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papermoonloveslucy · 3 years

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THE CUCKOO CLOCK CONSPIRACY

January 13, 1951

“The Cuckoo Clock Conspiracy” (aka ”The Cuckoo Clock”) is episode #114 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on January 13, 1951.

This was the 16th episode of the third season of MY FAVORITE HUSBAND. There were 31 new episodes, with the season ending on March 31, 1951.

Synopsis ~ Liz bought George's Christmas present, a cuckoo clock, with a rubber check, and now she needs to figure out a way to make good on it so the store owner won't repossess the clock.

Parts of this script concerning the cuckoo clock where later used in��“The Kleptomaniac” (ILL S1;E27), filmed on March 7, 1952, and first aired on April 14, 1952.

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury) was considered the front-runner to be cast as Ethel Mertz but when “I Love Lucy” was ready to start production she was already playing a similar role on TV’s “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” so Vivian Vance was cast instead. On “I Love Lucy” she was cast as Lucy Ricardo’s spinster neighbor, Miss Lewis, in “Lucy Plays Cupid” (ILL S1;E15) in early 1952. Later, she was a success in her own show, “Petticoat Junction” as Shady Rest Hotel proprietress Kate Bradley. She starred in the series until her death in 1968.

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz, a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) does not appear in this episode, but his character is mentioned.

GUEST CAST

Hans Conried (Mr. Haskell, the Jeweler) first co-starred with Lucille Ball in The Big Street (1942). He then appeared on “I Love Lucy” as used furniture man Dan Jenkins in “Redecorating” (ILL S2;E8) and later that same season as Percy Livermore in “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” (ILL S2;E13) – both in 1952. The following year he began an association with Disney by voicing Captain Hook in Peter Pan. On “The Lucy Show” he played Professor Gitterman in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (TLS S1;E19) and in “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (TLS S2;E1). He was probably best known as Uncle Tonoose on “Make Room for Daddy” starring Danny Thomas, which was filmed on the Desilu lot. He joined Thomas on a season 6 episode of “Here’s Lucy” in 1973.

GeGe Pearson (Mrs. Haskell, the Jeweler’s Wife / Miss Russell, George’s Secretary) did two other episodes of “My Favorite Husband.” She will play a New York City tourist in “Lucy Visits Grauman’s” (ILL S5;E1) in 1955. She did the episode with her husband, Hal Gerard. The two actors were married in real-life. In 1956 the couple returned to CBS to appear in the same episode of “Damon Runyon Theatre.” She is perhaps best remembered as the voice of Crusader Rabbit. The couple died just a year apart in 1975 and 1976.

June Foray (Marie, the Beautician) was born June Lucille Forer in 1917 and was best known as the voice of such animated characters as Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Natasha Fatale, Cindy Lou Who, Witch Hazel in the Bugs Bunny cartoons, Granny in the Tweety Bird cartoons, and many, many others. She provided the bark of Fred the dog on Season 6 of “I Love Lucy.”

Ken Christy (Police Officer) later played the detective investigating the new tenants in “Oil Wells” (S3;E18) and will play the dock agent who directs Lucy to the helicopter that lowers her onto the deck of the S.S. Constitution in “Bon Voyage” (S5;E13). Christy was also featured on the TV series "Meet Corliss Archer” on CBS.

THE EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Cooper’s, it’s morning. George is at breakfast. Liz is in the kitchen talking to Katie the Maid.”

Liz compliments Katie with the goal of getting a loan of $14.95. She explains that she bought George a cuckoo clock for Christmas using a check with no money in the account. To prevent George from finding out, Liz wrote the check on an account at another bank - one where she hasn’t got an account - and could face jail.

In the dining room, Liz cuddles up to George with the same compliments she used on Katie! They smooch. George realizes that Liz is buttering him up for money. Liz directly asks George for a loan of $15 but banker George reminds her that borrowing money is a slippery slope into debt.

LIZ: “Look, Dale Carnegie, I need the money.”

Dale Carnegie (1888-1955) was the developer of courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills. He was the author of the best-sellers How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1948), as well as several other books.

George reminds Liz that she made a New Year’s resolution to pay him $25 if she went over budget, so in giving her the loan, she would actually owe him $40! Liz tells him to forget the whole deal - she will find the money elsewhere.

At the beauty salon, Liz asks beautician Marie (Gege Pearson) where to find Iris Atterbury. Iris is having a mud pack which cracks upon hearing Liz wants a loan. She was just getting ready to ask Liz for a loan, too. It seems that Rudolph and George stated the new year on an economy wave.

LIZ: “I guess it’s in the air. Darn those Russians, anyway.”

In 1950 and well into early 1951, the US Government committed to what was known as an ‘economy wave’ in order to save money that might be used for civil defense and bolstering European strength during the cold war with Russia. This economy wave extended to all facets of American business, including Hollywood, so it would have been a topic familiar to the writers of “My Favorite Husband” in early January 1951.

Liz explains her dilemma to Iris, who suggests she phone the jeweler and ask him to hold the check a few days. Liz thinks it is worth a try and calls Mr. Haskell (Hans Conried), who declines to hold the check a moment longer. Liz turns on the tears. Mrs. Haskell (Gege Pearson) gets on the line - she’s unsympathetic to tears. Liz and Iris rush off to get the clock out of George’s office before it is repossessed!

Wilbur Hatch’s play-off music is “As Time Goes By” written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It became famous when it was featured in the 1942 Warner Brothers film Casablanca performed by Dooley Wilson as Sam (”Play it again, Sam.”) The song was likely chosen to tie-in with the episode’s clock theme.

End of Part One

Announcer Bob LeMond does a live commercial, giving a recipe for a quick dessert using Jell-O.

Part Two

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers once again, Liz is speeding to George’s office to make off with the cuckoo clock before Mr. Haskell, the jeweler, arrives to repossess it. Meanwhile, George Cooper in his office is just going out to lunch.”

George asks his secretary, Miss Russell (Gege Pearson), to wind the cuckoo clock while he is out. After George leaves, she tries, but overwinds it. She takes it to Haskell’s to be fixed while George is out to lunch.

Liz and Iris arrive and can’t find George, Miss Russell, or the cuckoo clock. They assume that Mr. Haskell has gotten there first and repossessed the clock! They head towards Mr. Haskell’s Jewelry Shop.

There they see the clock in the window! Mr. Haskell explains that the clock in the window isn’t hers, but one just like it. He is a nervous wreck, thanks to a busy Christmas season. Liz still thinks that the window clock is hers, but Mr. Haskell insists it isn’t and won’t give it to her unless she pays for it. She and Iris leave in a huff.

Outside they scheme to get what they think is their clock back. Liz will divert Mr. Haskell while Iris sneaks the clock out of the store. Iris is scared, but reluctantly agrees. A whistle will be the signal that Mr. Haskell isn’t looking.

Liz tells him she is shopping for Mr. Atterbury, who wants to buy his wife a present. Deciding on a diamond, a clueless Liz guesses that she wants 200 carats! When Mr. Haskell whistles at the high carat-count, Iris mistakes it for the signal and tries to come in! Liz blocks the door! When Haskell goes to the back room for a diamond, Liz suddenly realizes she doesn’t known how to whistle, so calls to the back room asking him to repeat it for her! Iris gets in and out just as...

MR. HASKELL (returning to the shop): “Would you like me to whistle a chorus of “Come to the Stable, Mabel”? LIZ: “No, thanks! Well, I’ll be running along now! Bye!”

Liz dashes out of the shop and hides the cuckoo clock under her coat!

At the bank, Liz is greeted by Miss Russell, who tells her George isn’t back from lunch yet. They are shocked to discover that the cuckoo clock is back on the wall. They realize they have stolen Mr. Haskell’s new clock and must return it before he notices it is gone.

They arrive at the Haskell’s and find a Policeman (Ken Christy) there. Liz quickly hides the clock under her coat, but it continually ‘cuckoos’ loudly in the presence of the officer! Just as she’s about to be arrested for theft, Liz settles the matter by writing Mr. Haskell a post-dated check for January 20th - 1953!

Lucille Ball could not have known it at the time, but one day earlier, on January 19, 1953, she gave birth to her son, Desi Jr. and on the same evening, Lucy Ricardo gave birth to Little Ricky. On January 20, 1953, headlines like the one above dominated the nation’s newspapers.

End of Episode!

Bob LeMond does another live Jell-O commercial and reminds listeners to look for their ads in leading January magazines.

[Oops! While announcing the episode’s credits, Bob LeMond mistakenly says “Hans Conried played by Mr. Haskell” instead of the other way around. There is background laughter by the other cast members and LeMond starts to laugh a bit while finishing his announcements.]

ANNOUNCER: “Be sure to watch for Lucille Ball as a would-be cosmetics dealer in her latest picture ‘The Fuller Brush Girl’.”

#Lucille Ball #My Favorite Husband #Richard Denning #Bea Benadaret #Ruth Perrott #Gege Pearson #Hans Conried #Ken Christy #June Foray #The Fuller Brush Girl #Dale Carnegie #Cuckoo Clock #I Love Lucy #CBS #Radio #Jello #Casablanca #Economy Wave #As Time Goes By

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cielizzydefencesquad · 6 years

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Can you do Soma X Elizabeth? I'll like to see it since I think they can be a cute couple

Soma x Lizzy? The sweetest and purest of all couples on this planet? My heaaaart. Thank you so much for requesting this @theplaytheroist and @saemi-the-dreamer

Who is more likely to catch a cold? My precious baby Soma. But around Lizzy he doesn’t want to complain or be seen as weak and wimpy so he tries to avoid her whenever he’s ill but Lizzy—our darling bundle of sunshine—won’t let the person she loves suffer all by his lonesome (and Agni knows Lizzy will be coming over so he excuses himself for the next few hours).

She and Agni prepare risotto, pumpkin soup, and hot mulled wine.

Soma’s so touched he won’t let go of Lizzy’s hand, even as she laughs and says it’ll be harder to feed him with one hand. Soma’s reply? “That’s even better! That means you can stay here longer! I don’t—I don’t want you to leave yet.” And in a quieter voice he confesses, “I don’t want you to leave at all.”

Who hogs the blankets? Soma XD he still hasn’t adjusted to English weather so he requires at least 3 coverlets, a cashmere blanket, and maybe an extra duvet. Lizzy, whose blood runs hot, just ends up shifting all the blankets to Soma so she can sleep without sweating.

“Aww you look so cute!” Lizzy giggled. “All cocooned up—look at your cheeks! You’re like an adorable, darling bunny!”

Soma blushed and shyly came to grasp her hand, fingers intertwining. “Are you sure you aren’t cold?”

Lizzy shook her head. “I’m a Midford. We’re hotblooded by nature. Mother says that’s where the brazenness comes from.”

“Brazenness?” Soma rolled over. “Well if you want to be extra brazen then come here!” He held open his arms, eyes bright. “Let me give you a kiss!”

Who kills all the flowers? Soma XD he and Lizzy have a little garden all of their own at their estate, Sita Lotus (named after the Hindu goddess Sita, the daughter of mother earth and a representation of feminine power and virtue) where they cultivate lotus blossoms and basil (considered one of the most sacred plants in Hinduism).

Who eats all the candy before Halloween? Soma—it gets even worse after Edward, following his tour of North America, brings back a barrel of pure Vermont maple syrup that Agni uses to flavor his caramels. Needless to say, Lizzy had to start setting caramel limits to keep Soma from cleaning out the whole pantry.

Who takes the longest showers? Neither—they take bubble baths together. (Although it took quite a bit of coaxing on Soma’s part to get Lizzy to agree to something so…so…scandalously indecent.)

“It’s just like cuddling in bed!”

“It is not!” Lizzy protested, cheeks bright pink. “We…we would be nude in the bath, Soma—!”

“Well, you don’t bathe with your clothes on do you?”

“No, but—“

Soma wrapped his arms around her, surrounding Lizzy with the scent of roses and spicy cinnamon. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to but I really think you English folk are in need of some fun. How do you stand these stuffy summers all bundled up like that?”

Lizzy blushed. “We don’t move very much.” She paused. “We’re quite devoted to sitting.”

Soma laughed, pressing half a dozen kisses to her forehead in delight.

Who goes to bed at 5am but wakes up at 8am? Neither. Soma can sleep through the apocalypse.

Who makes sure the other has a healthy breakfast? Soma. He has Agni grow mangos and persimmons in their glass gardens so as to give Lizzy a taste of eastern fruit.

What pets do they have? Soma’s elephant (that they’ve named Persimmon because Lizzy’s become addicted to the fruit), a baby chick named Theodore (who’s besties with Phipp’s chicken, Cecily), three King Charles Spaniels (Ferdinand, Isabella, and Philip), a Bengali tiger named Oberon, and a white crane named Horatio.

Wedding

Who proposes? Soma does! … with an elephant parade, flower floats, fireworks, dancing gypsies, music, trumpets, and gold. A LOT of gold. (Basically the whole Elizabeth Taylor sequence from 1963’s Cleopatra XD)

During this parade Soma and Lizzy sit side by side on Persimmon while everyone (and I mean, like, 90% of high society) watch in awe (and envy) before Soma gets down on one knee and proposes with a diamond the size of a tangerine.

“Soma this is beautiful but I don’t think I’m going to be able to wear this on a daily basis.”

“As my princess, you’ll never have to lift a finger! I’ll shower you in precious jewels and Venetian silks and the love of a million shining suns!”

“Soma—“

“Behold!” Down below four footmen dressed in identical uniforms of crimson brocade appeared carrying a wide, spherical sedan chair with a pink lotus carved on top. “Your feet shall never tire, your gowns never dirty, and I will—“

His speech, already beginning to reach a fever pitch, was halted when Lizzy pressed her lips against his.

And suddenly, Soma decided, elephants and gold glitter and trumping fanfares weren’t nearly as important as his princess’s sweet lips.

Who actually enjoyed the planning? They both did XD in an extravagant mix of Indian and English culture to craft a wedding so pricey that it cost more than three times the prince of Wales’ parliamentary allowance.

When Soma was told of the tab, he merely smiled. “Why, that isn’t nearly as bad as my elder brother’s wedding! You don’t know how hard of it time it was to find a solid gold carriage! The entire thing was so heavy we needed sixteen white Arabian stallions to pull it! Father was quite amused.”

Would their wedding be small or grand? Grand. Just…luxurious, ostentatious, expensive, theatrical. Soma and Lizzy were married at their estate, Sita Lotus. The guest list included the English 400 (the 400 most elite blue blooded aristocrats and businessmen), Soma’s various relatives and siblings (which made up the other 300), the Phantomhive, Midford, Grey, Phipps, and Trancy heads were also in attendance.

Elizabeth’s wedding sari was of crimson silk with hand embroidered patterns of flaming phoenixes, rising suns, and hummingbirds in flight. Her gorgeous blonde hair (now grown to fall at her waist) was left loose, intertwined with lotus flowers, while a crown of gold and emeralds sat atop her head.

When Ciel saw her, he commented, “It wouldn’t surprise me if Elizabeth’s very gown and jewels surpassed the cost of the royal treasury.”

Which guest was happiest to see them get married? Agni. And Edward. And Ciel. And Finny. And Frances. And Alexis. And Paula. And Sieglinde. And—well, you get the picture XD

Children

How many children would they have? Soma hails from a large family and Lizzy absolutely adores children so most likely six at the very least.

Would they adopt or have them naturally? Naturally!

Who is the strictest parent? Lizzy. She teaches her children the value of hard work, discipline, respect for other people no matter commoner or noble, and to always devote themselves to goals they truly want to reach.

Are their children in homeschool or public school? Initially homeschooled by Agni until they’re old enough to attend Weston.

(Lizzy says no, Soma love, they all can’t arrive riding on elephants and tigers.)

Who is the favorite parent? Oh they (and Agni) are adored beyond reason by the children, who—while they may not always agree with their parents—still value and respect their judgment.

Who checks on the kids in the middle of the night? Agni! He has no wish for his prince or princess to arise after they’ve spent all day chasing after children, managing the estate, and the various businesses Soma owns around the world. (Including banks in Germany, paper mills in Finland, coffee plantations in South America, various estate managing companies, global investments, huge shares in North American canned goods—mainly maple syrup, landowning, and three publishing companies.)

(When his cousin-in-law Ciel expressed surprise at Soma’s vast business portfolio, he replied: “Mine? Honestly it’s quite a pittance compared to that of my siblings.” —> Which then caused Ciel to wonder: just how wealthy was the Kadar family anyway?)

Who decorated the nursery? Lizzy and Soma together! Gold patterned walls, wide airy windows, arched marble pillars in gem pink, white marble floors, cradles made of hand carved satinwood and painted gold, the latest toys from Funtom, and personalized Bitter Bunnies for each of their six children.

#they're so cuuuute #and opulent lmao #soma asman kadar #elizabeth midford #soma x elizabeth #agni #ciel phantomhive #black butler #kuroshitsuji #ask #replies #mod Nina

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roslinadama-sinequanon · 7 years

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Christmas in Connecticut-Part 3

A few minutes north, at the Attitash Ski Resort, the family broke up into different groups. Sharon, Ricky and Emily were expert skiers, though the black diamond runs were out for Emily. Even if she weren’t rehabbing an injury, now that she was dancing with ABT she had to be careful about partaking in any dangerous sport. So, she would be joining Andy for a few runs on the beginner slope. That ended up working out well as Sharon hadn’t wanted to desert him, but was looking forward to trying out some of the more difficult trails with Ricky.

Rusty, having lived with Sharon for several years now had gone with her a few times to her parent’s time share in Park City, Utah and also to Big Bear Mountain which was only a couple hours from LA and was where she liked to ski in California. She'd hoped he would learn to love the sport as much as the rest of the family did and had paid for him to have private lessons. It had taken some time but he'd finally progressed from beginner to advanced. In the beginning he'd reacted the way he always did to something out of his comfort zone, by being pretty vocal in his dislike of the sport. But the better he got at it the less inferior he felt to his siblings and the more he allowed himself to enjoy it.

Nicole, Dean and the boys had never stepped foot on a ski resort and would spend the day on the bunny slope having lessons.

As for Andy, Sharon had brought him to Big Bear in preparation for this vacation and he’d had a couple lessons. Though, as he’d pointed out to Sharon, growing up in working class Brooklyn meant he’d never even come close to a ski resort, he was athletic, in good shape, and had done some surfing so he did okay. But he was still a beginner and didn’t really aspire to anything greater. Sliding down a mountain on two thin pieces of wood and fiberglass on a beginner slope while five year olds whizzed past him was not his idea of great time. Truthfully, for him, the best part of any ski trip was cuddling up with Sharon in front of the fire at the ski lodge anyway.

They were only a few runs in when Andy noticed Emily rubbing her leg and grimacing a bit.

“Em, you okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, my stupid Achilles is just starting to ache. I don’t want to push it. I think I better call it a day.”

“Okay, let’s head back to the lodge. I could go for a hot chocolate anyway.”

“Oh, no, Andy. Don’t let me ruin your day, you keep going. I figured something like this might happen and I brought my kindle. I’ll just curl up in front of the fire and read.”

��I’ll let you in on a little secret; you’re doing me a favor by ending early.”

“You don’t like skiing?”

“Not really. Your mom took me cross country skiing and I enjoyed that, but downhill is not really my thing.”

“But you planned a ski vacation for all of us. Why would you do that if you don‘t like skiing?”

“Because your mother loves it and I love your mother. And now that we're living together I thought it would be good for us all to spend some time together. Besides, it’s been a rough few months, with the shooting and my little health scare. I think we all needed to get away and relax.”

Emily looked up at him tears shining in her big hazel eyes. Andy frowned. “Are you crying? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, Andy. You said something very, very right. I’m so glad my mom has you in her life now. “

“Well, that’s something I wanted to talk to you about. “

Emily stopped at the door to the lodge and gave him a look of panic. “You’re not breaking up with her are you?”

Andy chuckled. “Hardly. I’m head over heels for that woman.”

Emily smiled with relief. “I can see that. We all can.”

Andy got them each a steaming cup of dark hot chocolate with whipped cream and joined Emily on the couch in front of the fireplace. She had taken her ski boots off and was massaging her foot.

“Here you go,” he handed her the cup.

“Thank you,” she took a sip. “Oh God, this is divine.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, sipping their cocoa. Emily could see that Andy was a little uncomfortable so she gave him a little prod. “You said there was something you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Uh, yes, there is. I’m hoping to talk to your brothers tonight. But, uh, well, I, uh...”

“Andy, just spit it out.”

Andy laughed. She sounded very much like her mother. “It’s just, like I said earlier. I love your mother very much. You know we’re looking to buy a house together?”

“Yeah, I think that’s great. Like I said, my mom is lucky to have you in her life.”

“Thank you, but I’m the lucky one. Your mother is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. What I’m trying to say is…I want to ask your mother to marry me and I was wondering how you’d feel about that?”

Emily’s jaw dropped and she stared at him.

Uncomfortable with her silence and lack of response Andy quickly continued. “I know there are some issues we’ll have to work out. I’m pretty sure your mother would want to get married in the church and of course she‘d want to continue to receive the sacraments. That might require an annulment but with the new pope, he’s giving priests more leeway now when it comes to divorce and--”

“Andy, stop.”

He did, surprised to see a beatific smile softening Emily’s face. “Did you just say you want to ask my mother to marry you?”

“Yes, uh, I guess I did.”

“Oh my GOD!” Emily squealed with delight and threw her arms around him. “Oh, Andy, I think that’s the best news I’ve had in a long time. My mother adores you; I’ve never seen her look at anyone the way she looks at you and I’ve never seen her so happy. I’d LOVE for you guys to get married. When are you going to ask her?”

“I’m not sure; I guess when the time is right. I wanted to talk to all of you first. Of course Sharon would say it‘s her decision, and it is, but I figured it wouldn‘t hurt to cover all my bases.”

“Well, you have my blessing, that’s for sure. My mother deserves to be happy. She‘s spent her whole life taking care of everyone around her. She deserves to have someone taking care of her for a change.”

“Better not let her hear you say that,” Andy grinned. Sharon had spent years without having anyone to lean on and she didn’t always find it easy to admit she needed help.

“Just because you CAN take care of yourself, doesn’t mean you should always HAVE to.” In an instant the light left Emily’s eyes, replaced by a heavy sadness. “My father was pretty terrible to her, you know.” Andy nodded. “I know a lot of people see mom as this tough police captain, and she can be tough, but she also has a really, really big heart. She’s always been there for me and Ricky and even though she worked full time and was raising us alone she was never too busy to help us or our friends. When I was in high school I had a friend who got pregnant. Her parents were super strict, super conservative and she was terrified to tell them. It was my mother we turned to for help. She didn’t judge Leah; she just wanted to know what she could do to help. She brought her to a doctor and when the pregnancy was confirmed she went with her as a buffer to tell her parents so she didn’t have to do it alone. That’s the kind of person she is. And my dad used that. He used her compassion to get her to help him out of whatever jams he got himself into. He’s pretty good at making people feel sorry for him.”

“Your dad is sick, Em. He’s an alcoholic. I‘m an alcoholic too. I think you know that.”

“I do. And I know you’ve been sober for like 20 years. I don’t know what you were like when you were drinking, but I know what you’re like now and you’re nothing like my father. My father is just as manipulative when he isn’t drinking as when he is. It‘s not the alcohol, it’s just who is. Don’t get me wrong. I love my father because he’s my father but I’ll never trust him. He uses anyone to get what he wants or needs and he doesn‘t care who he hurts in the process.” She set her mug down surprised by how much she’d revealed. Usually she kept everything bottled up inside.“I‘m sorry, you probably don’t want to hear me going on about all this.”

“It’s okay. You can tell me anything Em. I’d never judge you.”

There was something in the way he said that, something in the way he looked at her, a combination of compassion and earnestness that made her think she really could trust him enough to open up to him.

“I guess I’m still pretty angry with him. I’m sure mom has told you that I…We…went years without speaking with him; he just completely disappeared from our lives. Then one day a few years ago he showed up on mom’s door broke and homeless, needing a place to stay. He wanted her to help him get an apartment, so she bribed him. Told him he could stay with her until he found a place IF he called Ricky and me. Please don’t tell her I know, she’s always tried so hard to protect us.” She waited for Andy’s nod of agreement then continued on. “It came out last Christmas when I had to stay with him for a bit because there was no room at mom’s and he got plastered one night. He gets pretty maudlin when he’s drunk, all sloppy and apologetic. Anyway, I didn’t know mom had to bribe him until then. I was just happy that he wanted to have some kind of contact with me. After that call, I didn’t hear from him for several months, and then out of blue around the time she started proceedings to adopt Rusty, I started getting calls again. It was only later that I found out he was just using me and Ricky to try to wheedle information out of us about you and mom. The divorce really threw him. He’s pretty jealous of you.”

“Well, he should be. He lost something very special.”

“Yeah, he did. He never would have done this, you know.”

“Done what?”

“Put together a vacation like this. Not if it wasn’t something he didn’t want to do. He never did anything just because he loved my mother and wanted to do something nice for her. There always had to be something in it for him. I’m sorry; I really shouldn’t be dumping all this on you. As you can probably tell, I‘m still a little bitter.”

Andy took the young woman’s hand, his heart aching for the pain so evident in the way she spoke of her father. “Like I said, it’s okay. I’m not just here for your mother, I’m here for you and Ricky and Rusty too. I want us to be family. Families dump on each other so feel free to dump away.”

Emily smiled. Andy really was very sweet. It was no wonder her mother had fallen in love with him. Like most children of separated or divorced parents there had been a time she’d hoped her parents would get back together. But that time was long gone and now all she wanted was for her mother to be happy with a man who loved her the way she deserved to be loved.

“The fact that you did all this for my mom, for us, well; it just shows how much you really love her.”

“I do, Emily. What I feel for your mother, it’s stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before. I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy. I can’t promise you that I’ll never hurt her. I’m far from perfect and sometimes we hurt the ones we love without ever intending to. But I do promise that I will never intentionally hurt her. I…”

“Here you two are.”

Emily and Andy looked up to see the subject of their discussion in her white fur trimmed ski parker, her cheeks rosy from the cold and wind, glossy auburn curls spilling out of her ski hat. Andy quickly turned to Emily mouthing “not a word”. She gave a slight nod, barely able to contain her excitement.

“My foot was bothering me so Andy kindly joined me back here and got me a hot chocolate.”

Sharon gazed at Andy with that sappy “Oh you sweet man I love you so much” look that Emily had been referring to earlier.

“Did you need us for something?” Andy asked.

“No, not really. I did a couple runs with Ricky, then a couple with Rusty; I was just coming to do one with the two of you but couldn’t find you. How about heading over to the bunny slope to see how the kids are progressing?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Emily chose to remain behind reading her book while Andy and Sharon left to cheer on the boys who were excited to show Papa Andy and Sharon all they‘d learned.

****

After lunch at the ski lodge and a couple more runs they all went back to the villa to change into swimsuits and try the outdoor pool and hot tub. With the temperature a frigid 9 degrees, the hot water in the pool and hot tub gave off enough steam to make it look like they were entering a fog bank. Much to the boys excitement it began to snow. And, as if that weren’t enough of a novelty for two Southern California boys they were actually SWIMMING while it was snowing!

Andy and Sharon relaxed in the hot tub letting the 104 degree water and powerful jets soothe their aching muscles.

“Did you wear that suit on purpose?” Andy asked.

“What do you mean?” Sharon glanced down through the bubbling water at the low cut black one piece bathing suit she wore. The one that looked a tad conservative from the front but had missing side panels and was held together by sexy criss-crossed ties.

“You really think I’d forget the first time I ever saw you in a bathing suit?”

“Ah, yes, the weekend at the beach bungalow.”

“First time we…you know…” He tapped her toes with his.

“Oh yes, I know,” she purred with a seductive smile.

He started to scoot over closer, leaning in to kiss her but Sharon held him off with a gentle hand, nodding her head toward the pool where their kids were swimming. “Keep that in mind for later tonight when we’re in our private Jacuzzi. We don’t want to get busted again.”

Andy laughed. “That was a first, huh? “

“And hopefully a last.”

“All those times we were so careful not to get caught by Rusty in the condo, only to get exposed on vacation.”

“Can we please not use that word.” Sharon still flushed with embarrassment when thinking about that morning. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“What would you like to talk about?”

“Emily. You two looked pretty serious when I came into the lodge. Anything I should know?”

“Uh…No, we were just talking, getting to know each other a little better.”

“I’m worried about her.”

“Why?”

“This injury, it doesn’t sound like anything big, but the ballet world is extremely competitive. ABT is one of the flagship ballet companies of the United States. To be out of commission for any amount of time could hurt Emily. And, she just broke up with the guy she’s been dating for several months, so she’s quite vulnerable right now.”

“They wouldn’t hold her spot?” Andy sounded so affronted it brought a tender smile Sharon’s lips and she took his hand. It was touching to hear him get so offended on her daughter’s behalf.

“Probably not for long.”

“Dirt bags,” he grumbled.

“Ow, ow, ow ow ow.” Ricky made his way over the ice from the pool to the hot tub. “Freezing, freezing, freezing.”

“Don’t put your hand on the metal railing,” Sharon warned. “It will freeze to it.”

Climbing the steps up to the hot tub Ricky heeded his mother’s warning remembering that scene from “A Christmas Story” just in time. “You two are decent in there, aren’t you?” He teased.

“Oh my God, of course we’re decent,” Sharon gasped, then turned to a laughing Andy as Ricky sunk down the hot tub next to them. “We’re never going to live that down, you know?”

“There are worse things to be remembered for than a hot sex life, sweetheart."

****

When they all agreed they were starving after a day of exercise and fresh mountain air, they showered, dressed and made their way into Jackson for supper. They ended up at the recommended Shovel Handle Pub, a restaurant in an old 1800’s restored post and beam barn. A guitarist and fiddler played live music and by the time they got back to the resort Tyler and Scott were more asleep than awake. But when Dean and Andy slid them into bed, they came to life and requested that Sharon read them their bedtime story. Sharon was happy to oblige and that worked out perfectly, because Andy had something to discuss with the Raydor boys.

TBC

#sharon raydor #andy flynn #shandy #Major Crimes #sharon and andy #christmas in connecticut

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