Sequel: Faithfully Yours ›
Lots of Love, Mike
Stella to the Rescue
March 1995
Dear Tre and Lisea
Thank you for sending me the photographs of Ramona, what a beautiful little girl she is. I can see a little bit of you Tre in her without a doubt. I hope you are feeling better now Lisea after the birth. I am so pleased for you, what a wonderful happy family you look in that photograph. I hear you have been nominated for a Grammy in March, how wonderful. I shall look out for you on the TV. I saw the video of Longview on the TV, it made me laugh watching Billie trash that old sofa, which was the sofa that I remember feeding Ryan on a few years ago. How wonderful that you can all now afford your own houses. Its great that you have done so well and you all deserve it.
Give Ramona a huge kiss from me.
Lots of Love
Stella x
Tre read the letter. It was the middle of the night and he was feeding his two-month-old daughter Ramona. She was so gorgeous he thought putting aside the letter for a moment. He loved spending so much time with her he thought to himself stroking the downy blonde hair on top of her head, so innocent and sweet and beautiful he thought. He loved her so much. He knew he was going to have to ask Lisea, he wanted to do the right thing. That was what it was really, doing the right thing, asking Lisea to marry him. He was going to ask her and he wanted to do it as soon as possible. Yes he convinced himself, this was the right thing. He kissed his baby daughter on top of her head and carried her back upstairs to her cot.
As he got himself into bed the phone rang.
"What Billie? Oh that's fantastic. Is he, oh that's marvellous dude? How's Adrienne? I'm so pleased for you man. Give Adrienne our love and give that baby a great big kiss from his Uncle Tre won't ya," he said snuggling down under the quilt.
"Who was that?" whispered Lisea from the other side of the bed. She was facing away from him like she usually did.
"It was Billie, they've been at the hospital, and Adrienne has given birth to Joey, well Joseph Marciano to be exact. Mother and baby are doing well," Tre said.
"I'm pleased for them," said Lisea. "Get off Tre, your hands are freezing."
Dear Stella
Here are some wedding shots of Tre and Lisea's wedding. She did look lovely and Tre quite handsome in his suit. Billie and I were his best men but Adrienne didn't get round to seeing the ceremony as little Joey was crying for most of the time. He wanted his dad apparently and didn't stop crying until Billie held him. Seeing them get married made me want to ask Ana definitely to marry me. I did it Stella, I asked Ana to marry me and she's said yes. We're going to do it next year in 1996. I'm ready, more than ready Stella and I've decided I'm ready for kids too, especially after seeing little Joey and Ramona. It would be great for our kids to all grow up together.
How's that beautiful Ryan? Thank you for sending the pictures of him. How are you coping without Frank? No actually that was a stupid question, I'm sure you're doing fine. It sounds as if you've got a very successful photography business and I can tell by the photos that you send of Ryan that you are so talented. Well done to you Stella? How's your mother? Just the same I suppose.
We're currently working on some new songs for the next album but we may be changing record labels to do it. We're in big discussions at the moment about what to do.
Michelle is doing well but I'm sure you know that as I hear she speaks to you quite often on the phone. Her and Adi are good friends they go out a lot together but they keep saying that it is not the same without you. I'd love for you to come over but I know now that you'll never leave your mother, but one day Stella I know you're going to be living near us, I just know it.
Anyway, I must go now Stella; Ana is calling me, something urgent on the phone.
Lots of Love
Mike x
Then there seemed to be a hastily scrawled note at the bottom of the letter.
P.s. Stella, oh my god you're not going to believe it. That urgent phone call that Ana called me about, it was about Tre. He and Lisea have split up and Lisea has taken Ramona back to New York to live. I don't know what Tre is going to do. He lives for Ramona and now Lisea has taken her away from him. My god they've only been married for a couple of weeks. I'll let you know more information when I get it. M. xx
Stella was shocked. Ryan was in bed and she felt slightly alone this evening and this news made her sad. Poor, poor Tre. He was so good to her when she needed him. What could she do for him? She checked her watch. She was going to call him up. Definitely. She went to the drawer then to find her little notebook that held all her addresses and telephone numbers and there it was. Tre and Lisea's phone number. She'd never actually called him up at home before, they usually just wrote to each other and he had called her on occasion, but this was an emergency and she needed to see that he was OK.
The phone rang and she nearly ended the call but he eventually picked up.
"Hello," he sounded croaky and tired.
"Tre?" questioned Stella. She was sure it was Tre but didn't sound like him. No it wouldn't sound like him, would it? Usually he sounds happy and bubbly, nothing ever seeming to get him down but for god sake he had just split up from his wife and she'd taken his baby girl away.
"Yup," said the croaky voice.
"Tre, its Stella," she half whispered. May be this was a bad idea after all.
"Oh Stella," said Tre and then his voice broke up. He was crying, she knew it but it was obvious he was trying to hide it from her.
"Tre I've heard the news and just had to ring you," she said.
"She's gone," croaked Tre.
"I know and you were only married a short while I'm so sorry," said Stella.
"No, not her. I'm not too bothered about her. Its Ramona, she's gone. Lisea's taken her to New York. Oh my god Stella I miss Ramona so much," he said.
"Oh Tre." Shit she shouldn't have called. This was hurting him and it was breaking her heart. Oh my god she wished she could just hug him.
"Oh Stella, what shall I do?" he said, sobbing now.
"Tre?" whispered Stella.
"Yes?" Tre sniffed.
"I'm coming out. It's way overdue. I'm coming out for a week," she said.
"When?" said Tre sniffing again.
"As soon as possible," said Stella.
"When did you decide that?" said Tre.
"About thirty seconds ago," said Stella.
Dear Tre and Lisea
Thank you for sending me the photographs of Ramona, what a beautiful little girl she is. I can see a little bit of you Tre in her without a doubt. I hope you are feeling better now Lisea after the birth. I am so pleased for you, what a wonderful happy family you look in that photograph. I hear you have been nominated for a Grammy in March, how wonderful. I shall look out for you on the TV. I saw the video of Longview on the TV, it made me laugh watching Billie trash that old sofa, which was the sofa that I remember feeding Ryan on a few years ago. How wonderful that you can all now afford your own houses. Its great that you have done so well and you all deserve it.
Give Ramona a huge kiss from me.
Lots of Love
Stella x
Tre read the letter. It was the middle of the night and he was feeding his two-month-old daughter Ramona. She was so gorgeous he thought putting aside the letter for a moment. He loved spending so much time with her he thought to himself stroking the downy blonde hair on top of her head, so innocent and sweet and beautiful he thought. He loved her so much. He knew he was going to have to ask Lisea, he wanted to do the right thing. That was what it was really, doing the right thing, asking Lisea to marry him. He was going to ask her and he wanted to do it as soon as possible. Yes he convinced himself, this was the right thing. He kissed his baby daughter on top of her head and carried her back upstairs to her cot.
As he got himself into bed the phone rang.
"What Billie? Oh that's fantastic. Is he, oh that's marvellous dude? How's Adrienne? I'm so pleased for you man. Give Adrienne our love and give that baby a great big kiss from his Uncle Tre won't ya," he said snuggling down under the quilt.
"Who was that?" whispered Lisea from the other side of the bed. She was facing away from him like she usually did.
"It was Billie, they've been at the hospital, and Adrienne has given birth to Joey, well Joseph Marciano to be exact. Mother and baby are doing well," Tre said.
"I'm pleased for them," said Lisea. "Get off Tre, your hands are freezing."
Dear Stella
Here are some wedding shots of Tre and Lisea's wedding. She did look lovely and Tre quite handsome in his suit. Billie and I were his best men but Adrienne didn't get round to seeing the ceremony as little Joey was crying for most of the time. He wanted his dad apparently and didn't stop crying until Billie held him. Seeing them get married made me want to ask Ana definitely to marry me. I did it Stella, I asked Ana to marry me and she's said yes. We're going to do it next year in 1996. I'm ready, more than ready Stella and I've decided I'm ready for kids too, especially after seeing little Joey and Ramona. It would be great for our kids to all grow up together.
How's that beautiful Ryan? Thank you for sending the pictures of him. How are you coping without Frank? No actually that was a stupid question, I'm sure you're doing fine. It sounds as if you've got a very successful photography business and I can tell by the photos that you send of Ryan that you are so talented. Well done to you Stella? How's your mother? Just the same I suppose.
We're currently working on some new songs for the next album but we may be changing record labels to do it. We're in big discussions at the moment about what to do.
Michelle is doing well but I'm sure you know that as I hear she speaks to you quite often on the phone. Her and Adi are good friends they go out a lot together but they keep saying that it is not the same without you. I'd love for you to come over but I know now that you'll never leave your mother, but one day Stella I know you're going to be living near us, I just know it.
Anyway, I must go now Stella; Ana is calling me, something urgent on the phone.
Lots of Love
Mike x
Then there seemed to be a hastily scrawled note at the bottom of the letter.
P.s. Stella, oh my god you're not going to believe it. That urgent phone call that Ana called me about, it was about Tre. He and Lisea have split up and Lisea has taken Ramona back to New York to live. I don't know what Tre is going to do. He lives for Ramona and now Lisea has taken her away from him. My god they've only been married for a couple of weeks. I'll let you know more information when I get it. M. xx
Stella was shocked. Ryan was in bed and she felt slightly alone this evening and this news made her sad. Poor, poor Tre. He was so good to her when she needed him. What could she do for him? She checked her watch. She was going to call him up. Definitely. She went to the drawer then to find her little notebook that held all her addresses and telephone numbers and there it was. Tre and Lisea's phone number. She'd never actually called him up at home before, they usually just wrote to each other and he had called her on occasion, but this was an emergency and she needed to see that he was OK.
The phone rang and she nearly ended the call but he eventually picked up.
"Hello," he sounded croaky and tired.
"Tre?" questioned Stella. She was sure it was Tre but didn't sound like him. No it wouldn't sound like him, would it? Usually he sounds happy and bubbly, nothing ever seeming to get him down but for god sake he had just split up from his wife and she'd taken his baby girl away.
"Yup," said the croaky voice.
"Tre, its Stella," she half whispered. May be this was a bad idea after all.
"Oh Stella," said Tre and then his voice broke up. He was crying, she knew it but it was obvious he was trying to hide it from her.
"Tre I've heard the news and just had to ring you," she said.
"She's gone," croaked Tre.
"I know and you were only married a short while I'm so sorry," said Stella.
"No, not her. I'm not too bothered about her. Its Ramona, she's gone. Lisea's taken her to New York. Oh my god Stella I miss Ramona so much," he said.
"Oh Tre." Shit she shouldn't have called. This was hurting him and it was breaking her heart. Oh my god she wished she could just hug him.
"Oh Stella, what shall I do?" he said, sobbing now.
"Tre?" whispered Stella.
"Yes?" Tre sniffed.
"I'm coming out. It's way overdue. I'm coming out for a week," she said.
"When?" said Tre sniffing again.
"As soon as possible," said Stella.
"When did you decide that?" said Tre.
"About thirty seconds ago," said Stella.