"That's another $3.25 you don't need to spend," she told him.
It's hard for Fran to believe that just two years ago Carlos bought her two Fendi bags for her 40th birthday. "He liked the idea of making a lot of money. It meant more to him than it did to me."
Carlos hadn't revealed his unemployment to his parents, who didn't approve of how hard he worked but were impressed by his income. Fran had to tell them. "I wanted them to know the well for us had run dry," she says.
The Monds aren't there yet -- they aren't prepared to give up on the dream of "the Street."
Amar says he's working harder than ever to remain in New York because "it's addicting. There's always 1.5% of Wall Street that doesn't get affected by downturns. I aspire to be at that level."
If he has regrets, it's that he scared his wife: "I didn't reassure her that even if Wall Street was broken, I wouldn't be broken." He also regrets selling the house: "I'm going to make it up to her."
Mona sold almost everything from the house on EBay, keeping the bare minimum needed to furnish their apartment.
But she hung onto the lawn mower. It sits on the tiny balcony outside their apartment, useless as a tool but significant as a reminder of the life Mona hopes she'll one day reclaim.
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geraldine.baum@latimes.com
