeve. Rose slowly unwound her scarf, and took off her coat. A waitress came over,
'' Hello, my name is Danielle, and I'll be your waitress today,'' She handed them their menus, and then smiled brightly,'' Well aren't you a cutie,'' She patted Maurice's shoulder,'' You're going to be a heartbreaker some day.''
Maurice gave her an annoyed look. The girl took it as her que to go,'' I'll be back in a few minutes for your orders.''
'' Did you have a good day at school Maurice?,'' Rose leaned her chin on her hands.
'' Yeah, great,'' Maurice answered,'' We learned about fractions.''
'' Interesting.''
Maurice watched his mother intently. What's going on?, he thought, why did Ma take me out for lunch? She doesn't usually.
Danielle came back over,'' Are we ready to order?''
Maurice knew exactly what he wanted,'' Grilled cheese sandwich and a cola please.''
'' I'll have the same,'' Rose said. Danielle nodded,
'' I'll be right back with your drinks,'' She left again.
Rose was silent. She watched her eldest son as he sat across from her. Did he suspect something? She would have to tell him soon, and she thought that breaking it to him gently would be the best way to go.
'' There you go,'' Danielle slipped their drinks onto the table, '' Your sandwiches will be ready in a second.''
'' Thanks for taking me out Ma,'' Maurice said as he sipped his soda.
'' Your welcome baby.''
A few moments later, Danielle brought over their sandwiches,'' There you go cutie,'' She smiled at him again.
'' Thanks,'' Maurice managed as he started to eat.
Rose slowly sipped her soda, thinking of when to broach the reason she had brought him here.
Maurice put down his sandwich, and took a big gulp of his cola. Rose decided it was now or never.
'' Honey,'' She began,'' I have something to tell you.''
AHA!, Maurice thought, I knew it!''
'' Maurice, your father and I have decided to get a divorce,'' She said quietly.
A divorce?, Maurice thought, why? He knew what a divorce was. One of his friends, Andrew's parents was divorced. It meant the parents didn't love each other anymore. But Maurice had never heard or seen anything to give any indication of that.
'' A divorce? How come Ma?,'' Maurice asked.
'' Your father and I don't love each other anymore baby, not in that way,'' Rose tried to explain it to her eleven year old son, and didn't mention any of his father's extracurricular activities,'' He's not going to live with us anymore.''
"He's not going to live with us anymore."
Those words ran through Maurice's head as the realization of them kicked in.
'' But we both still love you and Michael very much,'' Rose rushed on as she saw the expression on her son's face.
He nodded slightly.
They finished their lunch in silence. Maurice forced himself to finish his sandwich. He glanced up at the clock over the wall,
'' I'm going to be late,'' He exclaimed.
'' Baby, you don't have to go to school this afternoon,'' Rose said gently.
'' I've got to. Tessa and me are presenting our project in science today,'' Maurice began pulling on his coat and hat.
'' I'm sure Tess can do the presentation on her own,'' Rose reasoned.
'' No,'' Maurice shook his head,'' She's depending on me, and I'm her partner.''
'' Are you sure Maurice?,'' Rose asked.
'' Yes!,'' Maurice insisted.
'' Alright,'' Rose waved Danielle over and pulled on her own coat. She paid the check, and they left quickly. As she pulled the car up in front of the school, she began,
'' Maurice, you,''
But Maurice cut her off,'' Ma!''
'' Alright honey.''
'' I'll see you after school!,'' He pulled open the car door, and hopped out. He slammed it shut behind him, and raced off towards the school. Rose caught sight of Tess inside the school, and saw the girl wave to her. She waved back, then drove off. As she pulled away she realized what she had just done. She had, in a single swoop, turned her son's life upside down, and shook it. Nothing would ever be the same.
