#mrsalwayswrite

An hour later, Billy was awake and playing with his favorite toys, a red car from his Grandma and Grandpa Spencer and a blue truck from his Nonna and Nonno Guarnere. He was waiting for Bill to come home.

Monday through Friday, Guarnere played a game that Billy adored. When Bill would arrive home from work, Billy would run to him, smiling and very eager for the game to begin when he heard Leigh say,

"Pop's home!"

The game began after Bill entered the kitchen and gave Leigh a kiss. He would pick up Billy, kissing his cheek and then put him back on the floor so he could get ready to play. He would have a gleam in his eyes as he said,

"Billy, there's only one thing to do. Are ya ready?" Billy would nod his head to indicate "Yes." Then, Bill would say,

"Run!" Billy would take off running, giggling every step of the way. Both Bill and Leigh delighted in hearing his laughter. Bill let Billy think that he had no idea where he was headed, despite the fact that Billy would hide behind the door to his room, waiting to be found.

After searching downstairs, Bill would go upstairs and pretend to look from room to room, grinning as he heard the little boy's laughter.

Then, he would enter Billy's room and pick him up, playfully mussing up his hair and giving him a hug. They would walk downstairs hand in hand after ensuring that Billy's hands were washed before supper.

Leigh told Billy ahead of time that she would join in the hiding part of the game. She made sure he understood what he was supposed to do. Billy knew that he had to stand still while his mama put a new shirt on him. He was happy to have her playing, too. They waited in the kitchen. Soon, she saw Bill walking up the back stair steps to the kitchen door. Leigh said,

"Pop's home!" Bill and Billy started their game after Bill kissed Leigh. While they were in the kitchen, Leigh said that she needed to go upstairs and that she'd "Be right back."

Leigh waited behind the door to Billy's bedroom. He soon ran into the room and stood still. She quickly removed Billy's shirt, putting his arms through the T-shirt she embroidered. Leigh winked at him and went downstairs.

Bill searched the dining room, living room and he headed upstairs. He heard the giggling and went into Billy's room. After the hair mussing, the hug and getting Billy's hands washed, they walked downstairs together.

When they got to the living room, Leigh was standing there, smiling. She wondered how long it would take for Bill to see the shirt. A few minutes later, as they were going into the kitchen to eat supper, Bill looked at Billy.

"Billy, did ya get somethin' on your other shirt? You know your ma won't be upset wit' ya if ya got it dirty."

"New shirt, Pop."

"Let me see what ya got, Billy." Bill picked him up, smiling as he read the embroidered message. He put Billy down and the little boy went into the kitchen. He walked back to the living room, asking Leigh,

"Sweetheart, are we havin' another baby?"

"Yes, Pop. We're expecting another baby in about six and a half months. I didn't think I'd get the shirt done in time and I'd start to show before it was finished." Bill embraced and kissed her.

"That's great news, Baby! I love the way ya told me. Leigh, I love you, Billy an' the new baby, too. Sweetheart, we've got it all. A nice house, good jobs, a happy, healthy little boy an' a baby on the way. " She agreed.

Later that night, before going to sleep, Leigh told Bill,

"Honey, I couldn't find a better husband or a better life. This means more to me than touring the country doing concerts." He tenderly kissed her.

"Baby, I love you. You're my heart an' my everything."

"I love you, too. You'll always be my heart and my everything." She drifted off to sleep in his

arms. Two hours later, Leigh awoke to the sound of Billy crying. She grabbed up her bathrobe and slid her feet into her slippers.

She went into Billy's room, turning on the small lamp that sat on a table beside his crib. Then, she picked him up, giving Billy a kiss on his cheek before checking his diaper. He was making progress with potty training and only wore a diaper at bedtime. Billy was clean and he didn't want his bottle.

"What's wrong, Sweetheart? Did you have a bad dream?" Billy nodded his head,

"Bad ghosties." She carried him over to the rocking chair beside his crib and getting a small, soft blanket from the nearby table, wrapping it around Billy.

"This will keep bad ghosties away. Pop and I wouldn't let anything hurt or scare you. Would you like me to rock you to sleep?"

"Yes." Leigh wrapped her arms around him, holding Billy close to her.She rocked the chair gently as she softly sang to him. Leigh finished the song and Billy was still awake.

"Are you afraid to go to sleep, Billy?"

"Yes." Leigh tenderly kissed his cheek.

"I promise, Sweetheart, you're very safe."

"Talk like Pop."

"Do you want me to talk to you awhile like Pop does?"

"Yes."

"You look just like your pop. He's the most handsome man I've ever seen. She told Billy about hurting her ankle and how Bill carried her around Camp Toccoa.

"Your pop is a very kind and sweet man. He's also very brave. When you're older, I'll tell you about how he helped his friend, Joe. I hope you grow up to be just like your pop.

The little boy yawned and snuggled closer to her.

"Mama sing." Leigh softly sang to him as she rocked in the chair. Billy drifted off to sleep after her second song. Leigh carried him to his crib, gently placing him in his bed. She covered him with the soft blanket and placed his teddy bear beside him before kissing his cheek.

Leigh turned off the lamp and walked into the hall. Bill was standing by Billy's room. He pulled her close to him, quietly saying,

"What you said about me was real sweet, Baby. I woke up an' I thought that ya might be in here. You're one hell of a good ma." He kissed Leigh and they walked hand in hand to their bedroom. Bill chuckled, repeating what Billy said,

"Talk like Pop. He's somethin' else." Once they were in the bedroom, Bill sat on the edge of the bed to remove his trousers and his wooden leg. Leigh got into bed and they soon fell asleep.

Leigh made a two piece maternity outfit, a skirt and short sleeved top, out of pink material. It was perfect to wear to work since it looked like the suits worn by women. Styles were slowly evolving for expectant mothers and this suit looked more tailored as opposed to the billowing dresses that were the norm in fashion.

Once again, Bill was with her in the doctor's office to hear the baby's heartbeat. He grinned as he heard the healthy, steady rhythm of his unborn son's or daughter's heart. Both Bill and Leigh enjoyed hearing the heartbeat and they embraced and kissed before leaving Dr. Simms's office as they did before Billy was born.

At the beginning of Leigh's third trimester, she was feeling playful one evening after Bill helped her with the supper dishes. She asked him as she walked into the living room.

"Honey, I've been looking all over the house for something. Would you help me find what I'm looking for?" Bill was already seated on the couch, waiting for Leigh to join him to listen to some music on the radio.

"I'd be glad to help ya, Baby. What are ya lookin' for?" She grinned before answering,

"I'm looking for my feet, I can't see them. They're about this big," she held her hands up to illustrate the size of her feet." He

laughed and gently pulled Leigh onto his lap.

"That's a good one. Your little feet are just fine." He wrapped his arms around her, saying,

"The rest o' you is fine, too. I love the way you have that glow on your skin. You look pretty damn sexy, Baby."

Time passed and the day for Leigh's planned C-section arrived. Bill, his parents and the Spencers once again were in the Maternity Ward's waiting area.

Guarnere tried not to be nervous, but he couldn't help feeling a little anxious. After a few hours, a nurse appeared, telling him,

"Mr. Guarnere, your wife and daughter came through the procedure just fine. Would you like to visit them?" Both sets of parents hugged each other in celebration as Bill followed the nurse to Leigh's room.

Guarnere entered Leigh's room, smiling as he saw her holding their newborn. Leigh handed the baby to a very eager 'Pop'. He held his little girl and tenderly kissed her cheek.

"You're beautiful, just like your ma. Baby, since ya chose Billy's name, is it OK if I name our little girl?" Leigh told him that it was fine with her.

"I've been thinkin' about Angelina, like the Louis Prima song. How 'bout Angelina Leigh Guarnere?

"Are you sure about her middle name?"

"I'm a hundred percent sure, Baby. You're my angel, ya gave me this beautiful little angel an' I want her to be named after the woman I love."

"I love you, too,Bill. If you want another son, we can try for another baby. I enjoy doing what it takes to make another little Guarnere." She winked at him and he grinned.

"Sweetheart, ya know I'm always willin' to do that wit' you. Another boy would be nice, but I'm glad to have this sweet little angel." Guarnere looked concerned and serious.

"What do ya think about sendin' Angelina to a convent when she's older? I don't want any boys messin' wit' my little girl. If she became a nun, she'd be safe." Leigh gave him an incredulous look.

"If Angelina decides on her own to become a nun, I will support her decision. Bill, you're not locking our daughter away as a means of protecting her. I know you mean well, Honey, but that's not fair to her.

Don't you want her to know what it's like to fall in love and marry the love of her life? Even if she dates a few boys and has a broken heart from a breakup before she finds the right boy, it's still better than not knowing the joy of being truly and deeply in love.

"It will probably happen, even if it's just puppy love. It's part of growing up, Bill. That doesn't mean that you track down the young man and use him for target practice."

Guarnere tried to defend his statement.

"I don't want some fast talkin' punk takin' advantage o' her." He held Angelina close to him, covering the ear that wasn't close to his chest.

"What if she's kinda wild like both o' us? I ain't complainin' an' I loved every minute of it, but we got up to a lot o' stuff before we got married."

"Honey, first of all, please stop covering our daughter's ear. She has no idea what you're talking about given the fact that she's a newborn. Secondly, we will bring her up the way we were brought up. If you recall, I wasn't throwing myself at all sorts of men. I gave myself to the man I love.

Maybe your mom and my mom can help us learn how to raise a daughter. We need to teach her well, so she has good values and the intelligence to make the right choices and decisions. Since Angelina is a combination of both of us, she stands a chance of being strong willed and stubborn. I don't think I turned out too bad. No arrests and I gave one guy a good swift kick who deserved it."

"You turned out great, Baby. I know ya didn't go wild wit' other guys. Maybe Angelina can learn how to kick a boy's ass if he gets too fresh wit' her. I did say that I wanted her to be like her ma. I wanna protect our little angel. I don't want some guy breakin' our little girl's heart someday."

"Pop, you don't need to train her to be a fighter. I'll work with her as she gets older. For now, let's enjoy her while she's a tiny baby. It's several years before we have to be concerned about boys."

"I guess I kinda got carried away. I know how guys think."

"We'll both learn about how to bring up this little angel, OK, Honey? " Guarnere walked over to kiss her.

"OK, Mama." Angelina was snuggled close to him and sleeping. He whispered,

"Will ya look at that? My little angel feels safe in her Pop's arms."

"You have a way of making a girl feel safe and loved."

"Thanks, Sweetheart. When she's old enough, I'm tellin' her about the guy from Dog Company." Leigh laughed.

"You're somethin' else, Pop. I love you."

"I love you, too. We'd better let our folks meet this little angel." Bill went to the waiting room, telling his and Leigh's parents,

"Come on back an' meet our beautiful little girl." The Guarneres and Spencers immediately fell in love with their granddaughter. Both sets of grandparents declared that she was perfect. Leigh asked Bill,

"Honey, will you please introduce our baby girl to her grandparents? Bill chose her name, by the way."

"I want ya to meet Angelina Leigh Guarnere. She's the most beautiful little girl in Philadelphia." Augusta asked him,

"Billy, did ya get her name from that Louis Prima song? That's one of my favorite songs that he sings."

"Yes, Ma, her name came from that song. I also wanted to name her after the love o' my life." Angelina yawned and woke up in her Nonno Guarnere's arms, after Augusta handed her to her husband.

Joseph smiled and said something in Italian to his granddaughter. Augusta translated for him, telling everyone,

"He said, 'Such a beautiful little princess. She's a tiny angel.'" Bill replied,

"That's part o' the reason I chose that name. It kinds sounds like little angel to me." Cal and Louise kissed the little girl and Louise said,

"She looks so much like Leigh did at that age." Cal had a beaming smile as he held the newborn.

"I agree with Louise, she looks like Leigh did when she arrived. Bill, you're going to have a full time job keeping the boys away. She's beautiful."

"Dad, don't encourage him. Bill is already plotting on how to keep potential boyfriends away. Pop is already overprotective." Both sets of parents had a good laugh. Leigh told her husband,

"Honey, I'm not making fun of you. I know you love our little girl. Would you please get something out of the middle drawer of the table beside me? " Bill opened the drawer and removed a tiny red dress covered in red lace that matched the material. He said,

"Baby, that looks like the dress ya wore when ya sang wit' the Andrews Sisters in Paris. Did you make this?"

"Yes. I made that and it's going to be the dress she wears home from the hospital." Both sets of grandparents thought that the dress was adorable.

"I forgot to mention the other item in the drawer, would you please get it out, Bill?" Guarnere opened the drawer and took out tiny crocheted booties. They were black, with an open toe, just like Leigh's favorite shoes.

"The radio station manager's wife made these. She gave them to me when I went in to sing couple of days before I was supposed to come here for the C-section. She made a pair of blue booties, too, but they can wait for another time." Both Augusta and Louise thought that the tiny booties were absolutely precious.

When the grandparents left, Bill went into the waiting room to tell his sisters,

"Come on back an' meet our pretty little angel." Julia, Maria and Teresa declared that their new niece was perfect and beautiful. Leigh told Bill,

"Honey, would you please introduce our little girl to her aunts? Bill picked out her name since I chose Billy's name."

"I want ya to meet Angelina Leigh Guarnere." The aunts thought that the baby's first name was fitting since she looked like a little angel. They

thought that Bill was sweet to give the baby Leigh's name, too.

Each sister held and fussed over Angelina. Julia asked Leigh,

"Has Billy Baby gone overboard already wit' bein' overprotective?" Leigh grinned.

"Yes. Bill is already worried about future boyfriends." She paused, telling Bill,

"Honey, I'm not making fun of you. I know you were seriously trying to protect Angelina, but I want to tell your sisters about the idea you had. Ladies, your baby brother thought that Angelina should enter a convent when she was much older.

He knew she would be safe from boys if she became a nun." Teresa stifled her urge to laugh. Maria grinned and Julia laughed.

"Billy Baby, you're kinda gettin' carried away. Angelina doesn't need to go to no convent. She can learn to kick ass like her ma." Everyone laughed at Julia's statement. She gave a smirk identical to her brother's and told Leigh,

"Since ya had that surgery, remember, your downstairs will still be like new. " Both women laughed, remembering how embarrassed Bill was to hear Julia saying that after Billy was born.

Angelina's aunts held her and remarked about how beautiful she was.

The baby smiled at Maria as she was in her aunt's arms. Maria commented,

"She's smilin' just like her brother did." Each woman gladly volunteered to help Leigh and Bill with the baby until their sister in law had recovered from surgery.

After everyone left, Leigh asked Bill,

"How about another family portrait after we get home?"

"We made some beautiful babies, Sweetheart. We can show 'em off a little bit wit' a new family picture." He gave Leigh a tender kiss. After Angelina was taken back to the nursery and before visiting hours were over, Guarnere sat on the edge of Leigh's bed, telling her,

"Baby, you gave me everythin' I always wanted, a beautiful an' lovin' wife an' two perfect kids." He gave Leigh a passionate kiss.

"Thanks, Honey. You gave me everything I wanted, too. I love you."

"I love you, too." Bill returned the next day , much to Leigh's delight, with a bouquet of a dozen red roses in a vase with a gold colored small banner on the vase saying 'Mother.'

When Angelina came home from the hospital, Billy was introduced to his little sister. He kissed her cheek and told her,

"Hello, 'lina." Bill soon learned that his daughter had a mind of her own. If she wasn't sleepy, Angelina stubbornly refused to sleep. If she awoke late at night, crying because she was hungry or that her diaper needed changing, it was sometimes difficult to stop her crying.

Since Leigh wasn't able to get up several times a night because the incision for the C-section needed to heal, Bill tried his best to soothe Angelina.

Most of the time Billy would go back to sleep, but sometimes, his sister's noisy crying made him cry too, because he couldn't sleep. Guarnere would talk to his son, soothing him enough to sleep.

He tried talking to Angelina, but she would cry louder. Guarnere cuddled her while rocking her to sleep. Sometimes it worked. One night, Bill carried the little girl around the house, singing to her. As soon as he began to sing one of his favorite songs, "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," Angelina snuggled close to him. She soon fell asleep.

The next time she was irritable, Bill sang to her and she settled down quickly. He kissed her cheek, telling his daughter,

"You're just like your ma. She likes to hear me singin' that song, too."

When he returned to the bedroom, Leigh told him,

"You're doing an excellent job, Pop. I really appreciate your help."

"Thanks, Baby. I enjoy helpin' wit' the kids. It's the least I can do since ya gave me two perfect babies. I love 'em as much as I love their ma. Angelina went to sleep wit' her head on my chest, just like you do."

Both Billy and Angelina were christened on their first birthdays. Leigh wanted to use Bill's christening gown, but it became damaged beyond repair in Augusta's washer. She made a new gown for Billy and Angelina wore Leigh's christening gown.

Leigh began reading bedtime stories to Angelina and Billy shortly after Angelina was christened. She thought it was important to instill a love of reading in the children at an early age.

One night, Bill insisted on reading to the kids. Leigh stood outside their bedroom and stifled her laughter as she heard Bill telling the story of the three little pigs.

He used a gruff, deeper sounding voice for the Big Bad Wolf. Guarnere got into the spirit of the story, improvising the dialogue, saying at the beginning of the tale,

"Do ya know the story 'bout the three little pigs?" He looked at Billy and Angelina and waited for an answer. He told them,

"Let me educate ya." When he did the higher pitched voices for the pigs, both children would giggle. Leigh was almost doubled over trying to stifle her laughter. Then Bill told them,

"The wolf said, 'Little pig, little pig, let me come in,' an' the pig said, 'Ain't no way you're gettin' in, Jack!'" Leigh laughed a little louder as she stood in the hall. He continued the story,

"The Big Bad Wolf huffed an' puffed, an' bingada, bangada, boomada, he blew the house down." Once Billy and Angelina settled down to sleep, he quietly left their room after turning off the light.

Bill grinned when he saw Leigh standing in the hall. She hugged him, saying,

" You're somethin' else. I never knew the wolf had a South Philly accent." He kissed the tip of her nose, grinning and asking her,

"Are you making' fun o' me, Baby?" She kept her voice low so the children weren't awakened and did an accurate impersonation of him as the little pigs. Bill laughed, saying,

"That's pretty damn good, Honey. I heard ya gigglin' when I was tellin' the story to the kids."

"I'm not trying to be mean. It was so funny to hear you speaking in that squeaky high voice. You jazzed up the story, Pop."

Angelina learned to talk very quickly. Not long after her second birthday, Leigh had the radio on while she was cooking supper. Billy was taking a nap. The song, "Hold Tight" performed by the Andrews Sisters was playing on the radio. Leigh was singing along with the song. When she got to the verse,

"I'm as happy as can be when the seafood comes to me. Yadda da, yadda da, yadda da." To her surprise, Angelina spoke the lyrics,

"Yadda da, yadda da, yadda da." After the song ended, Leigh decided to sing the lyrics again to see if her daughter would repeat them. She had a big smile on her face when Angelina repeated the lyrics. When Bill got home from work, before he had a chance to play the game Billy adored, she told him,

"I hope Angelina will do this. She learned something new today. Guarnere had a radiant smile as he heard his daughter repeating the lyrics to the song. He said,

"Won't be long until this little angel is singin' like her ma." He hugged Angelina and kissed her cheek. Then, he played Billy's favorite game with him.

Angelina wouldn't always perform on demand and she showed a very determined and stubborn nature on occasion. Both Cal and Louise told Bill and Leigh,

"We've seen this behavior before. This little girl acts just like her mother when she was her age. The stubborn streak may remain." Guarnere told his in-laws,

"I can live wit' that. I love her ma an' that stubborn streak don't bother me. If Angelina wants to sing, that's OK an' if she doesn't, that's OK, too. I love my life an' I wouldn't change a thing."

Leigh took a snapshot of Billy sitting on the back of the couch, his legs over Bill's shoulders. Guarnere held Angelina, clad in a light pink 'onesie', on his lap. Bill had a brilliant smile as he proudly posed with Angelina and Billy.

As the children grew, Bill and Leigh would take them to play in the local parks. When they visited the beach or their house on the beach in New Jersey, Billy and Angelina loved to ride on Guarnere's back as he swam in the ocean. Leigh would join them, swimming beside Bill.

When Billy entered parochial school, he came home from kindergarten and excitedly told Leigh,

"Ma, Sister Mary Margaret wants me to be one of the three Wise Guys in the Christmas program!" Leigh hugged her son, telling him,

"That's wonderful, Billy!" She controlled her urge to laugh, not wanting to hurt Billy's feelings. When he went upstairs to play, she called her mother-in-law, telling her Billy's comment. Both women had a good laugh. When Bill got home, Billy gave him the good news. Guarnere chuckled, telling his son,

"Congratulations on gettin' that part in your school play. I ain't laughin' at ya, Billy. You said somethin' cute." Bill and Leigh thought that their son went upstairs to play and was out of ear shot. Guarnere said,

"Baby, just imagine him sayin' his lines like James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson, the best wise guys in the movies." He launched into an impersonation of the actors, making Leigh giggle.

The night of the Christmas program arrived. Most of the Guarnere family and the Spencers were in the audience. Billy had two lines,

"We're the Three Wise Men. We have gifts for baby Jesus." The time came for Billy to deliver his dialogue and he proudly said, in a voice like Edward G. Robinson, bringing down the house,

"We're the Three Wise Guys. We have gifts for baby Jesus." The audience laughed and applauded. All Leigh and Bill could do was laugh. After the show, they apologized to the teaching nun and they convinced Billy to apologize, too. She accepted their apologies. Both sets of grandparents were still proud of him. Aunt Julia told Billy,

"That's one of the best Christmas shows I've ever seen."

Angelina got a round of applause at her Nonno and Nonna Guarnere's house when she repeated the "Yadda da. yadda da, yadda da" lyrics during the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Leigh and her sisters-in-law were helping Augusta bring in various platters of food. Billy looked at his mama. He innocently thought that he was giving her a compliment when he told Leigh,

"Pop likes that dress. He says it makes your ass look nice." Everyone burst out laughing. Leigh told her son that she knew he meant well, but his comment was inappropriate. She hugged and kissed him, saying,

"You're not in trouble, Billy. I was hoping that you would be like your pop. You're a smaller version of him."

Two years later, Angelina created a funny and memorable moment for her family. Leigh was doing the laundry in the basement of their house on Winton Street on a Sunday afternoon. Billy and Angelina were napping in their bedrooms while Bill was listening to Phillies baseball game on the radio.

Guarnere dozed off during the game. Leigh was using the wringer on the washer. Washing clothes took much longer to do in those days. The washing machines of that era looked like iron tubs on four legs. There was a separate tub filled with clean water for rinsing. Then, the items of clothing, towels and sheets had to be carefully put through the wringer.

The wringer had two rollers that wrung the excess water from the items that were washed. Since the rollers were automated, it was very easy for women to get fingers, hair or their clothing caught in the wringer. This would be an exceptionally painful and dangerous experience. The items to be wrung out were completely flattened by the wringer before they dropped into another basin or tub that was attached to the washing machine.

When Leigh returned upstairs with a basket of wet items to put on the clothesline behind the house, she was surprised to find Angelina waiting for her. The little girl was smiling, saying,

"Pop is booty-ful."

"Sweetheart, Pop is handsome." Angelina shook her head,

"No, Mama. Pop is booty-ful. I made him look nice. Come with me." Leigh placed the basket of washing on the kitchen counter top and followed her daughter into the living room. She looked at Bill and immediately began to laugh,trying to keep the sound of her laughing down so she didn't wake him.

Angelina had taken a tube of red lipstick from her mother's dressing table. She tried to apply the lipstick on her pop's lips, but she got excess lipstick under his bottom lip and over his top lip. Before she returned the lipstick to the dressing table, with the cap off and a little lipstick smeared on the sides, Angelina drew a red dot on each cheek of Bill's face to look like blush or rouge.

The determined little girl hadn't finished with her makeover. She got the chair from the dressing table and moved it to Leigh's side of the closet. Then, she carefully removed a red hat with a red silk rose on it.

Next, Angelina carried the hat to the living room and carefully placed it on Bill's head. She couldn't put the hat onto his head properly since he had his head on a small pillow, so the brim of the hat hung down a bit on his forehead.

Leigh took Angelina aside, telling her,

"I'm not angry, but you are to never, ever get the chair and climb on something again. You could have fallen off the chair and you could've been hurt. If you do this again, you will sit facing the corner in the living room." Angelina had been punished this way once before and she hated it because she had to sit still.

"Now that's out of the way, would you like to have your picture taken with your pop? I want to remember how beautiful you made him look." The little girl eagerly agreed and Leigh retrieved their Brownie camera from the shelf in the bedroom closet.

Angelina proudly posed beside her sleeping father and Leigh took two pictures. Then, she took the telephone into the dining room, whispering to Angelina that she was going to call Grandma Spencer and Nona Guarnere.

Louise Spencer laughed as Leigh told her about Angelina's work on her father. She asked Leigh to send a copy of the picture. Louise briefly chatted with Angelina, thoroughly enjoying her conversation with her granddaughter.

When Leigh called Augusta Guarnere and told her about Bill becoming "booty-ful" loud laughter came from the receiver of the telephone.

"Sweetie, can you wait just a minute? I gotta tell Maria. She's here visitin'." Leigh told her she would wait. Augusta picked up the phone,

"Is it OK wit' you if Maria and I come over? We both wanna see Billy done up like that. Leigh told her there was no need to ask, all members of the Guarnere family were always welcome to visit any time. Angelina was delighted to hear that Auntie Maria and Nonna were on their way to visit.

After they arrived and were greeted with hugs, both Augusta and Maria saw Bill. Mrs. Guarnere was almost doubled over laughing at the sight of her son. Maria laughed until she had tears in her eyes.

"Did I do a good job, Nonna and Auntie Maria?" Augusta told her, between gales of laughter,

"You done a wonderful job, Sweetheart!" Maria added,

"You made your pop real beautiful, Kiddo." Angelina was very pleased with the compliments on her makeover. Bill heard his mother's voice. He opened his eyes and sat up. When he sat up, the red hat fell to the floor.

As the women laughed, Guarnere was momentarily confused, asking,

"How did that (he pronounced the word as 'dat') hat wind up on me? Hi, Ma an' Maria."

He noticed Angelina grinning and asked,

"Little Angel, are ya playin' a trick on your old man?" She proudly confessed and Bill laughed. He noticed that the women were still laughing.

"Baby, why are you, Ma an' Maria laughin' at me?" Leigh giggled,

"Honey, you're beautiful."

"Thanks, but what's goin' on?" By this time, Billy was awake and headed downstairs to find out what was happening in the living room. After hugging his Nonna and his aunt, he burst into loud laughter as he looked at his father.

"Would somebody tell me what's up wit' all the laughin'?"

"Son, go take a look in the mirror. You're lookin' real snazzy."

As Guarnere walked to the bathroom, everyone in the living room eagerly anticipated his reaction to seeing himself in the mirror. Bill did a double take at the sight of the red lipstick generously applied beyond his lips and the red circles on his cheeks.

Laughter was heard after he said,

"Holy God! How the hell did this stuff get on my face?" He got a bar of soap from the soap dish and worked up some lather in his hands Then, Bill washed his face. To his surprise, the red lipstick remained.

"Baby, can ya help me get this stuff off? I tried to wash my face, but the soap didn't do anythin'. I can't go outta the house lookin' like this."

Leigh went into the bathroom and got her jar of cold cream, which was used as a makeup remover. Before she helped get the lipstick from Bill's face, he told her,

"This sounds like I'm nuts, but I swear that I smell somethin" sweet."

"You're not crazy, Honey. The lipstick is flavored and scented with vanilla."

"I thought that your lips tasted sweet sometimes. 'course they always taste sweet to me."

She got a small amount of the cream on a washcloth and cleaned Bill's face. He washed his face again to remove "that thick stuff".

"Thanks, Sweetheart. Did ya put that stuff on me while I was sleepin'?"

"No, I was doing the laundry."

"The Little Angel done it?"

"Yes."

While Bill was getting cleaned up, Augusta explained to Angelina that while she "done a good job" on her pop, he had to get cleaned up because grown up men couldn't go around "done up like that". The little girl accepted her Nonna's explanation.

Bill and Leigh walked hand in hand into the living room. He went over to where Angelina was standing and picked her up, giving her a hug and a kiss on her cheek. Guarnere laughed.

"You got your old man pretty good, Little Angel. There's never a dull moment in this family an' I love it!"

Billy created another memorable moment when he was eight years old. Bill was working as an exterminator between construction jobs. Billy knew about his pop's wooden leg from an early age.

One morning, before he left for school, he was very earnest as he asked Bill,

"Pop, please be careful at work. Don't bring back any termites in your wooden leg." Bill chuckled and assured him that he would be careful. He told Leigh,

"I wouldn't trade my family for a million bucks. We've got it in spades."

"I agree, Honey."

He told Leigh that there was an important long distance call for her from Laverne Andrews. She went to the station manager's office to take the telephone call.

Andrews surprised Leigh, telling her that the sisters' record label, Decca, wanted to make a new record from the master tapes of the Paris concert that was featured on CBS radio nationwide. Laverne said the concert was very popular and well liked by those who heard the broadcast. People had been writing to Decca to inquire if an album of the show was going to become available in stores.

The new Mrs. Guarnere was almost shocked into silence by the news. Andrews then informed her,

"They've told us that this album will probably be a big seller. Hold on to your hat, Leigh, since you performed in that show, you're getting a small percentage of the royalties from the sales.

Our manager said that you unfortunately won't get the same percentage we get. We're in favor of you getting the same amount, but legally speaking, our manager's hands are tied."

"Don't even worry about that. This is incredible news! I'm just happy to be on the recording. When will the album be available to buy? That's the first question Bill will ask." Laverne told her that the album would be released around Thanksgiving.

When Leigh was finished with work for the day, she stopped by a local market to get the ingredients for antipasto and a nice bottle of red wine. After returning home, she quickly made the batter for a few batches of pizzelles and set about making Bill's favorite cookies.

Leigh decided to make her husband's favorite meal of spaghetti with one meat ball. She used the gravy recipe from her former roommate and made the antipasto. The red wine was uncorked to allow it to breathe.

After the cooking was finished, except for the pasta, Leigh put on the red Wiggle Dress with the Sweetheart Neckline, the dress Guarnere liked the best on her.

When Bill got home, he noticed the dress,

"Baby, you look like a million bucks!" He then embraced and kissed her. Guarnere added, "Somethin' smells great. Is that ( he pronounced the word as " dat") your spaghetti gravy an' some pizzelles?" Leigh confirmed that she made the gravy and the cookies. She excitedly told him the good news about the album.

"Holy God, Sweetheart! That's wonderful news!" He gave her an extra passionate kiss.

"Think of it, you're gonna be on a record. Those things will sell like hotcakes. Gettin' even a small percentage of the money will be a super addition to our savins account. We can put it toward buyin' a house or startin' a family, whatever ya wanna do."

"I'm in favor of either idea, so whatever you decide is fine." They wound up deciding to put the money in savings for hospital expenses when they were ready to start a family.

"Honey, I gotta tell Ma an' Pop the good news. Is it OK if I call 'em before you call your folks?" Leigh said that was fine with her. Guarnere quickly dialed the telephone number for his parents' house. Augusta answered and Bill told her,

"Ma, I have some excitin' news."

"Are you and Leigh havin' a baby?"

"No, Ma, this is even bigger news than that." When he told Augusta about the record album, Leigh clearly heard her shouting,

"Oh my God, Billy! Leigh's gonna be on a record? Wait just a minute, I need to tell your pop." Mrs. Guarnere translated her son's message and Joseph replied.

"Your pop says to tell Leigh congratulations. He's very happy for her. Would ya please put her on the phone?" Bill handed the telephone to Leigh,

"Hello, Mama. I'm still shocked by the good news."

"Sweetie, you've earned it because of your talent. As soon as that record goes on sale, you bet your bottom dollar that we're buyin' it." Leigh thanked Mrs. Guarnere for her kind words. Before hanging up, Augusta told her,

"We're proud of you, Leigh, and we love you." Leigh told her mother-in-law that she loved her and her father-in-law, too. The Spencers were as happy as the Guarneres to hear about the record and Cal said that he would buy a copy as soon as the album went on sale.

After the call ended, Bill told Leigh,

"Baby, I've always been proud of ya, but this is the icin' on the cake. I'm gonna be the first one in line at the record store when it goes on sale, even if I have to wait there all night. While I'm waitin' in line, I'll tell people that the same Leigh Guarnere on the record is my wife."

"Actually, Honey, you won' t have to buy the record. Once it's made, we'll get a complimentary copy from Decca Records." Bill looked agitated for a moment and he frowned,

"Oh, hell, we ain't got a record player. I'm gonna buy a nice one an' I want ya to go wit' me to pick it out. You know what sounds good, since you're a professional singer an' a musician." Leigh agreed to go to the store with him, asking,

"Please, Bill, don't brag too much. Other people probably aren't as crazy about my singing as my sweet husband."

"I'll try to not go overboard wit' the braggin'. Sweetheart, those people in Paris gave ya a standin' ovation. That record company decided to make a record outta that broadcast. You sang in that show an' you're part o' why that show was a success." Leigh hugged him,

"I appreciate your support and your enthusiasm, Honey. It's wonderful that we'll have a recording of the night our engagement was announced.

"I wish somebody made a movie of that show. Someday our kids could see their beautiful ma on stage, an' they could see how much their ma an' pop love each other, 'course they'd already know that."

"I wish a movie of the show existed, too. That way our kids could see how handsome their pop looked in his uniform. They could see and hear what their mama did onstage, too."

"How about we return to reality and have some supper?" Bill insisted on helping her get everything served. Once they were seated he asked the blessing.

"Antipasto before the spaghetti, you're spoilin' me, Baby."

"I thought we should celebrate the good news." Guarnere got the spaghetti served and he brought the bowl of sauce to the table with some freshly grated parmesan. They enjoyed fresh garlic butter on some Italian bread Leigh made the day before.

"The first time you made this gravy for me was when we got to Aldebourne." Leigh laughed,

"That was the day I surprised you with what I didn't wear. Good thing I had the gravy simmering because we were also simmering and supper was delayed." Guarnere winked at her,

"Oh, I'll never forget how ya surprised me. You're doin' better, Baby. Bein' in an Italian family an' livin' in an Italian neighborhood is payin' off. You didn't call it sauce."

"I'm doing my best to be a good Italian wife and fit in where the neighborhood is concerned.

"Baby, you're the best wife in the neighborhood an' you're fittin' in just fine."

The next day, after Bill and Leigh were finished with work, they went downtown to shop for a record player. After listening to several models, they chose an RCA record player and radio combination with built in speakers. A salesman introduced himself and asked if he could assist them.

"I'm Bill Guarnere an' this is my wife, Leigh. We'd like to buy this record player an' radio. My wife sang as a guest in the concert wit' the Andrews Sisters that was on CBS Radio last October. Decca Records is usin' the tapes from that show to make a new record that's coming' out in November." The salesman replied,

"My wife and I really enjoyed that concert. Mrs. Guarnere, are you the same Leigh Guarnere who is on our local CBS Radio station?" She confirmed that she was the singer named Leigh who had shows on CBS Radio. Then the salesman added as he looked at Bill,

"If that's the case, you're the paratrooper who joined them onstage when the Andrews Sisters sang to you and your wife, of course she was your fiancee then. I'm definitely buying that record.

Mrs. Guarnere, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you please autograph my record album after I buy it?"

"I'd be happy to sign it." She gave him the telephone number of the receptionist at the radio station and asked him,

"Would you please call this number after you get the record? I'll get a message from the receptionist and I promise to come back here to sign your album."

The salesman thanked Leigh and he rang up the item on the cash register, thanking Bill for his purchase. Guarnere carried their new record player and radio in its sturdy cardboard box to their car.

"Baby, you got a fan wantin' your autograph an' the album ain't even for sale. Ya can't blame me for feelin' proud."

"It's nice that the salesman enjoyed the radio broadcast from Paris. I was surprised the he wants me to sign the album for him. I thought that he was going to ask me if I could get the Andrews Sisters to autograph the album for him."

After Bill loaded the box into the trunk of their car, he kissed Leigh before opening the car door for her,

"I'm still gonna be your biggest fan, no matter how many albums are sold." Leigh had a mischievous glint in her eyes,

"That's a good thing, Honey. I plan to reward my biggest fan in the bedroom." Guarnere chuckled,

"You're somethin' else, ya little fireball. Does this mean that I have to buy all the records or will ya reward me wit'out spendin' all o' our money on records?"

"No purchase is necessary, you handsome smart ass. I'm all yours." Before he started the car and drove home, he told her,

"I like the sound o' that, Baby."

A few days after the record player was purchased, Leigh once again received a call from one of the Andrews Sisters while she was at work. Maxene Andrews told her that a concert was being planned at Madison Square Garden a few weeks before the album went on sale. Andrews asked,

"Is it possible for you to do this show with us? We're doing many of the same songs that were in the Paris concert. Since you're going to be on the album, it stands to reason that you should be in the show, too." Leigh excitedly confirmed that she would love to be in the show.

Andrews asked if Leigh would once again wear the red velvet and lace dress again. Their costume designer thought that the red dress looked perfect for the upcoming show since the Paris concert was basically being re-created. The dress was currently in storage along with the sisters' trademark uniforms.

"I'd love to wear that beautiful dress again." She was happily surprised when Maxene told her,

"Leigh, we're going all out. If your husband would agree to join us again onstage, we would like to rent a top quality tuxedo and dress shoes for him." Leigh smiled, imagining Bill's reaction to the news.

"That sounds wonderful! I think we already know Bill's answer to your question." She gave Andrews the correct sizes for the trousers, shirt and the tuxedo coat, plus Bill's shoe size, adding, "My husband will be very eager to be onstage with his favorite group." Leigh laughed,

You might hear my mother-in-law's excited response when I tell her the good news. Mama tends to get loud when she's excited or happy about something."

"We would be glad to meet with your parents, in-laws and other family members after the show is over." Before the women ended their conversation, Leigh told her,

"I'm sure everyone will be excited to meet you and your sisters. My mother-in-law and the others are big fans of you and your sisters' singing." Predictably, Bill was excited about the show and he liked the idea of wearing the tuxedo onstage.

"They're payin' good money to make me look like a sharp dressin' man. Not only do we get to sorta relive the Paris show, I get to join my beautiful wife onstage an' be there wit' my favorite group." Leigh told him the rest of the good news about the show,

"Honey, they're reserving the best seats in the house for our families, plus they are paying to send us, our parents, Teresa, your other sisters and their husbands and their kids plus my grandparents, to a very nice hotel in New York City. They're providing limousine service for all of us, too." Bill grinned,

"We're all goin' in style.

Lacey Davis, who was living in New York City, was scanning the staple publication of the entertainment industry, "Variety." An ad mentioned that the famed trio's Paris concert featuring the star of the Philadelphia CBS affiliate would soon be sold in record stores. Davis then read a paragraph about the Andrews Sisters and Leigh appearing in a concert at Madison Square Garden to kick off the release of the record.

She angrily threw the magazine into a nearby trash can. Lacey still felt that Leigh had cheated her out of the recognition and fame that should have been hers. Davis was still working on regaining her figure after giving birth to a son. The baby was adopted by a childless couple in the borough of Queens.

The night of the show, family members and friends of Leigh thoroughly enjoyed the V.I.P. treatment of staying in a nice hotel and riding to Madison Square Garden in limousines. Gina Ricci traveled with the Spencers and had a room reserved at the hotel.

It was the first time some of the Guarnere family, Leigh, her parents and her maternal grandparents visited New York City. Leigh told her grandmother, Mary Elliott,

"I thought that Philadelphia was a large city. This is overwhelming." Mary agreed that the size of the city seemed daunting. She and her husband, John were enjoying spending time with their granddaughter and Bill. Both of the Elliotts adored him. They thought of him as their grandson by marriage.

The Elliotts met Bill when they traveled to Philadelphia for his wedding to Leigh. Mary was instantly taken with his polite demeanor. John admired Bill's courage and compassion.

Guarnere's parents thanked John and Mary for the fresh beef that was delivered in a railroad car for frozen food. Mary and Augusta became friends very quickly. Despite the fact that Mrs. Guarnere was the same age as Louise Spencer, both women were alike in many ways. They loved their families and they also loved to prepare food for their families.

Since they experienced dire economic conditions when they were much younger, Augusta and Mary knew all too well about occasionally not having enough to eat. This made them determined to ensure that every visitor to their homes would never leave with an empty stomach.

The Guarneres, the Spencers, other family members and Gina Ricci took up a large section of the first row of seats closest to the stage. Everyone wore their best clothes and Bill was gently teased by his sisters for "lookin' like a high society fella" in his tuxedo.

Augusta knew in advance that Bill would go onstage with Leigh and the famous trio of sisters. She was proud and very eager to see her son in the spotlight. Prior to the show, Bill had a corsage of white Sweetheart Roses delivered to Leigh. She pinned them on the red velvet dress covered in red lace. Leigh enjoyed the message he . wrote on the card enclosed with the corsage,

"My beautiful wife will be a star tonight. Love, Bill."

The sisters and Leigh performed the same songs that would appear on the album of the Paris concert. Her grandparents were in

awe of her singing. They hadn't witnessed Leigh performing in front of a large audience and they were amazed at the way she seemed to own the stage. When Bill was asked to join the group onstage, Augusta was clearly heard as she loudly exclaimed,

"That's my son! 'atta boy, Billy!" A photographer from The New York Times took several pictures of Bill, Leigh and the Andrews Sisters. When the sisters announced,

"We're doing this next number for the newlyweds, who were married in June." Bill once again gently pulled Leigh onto his lap as the sisters sang, "In Apple Blossom Time." Augusta used her lace edged handkerchief as she wiped away tears of joy, telling her husband in his native language,

"It's so sweet and beautiful." Mr. Guarnere agreed. Bill gave Leigh a tender kiss before he left the stage. He was grinning and wiping her red lipstick from his lips with his handkerchief as he walked back to his seat.

The next song was a new number called "Strip Polka," about a burlesque performer who "stops (stripping) and always just in time." Patty Andrews usually performed a comedic routine during an instrumental part of the song.

She asked Leigh if she would try the comedic routine since her family was in the audience. Leigh happily agreed to learn the routine. During the instrumental section, the music suggested the 'bump and grind' burlesque style. At first, Leigh stood at the microphone.

As the music played, she got into the spirit of the music and put both hands on top of her head, doing a comical, exaggerated swaying of her hips. Then, she realized that the sisters were looking at her with raised eyebrows and questioning expressions on their faces.

Leigh looked embarrassed at being caught up in the music and immediately stood up straight, looking very proper as the audience laughed and applauded. Bill was smiling and applauding, loudly saying,

"Ain't nothin' my baby can't do!" The photographer from The New York Times made sure that Leigh's performance was documented on film. Once again, the audience gave her a standing ovation at the end of the concert. This was also photographed for the city's leading newspaper.

As promised, after the concert was over, the sisters signed autographs and posed for pictures taken by Leigh's extended family and friends. Augusta and Joseph posed with the sisters for a picture that would be prominently displayed in their home.

The next day, Lacey Davis saw the pictures and the reviews about the concert. She looked wistfully at the pictures of Bill wearing a tuxedo, thinking,

"He looks so damn handsome, even if he only has one leg. I'd change my mind about not liking crippled men if I could have one night with him. What the hell does he see in Leigh?" She was almost nauseated at the way the reviewer of the concert seemed to gush over her former singing partner's performance.

Bill asked the reporter to send copies of the pictures and the story in the newspaper. The news writer obliged and sent enough pictures for most of the immediate family members plus Bill and Leigh. He also sent enough copies of the paper for everyone in the family, the friends of the family, and the newlyweds.

Four months later, after regaining her figure, Davis took a job as a receptionist in a music producer's office. She planned to save her money so she could eventually move to California, specifically Hollywood.

Lacey hoped to begin her career in show business as a dancer in movies. She thought that living far from newspaper coverage of Leigh's performances would be healthier for her than seething as she read a review or saw a picture of the woman she perceived as her rival.

A few days later, Grayson O'Brian heard the guard who occupied the office close to his prison cell talking excitedly with another prison guard about his favorite radio performer, Leigh Guarnere.

The guard told his friend that the CBS radio star's performance with the Andrews Sisters would be made into an upcoming record album. Gray fervently hoped that the guard wouldn't be allowed to play records in his office. O'Brian thought that he heard enough of Leigh's singing on the radio without having to hear her on a record.

As promised, Bill and Leigh were sent a complimentary copy of the upcoming album. Guarnere eagerly played the album on the new record player. He and Leigh cuddled together on the couch as they listened and reminisced about the night their engagement was announced during the broadcast. Leigh was taken aback at the way she sounded on the record.

"Honey, did I really sound like that or did they somehow enhance my voice?"

"That's exactly how ya sounded, Baby. You done the best singin' I'd ever heard that night. Leigh, you owned that stage an' that audience." She kissed him.

"Flattery will get you everywhere with me." When the audience began to applaud for Leigh and the standing ovation took place, Bill was happy to see that she had a beaming smile as she relived the event.

"That's when ya owned the stage, Baby. I'm still goddamned proud o' ya." When the records went on sale, the fans of Leigh's radio program bought several copies. Those who knew Leigh in the neighborhood asked for and received autographs on their albums.

The CBS radio station in Philadelphia sponsored a meet and greet session in a local hotel for fans of the various radio shows. Leigh signed several albums and met fans during the event that was advertised in the newspaper as "A Luncheon With Leigh."

Guarnere asked for and received a few hours off from work to attend the event with his parents. Cal and Louise Spencer took a train to Philadelphia and they were seated with Bill, Augusta and Joseph Guarnere in the audience. Teresa, Julia and Maria were unable to get time off from work and they were disappointed to miss the event.

Bill, the Guarneres and the Spencers were both happy and proud when Leigh asked them to stand up while the audience applauded for them.

She and Bill replaced Augusta's and Joseph's record player when it died of old age one month after the luncheon event sponsored by the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia. The elder Guarneres frequently played the album. Their son favored the album over other albums owned by himself and Leigh.

The release didn't make Leigh an overnight star as Bill had hoped, but the national sales provided enough money to cover hospital and living expenses for more than one baby. A small amount of the money was saved to purchase their home or possibly another house in the same neighborhood.