My Mr. Manny (2 page)

“What is wrong with you?” Susan asked. My head snapped up, and I shrugged. She had been working overtime to get me out of our dorm room and into the social scene more. Susan was beautiful, with a full curvy body, freckles, bright red hair, and blue eyes that reminded me of a crystal blue ocean.

“I’m not a happy camper. I can’t stand all these people touching me. I’m on the verge of an anxiety attack,” I said with a nervous chuckle. I was serious, but Susan’s expression made me laugh. She just scrunched her face in disbelief. I knew I was annoying her and felt bad, but she should have just let me stay in our room.

“Mia, I understand your idea of fun is hanging out at home, but you have to get out once in a while. We only get to do college once,” she said in disbelief at my disinterest in partying.

“How long is halftime, anyway?”

Susan just laughed at me and pulled me forward in line. “Come on; it’s almost our turn.” There were two girls in front of Susan, and I was about to pee my pants. While I was shifting from foot to foot, I focused again on how much I hated people. All at once, three stalls opened and a girl popped out of each of them, happy and giggling. I shook my head again because I just didn’t understand what was so fun about this whole night.

Susan and I began our journey to the snack stand, where tons of people were standing around talking and ordering. After I received my order, Susan and I began walking back to the bleachers when I heard someone call my name.

I turned around but didn’t recognize anyone. Then, I saw a guy walking toward me.

His blue eyes and big dimples looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him, so I just stood there like an idiot waiting for him to reach me and say something.

“Hey, I was hoping that was you,” the mystery guy said.

I looked around to make sure there was no one else behind me.

“Um, you were talking to me, right?” I questioned pointing to myself.

He smirked and said, “Mia Balducci, right? It’s me, Alex Greco. You know, from Trident Avenue?”

“Oh, my God, Alex! What are you doing here?”

I didn’t know what came over me, but I gave him an awkward hug since my hands were full. He smelled of soap and cologne, an older brand that no one used anymore but that still smelled good on him.

I stepped back to introduce Susan to Alex, but she wasn’t next to me any longer.

“Tonight, I’m here supporting my buddies on the field, and I’m a sophomore, business major.”

“Wow, so you followed your dream to go to USC? That’s great, Alex. It’s great to see you.”

A group of guys with their hands full of beer, popcorn, and hotdogs from the bar were standing a bit behind Alex, laughing and looking our way. A big guy called out to him, and Alex held up his index finger to let him know he’d be right there.

“Hey, I‘ve got to get back to my friends, but can I call you?”

I nodded my head, gave Alex my phone number, and walked back to my seat on the bleachers.

Alex had grown up to be a very handsome man. He was of average height, around five-eight, with light brown hair and those same baby blue eyes I remembered so well. He was a part of home that I missed: the people, the warmth, and the familiar. His smile warmed me from the inside out, and I knew it had to be showing in my own smile. It was so nice to have a piece of home here in this unfamiliar place.

Chapter 3

Man Hunt

Alex called me a few days after that football game.

Our first date was at Paco’s Tacos, my favorite restaurant, which served the best Mexican food ever. Located on a very busy side street on the outside edge of Culver City, Paco’s Tacos wrapped around the street corner and into the adjoining row of businesses.

The waiting area had a big sofa that wrapped around three of the walls and a table in the middle. On the ceiling, paper bandanas hung in colors coinciding with the closest holiday. Mexican Independence Day had just passed, so the bandanas were red, white, and green. A Mexican woman stood in the corner, rolling dough for homemade tortillas and cooking them on a big round griddle. The smell of fresh flour tortillas made my mouth water.

Two big fish tanks sat in the middle of the dining room, surrounded by round tables. Beautiful, brightly-colored fish swam along a tank floor piled with aqua rocks, coral, and floating plants.

The bar at the far end of the restaurant was well stocked, and I was ready for a drink. I decided on an icy-cold mango margarita, and Alex ordered a beer from the bar. They were the perfect drinks to go with the delectable food we ordered: my favorite plate, carne asada tampiqueña, and Alex’s combination plate with a chile relleno and a steak taco.

A smile spread across my face in pure happiness while I looked at Alex sitting in a place I loved. It felt so good to have the comfort and memories of my past connect to my present. He looked so handsome, his blue eyes sparkling in the light from the fish tank and his cheeks flushed from the alcohol.

When he reached across the table for my hand, I felt the softness of his fingers. They were not the hands of a person who did much physical labor; they felt too soft and supple.

Alex and I caught up on what we had been doing for the past two years. I told him about my last two years of high school, and he told me about becoming a sophomore at USC and promised me I would love college.

We talked about our plans after college and both agreed we would not be going back home to live — ever. I had fallen in love with California over the past two years, and so had he.

~*~*~

When I became a sophomore, Alex and I moved in together. We rented a condominium in Culver City about seven miles away from school. The condo happened to be in the same gated community where I’d lived when I went to high school. The community was split: townhomes on one side and condos on the other. My dad lived on the townhouse side.

The land was the old MGM lot where The Wizard of Oz had been filmed. The gated community had a huge man-made lake. A beautiful recreation building sat at the water’s edge. Inside the building were a party room and a gym. The lake was long and lined with olive trees. Ducks floated on the water and bathed near the fountains that peaked out of the water. You would have thought you were in an exotic place somewhere far from the busy city, but on the other side of the big block walls, the traffic and craziness was all still there. It was a beautiful property, secure and guarded.

Alex’s and my lives meshed well, and it felt good to be loved at last. I hadn’t dated much in high school, even though all my friends had been boys. Girls were too catty for me, and between my big mouth and my shyness, most girls never knew what to make of me. It seemed as if I was always searching for love and friendship, but I never found it until Alex came back into my life. Comfort came in the piece of Boston that Alex gave me. When I looked at him, it made me feel like I was still in touch with the good memories from home.

~*~*~

School was a priority, and it kept me busy. Before I knew it I only had one more year of college to go and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after that. Alex graduated, and without a lot of fanfare, he went straight to work. His father lined up a job for him through a business connection with a big company in Century City, and it was a great starting position with a hefty salary. He worked hard and long hours since he was new and still learning. He had to prove himself.

My senior year was tough, but I knew with my full attention I could finish. I often felt tired and emotional, which at first I thought was due to being run down. After a few months, however, I found out I was pregnant. I was so afraid Alex would be upset when I told him; instead, he was happy and said it was the best Christmas present he had ever received. Somehow, I made it through school, pregnant and exhausted, but the accomplishment made it worth it. When I graduated in May, our parents were there to celebrate with Alex and me. I was six months pregnant and feeling oversized. I still had three more months to go and knew by the end I would be huge.

My mother was there for my graduation, and it was the first time she had visited me in California since I had lived here. I always went to visit her because she said it was “easier” and that I could visit my family. I had always agreed, but it was nice to have her in the place I now called home.

Alex and I sat next to one another during the graduation dinner, with our parents surrounding us on all sides.

“Your aunt hasn’t been feeling well lately, and her kids are driving her crazy. She’s always calling me to complain, and I tell her in all seriousness that I don’t want to hear it,” my mother said, and then she sighed. My mother was a tall woman with a round face who, even in her late fifties, had flawless, cream-colored skin. I had her natural hair color, which was a russet brown. Since going grey, she had been reduced to dyeing it, but it was nearly impossible to tell. I wished I had her soft-looking skin, though.

I loved my mother so much, but she had a tendency to talk about nonsense. She was the type that would stop and tell a complete stranger her life story. On one of my visits back home, we drove to Rockport, a small coastal town with quaint shops, to go window-shopping and see the sights. We found a great store that sold magnets in an array of designs. I broke off to browse, and when I found my mother, she was talking to a store employee. For no less than forty-five minutes, she told story after story of her life. The lady was much too polite to say anything or interrupt her, not that she had a chance; my mother didn't even break to breathe. I saved her by purchasing a couple of magnets and ushering my mother out of the store. Now here she was, talking my ear off.

“God, Mia, and then she starts to complain about my brother and how he never helps her with those kids because he’s always working. But the truth is he’s home every night in time for dinner, and then goes over their homework and stuff. I just think she’s a chronic complainer—”

The dinging sound of the silverware against a glass brought us out of our conversation. I was relieved. If my mother didn’t want to listen to my aunt telling her all that nonsense, I didn’t know what made her think
I
wanted to hear it.

Clink Clink. Clink.

“Can I have your attention, please?” To my right Alex stood, clinking his glass with a big smile on his face. When he was sure he had everyone’s attention, he pushed his chair back and got down on one knee and turned to me.

“Mia, I am so happy with you and so thankful that we ran into each other at that football game. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. Will you marry me?”

I was in shock. I hadn’t expected a proposal, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was perfect. My hands were crisscrossed over my chest, and my breathing was heavy. I had tears streaming down my cheeks, contradicting the big smile on my face. Looking down, I saw Alex’s hands were holding a small, open red box with a beautiful solitaire diamond ring. It was gorgeous.

My mother cleared her throat to snap me out of my stupor. I looked up and noticed Alex's smile began to falter, and I realized he was waiting for my answer.

“Yes, yes I’ll marry you!”

Alex’s face smoothed, and the smile became genuine again. He plucked the ring out of the box and placed it on my finger.

The whole restaurant burst into applause, and the staff began singing a congratulatory song in Italian. I looked around at my loved ones and then at Alex. I could do it; I could be a wife and a mother. It all seemed so easy. Little did I know this was a decision that would plague me for years to come.

Alex and I decided that since the baby was coming soon and we wanted to be married before then, it would be wise to take advantage of having everyone in town already. We applied for our marriage license immediately, and after the two-day waiting period, we got married in the courthouse with our parents as witnesses. I had never thought about getting married before and didn’t care much about what type of wedding I would have. As far as I was concerned, it wasn’t about the wedding itself; it was more about the couple connecting.

A huge celebratory dinner followed at Paco’s Tacos. I invited Susan, and Alex invited a few of his closest buddies from school. It was a nice evening and great to have all of our friends and family with us.

After dinner, Alex’s mother squeezed me tight and whispered in my ear, “Mia, I’m so glad my boy found you all the way over here. A nice Italian girl from the neighborhood.” I hugged her back and thanked her. “You call us when that baby comes, okay?”

“We will, Mrs. Greco.” I gave her one last hug before she stepped back so her husband could hug me goodbye. They were all going home, and I was sad. Everyone had to get back to work and on with their lives.

My mother spoke next. “Honey, now you call me if you need anything. I want to know when my grand baby comes, and I’ll try and make it out here to help. It depends on what my schedule is at the time. But you know I’ll try,” my mother said.

As she was boarding the plane with Alex’s parents, she was still shouting things out to me. I was so used to it that I almost didn’t get embarrassed anymore, but Alex’s ears were bright red. Well, it was time for him to get used to his new mother-in-law.

Chapter 4

Mother May I

Our beautiful little girl was born on the tenth of August, two weeks late. She was perfection with her long nose, pink, full lips, and head full of russet-colored hair. She was the spitting image of me, save the crystal blue eyes. Lucia Grace, the light of my life, weighed in at seven pounds, eight ounces, and was twenty-one inches long. When I held her in my arms for the first time, I knew I had someone to love me back forever — someone who would need me and never leave me. I knew in that moment that the unconditional love between a mother and a child could never be broken. She was my whole heart and soul from that day forward.

I called my mother as soon as she was born, because she wasn’t able to be there. She was so excited for us and begged us to take tons of pictures for her. My dad sat proudly in the waiting room for his turn to hold his granddaughter. It was strange watching my dad hold her, and it made me wonder if he had held me like that when I was a baby. Did he look at me with the same pride he had when he looked at her? And if so, then why had it been so easy for him to leave me? I knew I would never ask those questions and didn’t want to ruin the moment with my self-pitying thoughts. Instead, I took many pictures of my baby girl with my dad and with my one true friend, Susan. I knew I would cherish those memories forever and have them to share with my baby girl when she was old enough.