#valhallavalkyrie9

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."

Before the moving got underway, Bill was notified by a letter from an amputees' group in which he was a member. A congressman came up with a bill to give new cars to men who became amputees due to war injuries.

Bill went with the group to meet with President Truman. A man in front of him spent a long time chatting about baseball with the President. He told the man,

"Buddy, I didn't come here to talk baseball. I'm here for the car." Truman heard Bill's remark, chuckled and told him,

"You got it, kid." The new car was a black Pontiac and that particular model wouldn't be available for purchase until the following year (1948). Bill insisted that Cal should take the car, telling him,

"Pop Spencer, since you helped us get the house, it's only right that (he pronounced the word as 'dat') I give ya the car. When Cal tried to decline the offer, Bill convinced him to take the car, saying,

"A brand new car would stick out like a sore thumb around here. Our car suits us just fine." Mr. Spencer insisted that Bill and Leigh take his 1945 Buick. Bill was glad to have a newer car and he gave the 1941 Buick to Teresa. He told her,

"Since ya know how to drive, I thought you could use the car to go to work. You could take Ma an' Pop wherever they needed to go. That way, they'd have a way to get somewhere if they couldn't get a ride." Teresa was excited and happy to have the car.

Later that evening, while they were eating supper, Bill told Leigh,

"Thanks to your pop, we're on our way to havin' it all. We own our house an' we don't have a mortgage to pay. I was thinkin', after we get moved in, let's get busy an' sorta make each room ours, if ya know what I mean."

"I like that idea, Honey. You can explore my downstairs in every room."

"I'll never get tired o' explorin' your downstairs, Sweetheart."

Bill and Leigh decided to use a new company, U-Haul, to facilitate their move to Winton Street. Moving vans or trucks could be rented from the company, which was much cheaper than hiring a moving company.

It took quite a bit of time to box up dishes, glasses, furniture, clothing,baby items plus other personal belongings and household goods. Once the boxes were securely packed and taped shut, it was time to load the moving truck.

Bill's brother-in-law, his nephew and Babe Heffron helped load the truck. Maria and her family had to attend an out of town funeral, so they weren't involved in getting Bill and Leigh moved into their new house.

While Bill and the men were busy moving and arranging furniture, Leigh decided to drive the truck to pick up some small boxes of her clothing. She had a great deal of difficulty getting into the vehicle, since it sat much higher than a car.

Wearing a day dress made climbing into the truck a challenge. While some women wore pants, a majority of women still wore dresses. Leigh had to find a way to get into the truck without making the skirt of her dress ride up to expose her underwear.

She opened the driver's side door to the truck and found a strap to grab on to. Then she carefully hoisted herself into the cab of the truck. Next, she had to move the seat all the way forward to reach the gas and brake pedals.

Leigh backed up the truck and cringed when she heard the sound of it striking the garbage cans at the side of the driveway. She thought,

"Just what I don't need. The last thing I want to do is make a scene for the neighbors." A man from the neighborhood was walking past the rowhouse. He shouted,

"Mrs. Guarnere, Stop! You hit the damn garbage cans! Hang on, I'll help ya." Leigh was glad for the man's help, but she thought,

"Wonderful! Now everyone within hearing distance will know about the 'woman driver' who can't back up a truck without destroying something." He backed up the truck, turned it around to easily exit the driveway and helped her get the garbage and the cans picked up. She thanked him and he wished her luck with the move.

Power steering didn't exist at that time, and Leigh found the steering more difficult to manage than the steering wheel of a car. She ran into trouble when she had to pull onto a major thoroughfare to access Winton Street.

Leigh was accustomed to looking into the rear view mirror of a car, which is in the middle of the windshield. She quickly realized that she had to depend upon two mirrors, one on either side of the truck, to see.

She swore under her breath, rolled down the driver's side

window and stuck her head out the window, trying to see the entire street. Leigh could see the entire left side of the thoroughfare and only a portion of the right side.

Then, Leigh issued silent prayers to prevent an accident and to get her safely to her new home. Soon, several cars were lined up behind her. Unbeknownst to Leigh, her brother-in-law Sal, Julia's husband, was in the second car behind the truck.

He was heading back to Winton Street after a quick visit to his house. Sal needed to get his moving dolly to help move more furniture into the house. He saw Leigh when she looked out of the truck's window.

A man directly behind Leigh lost his patience and honked the horn on his car. He yelled,

"Are ya gonna sit there all day? Get that truck outta here!" Leigh was nervous about driving and she felt extremely irritable due to the traffic situation and the rude man behind her. She yelled back,

"Keep your shirt on, you baciagaloop (an Italian word meaning 'dummy' or 'fool' that she learned from Augusta), I'm doing the best I can!" Five minutes later, the man repeatedly sounded the horn again and Leigh put her left arm out of the driver's side window with the middle finger of her left hand sticking up, hoping the man would see the gesture.

By this time, Sal was laughing. He shouted,

"Atta girl, Leigh!", but she didn't hear him. The traffic let up for a moment, and she quickly got onto the street and headed for her destination. She decided to leave the driving of the truck to Bill or someone helping them from that moment on.

Ten minutes later, she pulled the vehicle into the parking lot behind the house. Bill came out to help her out of the truck. He embraced and kissed her before he helped her carry in the boxes of clothing. Sal pulled into the driveway, parked his car and walked toward Leigh and Bill.

"Leigh, ya did a good job handlin' that guy behind ya." She thanked Sal and Bill asked,

"What are ya talkin' about, Sal?" Bill was quickly filled in on the situation, with Sal adding,

"Then, she gave that guy the ol' one finger salute." Leigh couldn't help but laugh and Bill did his customary loud, single laugh.

"That's my sassy baby! You must've learned that word from Ma." She quickly glanced at the left side of the truck and was greatly relieved to see that there were no marks or scratches on the side of it from hitting the garbage cans.

When everything was unloaded from the truck, it was time to return it to the rental company. Leigh asked Bill to drive the truck, since driving it made her nervous. She drove the car and followed Bill to the U-Haul rental office. One of the employees in the office inspected the truck, telling the Guarneres,

"It looks great. This is a new truck and it's the first time it's been used." Leigh silently thanked providence that she didn't mar the truck when she hit the garbage cans and that she avoided an accident pulling out in traffic when she couldn't completely see the street.

A surprise awaited the Guarneres, the relatives helping them move and Babe. Teresa drove Augusta and her father to the new house and she had homemade lasagna, garlic bread, Broccoli Rabe and pizzelles for dessert. Leigh told Augusta,

"Mama, you're a godsend! Thank you so much for fixing a delicious supper for us." Then, she hugged her.

"You're welcome, Sweetie. I wanted to give you an' Billy a break. You've both been workin' hard an' I didn't want you to have to cook, too."

Everyone sat around the dining room table. Bill found a bottle of red wine in the kitchen and he poured it into a decanter that was passed around the table so everyone could pour as much wine as he or she wanted into their wine glasses.

They kept the noise down since Billy was sleeping in his crib in his upstairs bedroom. Bill asked the blessing and everyone enjoyed their supper.

Augusta, the other family members and Babe laughed when they heard about Leigh and the man in the car behind her.

"You done the right thing, Sweetie. That's exactly what I woulda called him. You're doin' a good job pickin' up Italian words. Would ya like to learn how to speak Italian?" Leigh said that she was interested in learning the language. Bill laughed, telling everyone,

"It'll be like when I was a kid. We knew one of us was in trouble when Ma and Pop started talkin' Italian. If my sweet angel gets mad at me, she'll probably start talkin' Italian, too." Teresa and Julia laughed at Bill's comment. Julia remarked,

"Hearin' Ma and Pop talkin' Italian made us wonder whose ass would get hit wit' a wooden spoon." Everyone at the table laughed. Leigh told Bill,

"Honey, can't see you doing anything to make me mad, but if it happens, I promise to speak English." Julia remarked with a smirk like Bill's,

"Leigh, you didn't know Billy Baby when he was a kid. He was usually into some kinda trouble." Bill feigned an expression of shock, telling her,

"Julia, you know that ain't true. I was a little angel back then." Laughter ensued after this comment. Bill had his after supper cigarette as Julia answered,

"I'm just yankin' your chain, baby brother. You were a pretty good kid, but I wouldn't call ya an angel." Augusta spoke up,

"Since we're talkin' about angels, is it OK wit' you, Sweetie, if I go up an' see Billy? I'll be right back to help wit' the dishes."

"Mama, you can see Billy whenever you want, there's no need to ask. Take your time visiting him. Since you fixed supper, I'm doing the dishes." Julia and Teresa also offered to help. The work was over fairly quickly with three women working in the kitchen.

While they worked, Leigh told Julia and Teresa,

"This reminds me of the time Bill brought me home to meet everyone. You, Maria and I washed the dishes and danced to the music." Julia and Teresa laughed, remembering how Augusta and Bill surprised them by applauding after they finished singing along with the radio. Julia told Leigh,

"Now, here ya are, married to Billy Baby an' you have that handsome little guy. I gotta see him before we go home." Teresa said,

"Billy's a little angel. I need to see him, too, before I take Ma and Pop home."

Augusta walked into Billy's bedroom. He was awake and she picked him up from his crib, holding him close to her.

"You're Nonna's handsome little angel. You remind me of your pop when he was little like you. You're growin'. Soon, you'll be Nonna's big boy." Billy smiled at her as she kissed his cheek.

"Such a sweet baby." Then, he wet his diaper.

" I'll get ya cleaned up an' in a dry diaper." After she took care of him and placed the dirty diaper into a diaper pail with a lid, she told him,

"That should feel better for ya. You're livin' in a new house now. There's lots of space in the backyard for ya to play when ya get older." Leigh excused herself for a moment and she got a bottle of milk for Billy. When she entered the bedroom, Leigh smiled as she saw Augusta holding Billy.

"I just came up to give Billy his bottle."

"Sweetie, can I do it?" She handed the bottle to Augusta. Mrs. Guarnere sat in a rocking chair beside the bed. She fed and burped Billy.

"Thanks, Leigh. I never get tired of havin' a baby in my arms. He's a blessin'."

"You and Pop are blessings, too." Augusta thanked her. Billy soon went back to sleep.

"Bill is a wonderful father. He helps with Billy, from feeding to diaper changes. He calls him 'My little ol' man.'"

"You're both great parents an' Billy's nickname is sweet." Augusta gently placed him into his crib.

"Mama, I hope you and Pop come over during the weekend. Mom and Dad are visiting."

"Louise told me she an' your pop were visitin' soon. You can count on us comin', Leigh. We enjoy spendin' time wit' your folks." Augusta and Leigh went downstairs. Once everyone had left, Bill asked Leigh,

"Sweetheart, will ya come outside wit' me for a minute? I forgot to do somethin'." Leigh complied, wondering what he had in mind, and they went out the front door. Then, Bill surprised her when he picked her up and carried her over the threshold."

"That's better, Baby. Now, we're officially moved in." He embraced Leigh, telling her,

"Now, how about we do a little explorin'?"

"What room do you have in mind?"

Four months later, Bill and Leigh sat at the dining room table eating supper. Bill had put in a long day doing construction work. Leigh sang on two morning radio programs and she had an appointment with Doctor Simms before arriving home in the afternoon. She told Bill,

"We're going to have a member of the family staying with us."

"That's nice, Sweetheart. How long will we have company?" Leigh stifled the urge to blurt out the news that had her smiling since she got home.

" I think our visitor will stay for about 18 years." Bill looked puzzled.

"I'm more tired than I realized, 'cause I coulda sworn that ya said our company would be here 18 years." Leigh grinned,

"That's exactly what I said, Pop. Our visitor will be here at least 18 years." Bill realized what Leigh was trying to tell him, and a huge smile appeared on his face.

"Sweetheart, did ya just tell me that we're havin' a baby?"

"I saw the doctor today. It's official, I'm pregnant! We'll be parents in about seven months." Bill got up from the table and Leigh stood up, walking to him. She gave him a passionate kiss.

"Leigh, you just made me the happiest man in South Philadelphia. I love you an' the little one. This is great news! From now on, ya won't have to lift a finger. I'm takin' over all the housework. I don't want my angel wearin' herself out. You need to take it easy since you're carryin' our baby."

"Honey, I appreciate your offer to help and I love you, too. I don't want you wearing yourself out doing all the work around here. Since I love our baby, too, I'm following the doctor's advice.

He told me to do everything I normally do, plus some mild exercising. I was told that it's good for both me and the baby.I asked him if we could still be intimate during pregnancy and he thinks it's fine."

"If the doc says it's OK, then it's fine wit' me." He looked shocked,

"Baby, ya actually asked him if we could still make love?" Leigh giggled at Bill's reaction,

"The doctor is perfectly aware of how I became pregnant and I'm sure it didn't shock him when I asked a reasonable question." Bill looked sheepish,

"I guess I got a little carried away."

"It's OK, Honey. The continuing intimacy is up to you. I'm in favor of it, but you may change your mind when I resemble a hippopotamus."

"Sweetheart, you'll always look beautiful to me."

"Please remind me of what you just said when I'm no longer able to see my feet." Bill chuckled at her reply.

"Have you told our folks yet?"

"No, I thought the father of the baby should be the first to know. For some odd reason, I could imagine George Luz saying,

'Leigh, it's nice you told Bill. Now you need to find the baby's father and tell him. Then, you would tell him, 'Shaddup!'" Guarnere laughed.

"That sounds exactly like somethin' he'd say. What the hell, let's call an' tell him the good news! I got his phone number written in that address book in the livin' room. Let me get it, Baby. It still wouldn't hurt to take it a little bit easy." Leigh rolled her eyes at Bill being overly protective of her. She knew he meant well and was determined not to be too critical.

Guarnere went through the dining room into the living room. Leigh heard swearing as he stubbed his sock clad left toes on the end table beside the couch.

"'course I had to stub my real toes instead o'runnin' into this goddamned thing wit' my wooden foot on my wooden leg. OK, now where's the address book? Here we go! " He got the book out and walked to the telephone, thumbing through the pages,

"There he is, George Luz in Rhode Island." Bill dialed the number. The phone on the other end of the line rang a couple of times. Guarnere grinned when he heard Luz say,

"Hello."

"Hey, George, how are ya doin'? "

"Bill, is that you?" Guarnere smirked,

"Hell, no! It's General McArthur! " He heard George laughing.

" I just got the best news from Leigh. We're havin' a baby in about seven months!"

"That's great news! Congratulations, Wild Bill! Please congratulate Leigh for me, too. We're still trying for the first little Luz."

"Just relax, it'll happen. She just told me an' I thought of callin' you."

"I'm glad you called. We're visiting some of my wife's relatives in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and it would be great if all of us could meet somewhere."

"That's a great idea. Let's see what we can set up." The men made plans to meet and include their wives. They settled on meeting within the next two weeks. When the conversation ended, Bill went back into the kitchen and told Leigh of the plans he and George made.

She was pleased to have the opportunity to see George and his wife. By the time they got ready to go to bed, Bill had contacted Joe Toye, Donald Malarkey, Johnny Martin and Buck Compton. Leigh said,

"We still haven't told our folks."

"Let me call Ma first, she's gonna be really loud an' excited." Bill dialed the number and Augusta answered the phone. He told her,

"Hello,"

"Billy, is everything OK? You're callin' kinda late."

"Everythin's fine, Nonna." He grinned, waiting for his mother to answer him.

"Have you been drinkin'? You know I ain't your Nonna." Bill laughed,

"You're Nonna Guarnere again, Ma. We're havin' a baby! Leigh found out today." Augusta shouted out,

"I'm gonna be a Nonna again! Oh my God, Billy, that's wonderful news! How is Leigh?"

"She's fine, Ma."

"Put her on the phone, Billy." He handed the phone to Leigh.

"Hi, Mama! I'll need all sorts of advice about babies because I know absolutely nothing about them. I'm just over the moon with the good news!"

"Sweetie, I'm so happy for you an' Billy! Don't hesitate to ask me anytime for advice. You'll be a great mother, Leigh. Well, if ya don't mind, I need to talk wit' my son a little."

"That's fine, Nonna." She handed the phone to Bill. He smiled as he heard his mother telling his father the good news in Italian.

"Your Pop says 'Congratulations' to you an' Leigh. We're the happiest grandparents in South Philadelphia! This is important, Billy. Make sure you're extra patient wit' Leigh. Her hormones will be changin' because of the baby.

She might get irritable or she might cry for no reason at all. Son, she might wanna...ya know, more than usual. Leigh might have cravings for food that's kinda strange. My cousin craved calimari all the time when she was expectin'. Anyway, it's all normal for expectant women." Bill was shocked his mother mentioned that Leigh might want more sex.

"Ma! You shouldn't be talkin' about that stuff wit' me!" Augusta and Leigh were laughing at his reaction.

"Billy, I've had ten children an' I know what women go through when a baby's on the way. Don't be so shocked. We didn't order ya from a catalog, ya know! Anyway, just be patient, like I said. Both of you will be great parents. Thanks for the good news, Billy! I love both of ya an' the little one. Good night, Son. "

"We love you, too, Ma. Good night." Leigh said,

"Now it's my turn to call. Did your mom mention something about sex? You turned as red as a tomato."

"I'm just an innocent boy. You an' Ma are corruptin' me." Leigh playfully swatted Bill's ass.

"That's my sassy angel." Leigh dialed her parents' phone number. Her father answered.

"How are you, Grandpa? " Cal Spencer asked,

"Leigh, are you OK?

"I just wanted to tell you and Mom that you're going to be grandparents in about seven months. I went to the doctor today and we're having a baby!"

"Louise, Leigh and Bill are having a baby!" He got back on the phone, saying,

"We're both excited. That's wonderful news! I would guess that Bill is very excited about the baby."

"We're both excited, Dad." She told him the manner in which Guarnere learned the news. Cal laughed and said,

"I would expect nothing less from you, Leigh. Congratulations! We love both of you and the baby, too."

A few weeks later, Bill was helping Leigh wash the supper dishes. She felt a strong, sudden wave of nausea and she ran to the bathroom. Leigh was aware that Bill was following her.

"Honey, please, just go back into the kitchen. I don't want you to see me like this." She was struggling to keep the nausea under control. Bill looked concerned.

"It ain't nothin' to be ashamed about, Baby." Leigh tried to close the bathroom door, but she wasn't able to do it. She lifted the lid on the toilet seat and immediately lost her supper. Then, she walked to the sink to splash some cold water on her face.

"Is there anythin' I can do to help, Baby?"

"Yes. Please get a glass from the kitchen. I need to use some mouthwash." He went to get a glass. Leigh felt dizzy and she started to sit on the bathroom floor. Another round of nausea hit her. As she opened the lid on the toilet seat, Bill entered the bathroom and held her hair back with one hand. He then set the glass on the floor and rubbed her back with his other hand.

"It's gonna be OK, Baby. Maybe you'll feel better now. " She closed the lid and flushed the toilet again. Leigh got the glass and poured some mouthwash in it. She swished it around in her mouth and spat it into the sink. Then, she rinsed the sink.

"I didn't want you to see or hear that. I'm so embarrassed." Bill kissed the top of her head,

"Don't be embarrassed, Leigh. It's somethin' natural."

"You'll probably never want to touch me again. This is probably happening because I'm pregnant. We know how I got pregnant. Now, you'll associate making love with this disgusting display." Bill fought the urge to laugh at her remark, because he knew she was upset.

He put his arm around Leigh, leading her to the couch.

"Baby, it'll take a hell of a lot more than an upset stomach to make me give up makin' love to ya. You're still the most beautiful woman in South Philadelphia an' I love you, even if ya do this every day. Now, just lay down here." he put a pillow from the couch under Leigh's head.

She complied and reclined on the couch.

"That's it, Honey. Do ya need a cover? How about I use this little blanket thing on the couch?" He took the hand crocheted afghan made by Leigh's great aunt, draping it over her.

"Thanks, Bill. I think I will lie still for awhile. I'm really dizzy. Oh, damn it! I need to finish doing the dishes." Guarnere kissed her forehead,

"Rest as long as ya need to, Baby. Don't worry about the dishes. I can get 'em done. Let me call Ma, she'll know what to do about this sick an' dizzy stuff." Augusta told her son that this is normal during pregnancy. She told him to get some soda crackers for Leigh to eat after her stomach settled a little more.

"The best thing for her is to get some rest. Tell ya what, I'll call Maria an' ask her to drop me off at your place. I can make some tea an' help both of you learn how to deal wit' this." Bill thanked his mother. He picked up the telephone, carrying it into the next room. Guarnere kept his voice down, telling his mother,

"Ma, I'm worried about Leigh. She's lookin' kinda pale. Thanks for offerin' to come over. I'd pick ya up in our car, but I don't want to leave Leigh by herself when she's feelin' bad. I'd better get back before she decides to finish doin' the dishes." Augusta reassured Bill that Leigh would be OK and that she would see them soon."

Guanere hung up the telephone and carried it back to the living room.

"Baby, Ma is gettin' Maria to bring her here. She said she knows how to help ya deal with bein' sick an' dizzy. " Leigh had her eyes closed and she replied,

"I'm glad she's coming over. Honey, I have to get up and get the dishes done. The kitchen needs to be cleaned up, too. I don't want your mom and Maria to think that I'm bad at keeping our home clean." Bill walked over to stand beside her.

"Honey, you're stayin' right here. If it worries ya that much, I'll get everythin' done." He added,"If ya need anythin' just let me know. Don't try to get up, OK, Honey?" Leigh promised that she would stay on the couch and that she would alert him if she needed help.

Guarnere went into the kitchen. Most of the dishes were washed and put away. He finished washing the remainder of the dishes and he soon had them dried and put away. Cleaning the kitchen didn't take long since it wasn't as messy as Leigh thought it was.

Augusta and Maria soon arrived. Mrs. Guarnere showed Bill how to make ginger tea. She brought the tea into the living room, advising Leigh to,

"Sip a little bit at a time, Sweetie, it will settle your stomach. Another thing that helps is keeping some soda crackers on the table by your bed. Eat one or two about a half hour before ya get up in the morning."

The tea helped settle Leigh's stomach. She thanked Augusta for the tips and she thanked Maria for bringing her mother in law over to visit. Leigh's morning sickness disappeared in her fourth month.

Leigh needed maternity clothes as her figure expanded. She was appalled at the notion that women had to hide something that was natural. Societal norms demanded that any sign of pregnancy should be concealed.

The word 'pregnant' was not used in polite conversations. Women were either described as "expecting" or "having a baby." Since many women worked during and after the war, the dated notion of keeping a visibly pregnant woman sequestered at home until the baby was born was fading away.

She made a few dresses that had panels on the inside of the garments that could be expanded to accommodate her growing figure. Catalogs touted girdles that promised to "disguise" pregnancy.

Leigh's doctor was considered to be radical among his fellow obstetricians because he vetoed the "eating for two" idea. He also advised his patients to not wear the girdles since he thought the garments could harm the developing baby. Support garments for his patients' backs were deemed safe.

One night, during supper, Leigh told Bill,

"You wouldn't believe the number of women who say, 'Oh, I see you're expecting.' I'd like to look them right in their eyes and say, 'I'm knocked up and I enjoyed every minute of getting into this condition!" Guarnere laughed loudly, replying,

"I wouldn't be surprised if ya did it!"

One evening as Bill and Leigh sat on the couch listening to the radio, Leigh felt the baby move for the first time. She excitedly told Bill. He was thrilled by the news, and he put his hand on her slightly rounded midsection, hoping to feel movement.

Although he couldn't feel anything, Bill thought that as the baby grew, he would be able to feel his future son or daughter moving. He excitedly called Augusta who was thrilled to hear the good news.

"Billy, don't worry or feel upset. The first time a baby moves, it's somethin' that only a woman can feel. I can't really explain it, but it's because when a woman is carryin' a baby, it's a small change that only the woman feels sometimes.

I'm sure your baby is just fine and you'll be able to feel your little one movin' around soon." Guarnere thanked his mother for her encouraging words and they ended their conversation.

Later that week, when Bill took Leigh to the obstetrician and gynecologist, he was surprised when the nurse asked if he would like to join Leigh and her doctor in the examination room.

He went into the room and saw Leigh, fully dressed, sitting on the examining table. Dr. Simms, a soft spoken, tall man with dark brown hair, introduced himserlf , telling Bill,

"Mr. Guarnere, your wife asked if you could come into the room to hear something. I just listened to the baby's heartbeat and everything sounds fine. Your wife wanted you to hear the heartbeat, too." He asked Leigh,

"Do you want to be the first one to listen or would you rather have your husband be first?"

"I think the baby's father should be the first to hear the heartbeat." Dr. Simms got a stethoscope and positioned it on Leigh's abdomen. He smiled, then he asked Leigh to hold the stethoscope in place.

"You're all set, Daddy. Just put the ends in your ears." Bill followed the doctor's instructions and he had a big smile on his face as he heard the strong, rhythmic beating of the baby's heart.

"It's comin' in loud an' clear! This is so amazin' an' wonderful! Sweetheart, thanks for lettin' me come in to hear this."

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Bill listened a few seconds more and he removed the ends of the stethoscope, handing them to Leigh. She put the ends in her ears and immediately smiled.

"You're right, Bill, this is both amazing and wonderful to hear our baby's heartbeat. This absolutely makes my day!" Bill and Leigh embraced as the doctor commented,

"I never get tired of seeing the happiness of future parents when they hear their child's heartbeat for the first time. It's obvious that Mamma and Daddy love each other and their baby. I'm happy for both of you." He added,

"Thank you for your service, Mr. Guarnere. I wanted to enlist, but I'm 45 years old. That's too old for Uncle Sam. My son is 11 years old and he has been enthralled with paratroopers. He wants very much to be a Screaming Eagle someday.

Your wife has been telling me about your bravery on the battlefield, especially in Bastogne. You made quite a significant sacrifice for our country. I was wondering, if it wouldn't be an imposition, if I could get your autograph for my son. He would be over the moon to have an autograph from a real Airborne Screaming Eagle."

"Sure thing, Sir. I'd be glad to sign my name for your son. You're welcome, an' servin' our country was the right thing to do. My sweet wife brags too much about me. I ain't a hero. The heroes are the men who didn't get to come home.

I was just doin' my job, just like every other man in the Army, Navy, Air Force an' the Marines. I'm proud of what I gave for our country. Let me call the man who was our leader. I'll see if he has any extra Screamin' Eagle (he pronounced these words as 'scrimmin' iggles') patches. If he does, I'll ask him to send one to me an' I'll give it to you for your son." The doctor thanked Bill and gave him a pen and a pad of paper. He asked the doctor for his son's name and then he wrote:

"For Jimmy Simms, best wishes to you. Staff Sergeant William J. Guarnere, 101st Airborne, Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment."

The doctor thanked Bill and Guarnere thanked him for allowing him to hear the baby's heartbeat. When Bill and Leigh returned home, he immediately called his mother.

"Ma, Leigh's doctor let me hear the baby's heart. It was good and strong soundin'. It was amazin'! I coulda listened to it all day." Augusta was happy to hear the good news.

"Billy, that's wonderful! You got to do somethin' your pop didn't get to do. He wanted to listen to your heart, but the doctor didn't want husbands in the examination room. He was real strict.

You really get to understand what a miracle it is when ya hear that little heart beatin'. I'm so happy for you an' Leigh and I'm lookin' forward to meetin' my sweet grandchild."

From that point on, until the baby arrived, both Bill and Leigh talked to the baby. Guarnere kissed Leigh's bulging abdomen telling the baby,

"This is your Pop, little one. Your ma an' I love you, an' we're lookin' forward to meetin' you. Kid, you got the most beautiful ma in the entire city."

One night after making love, Leigh began to giggle.

"I think we either woke the baby or he or she wasn't impressed with moving around so much. I feel some kicking going on." Guarnere placed his hands on her abdomen and laughed as he felt the kicking. He told the baby,

"What your ma an' I done is somethin' we do 'cause we love each other."

Leigh felt huge at end of her second trimester. One evening as they sat on the couch, listening to the radio, Guarnere made a joking remark that would have usually resulted in her laughing and calling him a "smart ass." Bill had no intention of insulting Leigh when he told her,

"I've always heard that fat ladies are great singers. You should be doin' your best singin' soon." Bill's words deeply hurt Leigh.

"I never thought you would say something to hurt me. How could you be so mean spirited?" She got up and walked into the kitchen. From there, she went outdoors, slamming the door.

Leigh considered walking to her in-laws' house, but she didn't want to involve them in the situation and upset them. She sat on the back steps and began to cry.

Bill was close behind her. He turned on the outside light from a light switch in the kitchen and saw tears running down her face. He thought,

"What the hell was I thinkin'? I hurt my angel. Why did I have to run my mouth like a goddamned moron?" He opened the kitchen door and went down the steps to stand by Leigh.

"Sweet Baby, I'm so sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt ya an' make ya cry." Leigh didn't look at Bill or answer him. He tried to find a way to get her to go back into the house.

"Baby, it probably ain't safe for ya to be out here by yourself." She answered without looking at him,

"I'm very safe. Who would want to molest an ugly fat lady like me?" Bill felt deeply ashamed.

"Won't ya at least look at me, Leigh?" She turned her head to look at him. Bill could see the emotional pain in her eyes.

"There, I looked at you. Now, leave me alone."'She turned away from him, adding, "There was nothing remotely funny about what you said.

I've never been cruel or mean to you. Everything I've done for you was done out of love. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty because if I had everything to do over, I'd still cook for you to help you get stronger and I would still try to save you from getting shot."

She paused to wipe away some tears before adding, "Damn it, Bill, you really hurt me!" Leigh turned away from him as she began to sob. She got up with difficulty.

Guarnere held out his hand to help steady Leigh so she could have an easier time getting up. She brushed his hand away and walked up the stairs, into the kitchen. From there, she went to their bedroom, turned on the light and closed the door.

Leigh got a small suitcase out of the closet, opened it and placed it on the bed. She started to put in a few items of clothing, thinking,

"I can go home, but how can I tell Mom and Dad that Bill doesn't love me anymore?" She sat on the bed beside the suitcase and began to cry in earnest with deep, wracking sobs. The last time she cried in that manner was when she learned from Nixon that Bill was seriously injured in Bastogne.

Bill followed her upstairs. He could hear her sobbing before he entered their bedroom. Upon entering the room, he was shocked to see the suitcase on the bed.

Guarnere felt consumed by guilt. He sat beside Leigh on the bed and put his arm around her after offering his handkerchief. She took the handkerchief and used it, placing it on the floor.

"Seein' you this upset 'cause o' somethin' I done is like a knife in my heart. Why are ya packin' a suitcase?" Her statement hit him like a hammer.

"Our marriage is over."

"Baby, what are ya talkin' about? You're ready to walk out because of somethin' I said? Let's talk about this, please, Leigh."

"You wouldn't have said something that hurtful if you loved me." Leigh broke down sobbing again. Bill pulled her close to him, rubbing her back to soothe her.

"No, no, no! That ain't true at all. I love you wit' all o' my heart. Please, Sweetheart, don't say or think our marriage is over. You need to listen to me. I ain't losin' my angel over somethin' stupid that I said. Leigh,I've never been more sorry for sayin' somethin' in my whole life.

You don't need to leave, ain't no reason for ya to go anywhere." Guarnere put his hands on her shoulders, gently turning Leigh to face him. He tenderly cupped her face in his hands.

"Baby, I'm sorry for runnin' my mouth like a goddamned fool. I never meant to hurt your feelins an' I hate myself for upsettin' you this bad." He got up and walked to the chest of drawers where he opened the middle drawer and got out a few of her lace edged handkerchiefs. Then, he returned to the bed, sat down and dried her tears with one handkerchief.

"Sweetheart, you're still beautiful to me, especially since our baby is growin' inside ya." He tenderly kissed Leigh, adding, "You kinda have this glow an' your body is luscious right now. Don't feel fat or ugly, because you ain't. In my eyes, you'll always be a beautiful angel.

I hope you can forgive me. I'd give anythin' to take back what I said, an' I wish I never said it. Ma told me some things about women who are expectin'. I shoulda used my head an' not acted like a moron."

He continued to hold Leigh close to him while stroking her back. It took awhile, but she calmed down. Then, she moved back enough to look at Bill,

"I forgive you, Honey. I know my hormones are giving me mood swings and I'm overreacting to things that wouldn't usually upset me. What you said hurt, but I'll get over it because I know you didn't intend to hurt me in the first place. "Thanks for being so sweet and understanding."

"I promise to think before I go runnin' my mouth like that again." Guarnere stood up, extending his hand to help her stand up. Once Leigh was standing, Bill took the suitcase off of the bed and put it into the closet.

"Would ya like to go downstairs an' listen to the radio before we go to bed?" She told him yes and they returned to the living room. Later that night, they made love tenderly, snuggling together until they fell asleep.

The doctor had already decided that Leigh's pelvis was too small for her to deliver the baby naturally and he told her that she would have to have a procedure known as a C-section. The Caesarian surgery involved cutting into her abdomen and removing the baby from her uterus. A date for the procedure was selected for the beginning of her ninth month.

Baby showers and lots of baby clothes from Maria and Julia ensured that the newest family member had all the necessary items. The Andrews Sisters surprised both Bill and Leigh when they paid for two years of diaper service and purchased a $500 savings bond for the baby.

Leigh had a great deal of difficulty getting into and getting up from a chair. She encountered the same problem with the couch. After an appointment with the doctor, Leigh started to laugh once she and Bill were out of the office.

"Oh, my God! I've never seen anything funnier than a room filled with women who are wallowing getting out of the chairs or cautiously and slowly sitting down. Yes, I know that I do the same thing." Guarnere grinned,

"It did look kinda funny, but I didn't wanna to laugh at them an' I sure as hell didn't wanna laugh at ya for doin' the same thing."

The day for the surgery arrived. Leigh's parents were staying in a hotel because they didn't want to give Leigh and Bill the added hassle of having guests.

Both sets of parents and Bill went into the hospital's waiting room in the Maternity Ward. He tried not to worry about his wife and the baby, but he felt anxious every time a nurse came to the door to announce the name of a new father. Bill thought smoking a few cigarettes would help calm him, but they didn't ease his anxiety.

Finally, a nurse walked into the waiting room. Bill's parents and the Spencers heard the nurse tell Bill,

"Mr. Guarnere, your wife did just fine with the surgery. Since she had the 'Twilight Sleep' for her procedure, the doctor wanted to wait until your wife was no longer feeling sedated. Would you like to visit her and your son?" The new grandparents hugged each other and Bill quickly got up from the chair in which he thought he'd waited a lifetime.

The nurse walked down the hall, showing him the room. He walked in and immediately smiled when he saw Leigh holding the baby. Since she didn't go through hours of labor, the new mother had her hair brushed, her lipstick was freshly applied and the nurse had given her a sponge bath. Bill kissed her.

"Baby, you look beautiful." Guarnere bent down to place a tender kiss on his son's cheek. Leigh told him,

"I know we agreed to decide on a name together, but I chose his name. I hope you don't mind. Bill, I want you to meet William Henry Guarnere."

"Sweetheart, that's wonderful. I ain't upset one bit. I just wish..."

"It's OK to cry, Honey." Bill assured her that he was fine.

"Would you like to hold him, Pop?"

"Oh, hell, yes!"

Bill had previous experiences handling his sisters' newborns. He carefully picked up his son, supporting his head and back.

"Look at all o' that hair! We have a handsome son, Baby. He's really alert. I bet he's smart like his ma."

"You're very level headed and smart, too, Bill. He looks just like his pop. I hope Billy acts like you, too."

"He's smilin' at me! Sweetheart, he loves me already!"

"Of course he loves you. Billy has heard your voice for a long time. He knows you. Honey, if you hand him back to me, there are two items in that bottom drawer behind you. I bought one and made the other for him. The stuff in the middle drawer can wait until we have a little girl." Bill protested,

"Do I have to give him back already?" Leigh assured him that he could hold Billy as soon as he got the items out of the drawer. He gave the baby back to her and opened the drawer, extracting a small Philadelphia Phillies baseball cap.

"Honey, that's cute. It's a little bit big, but he'll grow into it. Maybe he'll be a baseball fan like his uncle." Bill looked into the drawer and pulled out a one piece sleeper garment.

Leigh had embroidered Guarnere on the front of the garment and she had also embroidered tiny sergeant's stripes at the top of each sleeve.

"That's somethin' else, Baby. I love it! You even got his name on the front an' ya done a great job on those stripes. They look like the real thing!" Leigh handed Billy to him.

"I made the same designs on three other sleepers so he can have a fresh outfit when we have visitors. Honey, after we're released from the hospital and settled in, how about getting a family portrait done?"

"That's a wonderful idea. I love it! Baby, I insist on helpin' wit' diaper changin', bathin' him, whatever needs to be done. This is somethin' I really wanna do." He noticed that Leigh was quiet.

"Are ya feelin' OK, Sweetheart?"

"You should add feeding to the list. Bill, you're married to a freak. Not only could I not bring him into the world the usual way, I can't nurse the baby because the milk ducts in my breasts never developed fully. You noticed, without a doubt, that my breasts didn't get bigger. There's no way to fix what's wrong with me."

"You ain't a freak, Leigh. If we have to use bottles, then that's what we'll do." He handed Billy back to Leigh.

"We'd better give our folks a chance to meet him." Leigh agreed and Bill went back to the waiting room. He found a nurse and asked if both families could go into the room together. She told him that was fine, but no additional visitors were allowed in with them.

Leigh held her son in her arms, softly singing to him. Bill stepped into the waiting room,

"Both families are allowed in. C'mon back an' meet our perfect little boy." Both sets of parents immediately fell in love with the newborn. When Leigh introduced Billy, Mrs. Guarnere cried, telling her,

"Sweetie, that's a beautiful thing ya done, namin' him for his uncle." She dried her tears with a lacy handkerchief. Bill's father brushed away a few tears, too.

The Spencers and the elder Guarneres thought the Phillies hat was adorable and they loved the embroidered 'onesie' sleeper. Little Billy smiled and tolerated being passed from grandparent to grandparent in a good natured manner. Louise and Augusta said that Billy's smile was probably due to him having gas, but Bill insisted that his son was smiling at him.

Both families agreed that he looked exactly like his father and they declared that he was perfect. Bill and Leigh agreed with their parents' assessment of Billy.

When the grandparents returned to the waiting room, Teresa Guarnere and her sisters were there, eagerly waiting to see the baby. Bill told them,

"Good to see all of ya. Follow me an' you'll see the most handsome baby boy in Philadelphia." When they entered Leigh's hospital room, she was holding Billy and singing to him. The sisters also fell in love with their new nephew. Teresa was the first to hold him. She told Bill and Leigh,

"He's a cutie and he looks like his pop. Will ya just look at those long eyelashes! I'd be happy to babysit anytime." Maria held him next, and she was enjoying meeting her nephew. She told Leigh,

"You're lookin' great for a woman who just went through labor. This little one is an angel!" Leigh thanked her.

"My pelvis is too narrow, even with the expansion that naturally happens during labor, so I had to have a C-Section." Maria told her,

"Don't hesitate to call me to help wit' him. You'll need to do some healin' an' my kids are old enough to stay on their own. My God, he looks like his pop!" Leigh smiled.

"Thanks for the offer to help, Maria. I'm restricted from lifting and doing normal household activities until the sutures come out. I agree, he's handsome like his pop." Bill said,

"In all the excitement, we didn't tell all of ya his name. Honey, tell 'em his name. She done a wonderful thing."

"We'd like you to meet William Henry Guarnere." The sisters smiled, then wiped away some tears. They thought that naming the baby for his uncle was "somethin' beautiful." By then, the baby was in Julia's arms. She kissed his cheek.

"You two have a little angel. He's perfect!" She held him close to her with one arm as she got a handkerchief out of her purse. She asked Maria,

"Would ya please hold him? I need to get a handkerchief out of my purse an' use it." Maria held Billy while Julia dried her tears and blew her nose. In addition to Bill, she was also close to Henry. Then, Billy was returned to her arms.

"You can call Aunt Julia for help, too. I'd enjoy helpin' you an' this sweetheart. Leigh, it might not feel like it now, but you're better off havin' that surgery. You'll still be tight downstairs, if ya catch my drift." She, Teresa, Maria and Leigh giggled. Bill looked horrified.

"Holy God, Julia!" She laughed at his reaction and teased him by saying,

"We all know how babies get here. I was just statin' a fact, baby brother. Are ya sayin' that you ain't pleased wit' your wife still bein' 'like new' downstairs?" Bill slightly blushed as Leigh laughed loudly.

"Yes, I think it's great news. Can we please stop talkin' about this stuff?" His sisters' laughter continued. Julia noted,

"Hang on. This little fella's wet. Where are the diapers?" Leigh told her,

"They're in the top drawer of the cabinet behind Bill." Julia asked,

"Do ya know how to change a diaper?" Bill admitted that he had no idea of what to do. Leigh also admitted that she'd never changed a diaper.

"Watch me an' learn." Julia walked them through the basics, adding,

"Be sure to have extra material in the front, to protect his little..." Bill interrupted his sister,

"Thanks, Julia, I get the idea." She laughed.

"Are you gonna turn red again?"

"No, I just get what you're sayin'." The baby managed to slightly spray his aunt while she was working on the diaper. Bill laughed.

"He has a hell of a good aim. Spray her again, Billy!" Everyone in the room laughed. Julia grinned,

"Billy just brought up the next thing I was gonna tell ya. Little baby boys do this a lot, so be prepared." She smiled at Billy.

"Sweetie, make sure an' spray your old man like a good little boy." Billy grinned at her.

"I swear to God, he just smiled at me! That ain't no gas, that's a smile."

"He smiled earlier, but Ma an' Mrs. Spencer said it was gas." Bill looked at Billy.

"That's a smile, no doubt about it. Thanks for showin' us how to change diapers, Julia. Thank all of ya for offerin' to help us until Leigh is back on her feet." Leigh told them,

"Your offer to help is greatly appreciated." The sisters each held and kissed Billy once more before leaving, promising to return the next day. They agreed that Leigh and Bill needed to rest.

Before they left, Bill showed them the baseball cap and the specially embroidered 'onesie.'

"Leigh made this an' three other sleepers wit' this design. She done a hell of a good job wit' the stripes, they look like the ones on my old uniform." The sisters agreed with Bill, telling his wife that she "done a great job" with the sleepers.

After they left, Bill placed Billy back into Leigh's arms. A nurse came into the room, saying that she had to take Billy back to the nursery. Both parents reluctantly let him go, giving him kisses before the nurse took him out of the room. Bill sat on the edge of Leigh's bed.

He gently embraced her and gave Leigh a tender kiss. Bill reluctantly ended the kiss and cupped her face in his hands.

"My heart's about to burst wit' all the love I have for you, Baby. Gettin' Billy is one o' the best things that ever happened to me." He gave Leigh a more passionate kiss and she eagerly returned it.

"I love you to the moon and back, Honey. Thanks for giving me Billy. When I'm completely healed from surgery, how about exploring my downstairs?" Bill chuckled,

"I'm lookin' forward to it, Sweetheart."

"Sorry I laughed when you blushed, but your reaction was funny."

" That's OK, Leigh. Even if ya laugh, I still love my sassy angel. I guess I'd better get home an' let ya get some rest. I'll see you an' Billy tomorrow.

Baby, I'm sorry that I didn't bring roses for ya. I wanted you to have somethin' special, but I was so worried about the surgery, I didn't think of buyin' some in the gift shop downstairs." Leigh told Bill that he didn't need to buy a gift for her. The nurse returned to let them know that visiting hours were over. Bill kissed Leigh's hand and left the room.

She got comfortable in the hospital bed and soon went to sleep. Bill called George Luz and Johnny Martin when he got home, telling then about Billy's arrival.

The following day, Bill brought in a vase containing one dozen red roses with a small ribbon banner on the vase that said "Mother" in gold foil letters.

"You shouldn't have spent so much money, but I'm glad you did. Honey, the roses are beautiful!" Guarnere was pleased that she enjoyed the roses.

"Baby, you deserve a whole room filled wit' roses. I wanted everybody in the flower shop to know that we have a healthy, handsome little boy. I didn't have the flowers delivered 'cause I wanted to bring 'em to ya myself. I wanted to celebrate an' thank you for Billy. I love you, Leigh." Bill leaned down to embrace and kiss Leigh.

"I love you, too, Bill. Remember, you're half of the reason we have Billy. I need to find a way to thank you for our sweet son. What would you like for your gift?" Guarnere thought for a moment.

"When you're able to cook again, how about my favorite meal an' some pizzelles?"

"That's fine with me, Honey. How about some antipasto, too?"

"That would be perfect, Baby." She added, "When I get back to work, I'm going to dedicate all the songs on one show to you. I already discussed this with my boss before I got admitted to the hospital."

"You're somethin' else, Leigh. I'm lookin' forward to that show."

By the end of the week, everyone Guarnere knew in Easy Company knew about Billy. Colonel Sink and Dick Winters both purchased a $50 Savings Bond for the newest member of the Guarnere family. Bill's brothers in arms chipped in for a $100 Savings Bond for their new nephew. The Andrews Sisters sent a dozen pink roses to Leigh and they also paid for two years of diaper service, cleaning and delivery included.

Numerous cards were sent to Bill and Leigh, congratulating them on the birth of their son. After an eight day stay in the hospital, Bill took his wife and Billy home. During the 1940s and into part of the 1950s, hospitals kept maternity patients and newborns hospitalized longer than they are hospitalized in the 21st Century.

With help from Bill's sisters and Guarnere himself, Billy got accustomed to his home.Leigh healed at a normal rate and she was soon able to take care of her son and return to work. One of Bill's sisters or his mother was always on hand to help with Billy until Leigh got back from work in the early afternoon.

Leigh was determined to get her figure back and she consulted Dr. Simms about the best exercises to accomplish her goal. She exercised faithfully and had her figure back before the year was over.

Bill was true to his word. He eagerly helped with Billy, changing diapers, feeding him and giving the baby his bath. Leigh admired his skill at getting Billy back to sleep after some loud crying.

She asked Bill what he did and he told her that he just sat and talked to Billy. Leigh thought that Billy found his pop's voice soothing. One night, after Bill got the baby to sleep. He returned to their bedroom, telling Leigh, in a soft voice so he didn't wake Billy,

Spencer normally handled all of the correspondence and some of the files for Colonel Sink. Melissa wasn't due back until Wednesday evening. She wondered how she would get through the the remaining two days. Leigh turned on the radio, taking care to keep the volume low. The clerical staff had permission from Colonel Sink to listen to music as long as it wasn't loud.

Leigh spent most of the day typing letters for Colonel Sink and countless reports for Captain Sobel. It seemed that every time she looked up, she saw Sobel. Spencer was getting ready to file the captain's reports. The large sheaf of papers would go into filing cabinets brought in for the Easy Company documents.

Sobel had spoken with Sink, stating,

"I could not hope to accomplish my work with any degree of success if I have additional workers traipsing in and out of my office."

The extra filing cabinets covered the window of the office, leaving a small area open for her to walk from her desk to the door. There was just enough room to allow the door to open and close.

As she worked on filing the papers, the latest reports of the names of men who either quit Easy Company or failed to meet the rigorous demands of training, Captain Sobel once again appeared. Leigh issued a silent prayer for patience as Sobel looked through the numerous papers remaining on the desk.

"Private Spencer, why are these papers not properly filed? Perhaps if you paid more attention to your work and less attention to the radio, you might be more effective in your duties." Leigh wanted to tell the captain precisely where he could put his files. Instead, she politely replied, "Begging the Captain's pardon, but I am doing the work of two people. I am not making excuses, Sir, I am stating a fact." Sobel gave Leigh a withering glance and his voice increased in volume, "Other companies may have WAACs who get away with dereliction of their duties. I will not tolerate this behavior from anyone working for my company!"

Leigh prepared to answer, but she paused when she heard Colonel Sink's voice as he stood in the doorway, "Captain Sobel, I usually avoid getting involved in situations like this, but you are out of line. I assure you that Private Spencer does exemplary work. As you know, she is taking on the duties of another worker.

Furthermore, as a WAAC, she is not subjected to all of the regulations of the enlisted men. She works for the U.S. Army's office in this camp and she does not work exclusively for you." Leigh was pleasantly surprised at the colonel defending her.

She felt like hugging him, but knew better than to behave inappropriately. Sobel looked chagrined. "There is no excuse for my behavior, Sir. I sincerely apologize." "You also owe an apology to Private Spencer." Sobel turned to face Leigh and apologized. She accepted. Colonel Sink added, "Private Spencer, you are free to go for the day. Get some rest and I will see you tomorrow. "Thank you, Sir." Sink looked at Sobel, "Carry on, Captain Sobel." The captain saluted, turned around and walked down the hall. The colonel left the office, heading for the mess hall and a cup of coffee.

Leigh finished filing the remaining papers on her desk. Then, she took off her cap and removed the bobby pins from her hair, placing them in her purse. She got out her hair brush, compact and her tube of Victory Red lipstick.

WAAC regulations dictated that long or medium length hair had to be worn in a bun or a chignon during office hours if the WAAC didn't want short hair.

According to regulations, a WAAC must be well groomed at all times while in uniform. Women were encouraged to wear lipstick and powder. Fingernail polish was optional, but if it was worn, no chips in the polish would be allowed.

Leigh brushed her hair, lightly powdered her face and applied fresh lipstick. Once the items were stashed in her purse, she put on her cap, got her purse and left the office, locking the door behind her. A few minutes later, she left the building.

Since it was a warm day, she removed her jacket, draping it over one arm. Leigh headed down the walkway to the women's barracks. She had to pass several rows of the enlisted men's barracks on her way to her quarters. All she wanted was to go to supper with her friends, take a shower and go to bed.

She saw a tall, blonde haired, blue eyed paratrooper in training from Dog Company walking rapidly toward her. Cursing under her breath, Leigh had to deal with him before she could go further down the path. He repeatedly asked her out on a date and she repeatedly refused him. She had heard from her friends that he was "all hands" on a date.

The young man grinned at Leigh. "This is my lucky day. How about going out with me on Friday night? "Thanks, but no thanks. I need to relax." The Dog Company soldier lived up to his reputation of not taking "No" for an answer. " A night on the town with me is just what you need to relax, Princess." "No, thank you." Leigh walked by him. He grinned as she started down the path, grabbing her behind as he told her, "Stop playing hard to get, Princess. I don't bite unless you want me to."

Further up the path, a handsome, dark haired, brown eyed Italian American sergeant from Easy Company saw the Dog Company soldier grab the WAAC's ass. He shouted at the soldier, "What the hell do ya think you're doin'? That's (he pronounced the word as 'dats') no way to treat a lady!"

He began to move faster down the path to help the WAAC. A few seconds before he reached the area occupied by the paratrooper in training and the WAAC, he witnessed a surprising turn of events. Before the Dog Company soldier could take another step, Leigh told him, "Your boot is untied," As he bent down, she quickly got behind him, giving him a swift kick in the ass. The surprised young man fell face forward on the path.

She shouted at him, "If you ever do that again, I'll put my shoe so far up your ass that you'll need to have it surgically removed! Get it through your thick skull, you stupid son of a bitch, I'm not interested in you!"

Leigh, still seeing red, wheeled around in her haste to leave and collided with her would be rescuer. She felt her jacket slip off of her arm.

Looking at the name stenciled on his jumpsuit, Leigh deduced his rank by the stripes on his sleeves.

"I'm so sorry, Sergeant Guarnere! " The sergeant gently held her shoulders to keep her from falling. He picked up her uniform jacket and dusted it off with his hand before returning it to her. "Easy, Doll. Nothin' to apologize for. Is he givin' you trouble?"

"Yes. This dumb ass won't take 'No' for an answer. I normally don't go around attacking strange men, but he went entirely too far. Thanks for picking up my jacket." Guarnere regarded the fellow soldier, still lying on the path,

"You heard the lady, get the hell outta here before she decides to kick ya where it really hurts." He was intrigued by the WAAC and her mildly salty language. Guarnere thought, "She's pretty and she don't take guff from anybody. I like that." A small gathering of paratroopers in training were watching as the Dog Company soldier got up and quickly left. They laughed at his self-inflicted misfortune. Guarnere told the men,

"Show's over, ain't ya got anythin' better to do? " Leigh noted that the men didn't cross the good looking sergeant. They went on about their business. He introduced himself.

"I'm Bill Guarnere. Miss, ya done one hell of a good job takin' care o' yourself. If that guy has any smarts, he won't be messin' wit' ya again." "Nice to meet you. I'm Leigh Spencer." "Ain't none o' my business, but are ya named for your pop?"

"My name is spelled like Vivien Leigh's last name. My mom named me after a friend she knew from high school." Guarnere looked at his watch,

"Have ya had anythin' to eat? Maybe we can get somethin' at the mess hall?" Normally, Leigh would have declined a dinner invitation from a man she just met, but there was something about the brash sergeant that made her want to get to know him better. "I haven't eaten since lunch. I just left work for the day. Sure, let's get something to eat. I usually work for Colonel Sink, but I had to work all day with an arrogant ass named Sobel." Bill frowned upon hearing the name of his Commanding Officer.

"I'm tellin' ya, there are 149 guys in Easy Company and 148 of 'em would shoot his ass if they got the chance." He started to walk down the path toward the Mess Hall and Leigh walked beside him. "How can you stand him on a daily basis?" "I wanna earn my jump wings as a paratrooper, so I put up wit' his shit." "Are the wings a pin to wear on your uniform or are they some kind of award? I'm still learning about everything around here."

"Wings are a pin to wear on your uniform. It means you're the best o' the best. " "I know you and the others in Easy do a lot of hard training. If you don't mind my asking, why do you want to jump out of an airplane?"

"At first, it was the extra money that paratroopers get. Fifty extra bucks makes my pay $100. Then, the idea o' bein' the best at somethin' sounded good to me. I send most o' my money to my ma and pop in South Philly."

"I like your accent. I didn't think you sounded like you came from New York. It's wonderful that you help your family." He grinned when she said that she liked his accent.

"I'm the baby in a family o' ten kids. My pop is a tailor an' he works hard, but money has always been scarce. I agree, it's important to take care o' your family."

They arrived at the mess hall. Bill held the door open for Leigh to enter first and they got in line, getting their trays, coffee cups, silverware and napkins.

"So, where are ya from, Leigh?" "I'm from a small town, Athens, Ohio. Do you want me to call you Sergeant Guarnere or by your first name?" "Bill is fine." They got their food, fried chicken, a slice of bread with some butter, mashed potatoes, fruit cocktail and black coffee.

Once they were seated, Leigh asked Bill,

"What's South Philly like? He smiled,

"It's a great place to live. All kinds o' families where I grew up live in row houses, real close together. There are people from different countries, but most o' the folks in my neighborhood are Italian like me." Leigh listened intently and remarked,

"I've always wanted to be part of a bustling city. It's nice at home, but I'm tired of everything being quiet and kind of slow. I'm an only child. My parents wanted a big family, but my mother wasn't able to have more babies. Our parish priest counseled her and it helped her quite a bit. I always wanted brothers and sisters. It must have been great to have a big family."

Guarnere paused to swallow his food and replied,

"It was nice,but it was hard to keep ten kids fed. I don't know how my ma and pop done it.". Leigh quickly finished her supper, wanting to talk with Bill.

"I was wonderin', since ya mentioned a priest, are ya Catholic?"

"Yes. I went to parochial school for a few years, but the tuition was too expensive, so it was public school for me from third grade through my senior year in high school. Did you go to parochial or public school?"

"I was in public school all the way through 'cause it was too expensive to go to parochial school. I dropped out in my senior year o' high school when I got a good job wit' Baldwin Locomotives makin' Sherman tanks.

That upset my ma, none o' her kids graduated from high school an' she wanted me to finish. She begged me to go back, so I went to classes at night an' worked durin' the day. That made my ma the happiest woman in South Philadelphia."

"That couldn't have been easy to go to school at night and put in a full day's work five days a week. It shows you have determination to do whatever it takes to reach your goal." Bill liked her remark about being determined and he smiled before answering, "No, it wasn't easy, but, like I said, it made my ma happy. I owe my education to her insistin' that I finished school. I'm guessin' you went to college?"

"Yes. I went to Ohio State for a couple of years." She didn't tell Bill the reason why she left school. If he wanted to know later on, presuming there were dates and a relationship in the future, then she would tell him."

"What did ya study in college?"

"I studied journalism and I wanted to be a news reporter who covered exciting stories. Then, I found out that female reporters largely covered weddings, engagements and the society page crap. That wasn't for me, so I was planning to be a professor and teach journalism. Then, everything changed."

"I could picture ya teachin' classes." Bill had a devilish look in his eyes as he continued, "If your students got outta line, you'd give 'em a swift kick in the ass." Leigh laughed,

"I must have made quite an impression on you. Are you sure you feel safe with such a dangerous woman?" He laughed and thought, "You made a big impression on me, a good impression."

"I think I'm safe. I may be takin' my life in my own hands, but would ya like to go for a walk wit' me? That is, if ya don't have anythin' planned."

"I'd like to take a walk with you." He picked up both trays of dirty dishes and cups.

"Will ya wait here until I get this stuff dropped off where it belongs?" Leigh told him she would wait. A few minutes later, Bill was glad to see that she was waiting for him as she promised.

They got up from the table and headed for the door. He opened the door for Leigh to go ahead of him. She thanked him. Then, Bill paused to take a pack of cigarettes out of a pocket in his uniform shirt.

He offered one to her and she politely refused. Bill got his lighter out of the same pocket that held the pack of cigarettes. He placed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it, then he returned the pack and lighter to his shirt pocket.

Guarnere took a drag from the cigarette and exhaled the smoke as he walked beside Leigh. The camp had several barracks under construction and mud seemed to be everywhere with the exception of the gravel covered walkways.

Currahee mountain loomed over Camp Toccoa. Bill took the cigarette out of his mouth and held it between two fingers of his right hand as he told her, "We have to run that at least twice a day. Sometimes we get together on our own an' run it at night, just to prove to that bastard Sobel that we can do it." "That sounds like more dedication and determination. How far is it up the mountain?" "It's three miles up an' three miles down. Sobel says that every damn time we run. He's always yellin' 'Hi ho, Silver,' the crazy bastard. I'll give him this, he runs wit' us. You should see him runnin'. We call him the Black Swan 'cause he runs like a duck, flat footed." Leigh laughed at Bill's colorful description of the arrogant captain.

They strolled side by side to the foot of the mountain. "Not to keep harpin' on the subject, but if I live to be 100, I will NEVER forget you kickin' that chump's ass. Betcha he won't forget it either." "I noticed some men hanging around. They will gladly remind him." He looked at her, commenting,

"I hope I ain't steppin' out o' line, but your hair looks pretty that way. Are ya allowed to wear it like that at work?"

"Thanks. You're not stepping out of line. No, I have to pin it up at work." "If you can get some shoes that are sturdy an' can get through the mud, do ya wanna walk up the mountain wit' me some time?" "Absolutely. I hear there's a great view at the top." She had conflicting feelings of wanting to trust Bill but still feeling cautious due to her experience with Gray.

Bill wanted to put his arm around Leigh's shoulders, but he didn't want to press his luck. They continued walking around the camp. "Do ya have a steady fella?" "No." She thought, "The simpler the answer, the better." Leigh asked him, with an impish gleam in her eyes, "How many girlfriends do you have, a dozen or more?" Bill noticed the glint of mischief in her eyes and replied, "I started out wit' two dozen, but it was too hard for me to keep their names straight." "Smart ass!" "I go out wit' different girls, but there's no steady girl." Leigh suddenly remembered one of the WAACs talking about a soldier who had a colorful nickname.

"Are you the paratrooper in training who has the nickname 'gonorrhea' and if it's you, did the nickname come from a medical condition or is it word play with your last name?" She couldn't help but giggle after asking the questions. The shocked expression on his face was remarkable. "I didn't know that name got around so fast. No, there ain't nothin' wrong wit' me, honestly. They're just havin' fun wit' my last name." "Bill, I'm sorry that I laughed, but the expression on your face was priceless. " He smirked, noting, "I'd rather hear ya laughin' at me instead o' gettin' my ass kicked. You didn't hurt my feelins. It's nice spendin' time wit' ya, Leigh."

"I'm enjoying our time together, too." They continued their walk around the camp. Leigh was caught up in talking with Bill and didn't notice a large piece of gravel on the walkway. She tripped over it, twisting her right ankle.

"Oh, hell, that hurts!" Guarnere stopped walking, "Do ya think ya can walk on it?" She tried a few tentative steps and replied, "No. I really messed it up." Bill discarded the remains of the cigarette on the gravel path, stepping on the cigarette to ensure that it wasn't still burning. He assessed the situation, telling her, " I don't think ya can hop on one foot all the way back. Put your arms around my neck."Leigh complied and he picked her up. "It's sweet of you to help me, Bill, but I'm too heavy for you to carry all the way across camp." "Doll, you're lighter than the gear we run Currahee in. You need to have a medic look at that ankle. It's swellin' up." "You don't have to take me to the infirmary. This will probably feel better after I've rested it." Bill frowned,

"Leigh, it looks real bad. No arguin', I'm takin' ya to the infirmary. Gotta make sure it ain't broken." She didn't argue because the ankle was starting to hurt. When they got to the infirmary, the medic examined Leigh, telling her that her right ankle was severely sprained.

He applied a pressure bandage on the ankle and told her to rest it as much as possible, keep her foot elevated on a pillow and to take aspirin for the swelling and pain. She was given a bottle of aspirin and a set of crutches.

Leigh was advised to use the crutches for a couple of weeks. The medic promised to notify Colonel Sink and Captain Sobel about her ankle. He strongly suggested that she take at least one day off of work.

She thanked the medic. Then, she put the bottle of aspirin and her right shoe in her purse. Next, she put the strap of the purse around her neck and moved the strap, making the purse hang diagonally across her chest. Leigh started down the path using the crutches and Bill remained with her.

When they were halfway to the women's barracks, he told her, "You can get used to those crutches tomorrow. Right now, ya need some rest." "Thanks for helping me, Bill. I've never met a man as kind and considerate as you." "It's my pleasure, Leigh." He picked her up and she held the crutches. They attracted a few stares from some of the men they met on the walkway.

Bill got Leigh back to the barracks. He let the women know that he was bringing her in so they weren't caught dressing or undressing. Bill carried Leigh to her bunk, ensuring that the crutches and the aspirin were within her reach.

Leigh's friend, Sue Swart, filled her canteen with water, giving it to her. Bill asked if anyone had an extra pillow she could use to elevate her ankle. A tall, thin WAAC named Janet Hawk provided the pillow. Both Bill and Leigh thanked her.

"Looks like you're all set to rest. I enjoyed meetin' an' spendin' time wit' ya, Leigh. When ya feel better, do ya still wanna go for a walk wit' me sometime?" "Yes, I'd like that." Bill took her right hand in his and kissed it, saying, "Sounds good. See ya soon, Doll."

He exited the barracks, heading for the Easy Company barracks where he intended to write a letter home, telling his mother about the feisty, pretty WAAC he just met. Sue Swart asked,

"Did you girls see that? He kissed her hand, just like in the movies. What a dream boat! He carried her in, too. Looks like you got yourself a boyfriend, Leigh." She told her friends about the Dog Company soldier and his grabbing hands. They laughed as Leigh described how she handled the situation and they listened attentively as she told them how she literally ran into Bill.

@hbowardaily (Day 1 Favorite enlisted soldier)

Bill was smiling and he felt very proud of Leigh. When the woman went on her way, he commented,

"I didn't need to know what she was sayin', she wanted your autograph. Congratulations, Baby! I told ya that (he pronounced the word as 'dat') you were gonna be a star."

"I'm really surprised. The woman said that she enjoyed the show. I told her that I'm not famous, but I appreciated the fact that she wanted me to sign her program."

The couple made their way to their favorite bistro where they ordered some lunch and a glass of wine each. They selected French Onion Soup with freshly baked bread and fresh butter.

While they waited for their food, two American servicemen entered the bistro. After they were seated, one soldier told his friend,

"Look over there, that's the singer from the Andrews Sisters' show and her fiance." Both men asked their waiter for small slips of paper and a pen. After the waiter provided the items, both soldiers approached the table where Bill and Leigh were sitting.

"My buddy and I are on leave and we really enjoyed the show last night. We're wondering if both of us could get your autograph." Leigh signed both pieces of paper,

"I'm glad you enjoyed the show. Guys, I appreciate the attention, but I'm just a WAAC who happens to sing for the USO." The other soldier told her,

"Miss Spencer, we both think that you could be a singing star someday. " Bill told them,

"You fellas are right. I've been tellin' her the same thing." He talked with the men, learning that they were from an artillery unit stationed fairly close to Easy Company's headquarters. When the food arrived for Leigh and Bill, the soldiers thanked her again for the autographs and returned to their seats.

******"**************************************************************

When Bill and Leigh got back to the hotel, there was a message at the concierge's desk from the Andrews Sisters. She learned that there was a great demand for more tickets for their show the following night. Unfortunately, the seats were sold out.

The Andrews Sisters' message to Leigh said that they were doing three shows due to the large amount of fans who were denied tickets. Leigh left a generous tip for the appreciative Concierge.

When they got into the suite, Leigh told Bill,

"Honey, please don't feel that you're obligated to attend the shows. I don't want to make you sit through everything three more times." He embraced her,

"Baby, I wanna be there. I don't care if ya sang the same song for two hours each night. I love you an' I love to hear you sing."

******************************************************************

Meanwhile, Leigh's former singing partner Lacey Davis was in a small Brooklyn apartment. She had returned to the United States after being asked to leave the USO due to what was deemed "unseemly conduct" by USO officials. Davis had been caught in a hotel with a married man who was a high ranking British government official.

She heard the radio advertisement for the upcoming Andrews Sisters concert that would be on CBS Radio later the same day. Davis decided to stay home and listen to the concert. She fervently hoped that Leigh would be a spectacular failure.

Davis thought,

"Why does she get everything I want? My voice is as good as hers. I look like Rita Hayworth and Little Miss Songbird is just a hick town garden variety brunette. How did she get that handsome guy to fall in love with her?" She thought about Bill,

"We'd make a strikingly beautiful couple. He sounds like he grew up on the rough side of town like me. I could understand him better than she ever could. I could satisfy him better in bed because I know how men think and I know what pleases a man.

Miss Perfect probably lost her virginity to him. A man like that needs a passionate, experienced woman. How does she keep him interested?" Davis caught herself wrinkling her brow by frowning. She instantly recalled her late mother's advice,

"Your looks are all you've got to make it in this world, Lace. You know I ain't got the dough to send you to some fancy dancy college. Your old man cut out as soon as he heard I was expectin'.

Remember, I used to be a beautiful Rockette in Radio City Music Hall. I was one of the prettiest gals. You gotta stop frownin' like you do, 'cause it will make permanent wrinkles.

Kid, your face and your voice can be your fortune. Don't, for God's sake, let yourself get pregnant. Your body never looks the same and takin' care of a baby makes you get old real fast."

Lacey remembered too well how her mother looked at least 10 years older than her actual age. Despite the hours she put in as a cook in a diner, her mother still struggled to make ends meet.

Davis thought about the cramped, dreary apartment in Hell's Kitchen where she lived until the day she graduated from high school. She didn't want that lifestyle again. She thought,

"Even if I can't make it in show business, there are older men who would take care of me. All I need to do is fawn over a banker or an attorney and make him think that I'm an innocent young girl who hasn't been around very many men.

Still, I'd rather have that handsome Italian guy. Maybe I could sneak around and have a guy like that on the side." Her thoughts returned to Leigh and how she got away with behavior that would get anyone else expelled from the USO.

I've heard that her boyfriend lives with her. Why isn't she kicked out of the USO for 'unseemly conduct?' Is she sleeping with one of the top officials, too?"

Lacey was unaware that the USO officials had no idea about Bill living with Leigh until he was deployed to Holland. Had Davis known this fact, if she had wanted to bring the matter to the attention of the USO officials, she would have to prove her allegations.

The Commander of the 506th would never allow one shred of evidence to surface. Colonel Sink didn't agree with Bill and Leigh living together, but he knew they were deeply in love with each other in a committed relationship.

Davis was exceptionally bitter due to the fact that she slept with a man in early summer who promised to get her the gig with the world famous trio. He showed her what turned out to be a fake business card to convince her that he worked for the sisters.

Lacey was three months pregnant by the time she got back to the United States and she suspected that the man was the father of her baby. She

made plans with an adoption agency in Brooklyn to give the baby away as soon as he or she was born, and she was determined to get her figure back by any means after the baby was born.

********************************************************************

While Leigh spent the early part of the evening rehearsing with the Andrews Sisters, twilight was beginning to fall in Athens, Ohio. Cal and Louise Spencer invited Gina Ricci to supper and to listen to Leigh's debut on the radio.

The Spencers decided to keep the news quiet about Bill's and Leigh's engagement. Louise had spoken with her daughter earlier in the day and Leigh told her mother about the Andrews Sisters announcing the engagement during the show.

Both of the Spencers were pleased that the trio sang to Guarnere and their daughter. They decided to keep the news of the engagement to themselves so Ricci would be surprised by the good news.

********************************************************************

At the same time in South Philadelphia, all of the local Guarnere family members were at Joseph's and Augusta's house for a big family dinner to celebrate Bill's engagement to Leigh. They were eager to hear the concert on the radio.

********************************************************************

The show began and Lacey Davis thought she noticed some hesitation when Leigh began to sing. She was looking forward to her former partner giving in to feeling nervous while she sang with the famous trio.

Davis was extremely disappointed when Leigh began to sound more confident. She had to grudgingly admit that Spencer was doing the best singing she had ever heard.

Lacy's jealousy reached its boiling point when Leigh's engagement was announced. She was almost nauseated when she heard that the handsome sergeant was joining his fiancee onstage while the Andrews Sisters sang to them.

Davis shut off the radio when the audience gave Leigh a standing ovation. She gave into feeling sorry for herself and cried bitter tears, lamenting the fact that the standing ovation from the audience should've been hers.

*******************************************************************

Gina Ricci, Cal and Louise were thoughly enjoying Leigh's radio debut. The Spencers were extremely proud of Leigh. Ricci had never heard Leigh singing before and she told her friends,

"She's incredibly blessed with talent." Later on in the show, Gina shouted out,

"Oh my God! Those kids got engaged!" Ricci noticed that Cal and his wife were a little too calm about the good news.

"You two knew this ahead of time." The Spencers told Gina that they wanted her to be surprised. They all had a chuckle when the announcer told about Bill returning to his seat wearing some of Leigh's lipstick.

When Leigh received the standing ovation, both of the Spencers had beaming smiles. Cal wiped a few tears from his eyes and Ricci was applauding. Louise said,

"I wish we could have attended that show. Our little girl just made a name for herself as a singer."

**********************************************************************

The Guarnere family sat silently in the living room and dining room with the volume turned up on the radio so everyone could hear. Those who hadn't heard Leigh singing before were in awe of her performance.

Everyone applauded after each song. When the engagement of Bill and Leigh was announced, another round of applause came from the family members.

Julia commented,

"Like I said before, Leigh will be the perfect wife for Billy Baby." Teresa told her,

"Hush! One of the Andrews Sisters is talkin'." As soon as Augusta heard Bill's name mentioned, she loudly exclaimed,

"Billy's goin' on stage with 'em! Oh, I wish I could've been there to see the show an' to see Billy with the Andrews Sisters an' Leigh." Maria listened to the announcer's commentary and said,

"That's sweet, Billy just pulled Leigh onto his lap." When Julia heard the announcer's statement about the young couple appearing to be deeply in love with each other, she replied,

"They don't just appear to be in love, ya dummy, they are in love! Even a blind man could see that. I bet Billy Baby has that big, goofy smile on his face." Augusta commented,

"Julia, you know how much your brother loves Leigh. There ain't nothin' goofy about a man bein' deeply in love." The majority of the Guarnere family laughed at Bill going back to his seat with Leigh's red lipstick on his lips.

As the sisters sang, " In Apple Blossom Time, " Mrs. Guarnere got her lace edge handkerchief out of a pocket in her dress and wiped away a few tears,

"It's so beautiful! Those kids were made for each other."

When Leigh received a standing ovation from the audience, everyone broke into loud applause. Augusta loudly proclaimed,

"Atta girl, Leigh! I'm proud of ya, Sweetie!" Julia told Maria,

"It's gonna take awhile for Ma to settle down. She's gonna let the whole damn neighborhood know that our baby brother was onstage wit' the Andrews Sisters." Maria smiled,

"Billy Baby can probably hear her yellin' all the way across the ocean. Look at it this way, 'Jules,' not everybody can say that their brother was mentioned on the radio an' that he had a famous group singin' to him an' his fiancee."

***********************************************************************

After rehearsal the next day, Leigh took a taxi back to the hotel. Bill was waiting in the lobby for the cab to arrive. When he saw her exiting the cab, he stubbed out the remainder of his cigarette in the ashtray. The doorman opened the lobby door for Leigh and she walked into the hotel. Bill embraced her and he escorted Leigh back to the suite.

Leigh was exhausted from the lengthy rehearsal. Her throat felt irritated and she wondered if she was coming down with a cold. She was on her way to the bedroom, intending to change into her nightgown.

The telephone rang and she answered. She was surprised to hear her father on the phone. Leigh's parents told her how much they enjoyed the concert. Both Cal and Louise let their daughter know how proud they were of her performance.

When the call ended, Bill and Leigh got ready for bed. They made love and fell asleep in each other's arms. The following morning, Leigh's sore throat was worse. By afternoon, she was coughing hard.

Guarnere was sitting on the couch in the living room area of the suite. Leigh sat beside him, feeling ill. Bill knew that she wasn't acting like herself. He put his hand on her forehead to check for fever.

"Baby, you're burnin' up. I'm gonna call the guy downstairs an' see if he knows a good doctor who will come over here an' examine you." Leigh didn't attempt to argue and she thanked him for wanting to contact the concierge.

Bill called and the concierge promised to contact the Andrews Sisters' manager, using the telephone number provided by Guarnere. The manager found a good doctor who would go the suite. Leigh was worried about missing a performance with the Andrews Sisters. Bill told her,

"Honey, I know you wanna do the show. Right now, it's important to rest and do whatever the doc tells ya to do."

"The doctor should check you, too. Chances are excellent that you will catch whatever flu bug this is from me. I'm sorry about exposing you to this, Bill."

"Ain't nothin' for ya to worry about, Baby, if I get it, I'll be OK."

"Bill, I'm going back to bed. When the doctor arrives, please let him know where I am." He was beginning to get worried about Leigh. He had never known her to go to bed in the afternoon.

When she entered the bedroom, Leigh put on a clean nightgown and got into bed. Bill helped tuck her into bed.

"Is there anythin' I can do for ya, Baby? I hate to see you feelin' bad."

"After the doctor leaves, would you please order some tea with honey and some lemon slices?" He kissed her forehead,

"I'll take care o' that for ya, Sweetheart." Leigh thanked him and Bill returned to the living room to wait for the doctor. Twenty minutes later, the concierge called, telling him that a physician recommended by the Andrews Sisters' manager was on his way to the suite.

A short, thin, middle aged man with gray hair, wearing a dark blue suit and black shoes exited the elevator. He carried a black leather bag that stored items needed to treat patients.

Once inside the suite, he introduced himself to Bill,

"Good afternoon, my name is Doctor Carson. I am the physician for the American Embassy. " Guarnere told the doctor about Leigh's symptoms and showed him where the bedroom was located.

Bill had to wait in the living room during the examination. The doctor thought that Spencer had an upper respiratory infection caused by a virus that was going around.

Carson got a syringe, a sterilized needle and a small vial from the bag. He drew the colorless liquid into the syringe. Then he got s cotton ball and rubbing alcohol from his bag.

He gave Leigh the choice of getting the injection in the muscle of her upper arm or in the upper area of the gluteus muscle. Spencer chose to have the injection in her arm. A small area on her upper left arm was sterilized by a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol poured on it.

"Miss Spencer, I'm going to try a relatively new treatment for your illness. I will inject a dose of penicillin. It works much faster than the drugs that are normally used to treat upper respiratory infections.

This should have the infection weakened by the end of the day. You may have to miss one show, but I guarantee that you will be able to perform in the other concerts."

Leigh thanked the doctor. Carson recommended that she should stay hydrated and to eat some rather bland food until she felt well. He told her that some patients became nauseated by the penicillin and that a bland diet seemed to help control the nausea. Leigh asked,

"Dr. Carson, would you please treat my fiance, too? He's bound to catch this from me." The doctor explained that he couldn't treat Bill until symptoms appeared, but he promised to return if Guarnere became ill.

Spencer offered to pay for the house call, but the doctor said that the sisters had already promised to pay the bill. She thanked the doctor and he went into the living room to speak to Bill.

Carson told Bill to call him if he noticed the same symptoms that Leigh had experienced. Bill promised to call and he thanked the doctor for treating Leigh.

After the physician left, he called room service and ordered the tea with honey and lemon slices. This was soon delivered to the suite. Bill attempted to pay for the room service, but he was informed that the Andrews Sisters were taking care of the expenses. Guarnere gave the hotel employee a generous tip and the man left the suite.

Bill carried the tray with the tea pot, the lemon slices, a tea cup and matching saucer plus the honey. He prepared the tea to Leigh's liking and he placed the tray on her lap.

Spencer thanked Guarnere for his help. Leigh was disappointed that she would miss a show, but she knew that singing would be impossible until she was well.

Bill made sure that she ate regularly and remained hydrated. Before he went to bed, he felt Leigh's forehead. She still felt feverish and he hoped that the injection would work as well as the doctor thought it would work.

After breakfast the next morning, Bill carried Leigh into the bathroom to wash her hair and help her take a bath. He wrapped her in a large, fluffy towel and he very carefully combed her wet hair. She brushed her teeth.

Bill made sure she had a clean nightgown and robe to wear. Leigh was still feeling under the weather, so she went back to bed. The following morning, Guarnere was happy that her fever had broken. As promised, Spencer was able to perform in the remaining shows.

After the last concert, when she and Bill returned to the suite, she thanked him for his help,

"Honey, I appreciate the way you took care of me. You really went all out to help me get better. I love you, Bill." He kissed her.

"It was my pleasure, Baby. I love you, too." Luckily, Guarnere didn't become ill from the virus. The couple enjoyed their remaining days together in Paris. They had no way of knowing that their lives would soon be forever changed in a place synonymous with hell for Easy Company veterans, Bastogne.

He gently sucked on the soft skin, causing Leigh to moan. Bill kissed her lips and gave the other side of her neck the same treatment.

"Bill, that feels so good!" She trailed kisses along Guarnere's jaw, pausing to gently nip at his ear lobe before unbuttoning his shirt. Leigh could feel his cock getting hard as she gently sucked on the skin of his neck, taking care to keep any love bites well below the collar of his shirt.

Guarnere groaned, moving his hands under Leigh's dress, caressing her ass through her silk panties. Bill used one hand to support her back while he moved his other hand to her thigh, pushing Spencer's dress higher. He lightly traced his finger over the soft skin at the top of her thigh.

Leigh gasped at his touch. Bill was so maddeningly close to the area she wanted him to caress. She parted her legs, hoping Guarnere would take the hint.

He grinned and gently ran one finger up and down the strip of silky fabric between her legs, feeling the unmistakable evidence of her arousal.Guarnere replied, keeping his voice soft and low

"My sweet baby is so wet."

Bill pushed Spencer's dress a little further up and his finger traced circles around her clit. Guarnere began to suck on the soft skin below her ear while moving his finger faster as it circled her clit. A few minutes later, she cried out as she came.

"That's my angel, my sweetheart's comin' for me already." Guarnere's hands moved up to gently cup Leigh's breasts. She loved the sensation of his hands caressing her hard nipples.

Spencer moved her hand down to rub Bill's cock through the fabric of his trousers. She traced the outline of the tip of his cock with her fingers, prompting a sharp intake of breath from Guarnere. He replied,

"Baby, wrap your legs around me." Spencer complied and she wrapped her arms around Bill's neck. He lifted her up with one hand while he grabbed the pack of cigarettes and his lighter.

"Hand them to me, Honey. It will be easier for you to carry me.

"Thanks, Baby. " He handed the cigarettes and lighter to Spencer, then he wrapped his arms around her and started walking toward the stairs.

Bill quickly climbed the stairs and nudged the door to Leigh's bedroom open with his foot. He carried Spencer into her bedroom, gently placing her on the edge of the bed.

Guarnere went back to search for the light switch. He turned it on and shut the door. Leigh placed Bill's cigarettes and lighter on the bedside table that held the ashtray.

Bill wasted no time in removing his boots, socks and shirt, leaving them on the floor beside the bed. He sat beside Leigh, telling her,

"Now it's your turn, Sweetheart. He reached behind her, unzipping her dress. She stood, taking her arms out of the sleeves, allowing the dress to fall to the floor. Spencer pulled her slip over her head and it fell on the floor beside her dress.She unhooked her garter belt, removing it and her stockings.

Leigh sat on the edge of the bed. When Bill walked over, getting ready to sit beside her, she reached up to unbuckle his belt. He took the hint, unbuttoning the fly of his trousers and stepping out of them.

He started to remove the quilt from the bed. Leigh got up to help him, removing the top sheet and pillows. Guarnere sat down beside Leigh, wrapping his arms around her.

Spencer caressed Bill's broad shoulders and his back. He kissed Leigh, then he traced kisses across the tops of her breasts. Bill reached around to unfasten her bra. After a couple of attempts, some soft swearing and some grumbling, Leigh told him,

"Honey, let me do it."

"I don't know how ya deal wit' that every day. Goddamned stubborn fastener."

She unhooked her bra, dropping it over the side of the bed and onto the floor. Bill drank in the sight of her full breasts and hard, pink nipples.

"Baby, you're so beautiful! Bill began to gently caress Spencer's breasts, wrapping his lips around one nipple, sucking on it. "Let's lay down, Sweetheart." Leigh reclined on the bed and Guarnere stretched out beside her, kissing her neck. He resumed sucking on Spencer's nipples, causing Leigh to arch her back.

"Does my baby want more o'that?"

"Oh, yes! You almost made me come." Guarnere continued to suck on one nipple, then the other. Leigh stroked Bill's hair,arching her back and moaning. A small orgasm rippled through her and she cried out.

Guarnere told her, in a low, husky voice,

"I can't wait to taste you. " Bill kissed his way down to the waistband of her panties. He ran the tip of his tongue under the waistband, teasing her, loving the sounds of passion that Spencer made.

Guarnere positioned his mouth over her silk covered clit, gently sucking on it. Bill's lips traveled lower, his tongue licking along the wet silk covering the opening of her sex and back to her clit. Spencer's hips involuntarily thrust up.

Bill removed the panties, sliding them down Leigh's legs, letting them fall to the floor. He looked at Spencer as she parted her legs enough to reveal the lips of her sex open and glistening wet.

"You're gorgeous, Leigh. Such a beautiful angel!"

Guarnere gently sucked her clit into his mouth as he used one finger of one hand to enter her warm interior. She gripped the bottom sheet with both hands.

"You taste so good, Baby. " He continued to suck Spencer's clit and use his finger inside her as Leigh rode out her orgasm.

Guarnere kissed her passionately. Leigh tasted herself on his lips and found it extremely erotic. She said,

"Honey, let me see you." He stood to remove and step out of his boxer shorts. Spencer encircled his cock with her hand, stroking him and replying,

"You're magnificent. Am I doing this right?"

"Oh, God, yes!" Leigh decided to explore his cock with her tongue. She licked the tip, then asked him,

"How do I please you with my mouth?"

"Wrap your lips around me, no teeth, Baby. If ya want, hold on to me an' take me in your mouth. Kinda move your head up an' down."

Spencer gripped the base of Bill's cock with her hand as she wrapped her lips around the head, moving her head up and down as she kept her lips around his cock.

Guarnere groaned louder. Leigh tried to take a little more of him into her mouth.

"Fuck, yes!" Guarnere knew that he would come if she continued.

"Sweetheart, stop!" Spencer did as Bill requested. She looked up at Guarnere with a puzzled look on her face. He explained,

"Honey, you done everything just fine, almost too fine. You can finish like this another time, but only if ya want to. I don't want ya doin' anythin' ya don't like. Baby, let's make love.Just give me a minute, I gotta take care o' somethin'."

"I want to do it again, Honey. Let me practice enough so I can give you as much pleasure as you gave me."

"You can practice whatever ya want with me any time,Sweetheart." Leigh waited as he unzipped the duffel bag and got out one cardboard box of condoms. He selected one and carefully rolled it on, pinching the tip to ensure that there was no air in it.

"Is a woman's first time supposed to be uncomfortable? It didn't hurt at all."

"That's what I always thought. Baby, I'm gonna take it real easy an' slow wit' ya. I think that bastard kinda finished fast an' you might still be a virgin."

Guarnere kissed Leigh as he knelt between her legs, rubbing the head of his cock against her folds. He slowly inserted himself into her, asking,

"Does this feel OK, Honey?" Spencer felt fine for a second or two. Then there was a surprising sensation of pain. She gasped and said,

"Oh! I didn't think it would hurt." Guarnere kissed Leigh, reassuring her,

"It's normal to feel like that, Sweetheart. Do ya wanna stop? I don't wanna do anythin' to hurt ya."

"No, Honey, don't stop. I just need to get used to you." Bill kissed her tenderly, not moving inside her. He noticed that Leigh was starting to move a little bit.

"Is my angel startin' to feel better?"

"Yes. It's starting to feel good." Spencer moved beneath him a little more and Guarnere smiled when he heard her saying,

"Oh, that's better!"

"Wrap your legs around me, Baby." She eagerly followed his instructions, asking,

"Is it good for both of us if I move with you?"

"Yes." He was still being careful and going slowly. Bill kissed the tip of Leigh's nose and chuckled when she said,

"Can we sort of pick up the pace?" Guarnere began to thrust into her a little faster.

"Is that better, Baby?" Spencer answered in a breathy voice,

"Oh, yes!"

Soon, she was meeting Bill stroke for stroke. Guarnere built up a steady rhythm of thrusting inside her.

Spencer wrapped her arms around Bill, burying her face in his neck to muffle her cries of passion. Guarnere knew he was getting close. He circled his hips, making Leigh's orgasm start. She was caught up in a wave of pleasure, saying,

"Bill, oh, Honey!" He groaned, feeling her contracting around his cock. His thrusts became deeper, losing rhythm until he came.

They held tight to each other, trying to calm their breathing.Then, Bill sat up, turning his back to Leigh for a moment. He reached down for a small metal trash can by the bed. Guarnere carefully removed the condom, depositing it into the can.

"I promise to take care o' that in a little while, Baby."

Bill reached out to grab the quilt and made sure that they were both covered. He stretched out beside Leigh, pulling her close to him. Spencer wrapped her arms around his neck.Guarnere tenderly kissed her, saying,

"Honey, I love you so much." Bill stroked her back. He chuckled,

"An' to think you worried that ya wouldn't make it good for me."

"Honey, I got to have my first time with the right man after all. Bill, I love you with all of my heart. Now I understand why people rave on about this."

You done just fine, Angel. See, there's a difference. Anybody can have sex. It might be good, don't get me wrong. What we done was make love. I just learned that when ya love somebody, it makes everythin' a hundred percent better.

"I didn't know it could feel like this. I never had what you did with your lips and tongue...down there before." Bill grinned,

"So, ya liked that?"

"Oh, hell yes! The girls in the dormitory and I talked about it. I knew it existed."

"That's another first time for ya."

" I'm looking forward to learning more things." Guarnere couldn't help but chuckle at her remark about learning more. He kissed her, remarking,

"Looks like I got an eager student wantin' to learn. Give my body some time to kinda rest, it won't take too long, and I would love to 'teach' ya other things." Bill ran his fingers though Spencer's hair, adding, "Baby, you're beautiful all over."

"I can say the same about you, Bill. You need to give Sobel credit for one thing, he got you into perfect condition." Guarnere grudgingly replied,

"Yeah, he got us all built up. That's the only thing he done right so far." Bill had an idea, asking Spencer,

"How about we clean up together? I noticed you got a shower an' a bathtub. "

"It's fine with me. I have a bathrobe to wear plus an extra one, but even if it fit, I can't picture you wearing a robe covered in floral print." Gp

"That ain't for me. I can put my clothes on again."

"I'd rather see your sexy body." Bill smirked, raising his eyebrows and replying,

"You're sayin' that ya want me to be naked in front of your roommates if they show up?"

"No, I want you all to myself, you smug smart ass."

"I don't want anybody else, just my sassy angel. Let me get some clean boxer shorts to take in wit' me. I'll put on what I was wearin'." Leigh got out of bed and walked to the chest of drawers, getting out a peach colored quilted robe and a peach silk slip that could be used as a nightgown.

They gathered their clothing and other items and headed to the bathroom. Guarnere asked Leigh to wait before she went into the bathroom while he disposed of the used condom.

Leigh and Bill entered the shower. After being intimate, they felt comfortable being naked around each other. Guarnere made a mental note to make love in the shower another time. With the exception of a few shared kisses, the shower was uneventful.

They cleaned up quickly and went about putting on deodorant, brushing their teeth and getting dressed. Spencer dried her hair the best she could with a towel and combed it, knowing that her wavy and curly hair would be in soft curls once it was completely dry.

Bill and Leigh left the bathroom. Spencer headed to a closet in the hall and got out fresh sheets and pillow cases for the bed.

"Honey, do you want an extra pillow or an extra blanket?"

"No, Baby. Everythin' is fine. Let me help ya make the bed." They got the bed made.

"Help yourself to anything you want if you get hungry or thirsty. "

"Thanks, Baby. I don't need nothin' right now except you in my arms and some sleep." Leigh picked up the dirty sheets, pillow cases and the clothes she had on earlier and placed the items in a clothes hamper in a corner of the room by the closet.

They turned down the covers of the bed. Leigh turned on the bedside table lamp. Bill turned off the light in the bedroom and closed the door. He removed his trousers and shirt and got into bed, selecting the side of the bed closest to his duffel bag.

Spencer removed the robe, folding it and placing it on top of the chest of drawers . She walked to the bed. Guarnere noticed the peach silk slip,commenting,

"That looks real pretty on ya, Baby." Leigh smiled,

"Thanks. It's one of my favorite colors."

Leigh turned off the lamp and got into bed, getting under the covers. Bill was reclining on his back.

He pulled Spencer close to him, kissing her,

"Sweet dreams, Baby." She put her head on Bill's chest and he wrapped his arms around her. Leigh kissed his chest, saying, "Sweet dreams, Honey."

Guarnere stroked Leigh's hair. She felt loved and secure in Bill's arms. He heard her sigh contentedly before drifting off to sleep. Bill kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes as sleep claimed him.

He placed the bag on the floor and opened it, extracting one sheet of V Mail stationery, a V Mail envelope and a pen. V Mail accounted for the majority of letters sent since war broke out.

Those in military service were allowed two free sheets of V Mail forms per day from the Post Office or the Army Post Office. Letters were written on pre-printed forms.

Then the letters were sent to other V Mail offices overseas where the forms would be photographed and the image would be stored on microfilm. Images of the letters were then printed smaller than normal, but large enough to be legible.

All letters had to be read by censors to ensure that no confidential information about military activity would be made public. It typically took letters about a month to get to the intended recipient.

Bill wrote the address on the envelope. He composed the letter to Cal Spencer:

Dear Mr. Spencer,

As you already know, I love your daughter with all of my heart. Sir, I would like to ask you for your daughter's hand in marriage.

If you give us your blessing, we will get married after the war is over. I will work hard to provide a home and money to support her. Mr. Spencer, I promise to treat Leigh with the respect she deserves and to be a gentleman and a devoted husband for the rest of my life.

Sincerely,

Bill Guarnere

Bill carefully folded the letter and placed it in the envelope. He placed the envelope in his duffel bag, then he took a bath. Once he was dressed in a clean uniform, socks and his boots, Bill fixed breakfast for himself and Leigh.

Spencer was pleasantly surprised with breakfast in bed. She noticed that Bill seemed to be in a particularly good mood. Leigh got ready to go to work and Bill reported for training at the Army base. He took the envelope containing the letter to the Army Post Office.

One month later, Cal Spencer received the letter from Guarnere.Later that night, Mr. Spencer sent a V Mail to Guarnere, saying,

Dear Bill,

Louise and I gladly give our blessings for you to marry Leigh. We know that you will be an excellent husband for our daughter and we're happy to welcome you into the family.

Best Wishes,

Cal Spencer

Four weeks from that day, Bill got the letter from Leigh's father. Guarnere was elated to read the good news. Had Cal refused, Bill was prepared to elope with Leigh. Guarnere felt that having Spencer's permission to marry Leigh was the proper thing to do. It was official, Bill could marry the love of his life.

Guarnere picked up a jacket he thought was his. When he saw a letter in the pocket addressed to Johnny Martin, he realized his mistake, but decided to read the letter.

Bill felt as if the floor had fallen out from under him as he read that his older brother Henry had been killed in action in Monte Cassino, Italy.He hadn't heard from his brother, but he thought it was due to the fact that V Mail took at least one month to be delivered.

His face showed surprise and shock as he struggled with his emotions. Bill was determined to take the news like a man. He vowed to kill as many German soldiers as he could in retaliation for his brother's death. It was no longer war for Guarnere, it was now a vendetta.

The day of the jump, he told Martin about finding the letter. When Johnny offered his condolences Bill replied,

"I feel sorry for my ma. He was...let's get this thing over wit'."before walking away from Martin. Those in Easy Company who knew of Bill's loss stayed out of his way.

Later in the day, Leigh got her rosary beads from a drawer in the chest of drawers in her bedroom. She knelt to pray for Bill to be protected during battle and for his safe return. Melissa was also praying for Bull.

A few hours later, numerous C47 Sky Trains loaded with paratroopers took off from Upottery Air Field. A number of the local residents wiped away a few tears as they watched the planes flying overhead, knowing that some of the young men aboard the airplanes would never come back.

Bill clutched his rosary beads as he sat in the plane with a menacing look on his face. He felt possessed by anger, wanting to get started on his vendetta as soon as possible.

Guarnere believed that he would be killed instantly. He didn't share this feeling with Leigh for obvious reasons. Bill wanted to kill as many of the enemy as he could before his life ended.

Later in the flight, as they approached the jump zone, the C47 was going too fast and it was lower than recommended for the men to jump. The pilot was shaken by the sudden death of the co-pilot from anti aircraft fire. He quickly turned on the green light to indicate that it was time to jump.

Lieutenant Winters told the men to "Stand up and hook up." Bill's leg went to sleep from the heavy leg bag. A British officer came up with the idea to have a bag that would be worn on one leg. It could hold a folding rifle and necessary supplies.

It added about 50 extra pounds on the paratroopers. Unfortunately, many bags were torn away in the rush of air from the propellers and jumping out of the plane. The paratrooper behind Guarnere had to shove him out of the open door of the plane.

The men didn't wind up in their intended location and many paratroopers lost the supplies in their leg bags. Winters landed not far from the burning wreckage of the C47 that carried the leader of Easy Company, Lieutenant Meehan.

He set out to locate the men. Using the metal crickets assigned them and by roaming the drop zone, the men of Easy gradually reassembled.

Bill had no gun and no cricket when he landed. All he had was a knife and a bent carbine. He ran into a soldier from Fox Company. Guarnere held him to the ground, pushing his knee into the fellow paratrooper's chest. Bill put the knife to the young man's throat, asking him,

"Whose side are you on?" He took a gun from a dead German soldier, but it made a distinct sound that was unlike the sound made by American weapons.

Every time Guarnere fired the gun, American troops would fire in his direction. Bill quickly got rid of the gun and found his preferred weapon of choice, a Thompson machine gun. From that point on, he displayed fearless behavior that earned him the nickname he would have for the rest of his life, Wild Bill, and a Silver Star.

Bill's drive to kill as many enemy soldiers as possible made him run afoul with Winters. A horse drawn wagon with enemy soldiers aboard was approaching down a country lane with tall, dense hedges on each side.

The Lieutenant told the men,

"Wait for my command." Bill stood up and killed the enemy soldiers and a few of their horses with his "Tommy" gun. Winters shouted,

"That's enough, Guarnere!" He faced Bill, telling him in no uncertain terms,

"When I tell you 'wait for my command,' Sergeant, you wait for my command." Guarnere tersely replied,

"Yes, Sir." Joe Toye used a pistol to put a badly injured horse out of its misery. Bill walked away, muttering something about Winters acting like "a fine Quaker," not wanting to kill.

Guarnere and the Easy Company men had the task of destroying four large German guns that were strategically placed to fire upon Allied troops landing on the beach at Normandy.

He and the other paratroopers were fighting German soldiers in trenches dug in a field near a house called Brecourt Manor. Buck Compton encountered an enemy soldier in the trench and tried to shoot him, only to have his gun malfunction. He would later say that Bill appeared behind him "out of nowhere" to kill the man before he had the chance to shoot Compton.

Although they were outnumbered by enemy soldiers, the men of Easy Company destroyed the guns and probably saved countless lives of Allied soldiers landing on the beach.Lieutenant Winters discovered and took maps plotting the locations of German guns in the area.

At the end of the day, the men were having their supper in an Army truck. Lieutenant Winters stopped by to talk to the men. Before he left he remarked to Bill,

"Sergeant Guarnere."

"Sir?" Winters grinned,

"I'm not a Quaker." Guarnere, the men and Winters laughed about the remark. A few men good naturedly patted Bill on his back. Guarnere grinned, replying,

"He must be a Mennonite. There are a lot of 'em in Lancaster County."

Melissa and Leigh got through the ensuing days the best that they could. Luckily they were spared the news about the fiery crash of the C47. The day finally arrived when the men would return for one week. Adams and Spencer waited outside in front of the office. Soon, Bull appeared. He hugged and kissed Melissa. They disappeared from the base for some time alone.

Spencer waited anxiously until she spotted Bill. Although he was exhausted he covered the distance between himself and Leigh very quickly. He embraced Spencer, giving her a passionate kiss. When Bill broke the kiss, Leigh said,

"Word got around and I am so sorry about your brother, Honey. I know you were close to him. I've been praying for him to get out of purgatory. If you need some time to yourself, I understand."

"Some guys are goin' to London to raise some hell on their seven day passes. I need to be wit' you, Sweetheart. You're all that's (he pronounced the word as 'dats') keepin' me sane right now. Thanks for prayin' for my brother. If ya wait just a little bit, I need to get my duffel bag, garment bag, some boxer shorts, my shavin' stuff an' my toothbrush an' toothpaste." Leigh assured him she would wait.

While she was elated that Bill returned safely, her heart ached for Guarnere and his family. She intended to send a V Mail to his parents expressing her sympathy. Bill soon returned with his duffel and garment bags. He apologized to Leigh,

"Sorry I didn't clean up first. I just wanna get the hell out o' this place for awhile." Spencer told him there was no need to apologize. Bill put his arm around her as they walked to the house.

When they got inside the house, Leigh got a clean towel, a wash cloth and a new bar of soap for Guarnere, leaving the items on the edge of the bathtub. Spencer sat on the couch. After some time passed, Bill came downstairs wearing a clean uniform shirt and trousers. Leigh told him,

"My parents sent some real coffee in a package. They saved up enough rations coupons to ensure that we all got a treat. Would you like something to eat? I baked some fresh bread earlier today and I was able to get some bacon, eggs and some homemade butter from a farmers' market."

"Thanks for offerin' to cook for me, Baby. I'd like some scrambled eggs, bacon an' toast wit' butter to go wit' that coffee." Leigh went into the kitchen and made a fresh pot of coffee, fried the bacon, scrambled the eggs and used the broiler in the stove to make the toast from two thick slices of the homemade bread. Spencer put a generous amount of butter on both pieces of toast.

Leigh put the food on a plate and she got a napkin, silverware, salt and pepper shakers and a large mug of coffee. All of these items were then put on a tray. She carried the tray to the living room and placed it on the coffee table. Bill thanked her, saying,

"I appreciate it, Sweetheart, but I coulda walked to the kitchen table. You don't need to go to all o' that trouble for me."

"It was no trouble at all. You deserve to take it easy for awhile." Guarnere made quick work of the food. Leigh asked if he wanted anything else to eat or a second cup of coffee.

"Thanks, Leigh. I think I'll have another cup o' coffee. Just sit still, Baby, I can get it." After Bill poured more coffee into the empty mug and returned to the living room.

"You make scrambled eggs an' bacon just like my ma. That bread is better than any I've had in a long time and the coffee is damn good. Would ya please thank your folks for me?"

Guarnere sipped the coffee and soon finished the contents of the mug. He got a cigarette and his lighter out of his pocket. Bill lit the cigarette, taking a deep drag. He put the lighter back into his pocket.

"I'm glad you enjoyed everything, Bill. There's a good reason the bacon and eggs reminds you of your mom's cooking. This is another thing I asked your mom, how you liked to have food prepared."

"You're somethin' else, Baby."

"Bill, I love you. I want to spoil you a little bit."

"I love you, too, Honey. When this damn war is over, I intend to get caught up on spoilin' you. Now, I'm gonna get these dishes washed an' after that, how about we call it a night?"

"I'll take care of the dishes. You need to relax. Now, don't try to pull rank on me, I was promoted to sergeant while you were gone."

"Congratulations, Baby! I'm proud of ya." He smirked before adding, "I'm still washin' the dishes."

"OK, let's clean them together." Guarnere stubbed out the remainder of the cigarette in the ashtray. They finished doing and putting away the dishes and they cleaned the kitchen. Then, they locked the door, shut off the lights and went upstairs.

Leigh went to brush her teeth and returned to her bedroom. She made sure the window was open, since it had been a warm day. Spencer put her dress and panties in the hamper, placed her bra in the chest of drawers and got out a sleeveless cotton nightgown with small flowers on it and put it on. Bill brushed his teeth and returned to Spencer's room, removing his boots, socks, trousers and shirt before getting into bed.

Spencer turned on a lamp on a table beside the bed and turned off the light and closed the door. She got into bed and turned off the lamp.

"Sweetheart, I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but I'm too tired to do anythin'. Hope I didn't disappoint ya."

"I understand, it's OK. Bill, If you need to grieve for your brother, just let it happen. It doesn't mean that you're less of a man if you cry, it simply means that you're human. I'm here for you and I promise that I would never tell anyone if you shed some tears.

Honey, it would be bad for you to keep everything in. You might even make yourself sick, in a way, by keeping everything bottled up inside."

Bill thanked Spencer and kissed her. Leigh could feel the tears on his face. She got up, not needing to turn on the light, and got a few lace trimmed handkerchiefs from a drawer in the chest of drawers beside the bed.

She discovered more tears coursing down Bill's face and she used the handkerchief to dry them. Guarnere remained silent as he grieved the death of his brother. Leigh handed him a clean handkerchief and Bill blew his nose. He put the used handkerchief by the bed.

They remained sitting up in bed. Spencer put her arms around Bill, pulling him close to her. He embraced her, resting his head on her shoulder as the tears continued to fall. She reached for the other handkerchiefs, using one to dry the tears on Guarnere's face when he sat up for a moment.

Her heart ached for Bill. She wished she could help him feel better. Leigh silently handed the other handkerchief to him and he used it, depositing it beside the other handkerchief on the floor.

"I'll take care of those tomorrow. Just try to rest." Spencer stroked Bill's back, hoping to soothe him. She tenderly kissed the top of his head as she continued to hold Guarnere close to her. The tears soon stopped and he asked Leigh for another handkerchief. Bill blew his nose and the handkerchief joined the other used handkerchiefs on the floor by his side of the bed.

"Baby, I done a lot of killin' on D Day. I wanted to kill as many of those goddamned krauts as possible for what happened to Henry."

"I don't pretend to understand war, but I know that it's kill or be killed. I thank God that you came back. If you want to talk about it, I'll listen. I'm sorry that I never had the honor of meeting your brother." Guarnere moved back enough to kiss Leigh and remain in her arms.

"Thanks, Honey. I feel bad for Ma and Pop. I gotta tell ya the truth, I thought I'd be killed instantly. I thank God that I made it back to you, too. It was hell, Leigh, but we whipped their goddamned asses! Baby, I hope ya don't mind, but I really need to sleep."

" I understand. Sleep well, Honey." Bill asked,

"Is it OK wit' you if I put my head on your chest for a change?"

"That's fine, Bill." Guarnere snuggled close to Leigh, resting his head on her chest. Spencer held Bill and stroked his hair, soothing him until they both fell asleep. He woke Leigh from a sound sleep when he said, in a loud voice,

"Ya want I should get your freakin' Luger, ya stupid Mick?" Bill settled down after that and Spencer soon drifted off to sleep again. The next morning as they were eating breakfast, Leigh told him,

"You were talking in your sleep and you asked something about getting a Luger for someone you called a 'stupid Mick.' Were you dreaming?" Bill apologized, and said,

"Sweetheart, I must have been dreamin' about the stupid thing Malarkey did. He's been crazy to get his hands on a German gun, a Luger. A kraut got shot not too far from us.

That crazy bastard ran out into a field wit' ten machine guns firin' on us to try to get the gun from that dead guy. Turns out it wasn't even a Luger, the dummy! The krauts must have thought that he was a medic, 'cause they didn't do nothin' at first.

Then, they poured on the ammo. The rest of us covered his ass, shootin' at the krauts while Malark ran in a kinda zig zag pattern back to us. When he got his stupid ass back, I asked him what ya heard me say last night." Spencer shook her head in disbelief saying,

"Don won't last very long if he keeps up that reckless behavior."

"I think he learned his lesson, Baby." Bill didn't say anything further and Leigh didn't ask any more questions about the war. They had a quiet, relaxing day.

When Spencer got up the next morning, she found a note on the dining room table.

Sweetheart,

Johnny Martin and I are taking a train to Edinburgh, Scotland for a day trip. I will be back later tomorrow night. We will have supper while we're there, both nights, so don't worry about cooking for me.

Love Ya,

Bill

Johnny and Bill got back a little after midnight. Leigh stayed up to see him before going to bed. Guarnere looked tired when he came into the house. After embracing and kissing Spencer, Bill flinched slightly when Leigh touched his right arm. Guarnere explained,

"Baby, me an' Johnny went a little bit wild. Don't worry, I'd never do anythin' wit' another woman. I love you an' you're the only girl for me. When we got to Scotland, we got drunk as sixteen skunks.

We got matchin' tattoos of paratroopers comin' down from the sky. If I'd been sober, I'd never got tattooed. When we got up this mornin' an' looked at our arms, we both said, 'What the hell is that?'"

Guarnere removed his jacket and rolled up the right sleeve of his uniform. She saw a very detailed tattoo of a man with a parachute. Spencer said,

"The artist did a good job. Did he give you anything to put on it so you won't get infected?"

"He gave both of us some cream that we have to rub over it once a day. Are ya upset wit' me for gettin' the tattoo, Honey?"

"I'm not upset at all, Bill. It's your arm and I'm not your boss. Actually, I think it looks good. It suits you."

"You're one hell of a woman, Baby. I missed havin' my angel sleepin' beside me." Bill paused to get a cigarette and his lighter out of his jacket pocket. Once the cigarette was lit, he continued,

'Speakin' o' sleep, me an' Johnny couldn't find a place to sleep. Johnny said, 'I'll get us a place to sleep.' We went to a USO Club, but there were no beds left. So Johnny said, 'Watch this.' He went to the door an' yelled, 'Fire!' Everybody ran out. We ran in, got under the sheets, an' went to sleep. No one said a word." Spencer laughed as Bill told the story. She said,

"That's a creative way to find a place to sleep." Guarnere and Leigh went into the living room to sit on the couch and listen to the radio. After Bill finished his cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray, they locked the door, turned off the downstairs lights and went upstairs, getting into bed and drifting off to sleep together.