[February 14th] [Perry Mason] Candles and the Snow, 14

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Title: Candles and the Snow, scene 14
Day/Theme: February 14th - Love is a friendship caught on fire
Series: Perry Mason
Character/Pairing: Mignon Germaine, Larry Germaine
Rating: G

Time Period: Present day


By Lucky_Ladybug

Mignon turned the pages of the old photo album, unaware of the faint, almost wistful smile on her lips. The memories of almost thirty years were in this book. There were pictures from when she, Hamilton, and Jack had first met and had started going on expeditions—skiing trips, hiking, canoeing. . . .

It was somewhat strange how that had happened, really. Mignon enjoyed nature, but she was not a woman of the outdoors. When she had been with them, however, she had not minded being out of her element.

There was the time Hamilton and Jack had come to watch her film a small scene in one of the few movies she had appeared in. One of the young chorus girls had taken a shine to Hamilton. He had acted somewhat taken with her as well, but it had never gone anywhere.

There were pictures of the wedding. Jack had joked that it took that occasion to get Mignon to put on something white. She had always been fonder of darker colors, particularly black. They brought out her coloring much better than white. Plus, she had never subscribed to the idea that black had to mean mourning or evil. She had several lighter outfits in her wardrobe, largely because Jack had preferred her in those colors, but overall she still wore darker clothing the most.

The pictures of Larry’s early years gave her pause. It was strange and somewhat bittersweet, to see him so young, playing or grinning innocently at the camera or running to Jack or Hamilton, and then to realize he was grown up.

He had shown an early interest in law. Whether or not that had been because of Hamilton, Mignon did not know. But Larry had pursued it with determination and intensity until he had achieved his license to practice and a position in the district attorney’s office. Perhaps someday, farther in the future, he would even be district attorney. Or maybe he would strike out on his own, opening a small office and taking on clients.

What would Hamilton think, if Larry became the next Perry Mason?

The sound of footsteps on the stairs brought her attention up. Larry was coming down, looking occupied. When he saw Mignon with the album, however, his curiosity was piqued. “Why do you have that old thing out, Mother?” he asked.

She gave him a Look. “You sound like Hamilton,” she proclaimed.

Larry shrugged, pulling on his tie to loosen it. “I guess it’s from working with him all this time.” He came around to see what page she was on. When he saw the photograph of him enthusiastically waving a building block, he winced. “Oh no.”

Mignon was a bit amused. “You loved the camera at an early age,” she remarked.

“And you loved that I loved it,” Larry returned. He sat next to her, turning back several pages.

He stopped when he found one of Mignon, Hamilton, and Jack at the ski lodge, standing under the mounted deer head on the wall. He studied it a moment, his demeanor sobering.

“You know, I don’t even remember Dad very well,” he said.

Mignon nodded, sadness flickering in her eyes. “You were still so young when he died.”

Larry released the album and leaned back. “From what I’ve been told, and the little I remember, sometimes it’s hard to picture the two of you together. I mean, he joked so much. And that’s not like you at all.”

“It surprised me too,” Mignon said. “We were good friends first. Over time that friendship developed into something else. I won’t say something more, because friendship is a beautiful thing in and of itself, and to say more makes it sound cheap or not as desirable as romance. The fact is, our friendship continued. It was the backbone of our relationship.”

Larry nodded slowly. “You and Mr. Burger have a good friendship too,” he said. “Since Dad died when I was so young, I’ve seen you with Mr. Burger more than I ever remember seeing you with Dad.”

“He’s always been here for me, just as your father was,” Mignon said.

“Do you think you might ever get married again?” Larry wondered.

“To Mr. Burger, you mean,” Mignon said with a quirked eyebrow.

Larry looked embarrassed. “Well . . . I just wondered.”

“I’ve never felt that way about him,” Mignon said, “and to my knowledge he has never felt that way about me. Our friendship developed into something else as well, but that particular element is still not present.”

“Is he more like a brother to you then?” Larry leaned forward and clasped his hands, honestly interested.

Mignon paused. “That’s a good question,” she said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever thought of him in that way, either.

“There are so many different kinds of love, Larry. And one ‘kind’ of love is many different things all at once. You can’t sort love into specific cookie-cutter categories.”

“I guess not.” Larry looked thoughtful. “I’ve never thought of it like that.”

“It’s something I’ve only started to learn through my years of experience,” Mignon said. “I’m sure I still have much more to learn as well.”

She closed the photo album. “I’m meeting Hamilton for lunch,” she said. “Would you like to come along?”

“That’s alright, Mother,” Larry replied. “You just go along. I have other plans.”

Somehow Mignon felt that whether Larry did or did not was irrelevant. He had no intention of going along because he did not want to intrude. Sometimes three’s a crowd applied to friendship as well as to those romantically involved. Larry was certainly welcome, and Mignon knew Hamilton felt the same. But their conversation would most likely never grow as deep if someone else was with them.

So Mignon nodded and crossed to the door. “Take care, Larry,” she said. “I won’t be gone long.”