NANCY SILVERTON TESTS POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS

Nancy Silverton has tested positive for the Corona virus. Those are the most dreaded words I ever wrote. But, the most hopeful words I ever wrote are these; Nancy feels fine. She has zero symptoms.

We got the news this past Monday morning from Nurse Practitioner Mary DeNicola, wife of Dr. Gregg DeNicola whose staff gave us the virus test Friday, March 27.  We were on a video conference call with Mary and she said those words “Nancy, you tested positive.” My knees actually buckled. Nancy’s didn’t.  “Michael,” Mary continued, “You were negative.”

She was right. I was negative, a negative angry motherfucker immediately after we got off the phone. But, what good is that? None. I rallied and my positive thoughts pushed the bad ones aside. They try and sneak in, those worst case scenarios, but I push them away.  After all, I am Nancy’s personal Delta Force operator and I got no time for the negativity.

Up top I said Nancy had shown no symptoms, she was acting totally normal. But, as the hours wore on, and I replayed the recent days and realized there was something quite strange that happened very recently.  She was chomping at the bit Sunday evening to go on our three-mile walk and I talked her out of it. Maybe that was symptom, at least it was extremely unusual. It’s extremely unusual Nancy to actually be talked out of something by me.

Last night, Thursday, we watched what has been a salvation of sorts this week, “The Restaurant” an Amazon show set at a high end restaurant in Stockholm right as World War II ends in Europe on May, 1945. We are on episode 23, a record for Nancy and almost “The Wire” stats for me.

An hour or so ago. I walked her up to our  bedroom which Dr. DeNicola and his wife Mary – and Nancy – had ordered me to stay out of. Nancy stood at the bedroom door for a couple seconds looking at me. I told her how I felt about her. She stared at me and smiled as she slowly closed the door. I tell you, and I ain’t just saying this, but Nancy Silverton never looked more beautiful.

A thousand ships

It’s five o’clock Friday evening and we just got back from Dr. DeNicola’s office in Orange who was very encouraging. That Nancy has no symptoms is wonderful.. I mean, i know it’s good, it’s obvious it’s good, but to hear a doctor stay it. too, it makes even more comforting. Kinda like how when you know you didn’t rob that liquor store and the judge backs you up.

On the way to the doctor’s office, on the 101 Freeway, as I drove, at an unheard of 61 mph, under the homeless tent-lined overpasses and over the Los Angeles River, Frank Sinatra came on the radio with “Nancy (With The Smiling Face). The opening goes “ If I don't see her each day, I miss her…Gee, what a thrill each time I kiss her…”

By now i was driving over where the old impoverished and proud Aiiso Village housing projects used to stand wobbly and Frank went on. Believe me, I've got a case ..On Nancy with the laughin' face” .

That moment was like that moment in your favorite movie that only lasts a second or two - a look of something - that only you get, only you appreciate. Defying social distancing, I reached over and touched Nancy’s thigh.

“Don’t touch me,” she said tenderly..

Now, in the last 18 years or so, Nancy Silverton has told me “Don’t touch me’” scores of times, much to my disappointment. But, this time she was looking out for me. It was, as we say, good lookin’.

I’ll keep you posted.