Sorry it has been a couple of weeks since my last post. My husband's grandfather went into hospice and then passed away, so I was distracted and not in top writing or editing form. Hope this post makes you feel a little mollified.
The doorbell rang. Mother and father looked at it anxiously from their vantage point on the top of the stairs. Then each looked about our domicile, clearly looking for Louise or even Leanna to open the door. Neither appeared, but Maggie and I came racing out of our room, for once not holding hands as we rushed to be the first to reach our guest.
“Girls, wait,” mother called softly.
Neither of us heard as we both tried the knob, finally realizing that only together could we turn it enough for the door to pop so we could welcome our guest. As the door swung slowly open and we scurried around it, a petite older woman appeared. She smiled lovingly at her greeters and we returned that smile with exuberant squeals of delight.
“Nona Bea,” we both exclaimed, launching ourselves into her thin arms.
Bea wavered a moment but managed to stay upright. She hugged both of us tight and proceeded to shower us with kisses. Mother and father watched quietly, but mother’s lips moved as she kept track of how many kisses each child received. Finally, Bea gently placed us on the ground with a relieved sigh and a final kiss on top of each of our heads.
“You certainly know how to make someone feel welcome, my dears,” Nona Bea grinned down at us.
We beamed back at her as we bounced excitedly, “Did you bring us something?”
Nona Bea feigned confusion, “Why on earth would I bring you something?”
“It’s my birthday,” I reminded her.
“You love us,” Maggie added.
Mother’s calculated look returned as she looked to Bea for her response to this. Nona Bea continued to beam at us, “Then you will both have to wait until your parents say it is time to open gifts to see what people brought you.”
Father placed his hand gently on his wife’s elbow as she opened her mouth to say something. She glared at him as he shook his head. He frowned back before pointedly fixing a smile on his face. Her angry eyes rested on him for a few more seconds before her own lips reluctantly tugged upward.
“Come on, girls. Let our guest come in, so we can get this party started.” He said cheerfully.
Bea threw him a grateful look as he reached for her wrap and ushered her through the still open doorway. Moments later, Louise stepped out of the dining room and nodded to her employers.
“Looks like we are ready to open presents right now, actually,” mother said brightly.
“Then I shall have to run out to my car,” Bea turned toward the door.
“Let Louise do that for you,” mother nodded toward the maid who stepped forward obediently.
“No thank you, dear, I am still spry enough to grab a couple small bags for myself.”
Louise nodded wordlessly but trailed toward the door listlessly, as if unable to shake off the command of her employer without accomplishing the task. As Nona Bea disappeared out the door, mother leaned in to whisper to father. Whatever she said made him shush her and reach out to pull her lips back up into a smile.
“Just be happy, honey. This is supposed to be about Sissy.”
“Fine. Fine.” She replied tersely as Nona Bea reappeared with two gift bags in shimmering stripes of pink and purple.
On one bag, a large O stood out in shimmering pearl. The other bore a large M in the same iridescent shade. Maggie and I clapped our hands.
“Can I see what Maggie got before I open my gift,” I asked, turning pleading eyes toward my parents.
They exchanged startled looks and then answered as one, “Of course. It’s your day.”
Bea handed down the bag and Maggie pulled out the paper, throwing it up in the air and watching it flutter back down to the floor before peering into the bag. “I love it.”
She pulled out a purple bear with her name embroidered on one foot and a bedazzled heart on the other. She squeezed it close to her heart and closed her eyes. A sweet smile spread across her entire face as she snuggled her new friend.
“Cuddle,” Maggie held her out for me to see, “cuddle, sissy?”
Obediently, I snuggled the bear. “He is cuddly. What are you going to name him?”
“Cuddly.” Maggie declared.
“Perfect. Wanna see what I got?”
Maggie nodded emphatically and Nona Bea held out the bag. I reached for the paper but paused with one hand extended halfway to my gift as my mother reached out to claim the bag.
“How about we open up the rest of the presents in the dining room?” Mother suggested with a meaningful glance at Louise.
As the others followed our enthusiastic prancing into the dining room, Louise swooped forward silently. Just as soundlessly, she picked up the discarded tissue paper and empty bag, making them smaller and tucking them out of sight. Then she followed the party into the large dining room. On one end of the immense table, a pile of presents awaited.
“Look how many presents we got,” I whispered in awe as I reached for Maggie’s hand and got Cuddly’s paw instead.
“Don’t be silly. Those are all for you,” mother clenched her jaw in frustration as she awkwardly patted my head.
Maggie and I looked at her in confusion. Father’s face reddened as he tilted his head toward the floor. Nona Bea frowned as she took a bracing breath and held her tongue.
“Please open our gifts first, my love,” mother asked sweetly and handed Nona Bea’s gift to Maggie for safekeeping.
Maggie gripped the handles firmly and gave me a look that assured me she would protect my unknown treasure. Louise stepped forward to hand me gifts. As I ripped the paper off of each one, she would hold it up for everyone to admire before freeing the toys from their packaging or piling the clothes neatly to one side. If I lingered too long, she would reach down to help. She winked at me the first time. Mother frequently stressed the importance of getting things done in a timely manner. Even opening gifts was a chance to practice that.
As the last package sailed over my head for others, specifically Nona Bea, to see, Maggie held my gift bag out to me. Before I could wrap my little hands around the cord handle, a conflagration drew my eye to the opposite end of the table. Leanna had also received the lectures on efficiency and arrived just in time for mother to clap her hands with glee and lead the singing.
“Go ahead. Make any wish you want,” mother declared as the singing faded away.
“Just make it in your heart,” Leanna added, “or it won’t come true.”
Nona Bea nodded her head reassuringly, so I leaned forward and blew out the four candles. Then I wished for more days like this with my family. I promise I wished it in my heart and held it there.
I reached out to touch the icing and mother reflexively batted my hand away. She quickly covered, “Silly girl, I’ll cut you off a big piece after your birthday dinner.”
“And you’ll get ice cream to fill in any gaps all that food leaves in your tummies,” father added with a wink to Maggie who chortled happily.
My last gift sat forgotten, still tucked lovingly into its bag as the family meal started. It slipped further from most minds as cake and ice cream were dished out and devoured. I was so surprised that mother let me have a second slice of cake that I asked for a third one.
Nona shook her head at this, suggesting with a smile, “Save some for tomorrow. You can keep celebrating.”
“Yay!” Maggie cheered and rushed over to hug me. “Oh! Gift.”
As I tried to figure out what she meant, she reached under the table. Then she produced my gift from Nona, presenting it with the flair of a tiny magician.
“Oh. Thank you,” I reached into the bag before anyone could interrupt again and pulled out a cuddly bear just like Maggie’s except it had my name embroidered on it.
Refusing to let go, I raced over to throw my arms around Nona. “Thank you so much. I love it.”
“I’m glad,” she hugged me back.
“Now that you both have someone to cuddle, it is time for my girls to go upstairs to bed,” mother reached out a hand to each of us and lead us off to our room.
~~~
“Thank you again for coming to Sissy’s birthday party,” father said as Louise cleared the last of the plates from the table.
“I wouldn’t miss a chance to celebrate with Opera,” Nona Bea’s smile stayed firmly in place as she stressed my real name, the real name of her grandchild.
Her words trailed off leaving a question unspoken. Still that question hung in the air between them. Father looked toward the stairs. Mother, Maggie, and I had disappeared up them a little while ago, so we could sleep. Now he needed his wife to join him, so they could broach the real reason for Beatrice’s unprecedented invitation to the first celebration they had thrown for me since my adoption day.
The older woman shuffled her feet under the table restlessly, “Perhaps, I should leave? Can you convey my appreciation to your wife?”
“Please, we were hoping to talk to you,” sweat broke out on his brow as his eyes pleaded with her.
She settled back into her seat, “Well, I suppose I had a few concerns I wanted to share with you as well.”
“Oh?”
She nodded but didn’t elaborate. Father sat back, trying to match her casual demeanor. He might have succeeded if the sweat beading his brow and moistening his collar didn’t insist on continuing to flow. Luckily, mother rejoined them before he melted into a puddle under Nona’s stern gaze.
“Sorry,” she said as she stepped into the room, “The girls needed a few extra stories to calm down.”
“That’s understandable. It has been a busy day for everyone,” Bea offered a tentative smile.
“I explained that we were hoping to talk to her,” father informed mother before she could say anything else.
Mother flashed her most winningly sincere smile, “Yes, we were hoping to discuss our arrangement.”
Bea instantly bristled but calmed herself before offering a quizzical, “Yes?”
“Well, as you can see,” mother gestured to the neatly piled gifts on a small buffet in the corner, “Some months, the girls need a little extra.”
Bea frowned, “All the girls really want or need is their basic needs taken care of and love from their parents.”
“Yes, but they deserve more than the bare minimum.”
“Or you don’t want to let go of living a life beyond your needs?” A sharpness infused every crisp word.
“What are you implying?” Mother squared her shoulders, ready for a fight.
“You really should learn to live within your means,” Nona Bea cautioned the young couple as father eyed both women warily.
“We do,” father protested.
Mother narrowed her eyes and watched. As Nona Bea continued to speak calmly, they became narrow slits.
“You don’t need a nanny for Maggie. Isn’t that why Livie stays at home—to care for the girls? This house has six bedrooms and four people living in it…”
Here father interjected, “we have a lot of guests.”
“About that,” Nona Bea cleared her throat, “should you really entertain every weekend with two small children?”
Now mother found speech, “Excuse me? You don’t get to tell us how to raise our children. It isn’t any of your concern.”
“But it is. Opera is my granddaughter and I want to make sure she is taken care of.”
“We take care of her just fine.”
“I didn’t say you don’t. I am saying that if you don’t cut back on your expenditures…”
As if to punctuate the point, Louise knocked on the door. “Is there anything else I can do for you, ma’am?” She stood at attention while she awaited a response from Mother.
“No, Louise. Thank you for all your help with Sissy’s birthday party,” her lip curled into a snarl as she glanced at Bea but returned to a smile as she turned back to the girl, “We appreciate it. We hope you have a wonderful evening.”
Louise looked like she wanted to curtsey before beating a hasty retreat. She offered shy smiles and nods to father and Bea before leaving. As the door closed behind her, Bea resumed.
“You won’t be able to afford to take care of either of your children or yourselves.”
“Get out,” mother stood up and pointed toward the door.
“Honey, calm down,” father placed a calming hand on her shoulder, “Maybe we should hear her out.”
“You mean listen to her insult us?”
“We don’t make as much money as we used to and we do have two little mouths to feed.”
She glared at him, but reluctantly sat back down.
Bea continued expressing her concerns. They never reached an agreement because mother fought every suggestion Bea made. Finally, father wiped his eyes wearily and rapped lightly on the table to stop the women from continuing to talk over each other.
“Okay, ladies, we need to sleep. We also need to let the girls sleep,” he paused to make sure they understood that their voices had been rising as the conversation progressed. “Livie and I will talk more in the morning.” He raised his hand as Bea opened her mouth again. “I have heard what you both had to say and I think we just need to rest on it and figure some things out. Thank you, Bea, for being so good to both of our girls and looking out for all of us, but it has been a long and exciting day.”
He rose from the table to offer his hand to Bea. As she rose from her seat, she patted him gently on the back.
“Thank you for listening, James. I hope to hear from you soon.” She addressed her words to him, but her eyes wandered over both of them.
~~
Another midnight discussion pulled me from sleep. After father lost his job, the interruptions to my sleep happened multiple times a week. Until that night when Nona Bea found us. I frowned and snuggled closer to my new bear, grinning to myself as her soft fur caressed my cheek.
“Snuggle,” I named her as I cuddled closer and hoped the noise that awoke me wouldn’t be repeated.
Loud voices dashed my hopes. I glanced at Maggie. She didn’t move in her sleep. One arm dangled out of her crib to rest on Cuddle’s head. I wished I had her ability to sleep through loud noises, but they always woke me and curiosity always kept me awake. I leaned toward my parent’s wall in the hopes of hearing better.
“She isn’t wrong,” father’s voice carried.
“But what would we cut back on?”
“We could start with Louise and Leanna?”
“But I need their help?”
“Do you? Sissy dotes on Maggie and would help you with anything you ask for.”
“But I need free time and the girls love Louise and Leanna.”
“We all do, but we really can’t afford them.” Father’s voice paused and silence fell for a moment, then he continued almost inaudibly, “I already checked with a few of my friends and I found them comparable positions, so…”
“So you made sure they are taken care of. What about me?”
“I’ll pitch in. I don’t work the long hours anymore.” His tone made me picture his lips curling up in his trademark smile.
“You’d better more than pitch in,” mother conceded.
Their voices lowered enough that I could not longer make out any words. Soon sleep summoned me as I snuggled closer to Snuggle, looking forward to sharing her name with my sister.
