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You were meant for me, I was meant for you
Nature patterned you and when she was done
You were all the sweet things rolled up in one

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Trish Abruzzi sat at her desk; head down. Her assistant Lisa knocked on her office door;

“Trish? Are you okay?”

“I…I’m okay.” The tears streaming down her cheek belied her words somewhat but she wept for the joy of the moment, as odd as that sounds.

”So close to Carrie’s passing. Her son must be so heartbroken.” Lisa stepped into Trish’s office and rubbed the woman’s back.

“I met him and….Miss Reynolds years ago at WOR.…just about the time Empire was in the movies. I….i was…” Her voice trailed off. Trish made no effort to hide her past, but it really hadn’t been an issue for a long time, so only Lisa and the station head were aware of her origins.

“I ginned up the courage to introduce myself. ‘Miss Reynolds,’ I said. ‘You're my hero. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be alive.’” At the word ‘alive,’ Trish let out a quiet sob; prompting Lisa to pull up the extra chair to sit face-to-face,

“I…I was brand new…. Fresh off the plane from Sweden. Even at that, it was a different time then...” Trish sighed and smiled even as the tears flowed.

“It wasn’t as if she read me….I was such a peewee and while even Stevie would never have said I wasn’t beautiful, I was pretty in a Kate Jackson sort of way..” Another sigh accompanied a half grin.

"Miss Reynolds had an interview with Joe Franklin, and she was leaving for the airport right after that. She stopped just as she was walking into the studio long enough to put her hand to my cheek. She said… she said, ‘Don’t worry, and kid. You’ll be okay’ Like she had a word for me. And then she said it.”

Trish paused; struggling to finish. Lisa rubbed her back and leaned closer as Trish’s voice was a near whisper.

“'Normal is over-rated, sweetie. Just tell him. If he loves you nothing will sway him. Better yet, sing to him.’ And with that she smiled and patted my cheek. ‘Break a leg,’ she said to me. I explained that there was no ‘him’ and she patted my cheek again and laughed. ‘Unconditional love sweetie!’ And then she went into her interview and that was that.”

“And?” Lisa smiled at her boss.

“I called Stevie and asked her over for dinner. I went home and put on my best outfit and ordered Moo Shu Pork and Won-ton soup with a side of courage. After surgery, it was the scariest hours of my life. She walked in and looked me up and down and shook her head, but her ‘no’ wasn’t a ‘no’. I wasn’t sure, so I just started singing. I would have finished the song, but she took the soup out of my hand and kissed me. We were a few decades early, but she said…. Even then…. ‘What took you so long?”

“Oh, God…. “ Lisa said. "First Carrie and now….”

“I sent her a card when we adopted Jenny. She asked if she could be a standby Grandma. I was going to drop her a note last week but then her daughter….” Trish put her hand to her mouth to stifle yet another sob, but it was no use, and she fell into Lisa’s arms.

After a few moments Lisa patted Trish on the back. She stood up just in time to find Jenny Abruzzi-Davis standing in the doorway. She walked to Lisa and accepted a proffered hug before kneeling down in front her mother’s chair.

“I heard, Mommy. I’m so sorry.” She leaned close and gently pulled Trish close for a kiss.” Turning back, she smiled at Lisa.

“Jimmy is taking care of things so I can be here. We’ll see you tomorrow?” Lisa nodded as tears fell off her cheek. She smiled weakly and walked out to her desk, stopping briefly to look at two posters hastily hung on the wall by the front door in the 'Friends of 13' display The sentiments were sincere and heartfelt, but posted too soon to reflect this day’s loss while addressing the already overwhelming grief of the past week. Lisa stared at the posters before sobbing.

And

You Were Meant for Me
Words and music by
Arthur Freed and
Nacio Herb Brown