Previously:

"We should get a souvenir to share with Keith, Kate, Berga, and Kalia. How about pralines?"

"Pralines?"

"They're a southern tradition. It's a confection made with sugar, corn syrup, milk, butter, and pecans. They're delicious, but it's better not too eat too many of them, so we only need a small box."

"I imagine so, with ingredients like that."

"But they're really good."

"Lead the way, then."

They gave Emile a good tip and left to buy a small box of pralines from a local confectioner. They weren't the only tourists buying them for souvenirs, but they managed to snatch up the last of them. The lady right behind them shot them a dirty look as they left.

Luck put his arm around Charlie as they walked.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to go back to the hotel."

He spoke in a low voice and gave her a suggestive smile. Charlie bit her lip then smiled back at him.

"I think we've seen enough."

Chapter 21: Ever After

One night, one day, and eight hours later, at Pennsylvania Station, Keith, Kate, Berga, and Kalia were waiting for Luck and Charlie to return. The train they were expecting pulled in, and the passengers began disembarking.

"There they are!" Kalia said, pointing to the couple as they got off the train. "Hey, over here!"

Luck and Charlie heard her voice call out to them and immediately recognized it. They looked in the others' direction and saw them waiting for them. Luck and Charlie started making their way over to them. They still had the basket of goodies Alfredo and Sofia had given them, and the small box of pralines had been set in it among the other items, since putting it in a suitcase would've squashed it.

"Looks like you got some good souvenirs, although you can get that stuff here," Kalia said upon seeing the basket. They were all things that could easily be found in Little Italy.

"Not these," Charlie said, pointing to the box of pralines. "We got them to share with you."

They grabbed a table in the waiting area, and Luck and Charlie showed them what was in the box.

"What are those?" Berga asked.

"Pralines. To start with, you might want just a small piece. They can be a bit much if you aren't used to them."

Charlie said this as she removed one of the pralines and broke it into six pieces so everyone could have a small taste first.

"Oh, it's so sweet."

"It's really rich."

"What was that, pure sugar?"

"The nutty flavor is nice."

"…..."

Keith and Kate took a whole praline and split it, while Berga and Kalia each grabbed their own. Luck split one with Charlie.

"I can taste the nuts now."

"It's good, right?"

"These things are addictive."

"You should've bought more."

It was a good thing they only bought a handful of them, because they were finished off in no time, and Kalia and Berga would've kept going until they were sick.

"Oh, I feel like I need to do something after all that sugar," Kalia said, full of energy.

"Well, the laundry needs doing."

Kalia ignored Berga's comment.

"I know, let's all go for a walk."

"But Luck and Charlie have luggage to lug around."

"Then you carry it for them."

"Uh, Luck and I would like to go home and unpack. So why don't you two take a walk together and have a date?"

"I like the way you think. Come on, Berga. You're taking me on a date."

Kalia stood up and started walking away without bothering to wait for her husband.

"If you say so."

Berga stood up and followed her.

"See you around."

"That was a nice save," Luck said.

"I think it's been a while since they did something like that together," Kate said.

"That's good then, that they're getting to spend time together."

"…..."

—∞—

Meanwhile, at Coraggioso, the men were once again speculating on Luck and Charlie's relationship. And honeymoon.

"They're coming back today, aren't they?"

"Yeah, I bet they had a good time."

"New Orleans is a party city, isn't it?"

"They're supposed to have good music."

"And good food."

"If Mrs. Charlie's cooking is anything to go by, that's definitely true."

"Right? And Luck gets to eat her cooking whenever he wants now."

"That lucky bastard..."

"Don't start that again."

—∞—

Luck and Charlie said goodbye to Keith and Kate and went home to unpack. Charlie made a pasta dish using the farfalle, olive oil, mozzarella, olives, and prosciutto that they had received as a gift. They had talked the hotel and the kitchen staff on the train into putting the basket in their refrigerators for them, so it wouldn't go bad. They shared one of the coppia ferrarese loaves to go with it. Charlie somehow managed to fit the one they weren't eating in the bread box.

They enjoyed the meal, but—although they had said they wanted to unpack—they got sidetrack and went into the bedroom without their suitcases.

They could unpack the next day. And the painting they bought would be framed and hung on the wall over the fireplace.

—∞—

A few days later, they had to start getting back to their lives. Charlie began performing again, and Luck returned to business as usual with the Family. But they always found time for each other. On the days when Charlie was performing, she would make supper early, and they would eat together before she had to leave. If Luck couldn't meet her at home, she would fix something that could be brought to him or cooked in the kitchen at the jazz hall, and they'd eat together in the reception room. On the rare days when they were both free, the two of them would stay under the covers all day.

However, this was not one of those days. Charlie had the day off, but Luck had to work. She had prepared dinner and was waiting for him. And waiting. And waiting. When it seemed like he wasn't coming home, Charlie thought he must still be working and packed up what she could to go. Part of her was worried something serious may have happened to him.

—∞—

When Charlie reached the jazz hall, she carefully opened the door while balancing everything she was carrying on one arm. When one of the Gandor men inside saw her, he immediately went over to help, and then he held the door open for her to go down into the office.

Several of the men who were down there looked up from what they were doing and greeted her when they saw her.

"Hey, Mrs. Charlie."

"Wow, that smells good."

"Is that Mr. Luck's dinner?"

"Yeah, where is he?"

"He's in the reception room."

"Thanks."

Charlie went right ahead to the reception room and entered it. Luck, Keith, Berga, and one of their men were gathered around the desk looking at what appeared to be an accounting ledger. They all looked up when she entered.

"Charlie?"

Luck seemed surprised to see her there. He quickly checked his watch then held his head in his hand for a moment before looking up at her.

"I'm sorry. Something came up, and I forgot to call."

"That's all right, but try not to forget next time. With your line of work, I worry."

Charlie came over and set the food she was carrying down on the desk.

"You know I can't die."

"No, but plenty of other things could still happen. I don't like the thought of you being hurt."

"Charlie..."

Berga cleared his throat to remind the newlyweds that the rest of them were there, too, in case they had forgotten.

"So what's wrong?" Charlie asked.

"Nothing, as it turns out. We thought there might be an irregularity with one of the accounts, but it turned out to be a false alarm. Here, put this back in the safe."

Luck looked tired as he said this and handed the ledger to the man who had been helping them. Finding out the hours they had spent looking at the books had been a complete waste of time drained him. When he thought of what he could've been doing instead… He looked at Charlie and smiled wryly.

"So, what's for dinner tonight?"

"Creole chicken fricassee."

"What's that?" Berga asked.

"It's like French chicken fricassee only it's made with onion, celery, and bell peppers instead of onion, celery, and carrots."

"No, I mean, what's 'chicken fricassee'?"

"Well, it's chicken that's been sauteed in a pot then braised in a thick and creamy sauce. It's somewhere between a saute and a stew, with everything cooked in a single pot. I had to make it without the white wine, but I think adding a bit of lemon before we eat it should give it a nice pop."

Charlie opened the container she had put the dish in so they could see it for themselves. The tantalizing aroma became even stronger.

"You're making me want some."

"Have a taste."

Luck picked up one of the forks she had brought and picked off a piece of the tender chicken for Berga to try. The meat was falling right off the bone.

Berga ate it.

"Damn, that's good. You've got to give Kalia the recipe for that."

"…..."

"Oh, here."

Luck took the fork back from Berga and put some chicken on it for Keith. Keith tasted it and nodded. He wanted the recipe, too.

"I'll write it down for you. Go ahead, start eating."

Charlie encouraged Luck to take his share while she grabbed two pieces of paper and wrote down two copies of her recipe for creole chicken fricassee. She handed them over to Berga and Keith.

"And you just knew that off the top of your head..."

"Well, I only just made it, so it's still really fresh in my memory."

"…."

"All right, well, we'll leave you two lovebirds alone now."

With that, Berga and Keith left Luck and Charlie to eat their dinner together in peace. Charlie started serving herself.

"This is particularly delicious today."

"That's because you're eating later than usual, so you're hungrier."

Charlie sat on top of the desk as she started eating her own share of the meal.

Luck reached across the desk and held Charlie's hand.

"I'm sorry I worried you."

"Well, I figured I was overreacting. But it was still unpleasant to have that suspicion."

"I'll try not to do it again."

Charlie smiled.

"Okay."

They continued to eat and chatted about their days. Luck smiled as he listened to Charlie talk cheerfully. He was so glad he had married her.

"Why are you grinning like that?" Charlie asked when she saw the expression on his face.

"Am I?"

"You definitely are."

"Well, I was just thinking how glad I am that I married you."

He was a little amused when Charlies cheeks turned pink. She smiled, looking very pleased.

"I'm glad I married you, too."

She leaned over and kissed him.

They smiled at each other.

They were at the beginning of a long and happy marriage.