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#Post#: 3172--------------------------------------------------
Save The Last Dance For Me
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: May 15, 2016, 3:36 pm
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HTML https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7483/27018289136_ccedd9b43a_z.jpg
Sometimes mother's are made, not born. At least that's what it
feels like for Sherry Cohen. The second born into a family where
her elder sister Sara was always the favorite leaves Sherry to
feel like she'd been cast aside. A change of scenery was
certainly needed, Miami sounded nice enough. It was a place
where she could make her own mark. Plenty of work for a self
taught dancer she figured. Until said older sister throws a
wrench in the works in the shape of an adorable blue eyed baby
boy who is no longer wanted. Sherry steps in and decides that a
dreamer for a mother is better than one that refuses to even
hold her son let along give him a name. Together the newly
formed family unit set out on the chance of a lifetime at one of
Miami's newest resorts; Playa del Miramar. Along the way a
handsome resort manager named Bruce Sokol works his charms on
both mother and bouncing baby boy. But is it meant to be?
Tagline: Life's got a funny way of bringing good things to those
that wait for them.
Soundtrack: { It's a long one, sorry! }
HTML https://open.spotify.com/user/highlandfling22/playlist/3Orpx06LNxzsRNo3Riqzum
*A/N: None of the characters are meant to infringe upon standing
copyrights any similarities are purely coincidental. That
being said; this is a work of pure fiction. This piece was
partially inspired the "what if's" that occur when you're
reading a book, see if you can spot the influences. Enjoy! *
May 1960
Brighton Beach New York
“Blood is thicker than water.”
Those words were swirling around Sherry Cohen’s head like a
swarm of bees. Trying to shake the thoughts that plagued her she
adjusted her apron and collected the drink tray for table twelve
from the bar. Her older sister Sara was never known for being
stable and now she was adding a child to the mix, to be quite
honest Sherry couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it. The Cohen
clan was always a close knit bunch, always had been probably
always would be but like every family no matter their religion
there was always one or two that just didn’t go the normal
route. When the sisters were young girls their parents always
worried about Sherry, she was always the dreamer with her head
in the clouds they’d said. She had very little interest in
academics and it had been a wonder she had managed to graduate,
her mother still brought it up every chance she got, usually at
Friday dinner when the entire family had come to observe the
Sabbath. Ever since she’d been a little girl she was always
taken to the world of dance. She’d begged and pleaded for dance
lessons, which when she was six she finally received. Now, at
the age of twenty-seven she was certified dance instructor
thanks in part to natural talent and night classes twice a week
from the Arthur Murray School of Dance the world was her oyster.
Well, as long as people still paid for Fox trot and Waltz
lessons that was. She could still hear her mother’s yiddish
tinged accent pinging in her head. Had their father been alive
he might have been the voice of reason but sadly he was five
years gone.
“I don’t see why you can’t be more like Sara, marry yourself a
nice Jewish boy and settle down like she did. Lord knows you’ll
need someone that’s book smart because you never were. Dancing
will get your nowhere my dear. Always you with her head in the
clouds. This world we live in is no place for dreamers, Sherry.”
As much as she loved Sara, which was with her entire heart
because her older sister always had her back; Sherry almost
always felt the need to point out that Sara had gotten married
out of sheer desperation and panic. Around the neighborhood it
was unheard of for a woman of Sara’s age ( nearly 35 ) to still
be unmarried. She had latched onto the first man that was nice
enough to take her out on a date and the next thing the family
knew Sara was officially Mrs. Seymour Farbowitz. Now, Seymour
was nothing to look at in Sherry’s book but he provided a solid
base for her sister; well when he wasn’t traveling all over
God’s green acre selling Fuller Brushes that was. The newlyweds
had settled in a lovely little place right next to Seymour’s
parents on the outskirts of Brighton and seemed exceptionally
happy. At the time Sherry was over the moon for her older sister
but deep down she knew it wasn’t going to last, not the way Sara
went off the handle. It seemed that the further Seymour went
away on business the longer Sara’s moods lasted and the harder
it was to bring her around. True, Sherry knew that her sister
could never help the way she felt but when she had put up such a
fight to see a doctor about it that’s when Sherry truly started
to worry. Contrary to what their mother believed Sherry actually
was a veracious reader; as long as the subject interested her.
She’d read everything she could about different mood disorders
but nothing seemed to truly fit Sara’s case. After two years of
logging hard library time and reading through not one or two but
four medical sections Sherry silently gave up for the time
being. All she could do was say a silent prayer that her niece
or nephew to be was healthy and that it’s father watched it’s
mother like a hawk.
At this very moment Sherry herself had her own worries to mull
over, she’d finally saved up enough money to leave New York and
head south to Florida, one of the premier vacation spots that
people seemed to flock to these days to escape the cold. Rumor
had it that resorts catering to the wealthier clientele were
cropping up seemingly over night. Sherry had paid her dues doing
the Catskills circuit and the chance to actually get stable work
at a year round resort was her dream. True it had taken her the
better part of two years but she had finally done it. The lease
on her tiny shoebox of an apartment in Brooklyn was finally up
and now all she had to do was break it to her family. Deep down
she knew her decision to move would be met with consternation
and outrage. A knot was forming over how Sara was going to
react, she hadn’t even taken it well when Sherry told her she
had taken a second job at the Blue Lotus club as a cocktail
waitress.
“Hey, Sher you’ve got a call. It’s your sister again.”
Sherry gave her customers an apologetic smile as she set their
glasses down.
“I’ll be right back with that bowl of peanuts.”
As fast as her feet could carry her Sherry zipped back into the
kitchen and picked up the receiver all the while trying to block
out the clatter of the hustling little kitchen.
“Sara is everything okay?”
A shuttering moan and a sniffle sounded over the line and Sherry
knew something had thrown her sister into a dark spell. For all
she knew it could have just been that Sara’s hormones had dipped
and put her into a stupor. Truth be told she could pop any day
now.
“I…I don’t know, Sherry.”
Sherry’s heart skipped a beat as her sister hung up the phone
and left her standing there stunned. With a shaky hand she
dialed her mother as fast at the rotary would allow and uttered
a curse under her breath when she found the line was busy.
Hurling her apron off she sprinted out of the bar without so
much as a backward glance and found her car. Taking the corners
on two wheels she found herself parked in front of the Farbowitz
house with the engine idling and her heart pounding in her
throat.
‘Well, if her water’s broken I should leave the car running.’
She reasoned as she fled from the car and took the front steps
two at a time before pounding on the front door.
“Sara! Open up! It’s me.”
Nothing could be heard from the inside except the quiet din of
the refrigerator in the kitchen.
“Sara, open the door dammit!”
Somewhere across the street a window open and a bellow sounded.
“Will you shut up you crazy broad?!”
Sherry turned on her heel and thumbed her nose in the man’s
general direction.
“Up yours, Orlov!”
Finally able to find the key that was hidden under the mail box
on the porch Sherry let herself in and found the house eerily
still and downright stifling from the wave of the warm weather
the city was having. The house was neat as a pin and smelled so
strongly of Ajax and bleach that Sherry almost gagged. It seemed
that her sister had given the house a top to bottom scrubbing,
the vacuum lines still visible set deep in the plush beige wall
to wall carpeting.
“Sara? It’s Sherry. You okay?”
She called checking each room before making her way upstairs and
cringed as the landing creaked under her feet. Down the hallway
she saw a sliver of golden light from what was presumable the
master bedroom and she made her way toward it.
“Sar?”
She knocked softly on the door before she opened the door to
find her sister cocooned under the duvet quietly sobbing to
herself. This was an all together familiar sight from the time
Sara’s pregnancy was confirmed.
“He’s gonna and left me, I just know it.”
Sherry perched herself on the edge of her sister’s bed and
patted her hand.
“Seymour loves you, why in the world do you think he’d ever
leave you?”
Sara’s red rimmed eyes met hers as she sniffled, much like a
child would before letting out a whisper.
“Because he hasn’t been home in two weeks. I-I called the office
and they said he turned in his last order a week ago.”
It was then that Sherry noticed that Sara had taken a grey tone
and broken out in a cold sweat; her breathing labored. Mind
still trying to wrap around the fact that her brother-in-law had
just up and walked out she forced the lump in her throat down.
“Ha..have you tried talking to his parents? I mean they’re just
down the street.”
A heavy snort came from the elder sister as she stared off into
space for a moment.
“Have you seen me lately? Not much for going out these days,
Sherry.”
“I noticed but have you tried calling them?”
“They barely answer if they even hear the phone. They’re getting
like Ma, half deaf and selective to the company that they
keep…oh…God! This is so typical of Seymour to leave me now,
especially like this. I should have never listened to Ma.”
From the look on Sara’s face Sherry knew that she had to get her
sister to the hospital. She’d thought Sara’s words were just
pained babble. Bracing her feet and offering Sara a hand out of
bed she made a wild grab for the bag that was sitting atop the
dresser by the corner and ushered her heaving sister out of the
still idling Plymouth. The twenty minute drive to North Shore
hospital flew by and the next thing Sherry knew Sara was
admitted and put under, she called their mother who at this
point was beyond upset about being woken up at one in the
morning on the Sabbath. Five hours went by and the two Cohen
women sat in the sterile blinding white waiting room exchanging
only a few words between themselves. The sun was just peeking
over the city skyline and Sherry felt as if she was about to
topple over. Both from physical and mental exhaustion.
“She doesn’t know where he is, Ma. Said he hasn’t been home in
two weeks.”
“Maybe she shouldn’t have married him? Maybe she shouldn’t have
had children but whose to say? They do have a way of keeping a
marriage together though. That’s what my mother always told me.”
Her mother’s words were like a slap to the face and Sherry found
herself doing a double take. Now she knew that Sara’s words
earlier weren’t just the babbles of a woman in pain.
“Ma! How can you say such a thing?! No child asks to be born…”
Sherry found herself cut off by a nurse approaching them with a
small smile.
“It’s a healthy baby boy. He’s doing just fine, all five pounds
ten ounces of him. He’s in the nursery and Mrs. Farbowitz isn’t
up to visitors just yet but I’m sure she will be tomorrow
morning…”
“I’ve got to see my Sara. Where’s my Sara?”
Sherry watched as her mother pushed past the nurse and waddled
toward the private room that Sara was recovering in leaving just
the nurse who was just as startled as she was. Her mother had
done a complete about face and Sherry was sure that the world
was completely off it’s axis. She shook her head for a moment
before offering the nurse a small smile.
“Well, come on, introduce me to my nephew.”
Down the winding corridor of yet more shocking white she shown
to a plate glass window that overlooked the nursery.
The nurse, whose name tag read Mathilda took Sherry aside and
looked at her worriedly.
“Usually when new mothers are put under twilight they’re
disoriented but are able to focus for a few minutes to look at
their baby’s faces but your sister…refused him. Told the
delivery room nurse to get it away from her. It was as if she
couldn’t bear to look at him. She didn’t even want to hold him.
In all my years of nursing I’ve never heard of anything like
that..”
Sherry offered an apologetic glance before turning toward the
nursery and noticed that he was the only infant in at the
moment. There he was, all pink and chubby and looking a little
lost out in the big bad world. Her heart wept for the yet
unnamed baby boy as he laid in the plastic bassinet trying to
make sense of the world around him. If ever a living thing could
look new and lonely at the same time this kid had it down.
“Do…Do you think I could? Hold him, I mean?”
Sherry asked cautiously before fixing her gaze back towards her
nephew.
“Well, we’re not supposed to but…follow me.”
She was ushered into the nursery quietly and feeling quite out
of place in her powder blue boatneck shirt and white capri
pants. She perched herself in a nearby rocker towards the right
of the room out of view of the nursery window and anxiously
awaited the tiny blue football shaped bundle.
“Here’s your boy, Miss Cohen.”
Sherry’s heart fluttered at the mention of him being “her boy”
but as soon as she got her first glimpse of his little pudgy
pink face she knew he was hers.
“Hello there sweet boy. I know you’ve had a rocky start but I’m
here.”
#Post#: 3173--------------------------------------------------
Re: Save The Last Dance For Me
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: May 15, 2016, 7:20 pm
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One month passed and both mother and child were released and
both were physically healthy. The baby still went unnamed and
Sara reverted into herself even further, still refusing to even
acknowledge the existence of her son. Their mother wasn’t much
better and simply catered to Sara’s needs, fawning and babying
the eldest daughter as if she were made of fine china so it fell
upon Sherry to care for the infant. To say that she was getting
a crash course would have been the understatement of the decade.
None of her friends from the Catskills circuit had kids; come to
think of it neither did anyone in her building. Sherry’s world
was devoid of children it seemed, well until now that was. At
the moment she was still mulling over a name for the blue eyed
bouncing baby boy who slept quietly in the bassinet in the
middle of the living room of the one bedroom apartment. Diapers
were soaking away in the sink and bottles were drying on the
dish rack. Most of the packing was done and her suitcases were
left in the hall closet, what little furniture was left would go
to neighbors and family friends in need. She still hadn’t broken
the news to her mother or Sara just yet, it never seemed like
the right time. She had spoken with a friend from the Catskills
circuit who had just come back home to visit family and he had
put in a good word with one of the hotel managers at one of the
nicer resorts in Miami along with a copy of her resume. For the
first time in Sherry’s life things were actually looking up. A
gurgling from the bassinet. Bright blue eyes and chubby rosy
cheeks greeted her for a moment as she peeked at him over the
rim of the crib. Rewarding him a smile as he stared up and her
and gurgled in delight before nodding off once more.
“What in the world am I going to I name you? It shouldn’t be me
that names you…you deserve a mother and a father but you don’t
have either. All you’ve got is a dreamer of an aunt.”
She muttered to herself as she scanned the paperwork once more
and sighed.
“I don’t see why I just don’t…adopt you myself…”
Nimble coral polished fingers dialed the phone number she’d
learned by heart. Tapping her foot she waited and waited for the
ring. When her mother finally did pick up all Sherry could hear
was Sara caterwauling in the background.
“Ma. It’s Sherry…S-H-E-R-R-Y. Ma! It’s me! Bring Sara over here,
I’ve got something I want to talk to her about. I don’t care if
she’d barricaded herself in her bedroom. Alright then we’ll come
to her. Put a pot of coffee on we’ll be there in ten minutes.
I’ll bring a danish.”
Hanging up the phone Sherry sighed and calmed her thrumming
heart. Without a second thought she snatched up the photos she’d
taken over the course of the infant’s first month in the world
and stashed them away in her purse. It seemed like she’d
snapped endless photos because she wanted photo documentation of
everything he did. Maybe Sara would want them? She couldn’t be
sure but deep down Sherry wanted her to have them; she had
copies after all.
Gently picking up the sleeping infant she packed up the pram and
eased it out toward the elevators and descended to the ground
floor and out into the street with a gurgling infant who was
transfixed at the dark haired smiling woman who had opened her
heart and her home to him. Little did he know that she planned
on making it permanent. Sherry had debated on just driving over
but it was such a beautiful day that walking just seemed to be
the way to go. The gentle rocking eased the infant within into a
light doze once more.
Cohen Household
The walk toward the home she grew up in was etched into the very
depths of Sherry’s mind, as she passed Reinhold’s Deli and
Shwartz’s corner store she realized that this may very well be
the last time she’d be seeing them. She stopped into Bachman’s
bakery and picked up two cherry danish and stowed them with the
baby’s bottles under the pram and paid with a smile.
The baby would never know the ice cold of the New York streets
in the winter or skating at the Plaza. He’d never know the joys
of going to Coney Island in the summer and riding the ferris
wheel or the wooden roller coaster until he very nearly threw up
after gorging himself on nickel cotton candy. He’d never know
what taking Hebrew school with Rabi Simovitz was like or Shabbat
dinners at Ma’s.Truth be told her mother’s cooking had gone a
little down hill as she got older so he wouldn’t be missing
much. Challah, brisket, and roaster chickens could be found a
dime a dozen these days it seemed so Kosher food was easy to
find. He would know a happy loving home and that he was loved
and wanted. He would know happiness. Taking a deep breath as she
sent a silent prayer up into the light blue spring sky she
headed up the steps gingerly maneuvering the pram once more.
“Ok, kiddo brace yourself.”
Sherry murmured before knocking on the door and slowly turning
the knob. Inside the orderly home she saw her mother hovering
around Sara fluffing pillows and adjusting blankets, madly
tutting in yiddish as she went. Sara was in her element it
seemed, only just protesting to save face until she spotted
Sherry in the doorway holding a dozing infant dressed in his
finest navy blue romper and booties.
“Get it away!”
Here came the hysterics, Sherry should have known. Gently
shaking her head she stepped closer, her resolve rock solid.
“He’s a child, Sara. You can’t hold it against him for simply
being born.”
The elder sister fussed as her eyes brimmed with fresh tears.
“Y-yes I can. My Seymour’s gone and it’s because of him.”
“Have you even talked to Seymour, Sara?”
“No..”
“Well then you don’t know that do you? Has anyone filed a
missing person’s report, his parents? You and Ma?”
“His parents said they did but the police said that there wasn’t
much they could do. Sherry get the baby away from me…”
Sherry had all she could not to roll her eyes as she sat down on
the settee opposite of the couch Sara had taken court on.
Sherry’s heart ached for her sister, Sara was sweet almost to a
fault but she’d always been the favored first born, especially
in their mother’s eyes. Sherry loved but pitied her. Especially
now when she supposed to be living her own life and caring for
her son. Silence enveloped the sisters for a moment and the only
thing that could be heard was their mother puttering around the
kitchen and the ticking of the grandfather clock down the
hallway.
“Mama said that there was something you wanted to talk to me
about?”
God, it had been years since Sherry had called Ma Mama but it
looked like Sara had fallen back into her roll of loving
daughter. Something Sherry had tried to show but could never get
right in Ma’s eyes. Sherry pulled the paperwork out of her purse
but left the envelope of photos. Given Sara’s mood now wasn’t
the right time to show them.
“He needs a name, Sara. He needs a home…”
Sherry’s words were cut off as Sara let out a whine and then a
sob.
“Name him anything you want just take him! Get him away from me,
I don’t care, Sherry. I just don’t.”
Sherry was hurt at her sister’s words but passed her the
paperwork.
“Then I will but you do know that once that paperwork goes
through we’re leaving.”
Sara looked up from the paperwork with wide eyes.
“Where?”
Sherry shifted the now fussing infant to the left as she stood
up to get a bottle from the pram.
“Miami, there’s year round work there. All sorts of resorts
cropping up overnight. It’s warm and there’s a beach. It’ll be a
fresh start and no one’s going to ask questions. It’s not like
here, Sara.”
Sara’s face softened as she looked at her younger sister. Deep
down she knew Sherry had the best in mind for her son, well as
soon as she signed those papers he’d be Sherry’s. Sara knew that
if the shoe was on the other foot there was no way that she
could be depended on to do what her sister had chosen to do. She
hadn’t even been asked and here she was mapping out a life to
accommodate the infant that had been unceremoniously dropped
into her lap.
“Send me a post card when you get there, huh? Oh and photos?
Just call me, okay?”
Sherry nodded before ducking into the kitchen with the hungry
infant cradled in her left and a glass infant bottle and a can
of formula in her right. Within the confides of the tiny
kitchen Sherry was met with an appraising gaze from her mother.
From the looks of the bakery boxes on the table she’d found the
danishes.
“Ma, if you think you’re going to change my mind it’s not going
to…”
Sherry was cut off as her mother set down the butter knife she’d
been using to serve up the confection and gently cupped Sherry’s
face between her wrinkled arthritic hands and kissed her cheeks.
Her heavily accented voice clouded with what was presumably
pride.
“You are doing the right thing, Sherry. You know you are. Now,
tell me what is that can you’ve got there?”
Sherry was startled at her mother’s acceptance of the entire
situation. In a dazed stupor she looked down in her right hand
and nodded.
“Uh..huh? Oh! It’s powdered formula, Ma. I just need to boil
some water, add two scoops to the bottle; shake it test it and
then I can feed him.”
Her mother’s eyes glinted for a moment as she watch Sherry hoist
the infant onto her shoulder and go about preparing the bottle.
“Tell me, have you picked out a name?”
Sherry thought for a moment and then smiled. She had learned
quick that the baby enjoyed music and one desperate night she
had sung the only thing she could think of to help him nod back
off to sleep. The Banana Boat Song. It seemed her young charge
had a love for the King of Calypso, Harry Belafonte as well as
being partial to the stylings of Bobby Darin after she had
serenaded him with Splish Splash one evening at bath time.
“Well, I was thinking Harold Robert. What do you think, Ma? I
was thinking I could just call him Harry..”
“I think it suits him, gelibter.”
For the first time in her life Sherry felt she’d finally earned
her mother’s approval. An hour later the paperwork was sent via
courier and was to be filed officially within two weeks time.
Sara still refused to hold him even though they had been there
for the better part of the afternoon and insisted that he wanted
Sherry. Before they left for the evening Sherry reached into
her purse and held out the photos with a small smile. Harry was
slumbering softly in his pram without so much as a care in the
world.
“I thought you’d want these, Sar. Y’know for your scrapbook?”
Sara protested for a moment before Sherry held them out again.
“Please, Sara. I’ve got copies and think of it as the start of
your collection, okay?”
Sara nodded before holding her arms out for a hug which Sherry
gladly gave.
“I don’t think thank you will ever cover this…”
“I know, Sara but I know that you mean it. We’ll see you on
Friday for dinner okay?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
The walk back towards the tiny apartment that was simply home
for now was a quiet one. It was a little after seven thirty when
she was at the more than halfway mark towards home. Harry was
such a peaceful baby that he rarely ever roused once he’d nodded
off so she didn’t have to worry about the sounds of traffic
waking him. Smiling down at him as he moved a dark chestnut
colored curl away from his forehead she sighed as she crossed
the street onto Hudson as the building came into view.
“Well, you’re just full of surprises aren’t you, Cohen?”
A half shadowed figure leaning against a lamp post chuckled as
Sherry walked by. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she
turned to face the voice. It was only now that she recognized
the sandy hair that slicked back with enough grease to lube up
the axels of the ancient Plymouth Sherry owned. Twinkling blue
eyes filled with humor studied her for a moment before he leaned
over the carriage and studied little Harry before giving Sherry
a wry smile. Only Johnny Castle could get away with giving her
a look like that these days.
“Surely he’s not mine…is he?”
That earned him a solid smack to the chest and a shake of
Sherry’s head as well a chuckle.
“I was going to say long time no see, Castle but I think I’ll
just refer to you as the idiot from Philly from now on. No, he’s
not. It’s…a long story.”
She said as she continued to walk on and up to the building as
Johnny followed close behind.
“I’ve got time and I come bearing good news for you too.”
Sherry huffed a stray piece of glossy dark hair out of the way
as she heaved the carriage up the steps before Johnny took his
cue to give her a hand.
“You go first, mine’s longer and more complicated.”
Sherry huffed as they finally eased the pram through the narrow
doorway before she wheeled it over toward the elevator. Johnny’s
face broke out into a giddy grin.
“Remember that guy I was telling you about in Miami? The one
that has that new hotel down by the beach?”
Sherry’s heart started to race as she nodded and hung onto every
word.
“Yeah…the Playa del something or other, right?”
Johnny nodded almost unable to contain himself.
“The Playa del Miramar Resort. He called me about two hours ago
to tell me to let you know that the job is all yours. He liked
what he saw on the paper and that headshot I showed him bowled
him over. Kid, you’re going places.”
Sherry’s face fell and she let out an excited squeak before
jumping for joy and reaching out to hug her friend. Tears welled
up in her eyes before they widened as a sickening knot in her
stomach made itself known.
“Oh god…does he..did you…what about Harry? Oh Johnny…what am I
gonna do?”
Johnny looked confused at the elevator finally dinged it’s final
destination of the eighth floor.
“Who’s Harry?”
Sherry nodded toward the carriage as she tried to wipe away the
tears that had just now started to fall.
“He’s Harry. He…he’s my s-sister’s but…”
“So you could always give him back. You’re just babysittin’
right?”
Sherry shook her head as the double doors opened and they walked
toward her apartment and she fumbled with the keys to open the
door.
“No..I’m not. You know how Sara is…things went pear shaped a
month ago when my brother-in-law left and now he’s sort of
mine.”
Johnny’s blue eyes widened as his brows knit together.
“For how long?”
Opened the door to her apartment and ushering him inside she
lifted Harry out of the pram and shushed him as he fussed
slightly. Johnny followed her in and looked around the tiny
apartment he once knew quite well. It looked nothing like it did
two years ago, two clotheslines worth of diapers hung from both
windows where Sherry's kitchen table was situated and a vast
array of infant friendly toys were neatly stowed away in various
basket. An infant swing was over towards the stereo and he was
pretty sure he'd never seen so many clean bottles in his entire
life, as well as so many infant rompers. All neatly washed and
folded and waiting to be packed up for the move that may just
not be happening. The girl he knew was long gone but deep down
he knew if anyone could make it work Sherry could. She always a
dreamer with a plan.
“Life. I got Sara to sign over her rights when I filed his
official birth certificate. She wouldn’t even hold him, Johnny.
She called him ‘it’ and she wouldn’t even look at him…”
Fresh tears welled up in her eyes as she studied her friend’s
face before looking down at Harry’s tiny sleeping form.
“I gotta call him and tell him that I can’t take that job. I
can’t just leave Harry. Without me he’s got no one and then
he’ll end up foster care and I…I can’t have that. I won’t. He’s
got to know that he’s loved.”
Johnny nodded as he passed her a slip of paper. He never thought
he’d see the day that free spirited Sherry Cohen, the tiny dark
haired girl from Brighton Beach would choose an ordinary life
over her dream of dancing. He watched as she rocked the tiny
blue eyed boy gently and shushed him once more before she picked
up the receiver and was connected with an operator.
“What’s his name, Johnny?”
Johnny shook himself out of his own thoughts for a moment.
“Oh..it’s Bruce. Bruce Sokol.”
Johnny didn't dare mention that once upon a time he'd had the
bright idea to match those two up. Sherry's have his neck on a
block.
“Yes, operator I’m trying to reach a Mr. Bruce Sokol in Miami.”
A few minutes ticked by and the line crackled as Sherry listened
to ringing buzz of Mr. Sokol’s phone line. Another minute ticked
by before a deep whiskey and cigar tinged voice answered. She
could have kicked herself as she looked at the clock. It was
nearly nine now and from the sound of it she had called him at
home.
“Hello..anyone there?”
Sherry finally found her voice and she wished she could stop the
stutter.
“H-hello? Uh..Mr. Sokol..Bruce Sokol from Playa del Miramar
resort?”
“Yes, yeah that’s me.”
“Hello sir and I’m so so sorry to be calling you at home I
thought they would have patched me through to the hotel but why
would you be there at nine at night, right? Oh god..I’m
rambling. I’m Sherry Cohen. The girl Johnny Castle told you
about? I…wanted to say thank you for the job, sir. But…I…can’t…”
She could have kicked herself right now, crying on the phone to
a total stranger. A stranger that had taken a **** on her. The
tears spilled and she sniffled. Johnny’s arms came into her view
as he reached for Harry. Shifting the phone to her other ear
before passing the baby over to her friend Sherry drew out a
shuttering breath. She hadn’t realized how tired she was until
that very moment.
“I called to tell you that I can’t take the job, Sir. I’ve got
some family things to work out and I just don’t think it’s fair
to expect you to understand what I’m going through but I thought
it was the right thing to do to tell you and to thank you for
considering me.”
She listened as hummed a moment on the other end. His breathing
was even and his words surprised her.
“Tell me what happened, Miss. Cohen.”
Normally had it been anyone else she would have told them to
shove off with the questions but since Mr. Sokol had all but
given her the job and she had gone and surely woken him up at
home she felt she owed him a bit more of an explanation.
“I..adopted my nephew, sir. Well, it’ll be official in two weeks
but..”
“I take it he’s still small?”
“Yes, sir.. he’s only a month old.”
“So bring him with you. I’m sure we can figure something out
when you get here.”
Sherry’s green eyes widened as she stuttered in shock. Had she
heard him correctly?
“I..are you…did you. Are you sure? But the paperwork…”
A throaty chuckle sounded through the line and it would have
brought Sherry to her knees had she not been sitting down.
“What can I say? I’m a gambler by nature. I’ll see you in two
weeks, welcome to the Playa del Miramar family, Ms. Cohen. Have
a good evening.”
“T-thank you, Mr. Sokol…you too..”
Sherry sat there for a second trying to make sense of all that
occurred. Her brain whirred for a moment before she felt Johnny
take the phone from her hand and set it back in it’s cradle
while pulling a funny face for Harry.
“You okay there, Cohen?”
“No…yes…I don’t…know. He said I’ve still got the job. I can
bring Harry with me.”
A smile spread across her face as she stood up on wobbly legs.
Her heart hammered in chest for the third time that day and let
out another happy yelp.
“Pack up your play pen and blocks Harry old boy you and your Ma
are goin’ to Miami!”
Sherry pulled Johnny in for a hug as his words finally dawned on
her.
“I’m his…mother and I’ve got the job! I can’t thank you enough
for putting my name out there, Johnny. I’d have been stuck here
without your help..”
In his true ‘tough guy’ fashion Johnny waved it off with a
shrug.
“Hey, without you I never would have gotten that gig at
Kellerman’s so I owed you one. Just promise me that I can come
and visit you the next time I’m down south?”
“You’ve got it, Castle. Just remember to bring that Coppertone
of yours otherwise your Irish ass is gonna fry.”
“You’d better follow your own advice there, Cohen. Never saw a
woman with as many freckles as you’ve got. Although I’m endeared
to that one heart shaped patch on your..”
Johnny chuckled as he ducked a series of swats before he passed
a wide eyed Harry to over to her so she could finally put him
down for the night.
Something tells me that good ole Bruce has found himself a match
with her.
Johnny thought to himself as he watched from the doorway as
Sherry changed the infant into a clean diaper and his pjs all
the while blowing raspberries onto his chubby little belly.
Somehow the sight just seemed right, he'd always known that
she'd had a level head on her shoulders but he prayed that she'd
fine someone that was worthy of calling her their very own.
Johnny Castle knew he certainly wasn't the one but maybe Bruce
would be.
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