Beggin' DeVito's Story

The sky was a dusky pink and Tommy savoured the stillness of the small hours of the morning, he scooped a bawling baby Frankie in to his arms and climbed back in to bed pulling the bed spread over them both, he eased the bottle in to the baby's mouth smiling at him as he began to suckle,he put his head back on to the headboard and exhaled deeply, who'd have thought it? Tommy DeVito with a wife and child! the concept seemed strange even to him

"Gods gift sent from up above, a real unselfish love, I found in my mothers eyes"

The baby cooed at his fathers singing drawing yet another smile from Tommy, Renee stirred next him,

"No one told you to stop singing" She smiled up at him her eyes still heavy with sleep "How longs Frankie been up?"

"About 20 minutes"

"You should have woke me you could have gotten more sleep"

"And why would I do that when I'm totally capable"

she yawned and rested her head on his shoulder, she didn't have an answer for him and slowly she dozed back off.

-

"whats ya name?"

"Renee"

"beautiful"

He hissed as she dabbed his face with anti septic

"You aint looking it, I never caught your name"

"That's cause i never told ya"

"Well?"

His eyes locked on her as she moved across the bathroom to the small wicker bin and dropped the bloody cotton ball in, she turned and folded her arms across her chest and raising her eyebrow at him, he sighed and dropped his head,

"It's Tommy...Tommy DeVito"

She dabbed his face with a towel not noticing how close they where he was staring at her, studying her face with those piercing troubled eyes, she was pretty but not his type of pretty she was too clean he liked his women a little rough around the edges,

"Geeze Tommy you're a mess you need a doctor"

He stood and stumbled from the bathroom his legs clearly not able to take his full weight,

"Youve done enough I can take care of myself"

Renee followed him

"stop being difficult youre here now you may aswell stay let me help"

she looked him up and down from his battered face to his tattered clothes, his expression was almost impossible to read, he could only hold her gaze for a few seconds at a time,

"Fine"

He replied defeated,

"Let me show you your room"

He stood silently next to her leaning against the door frame his body still pulsating with pain, the room was small clean and well decorated but the most appealing thing to him was the single bed covered in an array of lavish comforters, it had been weeks since Tommy had slept in a real bed chosing to stay out of sight in back alleys behind dumpsters in doorways where ever he fell at the time is what he called a bed,

"You hungry?"

"I could eat"

He lied again, he had forgotten what his last hot meal had even been let alone when he had eaten it, he would even go as far as hurting someone for a warm meatball sandwich, the thought of it sent a pang of sickness through his stomach he missed home, he missed his friends, Frankies moms signature dish.

"I'll fix you something"

She winked and walked away leaving the man alone with his thoughts, he wasted no time in laying on the bed the plush comforters carressed his bare arms and even small parts of his back through his torn vest, it was as if he were laying in heaven itself, he took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes covering his face with his hands, he never admitted to fear but this time he was terrified, he had come so close it all twisted his stomach in to a burning knot as he remembered the hands clamping down on his shoulders at the border, the way he was dragged kicking and screaming in to the van the blows to his emaciated body the cold steel blade that was pressed against his cheek and throat, he ran his fingers across his neck it was still tender, Tommy lay still and silent for a few moments feeling the heat build up in the corners of his eyes he sat himself up rubbing them away with his dry palms, he weaved his fingers together keeping his head down,

"Tommy! Dinner!"

His heart began to race again as he darted down the stairs in to the kitchen

"Keep ya fuckin' voice down!"

He spat at a clearly shocked Renee,

"I'm sorry I thought you were hungry?"

He had a hand on his hip and one rubbing his forehead as he shook his head slowly trying to calm his racing heart,

"Nah don't apologise I'm sorry I'm still a little...edgy"

she smiled sympathetically and placed two plates piled high with pasta a deep red sauce and the biggest meatballs Tommy had ever seen on the small round dining table, she took a seat arranging cutlery and beckoned him to join her, he sat opposite her in awe of the feat infront of him, fresh crisp salad, crusty bread rolls and a bowl of grated parmesan to garnish the dish, next to his plate stood a stout tumbler with a few ice cubes and an amber liquid he glanced over at her drink of choice, a large red wine,

"How'd you know?" he asked pointing at the glass

"Lucky guess" she smiled back to him "You just seem like the type"

he felt his mouth turn up slightly at the corners, he could use a dame like her, a girl who knew what he liked and wanted with out having to ask, he kept the thought to himself, the converstaion between them flowed easily over dinner, until everything had been eaten, Renee topped their glasses up,

"That was beautiful Renee thank you"

"Anytime it's an old Marinello family recipe" she grinned "You want dessert?"

"I don't think I could eat another mouthful, you know how to feed a man"

He watched her cheeks as they turned slightly pink,

"You can shower if you want theres towels and a spare toothbrush in there"

"You baby doll are an angel sent from above"

Tommy smirked as he turned on the Jersey Boy charm she blushed violently,

"Ive still got some clothes here from a...failed career attempt Ill sort some for you"

For the first time in what felt like years Tommy smiled a genuine smile and made his way up to the bathroom.

-

Tommy savoured the silence for a few seconds before placing baby Frankie back in his moses basket he stood over him watching his son sleep he ran his thumb lightly over the babys soft jaw line, he quietly climbed back in to bed pulling the comforter up and around him self he pulled his now sleeping wife closer to his body and closed his eyes.