"What?"
"She happens to be in the same situation as you."
"What? Do guys run up to her when she snaps her fingers? I thought I was the only one who could do that." Fonzie giggled and snapped his fingers.
Joanie giggled. "No, Fonz, she doesn't have a dad."
"She doesn't?" Fonzie asked surprised.
"No."
"How did you find that out?"
"Some of her friends went to her house and one of them mentioned her father being in the FBI to her mom." Joanie and Fonzie stifled their laughter.
"FBI?"
"She was embarrassed when her friends would talk about their dad and felt left out."
"Whoa," Fonzie said quietly then realized why Joanie went to talk to him at his apartment.
"That's why I wanted to ask you about your father awhile back and if you ever lied about him."
"Well, shortcake, uh… I'm s-s-s-," Fonzie tried to apologize again. "I'm s-s-s-rrrr."
"It's okay, Fonz. I should have realized that the subject about your father is very sensitive."
"Thanks, shortcake." Fonzie said then left for his apartment.
Next morning at breakfast—
Howard and Marion were upstairs since they already had their breakfast; Joanie was eating when Richie came downstairs. Richie started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Joanie asked as Richie stood near her.
"Nothing, but you better not make Mom mad by stepping on Dad's feet when you are dancing with him."
"I'm not going to break Dad's feet."
Richie walked towards the door, opened it, looked at Joanie and said, "You can't dance."
"I can too!"
Richie left.
Three days before the dance—
Richie, Lori Beth, Ralph, and Potsie played Monopoly on the table in the dining room, while Howard, Marion, and Joanie were at a movie.
"You owe me $60 for Baltic Avenue, Lori Beth," Postie said.
"What if I don't have $60 for Baltic Avenue and I'm not even on Baltic Avenue. Ralph is," Lori Beth said.
"You took my doggie," Ralph said.
"You took my shoe," Lori Beth said.
"Okay, so you guys took the wrong piece, just put them back. Lori, give Ralph his dog, and Ralph, give Lori her shoe," Richie said as he snickered.
They both thanked each other then after a few minutes Ralph had his turn, "Sorry Rich, you gotta go to jail."
"Oh," Richie said annoyed as everyone but him laughed.
Richie was allowed to take his turn then said, "Ha! Looks like Potsie is joining me in jail."
"Sit on it, Rich," Potsie said then Marion, Joanie, and Howard came home from the movies.
"Hi Joanie, Mom, Dad. How was the movies?"
"Good." Joanie went upstairs while Marion walked over to the table and Howard sat in his chair and sighed.
"Who's winning?" Marion asked.
"I am," Lori Beth said.
"That's nice," Marion said with a smile.
"No, you're not. You still owe me Baltic Avenue," Potsie said while Howard laid his head back and relaxed.
"That's not nice," Marion said.
"Well, Potsie and Richie have been sent to jail," Ralph said.
"Well at least I'm not the only one who goes to jail when we play," Howard said.
"I'm winning," Potsie said.
"That's nice," Marion said then went upstairs.
A few minutes later they finished the game then Ralph, Potsie, and Lori Beth went to their respective homes. After the game was put away, Howard had moved to the couch, with his feet on the table and his head back when Marion walked back downstairs and sat next to him. Richie and Joanie were upstairs doing their homework.
"Howard, what do you suppose your boss wants to talk to you about?"
"I don't know, Marion." Howard sighed nervously.
"Maybe I should-."
"No, Marion! Don't start that again. Not while I can support the family, I don't need you doing that."
"Oh, Howard. What if-."
"Look, I have enough years for my pension so we will be fine if anything happens to me or if I lose my job."
"With some of the hardware stores closing, it's just scary."
"I know, sweetheart but we will be fine." He smiled at her as they looked at each other.
The next day at Cunningham Hardware—
Howard was at work when his boss, Harry Reynolds went to see him and talked to him in Howard's office.
"Howard, you have to do something for me."
"What's that?" Howard asked nervously.