Welcome to My World

Chapter 19

Early in the morning on Christmas morning, Caroline got the phone call from Frank that Mamma had passed peacefully. Caroline sobbed as Frank spoke in a calming voice, "We'll be home soon. It's alright, Cara."

"How's Dean?"

"He's pretty upset right now."

"Take care of him for me, okay?" Caroline asked Frank through her tears. 

"Of course." They spoke for another minute and they hung up the phones. 

She sat in the living room waiting for them to arrive home. When they did, she sprung off the couch and went to Dino immediately. He began to sob into her arms. They didn't have to say anything. She just held him close and let him cry. She rubbed her hand up and down his back as Frank excused himself. 

The couple made their way to the couch and sat down. Dino cried a soft, "I love you."

"I love you too..." Caroline replied shakily.

While the next few weeks were difficult for the Martin family, their world brightened when their first son was born early in 1967. Dean Paul Martin Junior. He was Dino's pride and joy. However, the next few years brought more sadness for the Martin family.

Dino's father died in 1967.

Dino's brother died in 1968. 

Joy was also brought to the family:

Dino's show was smash hit.

Cara's and Dino's son, Enzo, was born in 1968. 

Cara's and Dino's son, Marco, was born in 1970. 

By the 70s, their happy and blissful marriage had become turbulent. Dino had become depressed after his family had all passed away and distanced himself from his own wife and children. Frank even noticed the change in him. While Caroline trusted him and knew his image was always, "Wine, Women, and Song,", it began to become difficult to watch him act so jovial with the women on his show and then come home and be miserable. 

Caroline mostly kept a cool head for the sake of their children, but she was growing worn out and tired. Seven children had taken the energy out of her. Not to mention, they had both a twelve year old and one year old which was a difficult balance. 

One evening, when Dino came home from taping, his was in a miserable mood. He stormed upstairs bypassing all of his family and leaving Caroline fuming. "Sofia, do me a favor," handed her a few dollar bills, "Go grab Uncle Frank and take your siblings for ice cream."

"Sure, Mom," she smiled. 

"Enzo and Marco are napping so just take the older kids."

She nodded and Caroline bounded up the stairs rage filling her tiny body. 

"What the hell is your problem?" she burst into the master bedroom to find Dino lying on their bed drinking and smoking, a habit he had fallen back into recently. He had done a good job of being healthy for a decade after his heart attack and now he was slipping. 

"What the hell is your problem?" he asked her raising his voice. 

"Alright, my problem is that I am home with the kids all day everyday which I love. I love our kids, but you don't even have the decency to come in and say, 'Hi, Baby. Hi, kids.'"

"Go to hell, Caroline."

"Oh okay, we're gonna take the childish way out again. I have been nothing, but patient with you. I know you lost your mother, father, and brother in a matter of two years. I understand that, but I don't understand why you're being so awful to me and the kids! We've supported you through this."

"Maybe I just don't wanna talk."

"Maybe I don't wanna be married to you anymore then."

"Fine!" he yelled springing off the bed.

"Fine!" Caroline screamed back with tears brimming in her eyes.

"I'm leaving!" he yelled at her.

"Go! You'll be back!"

"No the hell I won't!"

After Dino left, Caroline began to sob. This wasn't the way things were supposed to be. When Frank and the kids arrived home, she pulled it together and got all of the kids ready for bed and then sat talking to Frank in the den, "Cara, what the hell happened?"

"We got into a huge fight and I threatened divorce and he actually left."

Frank shook his head, "He doesn't mean that." 

"I don't know," she swallowed hard, "I'm scared."

"I'm gonna find him," Frank said standing up, "This isn't the way things are supposed to be."

"Frank, what if he doesn't love me anymore?"

"Cara, don't even think that. He does... He's just being so stupid right now." Caroline began to cry and Frank reassured her again, "I'm going to find him and we're going to fix this."