A month after they met, Rhonda booked another cruise to be with him. Then Frankie had a week off and they’d rendezvoused in London. Frankie hadn’t mentioned the romance to his mother or sister. The last thing he needed was Edna driving up to check out Rhonda’s restaurant. Two weeks ago Frankie had twelve hours free when his ship sailed into New York. He’d gone down to have lunch with Rhonda at her restaurant and meet her kids. The boys had been polite but reserved. They’ll warm up to me, Frankie thought. It’s got to be tough to meet your mother’s boyfriend. And their parents had only been divorced for a year. Because his mother had built-in radar, and would probably see on the news that his ship was in New York, he told her he had to stay onboard for security reasons. He felt guilty, but he was in love.

Now that Frankie was back at sea, he knew he couldn’t live without her. Rhonda, that is. Last night he’d called her and proposed. Crying, she’d said yes. Today the cruise director had happily accepted his resignation, saying his nephew was a wonderful singer and hopefully could fill in.

Frankie knew Edna would be happy. She’d been on the ship for two weeks last year and almost drove him crazy. People liked her, and most of her stories, but she never stopped for breath. When she walked down the gangplank the final time, Frankie was exhausted. But at least they’d had time to talk. Edna tried to convince him to come home and buy her house. “I’ll sell it to you for a song,” she’d said. “You’ll never get a house like ours for such a low price. I’d like to move to a condo where there aren’t so many steps. I’d like to be around more people. You know me. I like to talk.”

“No, Mom,” Frankie had said. “I’m a man of the sea. If you’re willing to sell it so cheap, you’ll find someone to buy the house.”

Who knew how life could change? Now the time was right! He’d gladly buy the house from his mother. Rhonda loved the idea when he mentioned it on the phone. She’d been living in a small apartment since her divorce. The house would be perfect for them, with plenty of room for her boys, who would love the pool. Frankie would sing at the restaurant. Everything was falling into place for the next wonderful phase of his life.

Mom is going to be so surprised, Frankie thought. She’ll be thrilled to finally sell me the house, see me get married, have me back home …