it that you always wait for me to nod off before you start calling me?" he asked his daughter.
"I am sorry, Papa, but you are always nodding off," she responded.
"Well, what is it now?" he asked her.
"Mama is calling you," she informed him.
Jay got up and looked around toward the house, and sure enough he could see Emelia waving at him to come. "Oh crap, what does she want me to do now? Can't a man have a peaceful nap every once in a while?" he complained to himself.
Waving back he started towards the house as she acknowledged and disappeared inside. "Emelia, what is it you want?" he shouted out as he entered through the double glass doors. As he came through the house and turned left into the dining area he stopped cold. "Holy mother of Christ," Jay said as he found himself staring at his old friend Theo Gresco standing next to his wife.
"Hi, Jay," Theo said.
"Theo. Is it really you?" he asked with his mouth still opened. Jay walked up to him and gave him a big hug. "Boy, I thought you were dead," he told him as a big grin appeared on his face.
"Not yet," was Theo's reply.
"Come in. Come in," Jay said repeatedly.
"I am already in," Theo said.
"Of course you are. Oh my God. I can't believe it. You look good for a man who should have drowned in the East River." Jay said laughing. "Where are my manners? Emelia this is a very good friend of mine. Theo Gresco, meet my wife, Emelia Messina," Jay said.
"We've already met," Theo said.
"What? Of course you have," Jay said laughing. "I got to get use to you all over again," Jay said. "Emelia please set up one of the spare bedrooms for my friend here. He will be staying for as long as he wants," Jay said to his wife.
Emelia smiled at Theo and said, "I have heard a lot about you Mr. Gresco. You are welcome in our home. May I get you something to eat or drink?" she asked him.
"No thank you, ma'am," Theo responded.
Theo, now tanned and dressed in a white shirt with brown khaki shorts, and wearing sandals, blended in with the locals very nicely.
"Come. Come let's go out and sit on the beach while we chat," Jay told Theo. They both exited the house through the double glass doors and headed down toward the beach where a few lounge chairs awaited them.
"I want you to know that I am very happy you are here Theo, but I need to know why you aren't with your wife. And what about your kid?" Jay asked.
Theo sat quietly for some time while Jay sat patiently waiting for his response. He remembered his old friend, remembered that he was never quick to answer.
"Sylvia is dead," Theo said. "As for my son, Tyler, I imagine he is currently enjoying the benefits of my hard work, so to speak," Theo responded.
"I am sorry about your wife. Wish I could change the way things turned out. I should have gone with you and Nick. Maybe things would have been different. Maybe they both would still be alive," Jay said now sitting over the side of the lounge chair staring at Theo.
Theo turned to Jay and smiled. "And maybe you too would be dead, and I would have no friend to turn to or call," Theo said in a calm voice.
Jay turned and sat back into the lounge chair as they both stared out at the water. Theo was exhausted, and in just a matter of minutes fell into a deep sleep. Jay watched him for a few minutes before retiring into the house.
The next morning Jay found Theo sitting on the same lounge chair, looking out into the sea.
Theo had been awakened by a small voice. "Good morning," he heard. It was a little girl about five or six years of age.
"What's your name?" she asked him.
Theo stared at the little girl for a few seconds, wondering where she came from. He looked about and saw no one. "Where'd you come from little girl?" he asked her.
"From my house," she said pointing to Jay Messina's house.
"That's your house?" Theo asked her.
"Yes. My mommy and daddy live there with me," she said.
"Your father is Jay Messina?" Theo asked her.
She stared at Theo for a few seconds and then said, “No, his name is Daddy Messina and I am Maria Messina," she replied.
"I see. Well then, I am a friend of your daddy's," Theo told her.
"Are you going to stay with us?" she asked him.
"Just for a while," Theo responded.
"Good. Then you can be my friend and you can play with me, OK?" Maria looked satisfied.
"Don't you have other kids your age that you can play with?"
"Sure I do, but you're brand new and you don't have friends, so I am going to be your first friend," she answered him.
"How do you know I don't have friends? Your daddy is my friend," Theo told her.
"Daddies don't count," Maria countered.
"Hey you two, come on into the house for breakfast," they both heard Emelia shout out. Theo turned to see Emelia waving at them.
As he got up to head towards the house, Maria reached up to take Theo's hand. For a moment he looked at her as if she had three heads. Then, smiling at her, he took her hand and they both walked toward the inviting aroma of a hot breakfast.
"Good morning, you two," Jay said to Theo and Maria as they entered the house.
"See you've met," Emelia said.
"Yes, Mommy. I told him who I was," Maria said.
"Young lady, go and wash your hands before sitting down," Emelia instructed.
"Yes, Mom," Maria said running off to the bathroom.
"Theo, just follow her if you wish to wash up. I left some towels and a change of clothes," Emelia told Theo.
"Yes, ma’am," Theo nodded as he went on to follow Maria.
A few minutes later, Maria came running back to the table reporting that the man went into the bathroom. In less than fifteen minutes Theo managed to shower, shave and get into the clothes Emelia had left him.
"Wow, you look better," Maria said.
"Hush," Jay scolded.
It was not till later that night, as they sat on the beach, that Theo opened up to Jay and told him what had happened since last they departed. Jay sat there quietly listening to Theo divulge the details of his life and the path he had chosen. It was well into the night before Theo was finished.
"God, you've been busy," Jay remarked. "So what are your plans now?" he asked.
"I don't have any right now," Theo answered
