Chapter 2

In which Lenny makes a very big discovery….

Lenny pushed his hand away and took a step back, holding his chest. "You?" he repeated in a loud whisper. "You're Carmine's real father?"

"Yes!" snapped Frank, his eyes shining. "Yes, all right! You happy now? I'm his father!" He paused and took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his voice was choked with emotion. "I'm Carmine's father. My God, I don't think I've ever said those words out loud before."

Lenny realized his own mouth was still hanging open. He closed it and dropped to the floor, wrapping his arms around his knees as he sat there absorbing it all. Finally, he said, "You gotta tell him the truth."

"Are you kidding?" asked Frank, leaning back against the counter. "How is that supposed to work? 'Hey, Carmine, here's your pizza. Oh and I forgot to mention for thirty years, I'm your real father?'" He shook his head.

"I don't know how you're supposed to say something like that," said Lenny. "But you've got to figure it out. Because if you don't, I will."

Frank shot him a desperate, angry look. "You wouldn't!"

Lenny nodded. "I would. I will. It ain't right, you keepin' this from him all this time. In fact, it ain't right at all!" Lenny rose to his feet, surprised by his own, sudden anger. "Why didn't you take him away from Tony when he was a kid? If you knew, and Marie and Tony knew, that Carmine belonged to you, why didn't you get him the hell away from that monster? You could've raised him as your own! You should have, Frank!"

"Don't you think I thought about that?" Frank replied, pounding the counter. "Don't you think I wanted to claim him? But, Len, I had a wife and baby girl of my own to think about! As much of a scandal as havin' a baby with some other guy's wife would be today, it was unthinkable thirty years ago! Marie and I, we would have destroyed two families, plus wrecked our son's life. Carmine would have been a bastard in the Biblical sense, and that was a real stigma back then. Tony would have thrown him and Marie out on the street if everyone knew the truth. He only stayed with Marie to hide his own shame. The way we handled it…at least I could help my boy a little. And I have, over the years. God knows, I've tried." Frank reached up and wiped away a tear.

Lenny looked away, embarrassed. "Okay, look, I'm sorry. I got no right to judge you over somethin' you chose to do a long time ago. But your wife is gone and Marie's gone. They don't care about reputation or hurt feelings no more."

"Laverne will," said Frank softly. "Don't you think it'd break her heart to know that I cheated on her mamma?"

"And fathered one of her best friends. Oh, geeze," groaned Lenny. He slapped his forehead. "I didn't think about that. She'll be floored!"

"In her condition, son, does that seem like a good idea to you?" asked Frank.

"No," said Lenny, defeated. "No, that wouldn't be good for her or for our baby."

"So, you're not gonna tell her, are you? Or Carmine?"

"No, I ain't," said Lenny. He glared at Frank. "Don't think you're off the hook, though. I still think Carmine has a right to know, and even though it'll hurt her at first, so does Laverne. Our baby's due in a month. After little baby Kosnowski makes his appearance, I'm gonna give you one last chance to tell them yourself!"

"Or you will," said Frank, his voice much smaller than usual.

"Or I will," Lenny confirmed.

Frank nodded. "Okay. After the baby is born. At least I'll have time to try to come up with the right words." Frank met Lenny's gaze, his eyes filled with regret. "I loved my wife, Len. I just want you to know that. It was one time with Marie, just one time."

"Sometimes, that's all it takes," sighed Lenny. He felt very tired all of a sudden. "Look, about this weekend…."

"It's okay. You and Squiggy go have fun."

Lenny nodded and started to walk out of the kitchen. "Okay, Pop. I'll see ya later."

"Yeah," muttered Frank.

Once out of the restaurant, Lenny leaned back against a tree and gazed up at the sun-filled California sky. How was he going to look Carmine in the eye, knowing that the man's whole life was one big lie? Worse yet, how was he going to hold Laverne in his arms and not tell her that one of their best friends was actually her half-brother? That her father had betrayed her lost, sainted mother in the worst possible way?

"I ain't no good at secrets," groaned Lenny, banging the back of his head against the tree. "I'm gonna screw up and then they'll know and the whole world world's just gonna explode."

"The world's gonna explode?" came an eager, familiar voice from below. Lenny looked down and saw Squiggy grinning up at him. "When? Can I watch?"

"No!" snapped Lenny. He sighed. "Sorry, forget it. Nothing's really blowin' up."

"Aw," said Squiggy, looking disappointed. "I always miss the fun stuff."

Lenny gave himself a shake then managed a smile, "So, you lookin' forward to this weekend? It looks like it's just you and me and the fish."

"Oh, right. This weekend. Well, actually, it looks like just you and you and the fish, my friend."

"What?"

"No, who."

"Huh?"

"Let me explain, my tall, simple man," said Squiggy, smiling from ear to ear. "I got me a surprise yesterday."

"Must've been a good one, judging by your face," said Lenny. Good, he could use some happy news. "What's going on?"

"My old man's invited me to Milwaukee this weekend, on him. Sent me an airline ticket and directions to his fine hotel and everything!"

"Your father?" asked Lenny, incredulously. "Helmut Squigman, your father?"

"Yes, yes, I said that, didn't I? Check it out." Squiggy handed him a manila envelope.

Lenny opened it and saw a letter, wrapped around a plane ticket. He opened the piece of stationery and read it aloud. "Dear Andy, Daddy's about to hit the big time. I want my favorite son by my side when my ship comes in. Use this ticket and come see me to find out all about it. Love, Mr. Helmut Squigman, Esquire."

"See?"

"Um, yeah. Wow, I guess this is great, Squig. Congratulations."

"You don't sound too enthused," said Squiggy, taking back the envelope and letter. "Look, I know me and my Dad had some harsh words last time he came out here, and I ain't seen him much my whole life. But now that things are finally goin' his way, he thought to contact me first. That's gotta mean somethin', right?"

Lenny looked into his friend's hope-filled eyes and smiled. "Of course it does. It means he cares about his son. That's really nice to hear for a change."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Look, Squig, it's great. And never mind this weekend. We can go fishin' any old time. You just go and have a great time with your father. Just remember not to give him any money, okay?"

"I know, I know," said Squiggy, waving his hand. "Hey, he's payin' for my ticket and everything else, right? He ain't after money, not this time. I know it."

"Sure. Look, I gotta get home. Vernie's expecting me."

"Yeah, okay. I'll talk to you later." With that, Squiggy sauntered off into the Pizza Bowl Too.

It's nice to see him happy again, thought Lenny. Too bad it ain't gonna last. Whenever Helmut Squigman stepped into Squiggy's life, it always turned out the same. A day or two of fun and happiness, then the other shoe dropped. He either hit Squiggy up for money or tried to get him involved in stupid get-rich schemes, or just plain left without warning. Maybe this time would be different, but Lenny wasn't convinced.

"I guess I came out pretty well in the father sweepstakes," he realized. "At least my dad did what he could for me." Lenny stuck his hands in the pockets of his Lone Wolf jacket and walked slowly back to his car.

He paused with his hand on the door handle, as another thought started to swim to the surface of his brain. "Wait. Carmine's father wants to see him before he kicks off. I thought maybe it was to make amends. But now I know he ain't Carmine's real father. And he knows he ain't Carmine's real father. So he's probably not gonna apologize for jack. Which means, the only thing he'd want to tell to tell Carmine on his deathbed is…oh, sweet Lord!" Lenny spun around and sprinted back into the Pizza Bowl Too.

"Frank! Frank! Frank!" Lenny shouted, careening through the restaurant. He whipped around the corner, slipped on something wet in the kitchen, and fell flat on his back.

Startled, Frank whirled around, clutching his chest. He stood over Lenny, eyes so wide his eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. "What? What the hell is goin' on?" he exclaimed.

Lenny struggled to catch his breath. When he was finally able to get a word out, he wheezed, "Carmine's. Father. Gonna. Tell. Truth."

Frank's face dropped. "What did you say?"

Lenny tried again. "Carmine's father's gonna tell him the truth!"

"No," said Frank. He shook his head. "No. He wouldn't. Why now? It'd just hurt his…hurt Carmine."

"Right," said Lenny, sitting up slowly. He pressed a hand against the small of his back. "Which is what he's done his whole miserable life. What better way to cap it off than dump something like this on the guy, right before he dies and avoids the fallout?"

"Oh. Oh! Ohhhhhh." Frank buried his face in his hands. "Len, what am I gonna do?"

"Stop him," said Lenny, rising to his feet painfully. "We both are."