A Mississippi River Romance Fairy Tales and Unhappy Beginnings by Andrea Lena DiMaggio   Did you break me to see if I'd break Did you wanna know what I was made of Big mistake 'Cause there's nothing now That you or anyone can say So save your breath and walk away

The Magliano Home, Kirkwood, Missouri…

"It's pointless to continue...." Rick leaned against the doorway, almost blocking Adele from entering the house.

"Pointless? As long as there's love, we can try...we must try." Her words seemed to give her solace as she spoke until she saw the look on his face.

"You...don't love me?" She was more confused than hurt, but she was hurt.

"No, Adele...I don't love you. It was fun while it lasted, but you've got your own life to lead. I'm never going to be a part of that world you live in. It may be all fairytales and happy endings for you, but not for me, dear!" The word 'dear' was almost like a slap in her face.

"What were we doing all this time? I thought...you told me we'd...what happened? Were you lying all this time?"

His silence spoke volumes. She paused, trying to hold back the tears. He stepped back as if to allow her entry into her own home.

"I think it's only fair that you keep the cat." He laughed softly; a tone and a smile that at any other time might have sent her reeling just made it all that more difficult to keep from crying.

"Thank....thank you." Another exhibition of gratitude as he allowed her to keep her own pet.

"Listen...Tell you mother and your sister and your brother that I'm sorry about it, but I guess I won't be helping them repair the roof now...you know how awkward that would make everybody. Say...why don't I have my brother Danny drop by....he's out of work and I'm sure he could use the extra dough." Adele just stood there, trying to take it all in.

"Your mother can pay me when she can for the work I did, okay?" His work consisted of him and Adele's fourteen year old brother unloading the shingles from his truck that her mother paid for.

"I gotta run... you know how it is with school." He pointed to his back pack by the porch steps. She knew that he didn't have a class that evening, but why spoil the illusion of romance?

"Yes...I ....go ahead. Give me a call when you get settled?" Even then she was thinking of his well being while all he could do was think of himself. She knew that yet one more time she had made an ill-advised choice, but her ability to pick winners was limited to guessing who was going to end up in the bonus round on Wheel of Fortune.

"B_ok_n _o_ by L_r_ __bi_n!" "I'd like to live the puzzle, Pat!" She thought as he drove off. She sat down on the porch steps and dissolved into tears.

When I woke up today
I could have sworn you were the man that would never betray
I could have sworn you were my life and my dream and my faith
But in one moment you took that all away

The next morning…

"Hi...Mrs. Magliano?" The young man stood at the foot of the porch steps, his hat in his hand. Almost like a Rockwell print.

"Yes, I'm Giada Magliano...what do you want?" Adele stood next to her mother as she greeted the young man rudely; they both didn't recognize the face, but the 'charm' seemed to exude from the guy, just like someone else they knew.

"I'm Danny Pearson, Rick's brother." He smiled and pointed to his tool belt and back pack lying on the ground by the sidewalk.

"I've come to work on your roof." He pointed to the house, almost as if they didn't understand the connection between the tools and the hardly-begun repair.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we can't continue with the repair just now. I've run out of money and I don't have any resources to pay you." Her anger was barely disguised as she looked back at Adele. She was disappointed that Rick had failed yet again in a commitment, but she was more upset with the treatment toward her daughter.

"Oh, hell, Mrs. Magliano...Don't worry about that. I'm here to work on the roof...someone has to make this right, and I guess that falls on me." He could hardly contain his own disappointment.

"Well, yes, I suppose you'd like to fill in, but like I said, I can't pay for the repair right now." Her tone softened as she realized Danny was willing to accept responsibilty for his brother's failure, but she wasn't prepared for what he said next.

"I think I didn't make myself clear, Mrs. Magliano. I'm going to fix the roof for free. You don't have to pay me for my time." He smiled at her once again, this time more broadly than before, revealing one asymmetric dimple on his left cheek. It was almost lost in the red thin scar that reached from his chin up the side of his face to his ear.

"We Pearsons honor our debts, Ma'am. I'm sorry that Rick was so...Mom says it's sorta built into him...takes after Daddy, I suppose. Me, I think he's just friggin' selfish."

Giada shrugged suddenly with a start causing him to remark.

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to swear." He shrugged his shoulders in response sheepishly.

"Tell your brother no thanks." Adele interrupted. "If he's any indication of how your family treats people, then we'd rather not. No need to start something that isn't going to get finished.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Miss Magliano. And I'm really sorry for how Rick treated you. But if it won't be too much trouble, I'd like to make up for his lack. I love Rick...like a brother." He laughed softly at the remark.

"But it's not fair...to hold my family accountable like this for his failure. I really would like to make it up. Now, I'm going to go up on the roof and take a look. It shouldn't take more than a few days if I can get some help hauling the shingles up, and a bit more if I can't. But I'm going to finish this roof. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get to work." He actually touched his hand to his St. Louis Rams ballcap as if to tip it.

"But..." Adele went to speak and Giada grabbed her daughter's wrist softly.

"Let him go ahead, honey...I think he means it...really."

She pointed to the young man, who had already brought the aluminum ladder from the side of the house, leaning it on the porch eave. Adele followed his movement as he began to climb up the ladder. He was attractive in a very plain sort of way, if you follow me, and he seemed to be all business. She watched him as he stepped onto the ladder to climb. His pants leg rode up a bit, exposing his ankle...his titanium ankle. The next step his other ankle; an ankle decorated with red blotchy spots; scars along with a thin red line that started at his Achille's Tendon and disappeared up under the pants leg.

She stepped down off the stoop and stood and watched as he climbed up onto the roof. He put his hands together, almost in applause.

"Yep...I think I can get this done really quick. I've got a tarp in my truck that we can cover the roof with during the repairs, just in case it rains, okay? Rick said you've got a younger brother that might help me? We can start tomorrow...at least I'll start tomorrow. I don't have any place I need to be until next Tuesday, so we might even get this done over the weekend." He started to climb down the ladder. His left shin bumped against the rung, which would have been painful but for the fact that it was metal on metal.

"You folks have a dumpster coming for the debris?"

"No...like I said, we ran out of money." Giada said almost apologetically.

"Okay...we can work around that. I'll be by first thing tomorrow morning...about seven or so. Would you mind making a pot of coffee?" He didn't wait for an answer but walked up the steps with his tools.

"I'll just leave these on the porch for now, okay." He walked over and stood in front of Giada and Adele, who had returned to her mother's side.

"I'm really sorry about Rick. I hope you folks can see it in your heart to let me make amends for him." He stood silently until Giada eyed his right hand that was held out slightly. She took it in hers and shook it.

"Okay, Mr. Pearson. You've got a deal."

He smiled once at Giada and then looked just past her left shoulder at Adele, who had stepped back.

"I hope I can do the Pearson family proud. Thank you for the opportunity." Danny grabbed the edge of his cap once again before walking down the steps and out to his truck across the street. A moment later he was gone.

"Nice boy....I hope his industry matches his charm, but knowing Rick, honey, I'm not going to hold my breath." Adele nodded and looked down the street as if to follow the already departed truck. Her eyes glinted with anger and hurt as she said,

"Me neither, Mom, me neither!"

The Magliano house, just after seven the next morning.

Their rising was greeted a mechanical whine coming from the driveway. Adele bounded down the steps and out the front porch. A tall rude looking man in a goatee and St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap stood on the porch with a clipboard in his hand.

"Can I help you?"

"Well, if this isn't the Magliano house, you could excuse me. Danny sends his regrets. He has an appointment he can't reschedule."

"Figures...." Adele shook her head until she noticed the very large green and somewhat muddy dumpster sitting in the driveway. She turned to see the man offer the clipboard and a pen.

"I'm sorry, but we didn't order this...we told him we don't have any more money for the repair." She shook her head and the glint of anger in her eyes from the day before came back; this time more intense and mixed with just a bit of sadness. Another letdown, she thought.

"Oh...no...you just have to sign that I delivered it. It's all paid for. Danny stopped by with a check yesterday afternoon." He smiled and offered the clipboard once again. Adele took the pen in hand and noticed the "PAID" stamp in red on the invoice. She pursed her lips in confusion before signing the paper.

"You've got the dumpster for two weeks. Tell Danny I talked to the boss, and he said the extra week is on him, okay." The man tipped his ballcap in the same manner as Danny had the day before and then got into his truck and drove off.

"What's that for?" Jerry Magliano asked as he stepped off the porch and up to his sister, who was standing in the driveway.

"For the roof...the old stuff, I guess. Say...can you help out with this?"

"Yeah...I guess so...Mrs. Pinciotti isn't going to be doing lessons this week because her daughter had a baby... over in Twin Oaks." Jerry looked down at his hands, feeling a bit uneasy. It fell to him to do all the guy stuff in the home, and it bothered him.

"Rick's brother Danny is going to do the roof...he's doing it for free." Adele almost bragged about the young man's offer even though she almost wished he'd renege on his promise; another reason to feel angry at Rick and another reason to feel insecure about herself.

"Rick was a jerk...I don't know why you keep getting involved with guys like him." Jerry had a lot more insight and understanding about relationships that you'd expect a fourteen year old to display.

"You keep going back to the same place, sis. I don't know why, but you've gotta let it go. Every since you had your operation....you act like there's something wrong.

"There is something wrong."

Jerry had a way about him...something that told his mother and his sisters that it was not only okay but expected to let him help...to fall into his arms and cry without worry. Something about him that made things safe. He was tender and wise beyond his years, and Adele never failed to fall apart...in a good way...whenever he asked her about herself.

"I think Rick just knows that things....things will never be right between us. Oh, God Jerry...I really fucked up...I should never...." Adele began to sob.

"Shhh...shhhh...you're my hero....I look up to you....every single day....I don't know what I'd do without you." Jerry patted her on the back and stroked her hair. She shook in his arms.

"Come on...let's go inside and I'll put the coffee on and make you breakfast, okay? French Toast" He almost sang "french toast," causing her to laugh through the tears.

"Ohhhhokay." She breathed deeply and sighed.

"Jerry...Am I crazy?" She cried softly as they walked up the steps and into the house.

"No more than me, sis....no more than me."

And your excuses, they make me wanna scream
I could have sworn you were the man that would never never be mean
I could have sworn you were the light in the end of the dark for me
But you proved that
It's never what it seems

Next: Rebuilding a Dream

Walk Away
Words and music by
Kara DioGuardi and Walter Afanasieff
As performed by
Lara Fabian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt1ygkerYfM