Gina was visiting her in-laws, the Sloans, and sat to play with her
daughter Emma. She'd wanted her boyfriend, Charlie , to come with
her, but he refused. Something was rotten with them, he'd said.
"Thank you for bringing Emma over. I can't tell you enough what she's
meant to us.", Ruth said with all the politeness she could muster.
Actually, what she wanted to tell Gina was how glad she was that she
and Charlie had postponed their wedding. After all, Gina was Italian,
and who knows how her pride would react. Just our luck, she'd run off
and marry him, Ruth thought. No, she decided, some things were best
left unsaid.
"How are things with you and Charlie,", with that feign smile of
hers, trying to sound sincere.
Gina was no fool. "We are continuing to wait to plan our wedding, if
this is what you mean to say." Gina responded.
Just then, the housekeeper approached them.
"Ma'am, you have a visitor."
" And you didn't get their name?", inquired Ruth. Honestly, she
thought. At least the Davises always thought of things like that.
After Ruth excused herself, Gina started to prepare Emma to leave.
Then she heard Ruth scream, and heard Mike coming downstairs to see
what was going on.
"Good heavens, woman.! What in the name...". Mike froze. Surely as
the nose on his face, there stood in front of him his "dead son",
Mike Jr. Gina came around the corner and also stared what quite
apparantly had to be Emma's father.
After everyone's initial shock, Mike Jr. explained to everyone the
circumstances behind his reapprearance. More than satisfied, Mike
and Ruth kept hugging their son, while Gina looked on uneasily.
"Mother, I am glad to see you, but I need to see my wife. I hope you
have been good to her!", he asked pointedly, knowing that his parents
were predjudiced.
"Of course, son, you may spend time with your family. That is more
than understandable. But give your poor chance a moment with you. I'm
sure you know how much your mother and I suffered when we
thought...well, we thought we had lost you forever.", Mike looked at
his only son with adoration and admiration. He and Ruth were so
thrilled, beyond words, actually, that nothing in the world could
spoil their joy.
" I suffer, also, Mike, when I believe you were dead." Gina spoke,
her eyes wide and her mind and thoughts racing.
Ruth stared at her in disbelief. At that moment, Ruth was fully
prepared to tell her daughter-in-law exactly what she thought of her;
how Gina , to Ruth, had pratically caused Mike's death; and her
relationship with that common Charlie Hailey. Ruth furiously let Gina
have a piece of her mind.
"You little Italian...tramp.!How dare you tell my son how much you
grieved over him, while you are engaged to his friend. How you lied
to us, covering your pregnancy, and then you manipulated your way
into staying in this country...", she accused. Ordinarily, she
wouldn't even admit Charlie and Mike Jr.'s friendship, but in this
case it suited her case against Gina.
"Sweetheart, calm down. I helped Gina stay in the country. And none
of that matters, now that our son is home. Our son is home," Mike
repeated emphatically,", and I know you're beside yourself. Come
here.", he tried to pull his wife to him.
Mike Jr. tried to interject; after all, he had his own questions. Who
was Gina seeing? He wanted to try to explain everything and calm his
mother down, but he was starting to get angry himself.
"But.." he didn't get a chance to speak.
"You! You kept that Italian in this country! How dare you ! ".Ruth
was growing more furious by the moment. Her fury now focused on her
husband.
"But, Mom..." Mike Jr. started again.
"Now, Ruth. Let me speak!" the senior Mike replied, not hearing his
son.
"Mom, Dad...''
"I simply can't believe what I am hearing! Then again, you have never
been the best judge of character.", referring to Judy Owen.
"I thought we put that nonsense behind us.."
Mike Jr. realized that he would not have his say. Somethings hadn't
changed after all, he sighed.
With all the tension and arguing between husband and wife ,they
didn't notice that Mike Jr., Gina, and Emma, had slipped outside.