Hard Lessons Learned

"This way? Your baby gets diapers, your baby gets food before you go blow it on some stupid shit you don't need," Susan said and ended the call.

"Oh! And I need...hello? Damn it! Mom, huh? Hang up on me?" Todd whined.

Arriving home, still muttering, Todd saw that Trent was moving out of Apartment 304. The man and two muscle bound men were wrestling the queen sized mattress out of the door.

"Moving?" Todd asked.

"Can't slip nothing by you, huh?" Trent said.

The two men helping Trent laughed. Todd simply let the matter drop and walked to Apartment 307.

The three wrestled the bed down the two flights of stairs, then into the box truck Trent had rented. One man started the truck while Trent and the other man went back up, to check, to make sure they'd missed nothing.

"Saw your dumb ass husband," Trent said as the trio of men wrestled the mattress into the Baylor Lake home.

"Ex-husband," Terri said. "Guys, chili's just about ready; hope y'all are hungry."

"Aw yeah!" one of the men said.

"And remember," Terri said, giving each man a crisp one hundred dollar bill. "Todd's paying for this, okay?"

"Thank you Todd," one man said, smiling.

"Oops! And someone's crying for a booby," Terri smiled as they could hear Russell crying from the nursery.

"Wah! Wah, wah!" Trent said.

"Uh huh, you'll get your booby later," Terri giggled, scurrying from the room.

"Damn, Rawlings, huh?" one man said as he popped open a St. Elizabeth Ale. "How old is she?"

"Eighteen," Trent admitted, fetching himself a Coca-Cola. "Yes, I know, I'm twenty years older than her. Robbing the cradle, I know."

"Well," the other man said.

"That's a deep subject," the first man said.

"Huh?" the other man said.

"Well. Deep subject," the first man said.

"Oh. Ha-ha, you funny...looking," the other man said. "But, like I was saying. Don't look to me she's complaining too much 'bout you robbing the cradle there, Rawlings."

While Terri was in her Baylor Lake home, nursing their son, Todd Tonicetti listlessly sat in his apartment, eating one of the frozen dinners his mother had bought for him. As usual, he picked out the things he liked and dumped the rest of the meal into the garbage can.

"Whew!" Todd gasped, smelling the foul garbage.

He carried the plastic bin down the stairs, and dumped the contents into the large dumpster. He nodded to another resident that lugged a bursting garbage bag, then returned to his apartment.

Stepping into the one room apartment, Todd smelled the lingering odor of his garbage. He saw the small sink full of his dirty glasses and bowls. Opening the dishwasher, he again gasped at the foul odor emanating from the appliance.

The futon was lumpy, uncomfortable. The television didn't work; he'd not paid the cable bill in four months. The now running dishwasher was noisy, gurgling and throbbing as it washed the dishes.

"God damn!" Todd screamed. "God damn this sucks! This just fucking sucks!"

The next day, as he prepared for another day at a job he hated, a job that he felt was far beneath his intelligence, his talents, Todd suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He chomped his way through the last of the Frosted Flakes cereal and smiled.

He cheerfully went to his job, cheerfully did his labor. At lunch time, he treated himself to a beef pizzaco from the Pizzaco food truck that parked outside of A & A Soaps. For the rest of the day, Todd smiled as he worked.

Just after punching out, Todd suddenly grabbed his stomach and lurched for the bathroom. Toni Delacroix wished the other employees a good night as she waited. Finally, she heard the commode flush and a sweaty Todd Tonicetti lumbered from the employee bathroom.

"Whew! Guess that pizzaco at lunch, guess it just didn't..." Todd explained as Toni wished him a good evening.

"Like happens every now and then," she cheerfully agreed, set the alarm and locked the door.

Four hours later, A & A Soaps was an inferno. Todd listened to the report on his clock radio as K.U.L.D., the college radio station broadcast the fire.

"There you go, bitch," Todd whooped. "No paycheck? No child support. How you like me now, huh?"

When he woke up the next morning, Todd listened to K.U.L.D. broadcasting the continued coverage of the A & A Soaps blaze. Two fire fighters had died battling the blaze. Todd shrugged as he microwaved himself an egg.

"And like, our employees? They'll be getting their paychecks," Toni Delacroix tearfully told Spot, the K.U.L.D. reporter. "I mean, it's like, not their fault, so, like, they'll be getting their pay until we like rebuild."

"Woo hoo!" Todd said, pumping his fist. "Vacation!"

Three days after the blaze, Todd was chugging out a tune when he heard a very hard pounding on his apartment door. He sneered; wondering which one of his inconsiderate neighbors was coming to interrupt him.

Todd was in shock when he was arrested for aggravated arson, for second degree murder in the deaths of the two fire fighters. His mug shots showed a wide-eyed, fearful kid.

"No, Todd," Susan sobbed when he called her from the Kimble Police Department. "No, I won't bail you out. Son, two men, too men died because of your foolishness. They died, Todd."

Security was tight around the St. Elizabeth Parish Courthouse. Todd looked around, stunned at the angry faces, stunned at the screams, the shouts from the crowd that tried to get to him.

"I'm sorry!" Todd screamed. "I'm sorry! They weren't supposed to die!"

His court appointed lawyer did suggest that Todd cut his long hair; it would look better in the eyes of the presiding judge, the jury. And, when he went to prison, Todd certainly didn't want long hair to mark him as a 'pussy' to his fellow inmates.

"But, but I'm a guitar player," Todd argued.

"Kid, listen, Metallica cut their hair," the lawyer said. "And they're still just as good."

The divorce was granted while Todd waited for his trial to start. The news meant nothing to him; Todd just shrugged when his mother told him she'd received the paperwork.

Epilogue

Todd Tonicetti was found guilty of aggravated arson and involuntary manslaughter. He and Susan Tonicetti cried when he was sentenced to twenty five years to life hard labor and remanded to Mumphrey to serve out his sentence.

Upon receiving the papers announcing that Terri was no longer married to Todd Tonicetti, Trent Took Terri to Disney World for a four day weekend. On their last day there, he proposed to Terri and she happily agreed.

Wade had been upset to learn that his daughter was living with a man, outside of the bonds of matrimony. But struggling through an unpleasant marriage, then giving birth, almost alone, and now being solely responsible for Russell's care, Terri had grown a backbone. She had looked at her angry father's face and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm an adult, Dad," Terri said simply. "I love him; I hope you'll learn to accept Trent, learn to like him. But I'm an adult. It's my life."

The news of their engagement did not mollify Wade. He looked at the expensive diamond ring and pursed his lips.

"But, he's thirty nine years old, Terri. Jesus; he's the same age as me," Wade argued.

"Uh huh. And?" Terri said. "Wedding's March fourth. I'd like it if you'd give me away. But if you don't? Oh well."

"Hey, wait, where's Russell?" Wade suddenly asked.

"He's with his Grams," Terri smiled.

"Grams?" Wade asked.

"Miss Susan," Terri said. "Decided that's going be her name. Grams. Oh, and she's going be at the wedding."

"She, she's all right with..." Wade asked.

"Me divorcing her son? Me marrying Trent? Yeah," Terri said. "Oh. And Mom's going be there too. And no, SHE'S not all right with me marrying Trent. Says I should let her have him."

At the wedding reception of Terri Bercegay and Trent Rawlings, Wade asked Susan Tonicetti if she'd like to dance. The two danced well together at the reception, so Wade asked Susan if she'd like to go to Foxtrot Lounge some evening, to dance, to drink, to get to know one another.

"I mean, first thing you need to know about me?" Wade said as they did a lively jitterbug. "I used to be an asshole."

"Used to be? What happened?" Susan asked, smiling as her skirt flared upward.

"Became a grandpa," Wade smiled.

"Well, first thing you need to know about me? I don't put up with assholes," Susan smiled. "But yeah, I'd love to go to Foxtrot, do a little dancing."

Wade saw the sour looks he and Susan were getting from his ex-wife, so kept Susan out on the dance floor for another song. He then danced with his former sister in law, even his former niece, Yvette before Terri cornered him and made him dance with her mother.

"God damn, Wade, it was a mistake," his ex-wife hissed angrily. "But still can't get over it, Huh?"

"Yes, yes, it was a wonderful wedding, wasn't it?" Wade said. "Yes, I was a little surprised at how old her husband is, but as Terri says, she loves him. And, oh my God, he seems to adore our grandson, doesn't he?"

"You're an asshole," his ex-wife snarled, storming off.

"That's 'Former asshole,' thank you very much," Wade said to her retreating back.

"Ex not happy?" Susan asked, holding out a fresh glass of champagne for Wade.

"Looks that way," Wade smiled. "By the way, anyone ever tell you what beautiful eyes you have?"

"Careful," Susan laughed. "I'm just drunk enough to believe that line of crap."

Three months after their first date, Terri stood in as Susan's matron of honor, Wade's favorite son in law stood in as Wade's best man. Susan's brother teased his sister; she'd been pregnant at her previous wedding as well.

"Yeah, but at least this one's got a job," Susan agreed.

THE END

(And now, the rest)

**Author's Note: I write these stories for my pleasure; I post them here for your enjoyment. I sincerely thank those that take the time to read my stories.

I especially thank those that take the time to leave comments, good and bad. I also thank those that take the time to rate my stories, those that take the time to 'Favorite' my stories.

I do not read emails. If you've anything to say, simply leave your comments at the end of this story so that we may all enjoy your words.

Todd Tonicetti and his mother, Susan Tonicetti are characters from the 'Quick Repair Services' series.

Toni Delacroix, and A & A Soaps are introduced in the 'Wealth' series.

Cheryl Goodwin, the manager of the A & A Soaps shipping department is introduced in 'Azalea' in the Incest/Taboo category.

The receptionist of the law firm, Ethel Gerrard, formerly Ethel Youngblood is a character first introduced in 'Righting A Wrong' in the Romance category.

Tammy Hale, the real estate agent that sold the Baylor Lake bungalow to Trent Rawlings is a character from 'Yapping Dogs' in the Loving Wives category. Isn't it nice that she's started to grow up a little and now actually works for a living?

The fire that destroyed A & A Soaps is introduced in 'Nudge' in the Loving Wives category.

The death of the two firefighters is introduced in 'Multiple Units #107' in the Incest/Taboo category.

Have a swell day. And some of you? Have a swollen day.