Marcus had awakened in the way he most liked. His arm was around Natalie Sokal in her incredibly big bed in her incredibly big apartment. This was how his weekends were now spent. A month ago he’d explained to his Chief that he wanted weekends off because he had a girlfriend in Vancouver. He didn’t have to give details, especially a name. He only wanted to be able to leave on Friday afternoon, spend that night and Saturday night with Natalie and return on Sunday evening. It wouldn’t always be this way, and he could be patient until they could be together.
But this Saturday would be a little bit different. Natalie had blown it off, and Marcus had not discouraged her, but it was finally time for Marcus to meet her mother.
Natalie rolled over to Marcus under his arm around her, She’s wearing her black lace nightgown and nothing else. “We could both get the flu, simultaneously…..and who knows it could be Covid. I mean it could always be Covid right? We shouldn’t put my grandparents at risk…..they’re old. Nana has diabetes even….we should really cancel….” She forces a cough “There’s a tickle..” She points at her throat and sort of smirks “I swear it’s in there.” She’s still not sure if she wants Marcus to talk her out of it or into it. Today was the day after all.
Marcus hears Natalie start making excuses right off the bat. He caresses her arm and fingers some sleep out of the corner of her eye. “You know I thought I MIGHT get a ‘good morning baby’ out of you first, but I guess we’re straight into excuses, eh?” He makes a thoughtful face. “We can use Covid, but I bet that’s on the grandparents radar for excuses not to see them … jest … sayin is all.” He kisses her softly. “You're not alone, baby. I’m going too. Want me to bring my gun?”
Natalie loves Marcus for putting up with her right now and returns the kiss and then laughs “Good morning Baby…..don’t bring your gun. I might get too tempted to use it. Every good family dinner ends in an arrest right? Beef and guilt as a defense for murder? I know you’re going with me. Please just stay with me even if she’s fucking awful….I do it for Dad. And my grandparents are fairly nice. Him nicer than her but she’s not my mother.”
Marcus chuckles. “Good morning, baby.” he returns. “My gun is still in Alexandra, but I can still try a restraint if it gets too bad.” he nuzzles her neck. “I will stay with you regardless. I promise. And she sounds like the worst it can get.” he kisses her and half rolls onto her. “So … are we going to tell them you’re pregnant?” he nuzzles her neck again, his voice innocent.
Natalie rolls her head to one side, giving Marcus all of her neck “Thank you...I love you...and she is…” She kisses him back tenderly and then gives a little “Mmmm” As she feels his body pressing down on her. She loved that feeling. Then he asks if they’re going to announce the pregnancy and she laughs “Well it might be one way to skip dessert…...mmm…..Marcus….” She needles him in the side with her fingers and giggles “You might actually be making this somewhat bearable.”
Marcus grins into her neck. “So if it’s really bad, I’ll just say you're pregnant, toss you over my shoulder like a caveman and whisk you away.” he promises. Then he will try and roll her completely onto her back. “If not bearable, let me give you something pleasant to think about if things get tense…” and he will sink under the covers for a little morning love before their shower and … adventure.
Natalie let herself be taken to happier thoughts a fair few times submitting to Marcus and their shared lovemaking before some more tender moments together in the shower. This spontaneity was the thing she loved. And being pregnant, while beloved in all ways it was growing their child, meant they could just be free right now. It was going well. She wasn’t really sick at all. The odd moment of fleeting nausea but not even daily. She realized she was probably quite lucky. Finally the time came and they were dressed and ready to go to dinner. Natalie was wearing a light blue flowered dress and simple beige sandals. It was a warm evening and she was more casual than dressy to be cool and comfortable. She had a beige purse to match and her owl necklace and matching earrings on. Her black short hair was as it always was, simple and elegant and pushed a bit to one side. Her makeup was subtle but flattering. She had asked Marcus to drive, knowing her own road rage would just ramp up her stress before they even walked in the door.
The Sokal home was a sprawling bi-level 1970s style house that hugged the side of a hill. It was designed so the front door was at the top of the hill on the upper level and the back door to the garden when out at the bottom. It was a fairly large home with lots of polished wood framing, doorways and delicate cut class windows. It was immaculately clean and the landscaping looked professionally done. There were small shrubs trimmed into perfect little spheres and not a single weed in the ornamental flower beds. The front entrance had two ornate wooden doors that came into view as they pulled up.
Marcus and Natalie spent much of the day making love and napping. But finally it was time to face the world. He dressed casually in jeans and a plain white tshirt that was both baggy and long with his runners on his feet.. Then he drove, following Natalie’s directions to a house that made his brows lift. It was like some kind of movie house, he thought as he parked in the driveway. He’d put good money on professional landscapers and part of him expected to be met by a black, Hispanic, Indiginous or combination thereof servant as he stopped the car. “Jesus, Nat.” he breathes. Then he slowly gets out from behind the wheel.
Lisa Sokal saw the car pulling into the driveway. She smiled and rushed out to greet them. Her hand is on the door when it opens and a black man gets out. She stumbles back two steps and stares. This was not what she was expecting and she hated surprises with every fiber of her being. Her eyes immediately search for her daughter.
Pavel Sokal was hanging back in the doorway as his wife rushed out of the house. He sighed a little and waved with a small smile. He was hoping Lisa would stand with him and let Natalie just bring her new fellow over at her own pace without overwhelming them but that was not to be. He had grey hair that had been black like Natalie’s once and was the same poker straight. His was thinning and receding a little now but parted on the same side as hers. He wore an old pair of navy chinos and a white button up short sleeved shirt with big pockets.
Natalie saw her mother rush then and grumbled with a smile “Oh fuck…” She then saw the stare at Marcus and the backstep and leaned her head down to look from the passenger side “Mother...what are you doing?” She reached for her own handle and got out, waving to her father. She walked around to the driver’s side where her mother and Marcus were “So this is Marcus. This is my mother Lisa.” She beckoned her father over since they seemed to be doing this all by the car “My father, Pavel.”
Pavel looks awkwardly at Lisa’s reaction but then comes towards the group at Natalie’s beckoning and smiles at Marcus, extending a hand when he’s able “So nice to meet you.”
Marcus kept the door open until Natalie got out of it. He offered a smile to Lisa as he blindly closed the car door. Fixing his face, he kept it pleasant, but he knew that look and he didn’t care for it. He was getting odd ‘Get Out’ vibes when Pavel came up to him, hand extended. Marcus takes it and shakes it firmly. “Nice to meet you too, sir.” he replies politely and once the handshake is over, he debates offering his hand to Lisa and decides to in a fuck it moment. “And you ma’am.”
Lisa recovered quickly, just not quickly enough. This when he offered his hand she took it in both of hers. “It’s a pleasure, Marcus.” she pats his hand and then pulls hers away. “Please … both of you, come in!” and she turns, heading into the house at a casual but quick pace.
Pavel lingers with them longer to give Natalie a hug and a kiss “How are you my girl? I’ve missed you.”
Natalie watches her mother with Marcus through gritted teeth. She was inconsistent. Hot cold. She has started to notice more and more how people reacted to Marcus in the world, and to them sometimes as a couple and she felt like there was some overtone of that here. Her mother recovered it faster than some. But she still felt it. Then again maybe it was just her mom being her mom. And she hadn’t done that to Vijay. Mind you Vijay met her parents with his faux charms on full blast. She sighed and then looked apologetically at Marcus before hugging and kissing her father “Hi Tato (Dad). I missed you too. I’m ok. A little tired. But ok.” It was true. She felt well but she faded noticeably in the evenings now. She hoped the meal didn’t run too late. Of course only Marcus knew why.
Pavel walked with them to the house “You’re working too hard again. Marcus, keep an eye on her. She does that.” He ushers them inside.
Marcus goes in with them and looks the house over. Equal parts force of habit and curiosity and the interior of the house is incredible. He moves further in and looks at Pavel when he suggests he keep an eye on her. “Yes, sir. Two when I can spare them.”
Lisa sees everyone into her house. “Let’s sit and chat, shall we?” she ushers them into the living room. “Drinks?” she inquires, already heading to the bar. “I know you will, Natalie.” and she begins to prepare for both of them. “Marcus would you like a beer? And Pavel?”
Natalie had given Marcus a loving look but now tenses up about the drink offer and interjects “Oh just a mineral water Mother. I’m not drinking tonight.”
Pavel saw how his daughter looked at this man and liked what he had said back about keeping an eye. He chuckled a bit and then accepted the beer offer “Oh yes please...but wait. Marcus let me treat you to….” He walks to the bar because it’s a 70s house that has that built in and goes to the little fridge “A Kozel?” He holds up two bottles with Czech words written on them.
Marcus almost slips up and says no to the beer because he will be driving later, but with nat turning the alcohol down they can take that as her being the driver. He looks at Pavel and the bottle. “Sure. I’d love one. But only the one. If Natalie is too tired to drive us home, I’ll be doing it. You know.”
Lisa blinks at her daughter when she turns down the drink. “I … see.” she pours a mineral water and brings it to her daughter, then sits herself. Ignoring the men for now, she looks at Natalie, curiously. “What in the world have you done with your hair.” Natalie asks, her voice nothing but sweet kind matron concerned that her daughter has leaves in her hair and might not know it.
Pavel looks so delighted to have someone to offer his special beer to. He brings one to Marcus and sits down across from him. “Kozel means goat.” He chuckles “And we have many in the Czech republic. He holds up his bottle to toast “Na Zdravi….we toast.” He drinks after and then qualifies “I was born here but my parents were very traditional. I hear you’ve met my mother, Petra. She was quite taken with you.” He speaks before he thinks. He’s not sure Lisa knows Marcus met Petra before them.
Natalie takes the mineral water “Thank you.” Then her hand goes to her hair wondering if she’d rubbed up against something with static. She smooths it and it feels normal enough “Nothing Mom. I’ve had the same haircut for two years now. Finally found a salon that’s consistent.”
Lisa looks at her daughter's hair. “Yes, but it’s horrid.” she announces as if her poor blind daughter was completely clueless. Then she blinks in Pavel’s direction as the men toast. “I’m sorry.” She smiles at them and it looks completely natural. “Oh, so you’ve met Petra.” her eyes turn to her daughter. “How long have you been together then, because I’m just now meeting him.” the smile should be familiar to trained observers … and family.
Marcus toasts with Pavel. He drinks and then nods, then nods in satisfaction. “Nice…” then Pavel mentions his mother and Marcus smiles a bit more. “Oh yea .. Baba .. she’s incredible. Her and my G-mama get on like I don’t know what. It’s actually sort of scary.” he chuckles until Lisa speaks. His smile fades a bit and he takes another sip of his beer, letting Natalie handle it. He half heard the comment about Natalie's hair, but he caught the look.
Natalie keeps her hand protectively over her hair “I like my hair just fine thank you.” She sighs in irritation and then winces visibly about the announcement from her father that Marcus met Petra first. She should have vetted that. Then she tries to keep her face impassive as her mother turns back to her. “A little over a month? I kinda had to introduce him to Baba. He accidentally answered my phone when she face time called and she …..well you know how she gets.” She was throwing her grandmother under the bus now but her father was already implicated with his pre knowledge. She doesn’t address the fact that their grandmothers are now such good friends they’re practically planning road trips together and having weekly tea and coffee hang outs.
Pavel chokes a little on his sip of beer “Yes, very forceful my mother...of course you did. It was out of your hands…” He smiles and tries to laugh it off but his nervousness is obvious “Lisa, can i help with the food in any way? She’s such a good cook.” He tries to flatter.
Lisa is not placated. “Only a month? And meeting the family already?” she looks at Marcus. “And answering her phone.” she smiles, more or less. She does laugh a little. “Yes. I know ho your mother can be.” she doesn’t sound impressed. Then she looks at her husband. “We still have guests coming, Pavel. Two … unless you invited your mother to join us.” she ignores the compliment to her cooking.
Marcus watches the condensation on his bottle as things get a little tense much sooner than he’d anticipated. When his FaceTime call with Baba comes up he just shrugs. “Natelie had asked me to hold her phone a second and when the call came in I answered it by mistake, but it was cool. We got to talking and … got along.” he catches the tension between the husband and wife and, in a way, can’t wait to meet the other set of grandparents. A distraction was welcome.
Natalie gives her mother a look “Would you rather I didn’t introduce you until Rosh Hashanah?” Her tone is warning like she’s sharing Marcus as a courtesy when she doesn’t have to. She looks apologetically at Marcus. He’s covering for them. She loves him but it’s also maddening,
Pavel gulps “No I did not invite my mother. And maybe they just know. I’m quite happy to meet you Marcus. Things go as they do.” He dares to shoot his wife a meaningful look. After all he had courted her after she was hiding out recovering from birth and an unplanned pregnancy. He hears a car rumble into the driveway. “Here are your parents now Honey.”
Marla Morgenstern was in the passenger seat of her husband’s old Cadillac. He would drive the car into the ground but he loved the beast. She had dyed blonde feathered short hair now and was a robust woman with giant sunglasses, a dramatic neck scarf and elasticized polyester whie pants. She had on a loose hot pink linen blouse and so many bangles and bracelets she jingled a little. Her lipstick was hot pink as well and it bled onto her teeth which looked to be dentures, too perfect and didn’t meet the gums in a rooted way. She got out of the car and shouted “Saul! The bread! Don’t forget the bread!”
Saul Morgenstern carefully pulled into the driveway and parked. He was dressed in khaki shorts and shirt and comfortable sandals. On his head was greying hair that remained thick, for which he thanked god every day. Balding probably wouldn’t go over very well with his wife or daughter. He heard his wife as she shouted and knew she was already on her way to the door to meet her daughter, granddaughter and her boyfriend. “Yes, dear.” he called in the direction of her retreating back and reached into the back seat for the bread before getting out of the car and closing the door. He isn’t that far behind them and lets them greet each other as he moves into the living room. “Pavel!” he greets his son in law. He sees the man on the couch and smiles. “And you must be Marcus!” he shifts the bread to his left hand, offering his right to shake. “Saul Morgenstern, but you can call me Saul.” Once the handshake is accepted or rejected he opens his arms wide to his granddaughter. “Natalie.” the name drags out cheerfully. “You look beautiful! Not working too hard, I hope? Keep the balance! Work and love!”
Lisa tightens her jaw a bit at both her daughter and her husband. She didn’t appreciate either of them at the moment and poured herself a gin and tonic, then downed it. As she poured herself another, she also heard the car in the driveway. Her parents. She reapplies her smile and heads for the door to let them in. When her mother reaches her, she hugs her tight as her father slips in the house around them. “Hello, Mother. You just have to meet natalie’s new boyfriend., He’s nothing like I expected…” she whispers into her mother’s ear, hinting at the surprise that so rocked her.
Marcus takes another sip of his beer while the family sort of snipes a bit. He was expecting it and figured he could handle it. So far, Lisa was annoying to be sure, but for Natalie, he’d hold his tongue. Then the other guests arrive and he is already heading to his feet when the grandfather he knew to be Saul walked in and offered to shake with no hesitation whatsoever. Like Pavel, Marcus liked Saul on sight. He shook hands firmly and smiles at the man's energy.. “Pleasure to meet you, Saul. Marcus Lawry, and of course you can call me Marcus.” he watches Saul with Natalie to see what the dynamic is there.
Natalie beams at her grandfather’s greeting to Marcus and their interaction and then waits her turn to greet him and hugs him back “Aw thank you Pops. You look great too. Did you bring bread?” She looks both delighted and amused. Her mother had outlawed bread since the word Keto appeared on social media. “And no, work life love balance. Marcus helps.” She winks at him after she lets go of her grandfather. As her grandmother approaches she also greets warmly but is clearly a little more comfortable with “Pops”. But she does smile genuinely “Nana, pretty in pink.” She steps forward to hug her as she comes into view and then steers her towards Marcus after “This is my boyfriend, Marcus.”
Marla Morgenstern hugs her daughter as she goes in “Oh Lisa honey, you’re too skinny. We brought bread.” She listens to the whispering and whispers back “Too young? Too old? Bald? Catholic?” She makes a face at the last one and then her curiosity is too much for her and she steps back from Lisa and heads for Natalie getting hugged before she can look at the man her husband and Pavel are talking to properly. “Natalie, sweetheart….thank you I love the…” She’s turned and blurts out “Oh..he’s black. Well thank god. I was worried he was Catholic. You’re not Catholic are you Marcus?” She reaches to shake his hand next.
Natalie looks between her mother and grandmother and then isn’t sure whether to laugh or just be mortified “Nana….”
Pavel does look a little embarrassed at his mother in law. He had greet Saul enthusiastically and now stood by him sneaking a peek in the bread bag he’s carrying and inhaling like a starved man in the dessert “What…...kind...of bread is it?” He’s practically drooling. “Did you bring butter?”
Saul smiles as the hug breaks and holds up the bread. "Of course I brought bread! Food of life!" he announces. His wife comes in, takes one look at Marcus and praises god that he isn't Catholic. "Marla!" he laughs as he chides her. Then he holds up the bag. "Challah!" he proclaims. "And yes there's butter." he looks at Pavel as if he may have gone senile. "Bread without butter .... I think we'd rather be Catholic!"
Lisa says nothing about Marcus, ready to see what her daughter is talking about. She is ready with a see I told you so look when her mother announces that at least he isn't Catholic. She looks mortified at the bread. "We can't eat that! It's against our diet!"
Marcus grins when Natalie reports that he helps her not work too hard and to keep that balance of work and love. He grins when Marla comes in and seems only to be upset that he might be Catholic. He moves forward and shakes her hand, replying to her. "No ma'am. Not Catholic. I think I had a great-great grandparent who was Southern Baptist in the States, but that's about it." he releases her hand and steps back. "A lot of fire and brimstone, but I think it's been bred out of the family by now." he looks at the bread. "I've never had challah before." and then he looks at Lisa. "Diet?" he blinks, partly because it already sounds terrible, but also because pregnant women should not be on diets, especially not one baking a child with him, so he looks at Natalia with raised eyebrows, although she most likely knows his worry.
Marla snorts at her husband and Pavel and then looks worriedly at Lisa “No diets tonight, and looks at you darling you’re wasting away. And poor Pavel looks like a starving man. What are you feeding your husband these days.” She gestures to Marcus and Natalie “The kids look healthy at least.” Then she smiles at Marcus about religion “Oh good. And you’ll like it. It’ll help us convert you.” She’s not shy about throwing that one the table. No religion? Oh we can help with that. “Alright, what are we drinking in here tonight?” She sees the glasses out and the beer and then Natalie holding a bottle of mineral water “Natty…..are you feeling ok sweety?”
Natalie laughs at her grandfather and then purses her lips at her mother’s rejection of bread “But Mother it’s Challah. It’s traditional.” She gives Marcus a little smile when he reassures her Nana he’s not Catholic and then her eyes go wide when she starts talking about converting him. Then she gets called out on her drink “Oh well I’m driving and I’m kinda hooked on these right now.” Neither are lies but she pointedly doesn’t look at Marcus for fear of losing her poker face about it.
Pavel is almost pawing at the bread bag “Challah...with butter…..” He vaguely hears his wife say they can’t eat it “Let me take that to the kitchn for you Saul.” He licks his lips and looks like a lion ready to pounce on it. Marla and Marcus are talking about religion. But there is only bread now, beautiful soft braided forbidden bread.
Saul laughs at Marla. "No conversions yet, please." he nearly begs. He sits and opens the bag of bread. "It IS traditional .. but not today. Today it's just great bread. You usually serve it like this." he rips off a hunk and tilts it at Marcus, then Pavel.
Lisa rolls her eyes at her mother. wasting away! She needed to lose at least ten more pounds. And Pavel even more, surely. But she doesn't argue. She scoffs about converting Marcus. She rolls her eyes at Natalie not drinking. “I thought you said you were just not drinking? Not the designated driver.” she looks at Marcus as if expecting he will drink more. She rolls her eyes again. “Let me bring out the food, since you’re all eating already anyway.” and she turns on her heel, grabs her gin and tonic and heads to the kitchen, bringing out food and setting it out.
Marcus says nothing about who needs to lose weight, and laughs at the idea of converting. "Maybe for Christmas?" he asks and then winks. He looks at Natalie, who isn't looking at him. "Well we're both sort of not drinking. I don't drink much to begin with but Natalie's been pretty tired these days. So .. this is it for me." he holds up his beer bottle. He re. "Oh yea, this is good stuff." he compliments it.aches for the bread and rips off a hunk, then tastes it, nodding
Pavel takes his piece of bread and eats it slowly, closing his eyes. He works from home and hasn’t had bread on a regular basis in years. Every now and then he breaks down and hits a drive through on the way home from an errand but then stashes the garbage in a dumpster so Lisa won’t ever see it in his car. But this was fresh gorgeous bread. He wasn’t fat by any means but his work was fussy and sometimes a little sedentary so he wasn’t a fit man either. As he finishes the sacred morsel he hears Marcus say Natalie’s been pretty tired these days and he runs those words through his head a few times, looking between the two of them.
Natalie had said she was tired and now she had changed her tune and her mother was sniffing at her. Dammit. She sees the bread being offered out as her mother stalks off to get the supper set out. Her stomach rumbles “Oh Pops I need a piece of that too.” She had heard Marcus say she was tired lately and suppressed a grin, looking at him. Then as she walked to her grandfather she saw her father looks between them curiously. Shit. He was way swifter than her mother but not a confronter. Marcus had also made a joke about converting for Christmas and she can’t help but see the hilarity and laugh. God she loved this man.
Marla got abandoned before she even got a drink so being Marla she just goes to make her own “Teetotalers then. Pshaw….I’ll drink yours then. She takes out the gin and frowns at it “Not my brand.” But she pours anyway. “Marcus dear, I do think you mean Hannakah. But we have a funny story about our Natty and Santa Claus…..we’ll tell you while we eat.” She cuts a lime and squeezes it into the gin and tonic and then shuffles off towards where Lisa is bringing out food “Alright, what’s this diet business. Still with the Keto thing you were on about before? You know it’s just Atkins and the South Beach with a new buzzword.” She peers critically at one of the dishes “What’s that under the meat Lisa?”
Saul enjoys his bread and his company as his daughter goes off to put the food on the tabel. He hands the bread over to Natalie. Marcus jokes about converting for Christmas and he laughs heartily. "Oh, I like you, young man." he claps his hands in joy. He looks arom his wife to his daughter and lowers his voice. "Fad diets, the lot of them." he isn't fat but he isn't thin. He's also not young and doesn't feel the need to have the body of a 20 something and the mind of a man his actual age.
Lisa sets out dish after dish of food. There are seasoned srips of beef on top of a bed of what look like zucchini noodles. There’s a dish of roasted peppers and artichokes and a large green salad with a vinaigrette dressing already on it. At last she takes a step back and looks the table over one last time. "Dinner is ready." she announces, almost regally. She kills her drink and then makes another for the table. Smiling at her mother she proudly replies. “Zucchini noodles.
Marcus smiles at Natalie for laughing at his joke and smiles at Saul. "Thanks." he notices Pavel is into the bread like he hasn't eaten any in a hile. He also noticed that the bag Saul brought had three challas in it and wondered if THAT was tradition, too. Then Marla corrects him on Hanukkah and he doesn't correct her for not getting the joke. He politely nods. "I'm all ears." and he was as he loved learning new things.
Marla makes a face “Zucchini noodles? You’re making up words now darling.” She sits down in one of the chairs and eyes the zucchini noodles suspiciously. “Saul, where’s that Challa? Don’t let Pavel eat it all. He looks like he wants to.” She starts heaping things onto her plate to get the ball rolling.
Natalie takes Marcus’s hand if she can to give him a little tug towards standing and walk to sit close at the table. She’s taken the bread in her other hand from her grandfather “I like him too. Thank you for this.” She eats a big healthy bite and chews and swallows “Mmm it’s fresh today I can tell.” If she can she'll walk with Marcus to the table and sit on one side with him, across from where her grandmother already is seated and taking food.
Pavel has managed to sneak in a second slice like a mad bandit and has his mouth full when he hears Marla say not to let him eat it all. He scarfs it down before Lisa can see it. He looks amused by how Marcus deals with Saul and Marla. But he still has those words running through his head about Natalie being tired lately. He takes what’s left of his beer and heads to the table. “This looks very nice Lisa. Thank you.” He always thanked her whether he liked the food or not. She had taken the time to prepare it after all. He sat down at the head of the table as he always did and then hesitated “Saul I didn’t offer you a drink. What would you like?”
Saul looks at Pavel and decides not to take any bread from him. "I have two more loaves. He's fine." he shakes his head. "I'm driving. Thanks anyway. That water looks great tho." he nods to Natalie's water.
Lisa blows out a breath. "I am not. They're delicious and good for you, too." she glares in the direction of her husband and the remaining challah. Then she sighs and prepares a plate. "So, Marcus. Where are you from?" she wants to know this black man with her daughter. "Did you meet Natalie in court?"
Marcus takes the beer bottle and moves to the table with Natalie and sits. He takes a little of everything onto his plate. He's offered a drink and "It looks incredible." he compliments the food. He sips his beer and freezes a second when Lisa asks if he met Natalie in court. “I’m from Vancouver. Devil’s Kitchen.” he pauses. “But moved to White Rock after high school and my G-Mama there after my mother died.” he raises his brows. “Not exactly. I met Natalie in jail … she was visiting with a client of hers.” he pauses again, almost maliciously. “I’m a cop on Alexandra island.”
Pavel stands up right after Saul speaks and goes to fetch a few mineral waters and then come back to put them down, one for Saul, one for Marcus and two more just on the table for anyone who needs one later. He hears Lisa ask if Marcus met Natalie in court and feels uncomfortable but doesn’t know what to say. Perhaps his wife thinks the man is another lawyer, given his daughter’s previous husbands. There’s an edge to the question though. He sits back down and loads up his plate but as he’s under the direct gaze of Lisa now, he skips taking more bread. Then Marcus says he’s a cop and he smiles at him.
Natalie grins at her grandfather about the bread and his comment on her water. She compliments the food too, trying to keep her mother in as good a mood as she can. She’s been trying to count the drinks but she swears a few got by her. “Very nice Mother. I love artichokes.” She loads up her plate too, maybe a bit more than usual since she’s thinking of the small human she’s growing and the nutrients she’s sharing. She does take a healthy serving of salad though too and grabs one of the extra bottled sparkling waters from the center. She’s finished her other and needs to stay hydrated. Then her mother asks Marcus an awkward awful question. In court? Does she think Natalie met him as a criminal? Maybe she’s thinking lawyer? Natalie hears Marcus reply. Ooooh he’s drawing it out. She suppresses a smile but then has to clarify “So you thought Marcus was another lawyer right? Because I don’t date the kinda guys I meet in court….in case you forgot what I do Mother.”
Marla picks up a zucchini noodle on her fork and tries it and then makes a face “They’re slimy…..” She’s not as tuned into the potentially offensive nature of Lisa’s question but is curious about Marcus’s answer “Devil’s Kitchen? Rough place I hear.” She looks relieved that he's a cop after that neighbourhood “Well that makes sense…..G-Mama? Is that what you call your grandmother? I am sorry to hear your mother died.” Then Natalie chimes in and seems a little defensive and she looks almost intrigued between Natalie and her daughter, waiting to see where this went. Marla is passively a bit of a shit disturber.
Saul takes his mineral water, opens it and pours it into the water goblet provided. he blinks when Lisa asks if he met Natalie in court, but not like she thinks this young man could be an attorney as well and watches with interest as Marcus replies in the most fascinating way he's ever heard in his life. He lifts his glass and silently toasts Marcus.
Lisa looks at Marcus as he answers. "Devil's Kitchen? That place I hear about on the news?" and then Marcus answers her question and at first she is ready to chide her daughter for picking up a criminal, but he goes on to say he is a cop. She smiles at Natalie about the compliment. "I know you do, dear." she replies and then refocuses on Marcus. She felt like his answer may have been a jab at her, but can't prove it. "A ... cop ..." she says slowly and looks at her daughter. "I remember what you do for a living, Natalie." she almost snaps. She looks at Marcus. "I didn't mean to be rude." she tells him and it is true. She takes another large sip of her gin and tonic. "I just assumed... You speak so well, I thought maybe you grew up ... someplace ... else."
Marcus moves his hand to Natalies as she snipes a little at her mother. he doesn't blame her and has to admit he snipped back. Marla and Lisa both ask him about his old home and he nods. "Yes. It's a rough neighborhood, but My mother and grandmother ... yes .. G-mama is short for Grandmother." he smiles at Marla's condolences. "Thank you." then lisa goes on and he tightens his grip on Natalie's hand without even thinking about it. He tightens his jaw. "I get that a lot ... like a black man can't speak the Queen's English .. or som'un." he slips a little vernacular in at the end. "But I got out the hood. Got my G-Mama out the hood. Went to college and even got me a degree." he closes his eyes a moment and forces himself to calm. This woman probably didn't even know how racist her words came across to a black man. He blows out a breath and opens his eyes, taking the beer and finishing it up. He'd been warned about Lisa's mother. He should have expected this.
Natalie rolls her eyes openly about her mother and grandmother both commenting on the neighbourhood. She’d worked with enough young women from that one and others to have a better understanding of all of that. And she’d defended enough young women long enough to know that those neighbourhoods were called rough but the worst of humanity could come from the nicest of neighbourhoods, on paper. She sets her jaw a bit at her mother about her retort about her job and then when she says Marcus speaks well she literally drops her fork mid bite and feels Marcus’s hand tighten on hers. She just stares but hears Marcus reply and wants to leave the table with him and her family so she doesn’t have to ever set eyes on her mother again. “OK what the fuck, Mother?” is all she can say. She’s completely disgusted.
Marla keeps eating through all of it and watches like a tennis match. When both Marcus and Natalie have replied she just says “Oh Lisa, you’ve stepped in it now.” And actually chuckles. Better than a boring family dinner after all.
Pavel shrunk into himself at the other end of the table watching and listening in horror. After his wife said Marcus spoke so well he dropped his head and kept his gaze down. He knew it was bad but had no clue how to deal with it. Marcus replied and he gave a little nod and then Natalie and he nodded, looking up briefly at Lisa. And then Marla seemed to be almost amused and he just blinked at his zucchini noodles helplessly.
Saul blinks, unsure what to think of his owwn daughters words. He hears Marcus's reply and realizes that the man did not take kindly to the word choice and he finds that he understands that and wonders how many times he has insulted a minority wihtout even meaning to. "Lisa!" he gasps. Then he looks at his wife hen she chuckles and sighs, then looks at Marcus and Natalie. "I would understand compleely if you stood upand left this table right now." he barely realizes that he's stepped into his role as patriarch. "And I wouldn't blame you one bit." he looks at his daughter. "I ask you to forgive my daughter. She's drunk. Again." he narrows his eyes. "I don't think it compares, but I know how annoyed I would be when people found out my name and asked me if I would do their goddamned taxes for them." he blows out a breath.and shakes his head.
Lisa looks around the table, her eyes wide. "What?" she asks. "I am just a concerned mother is all." she protests looking around the table and finally at her father. "Forgive me?" she blinks, but her father is not done and she gapes at his tale or being hit with a classic Jewish stereotype. But she keeps her head up, refusing to bo it for any of them.
Marcus blos out another breath and losens his grip on her hand, jsut holding it now. He looks at all of the responses, but it is Saul that commands his attention ... and his respect. "I'll leave that up to Natalie if she wants to go." he looks at her, making sure she gets that he is with her. Then he looks back at Saul and nods. "I ran into a lot of this ... it's just ignorance and I try not to be insulted by it .. but this is hard because I love Natalie and her being Jewish and me being black ... we got some strikes against us right out the box." he hears Saul and his story of stereotyping. "And you're a publisher, Natalie told me. And I'm not a rapper or a gang banger any more than you're a accountant or .. what they call it .. money lender?" he offers the older man a grin. "We good, Saul."
Natalie looks between her grandfather and Marcus and actually tears up at what’s happening between them. Then she wipes at her eyes and turns to give her mother a hard stare “Apologize or we’re leaving. And not just for this dinner. I wanted you all to meet Marcus because I love him and he’s it for me. He’s the one. I know I’ve been married before and had boyfriends but this is different. And yes he’s Black and Indigenous so if you don’t like that, then I’m not going to make him put up with your shit. And just to get it all out there since this might be our last dinner, we’re having a baby. And we’re really fucking happy about it.”
Pavel looks right at Saul who steps up and is a stronger man than he could ever be, and then at Marcus who connects with him and shows his own strength of character. He sees Natalie tear up and then hears her words, all of them and then he gives a little gasp and looks at her and Marcus with tears of his own before begging Lisa “Please apologize. I don’t want to miss meeting our grandchild.”
Marla looks at Saul like he’s the sexist thing on the planet for stepping into this ring. She liked Marcus too. He was far more interesting than all the stuffed shirt or pretty boy lawyers. And they were all right. “Lisa honey, go on then…” She gets a twinkly eyed smile and looks between Marcus and Natalie “Congratulations you two.”
Saul nods at Marcus. "We're good." he looks at his daughter, expectantly even as Natalia announces that she is pregnant with Marcus's baby. He nods and looks back to his daughter. "I'm with Natalie." he says, evenly. "Apologize, or it won't just be your daughter and grandchild you miss out on ... it will be me as well." he doesn't include his wife, but hopes this is the last straw for her, too.
Lisa glares at everyone and then gasps at Natalie. "You've only been together a month..." she begins and snaps her mouth shut. She closes her eyes and then opens them again and almost looks at Marcus. "I'm sorry, Marcus. I was rude, insensitive and .. racist. Please stay." she still doesn't get what she did wrong, but she apologizes anyway.
Marcus listens to Natalie talk about him and announce that they are pregnant. He beams and looks at Saul. "Oh .. yea ... I'm half Indiginous, too." he shrugs, as he hadn't mentioned that part, half fearing Lisa might make the whole meal flambe. He looks touched at the support of the people around them and then looks over at Lisa as she ... apologizes. He purses his lips and leans into Natalie. "Alright Lisa." he never asked permission to call her by her first name. "Honestly, I don't think you even know what you really did, but ... if we walk out you'll never learn." he looks at Natalie and kisses her cheek. "You know I love you, baby." he tells her. "If you want ... we walk. Hell, I'll take your Dad and grandparents over to G-mama's for her cornbread. But it's up to you." he caresses her face and turns it, then kisses her full on the mouth for everyone at the table to deal with.
Natalie smiles tearfully at her grandfather in his statement of solidarity and then looks at her mother and shrugs “Well it can happen in a month.” She doesn’t detail that they went to bed together about 28 hours after they met. She sees her mother apologize to Marcus but without looking at him and looks conflicted. Her apologizing in general was rare. She’s not sure she means it but maybe it’s a start? She waits to see what Marcus has to say since his feelings are really on the line in this dynamic more than her own. He had a point. If they walked out she wouldn’t learn. Could she? Could her mother learn? Natalie had no clue she was actually this racist. It dawned on her her own privilege may have caused her to miss things over the years though as she was more aware now that she had been, especially with Marcus. So knowing her own progression she decided to try and give her mother a chance, Some of it was genuine, some of it was hoping to keep some peace to stay connected with her father too. But there were conditions. Marcus was saying it was up to her and offering to take them all to G-Mama’s which was incredibly tempting. Then he kissed her, first on the cheek and then fully on the mouth. She could never resist his kiss and kissed him back intensely, not caring that her family was watching. When they broke the kiss she smiled at him “I love you too.” She whispered with her forehead leaned on his briefly. Then she leaned back and looked around, before focussing in on her mother “We’ll stay but you need to keep it in check. Sorry means nothing if you’re going to do it again.” She picks up a loaf of challah and breaks off another piece and then passes it down via Marcus, hoping it makes its way to her father as well.
Pavel exhales audibly. He had seen the kiss happen and heard Marcus. This should all be interesting if Lisa took it to heart. She could be a good person, kind even. There were just a lot of layers on top and the booze never helped. “Thank you.” He says to both Marcus and Natalie, Saul and also Lisa. He will definitely take a big hunk of bread for himself if it’s passed his way. “So that’s why you’re tired lately Natalie? And not drinking?”
Natalie does answer her father “Yes and sort of. I quit drinking when I thought there was a chance of pregnancy but then as I did I realized how much I was drinking. I went through withdrawal….I don’t know if I’ll ever drink again. I’m also getting some counselling about it….I need to be a healthy mother in all ways possible.” She lets her gaze stray to her own mother briefly and then back to her father.
Marla looks pleased. She’s pleased by the honesty, the apology for what it’s worth. She knew Lisa had work to do but this was a start. Hell maybe she had work to do too. She saw Marcus and Natalie exchange a passionate kiss and then winked at Saul “You’re sexy when you raise hell Saul Morgenstern.”
Saul listens to his daughter and inwardly groans. But then Marcus forgives her .. sort of ... but also mentions his grandmother and cornbread. Looking at his plate he found himself inwardly warring with the decision. He watches the couple kiss and smiles. Now there was something that didn't change between races or religions. he looked at his wife and remembered the last time they'd kissed like that ... not more than a couple of nights ago. Then Natalie decides to stay and while part of him is relieved ... part of him really wanted some cornbread. He listens to natalie and smiles. "That's my smart girl." he tells her. He clears his throat. "So kids." he twirls the zucchini noodles around his fork. "Tell us about this baby .. not how you got it. I'm old not dead. I remember. I mean plans." he puts the zucchini noodles in his mouth, bites down and picks up his napkin with the noodles inside of it. Then he looks at his wife. "Just keep that thought in your head for when we get home, Marla." he tells her, not caring what any of them think.
Lisa sighs. She still didn't understand what she'd done, but everyone was against her. "I'll be good. I promise." she actually looks interested to hear the plans for the baby but sighs when her father rejects the noodles. At least he didn't say anything rude.
Marcus nods and passes the bread down to Pavel. He grins at Natalie, then chuckles at Marla, but laughs heartily at Saul. "Ya'll go on nah." he tells them. He can imagine that being them in their senior years. Then he looks at Saul. "well ... soon Natalie's moving ... And we can find a place ..."
Natalie giggles at her grandparents. Even among her family, giggling wasn’t something she did often. Marcus had brought that out in her again from a long lost place of her youth. “Yes I’m moving to Alexandra. It’s actually an amazing place. I fell in love with the island as much as Marcus. The firm is behind it, sending me to set up a satellite office. The town doesn’t have a lawyer. So it’s in the works. I’ve actually been talking to a real estate agent already about both office space and residential properties. So we’ll be a family, properly. I’m not sure if we’ll get married but I’m not ruling it out either. I know it’s fast but it’s just how it went.”
Now Marla chimes in after giving her husband a little eyebrow wiggle “When you know, you know.” She points a fork at Saul “I knew the minute he said hello. Hello my name is Saul.” She shrugs “Hello my name is Marla, come home with me, marry me, have all the babies with me.” She laughs and then looks at Natalie “It’s good honey.”
Pavel looks both happy and sad about the moving “How many hours away is Alexandra?” He looks between Natalie and Marcus and then smiles “I haven’t heard her giggle like that in many years.” He gets a little teary eyed again.
Saul grins. "You should be together with your baby." he winks at his wife. "That's about how it went, yes." he looks at Pavel and understands his feelings.
Lisa hears Natalie giggle and stares at her. There was a sound she hadn't heard in years. She looks at her parents and sighs. How she didn’t have 11 more siblings she would never know. And even she looks a little anxious about the move.
Marcus beams at Saul and Marla and then around the table. “Well Alexandra isn’t very far by ferry. I can get to Natalie’s in less than two hours. Plus there’s always FaceTime and all.” He tastes the zucchini noodles and swallows them hard. He drinks deeply of his mineral water before speaking again. “I guarantee you, you’ll be in the baby’s life. That’s something that means a lot to me.” he thinks of his own father and for the first time really wonders if he is alive or dead … and if that even matters.
Pavel looks comforted by Marcus’s words “Well we’ll have to come see Alexandra. How long have you been living there Marcus? I don’t think I ever even heard of it until Natalie mentioned going there for a case.”
Marla smiles about being in the baby’s life too. “A baby…..how exciting! Natalie do you have an obstetrician? Are you taking vitamins and eating enough?”
Natalie squeezes Marcus’s hand and looks around, nodding with him “Yes it’s not far. And I have a virtual appointment with a doctor on the island who does everything. They have a midwife too but I dunno…”
Marla waved off the midwife idea “Midwives are for dirty hippies screaming in their bathtub.”
Saul smiles at Marcus's reassurances. This was his great-grandchild and he was realist enough to know he might not have enough time to see he or she grow up, like he had with Natelie. He turned a laugh into a cough when his wife called midwives for dirty hippies screaming in their bathtubs.
Lisa also listened, but she was still a bit stiff and concerned. She was feeling a bit apart from this bunch ... as if there was a gulf now between she and her daughter that was wider than ever. First she brings home this man ... and tells them she got pregnant, probably almost immediately. That was not how things had worked in her life, that was for sure. Where was Natalie's shame? Clearly she had slept with this man far too soon and they were clearly putting on a show of love so it would go over better with the parents and grandparents.
Marcus looks at Pavel. "I moved in the spring, so only a few months. But I've always loved that place. I was conceived there, so it ... it feels like home to me, if that makes sense?" he knows, however, that the questions will mostly be aimed at Natalie and he was content to sit back and hold her hand through it all.
Marla looks intrigued by the fact that Marcus was conceived on Alexandra “So you carried that baby making mojo back with you? That’s funny.” She pats Lisa on the arm if she can “Isn’t that funny? Oh the kids are doing it all kinds of ways now.” She looks between them now getting right to it “So Natalie you said you’re not ruling out marriage. And Marcus seems open to conversion….I highly recommend both. I’m a little biased as an old Jewish wife but it’s been a good run.”
Now Pavel almost chokes on his bread at Marla’s boldness. She wasn’t as racist or unkind as Lisa but she was damned pushy sometimes like her.
Natalie laughs at her grandmother “Nana, I know you mean well, but I’m not sure how Jewish I am anymore. Culturally yes, but spiritually….I respect traditions but I’m not sure for myself or if I want to impose it on the baby. Let them choose their own path. And we’ll define what we are to each other as it needs to happen Nana. I am happy you and Pops are still madly in love and I aspire to that with Marcus.”
Saul chuckles at his wife and all of her comments, really. Looking at her, he sighs dramatically. "Marla, leave them alone. God has blessed them, do they really need to convert?" he shrugs. "But marriega ... maybe its not such a bad idea?" he looks between them and seems to think about it. "They might have a point, Marla. We are too old, sometimes."
Lisa looks at her mother, then between Marcus and Natalie. "Hilarious." her tone is decidedly dry.
Marcus looks around the table. "I'm with Natalie on religion." he tells them and then he pauses and shrugs. "I love Natalie, but I think it's more important that a baby have two parents, if at all possible. I neer knew my father, but my mother and her mother did a good job raising me, I think. I have a good job and I'm applying for a position as the Regional History teacher at Alexandra Academy. More money and all."
Lisa hears that Marcus doesn't know his father and that his mother raised him alone and takes in a long, deep breath, scoffs and rolls her eyes, glaring at her parents before she turns her attention back to her meal. At least she liked the food.
Pavel looks around as everyone talks. He sees his wife’s expressions and looks worried. Her quiet might be scarier than her ranting. “You have to choose your own path.” Is all he can offer safely. He might not be safe later when eyes are off Lisa.
Marla shrugs “Alright alright. Everybody’s shaking up and rolling around in new age religions and fad diets.” She points her finger around jovially “You all like the old ways and the challa even though you try not to admit it. Marcus I’ll be interested to hear how you talk about religion in your regional history….and food of course.” She reaches for the bread and takes off another hunk to eat.
Natalie gives her grandfather a grin and then her mother a warning look. She nods at her father and looks grateful for him speaking up. She knew he was often afraid to. Then she can’t help but laugh at her grandmother “Are you going to enroll as a student Nana?” She teases.
Marla fluffs one side of her hair “Do you think I could pass for a sweet young thing Natty?”
Saul grins and watches his wife. She is devout in her Judaism, he can't deny it. When she is teased, he looks at his wife with a smile. “Absolutely. I’ll have to beat those young college men off of you with a menorah.”
Lisa catches the warning look, and keeps quiet. Her thoughts going back many years and feeling something like a simmer within.
Marcus looks at Marla. “Well, Alexandra once had Indigenous on it, so … that for sure. And their foods. Why not. The former mayor is Indigenous and before the Academy was the Academy it was a residential school. I want to cover that. Make sure it's known and understood both why it was and why it had to change.” he pauses. “And how sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Natalie giggles at her grandparents antics and then nods along as Marcus speaks “Hugely important. If the academy doesn’t already do it you could encourage the school to have something for that orange shirt day. End of September I think. I think a lot of schools do it now but I know how remote the island can be…” She doesn’t elaborate but Marcus may clue in that she means the fog. The orange shirt day for Residential School Survivors and those lost and their families started officially in 2013 but took a few years to be adopted into all the schools across Canada. Alexandra Academy may not have had the same access to the news about events in greater BC and Canada.
Marla looks confused now “Orange shirts? Is that like the pink shirts for bullying or the green shirts for organ donors? I swear there are too many shirts…”
Natalie nodded “Well it’s meant to be raising awareness for more than just a day….but yes for Residential Schools and the Indigenous people affected by them...so basically all of Canada.”
Pavel nods gravely “It is important they have teachers like you Marcus and things like this.”
Saul considers what Marcus is saying, especially about how in many ways things remain the same as ever. He grins at Marla. "Not everyone can wear a Star of David everywhere they go.”
Lisa is mostly glad the subject got off of children. Yet they are on another slippery slope of a topic she doesn't dare speak on .. at least not tonight. She finishes hers. "Would anyone like coffee or tea?" she asks politely. "I know you have a long drive ahead of you, Marcus." she knows she sounds as if she is pushing them out of the door, but at this point, she isn't sure she cares.
Marcus considers Natalies words with a slow nod. "I am sure it can be done. I'll speak to the school board about it." he offers Pavel a nod. "Thank you. I'm just glad to put my degree to work." he hears and nods to Saul before Lisa offers coffee in a bit of a rush. He sets down his fork and considers how to react to it.
Natalie winks at her grandparents and beams at her father before catching her mother’s not so subtle hint “Oh we have plenty of tea at home.” She’s calling her home or Marcus’s home these days either way as they share both spaces until they manage to narrow down to one together when she moves. “And I tend to conk out pretty early right now. So maybe heading home soon is a good plan after we finish supper. I’m assuming there’s no Keto version of dessert?” It’s a half dig but she is also pretty sure of it.
Marla frowns “We should have brought some of that honey cake the bakery makes….or their poppy seed…” She circles back to Marcus “Do you have a history degree then or an education degree...or both? I don’t know how it works for teaching high school. “All our old Capilaino cronies had their masters and Ph D in this and that. I swear they were all perpetual students.”
Pavel looks at Lisa with some frustration. He was enjoying having Natalie and Marcus there and after tonight, if she was in a funk, it may be challenging to arrange another evening. He sighed “Don’t feel the need to rush, but I do understand, Natalie, if you’re tired.” He was sure Lisa had baked something earlier that day. This was a shove out the door.
Saul looks at Lisa with raised brows. She was being rude, and he couldn't figure out exactly why. Then Marla talks about honey cake. "We should have, but since we didn't we can pick one up on the way home." he chuckles.
Lisa shrugs, sullenly. "There IS Keto dessert. But no one likes my food, so I won't bother to bring it out." she reaches for her drink and downs it. "And all his talk ... has me tired. Not pregnant and tired, just tired."
Marcus reaches over to rub at Natalie's back, then looks at Marla. "I have a history degree and a teaching certification." he explains. "Or will..." he looks at Lisa and then at Natalie. "We can skip coffee, baby. If you just want to ... head home and rest."
Now Pavel comes to awareness and looks at Lisa with compassion. “The food was good. But maybe we’re all a little….tired…” He sighs.
Marla clues in as well a little but isn’t totally sure she’s right. Pavel tips her in the direction fo suspecting though and she exchanges a meaningful look with Saul “Yes we’re all tired.” She’s dropped her usual cheek, which is uncharacteristic. She saw the drink go down and looks at her daughter. There were so many barriers between them now. She didn’t even know how to reach through.
Natalie is a little bewildered by her family but also so grateful to have an out she just takes it. She leans into Marcus rubbing her back “Thank you for understanding, and for coming here tonight. Mother, thank you for a lovely meal. I do like your food. Nana, Pops….Dad or course, you’ve all been so amazing and supportive. Thank you.”
Saul sighs, realizing what the problem probably is. "Yes ... it's time to go home." he agrees.
Lisa nods. "You're welcome." she replies shortly and looks at Marcus. "It's been wonderful meeting you. Have a safe drive. I think I'll go and lie down. I think I'm coming down with something." and she turns and leaves the room, the table uncleared.
Marcus watches this calmly and betrays nothing. "Lisa..." he nods at her as she leaves the room. He looks at the others. "It really has been good to meet you all. Thanks for being there for Natalie."
Pavel shakes Marcus’s hand “Thank you for coming. It really was good to meet you. We’ll come visit…” Although he looks unsurely in the direction of his wife. “Natalie…” He hugs her and kisses her cheek as she stands up “I’m happy for you. I love you. Have a good night.” He looks at Saul and Marla and Marla waves him towards the bedroom where Lisa walked to.
“We’ll clear up and load your dishwasher.” She announced and then looks at Saul like her word on this is law. “Natalie, Marcus, you two just focus on growing a good one huh?” She grins and walks over and hugs them both.
Natalie now does start to look worried “Nana is she ok?”
Marla pats her cheek “It’s just the booze honey. Be glad you quit. It’s not so pretty when you’re older mmm?” She heads to the kitchen, scooping up a bunch of plates as she walks by.
Saul sighs deeply and nods at his wife. He stands and hugs Natalie and then offers Marcus another handshake. "You kids take care, alright." he begins to clear the table with his wife.
Marcus stands and accepts handshakes and hugs. His eyes flit towards where Lisa went and nods at Natalie. "Come on ... let's go, Natalie.".
Natalie heads out with Marcus and once they’re in the car she turns to him “Ok that was weirder than normal at the end. I mean it’s always a shitshow...but…” She presses her fingernail into the callous spot, something she doesn’t do often at all anymore but her mother retreating the way she did is hitting a note with her she doesn’t know what to do with.
In the kitchen Marla starts rinsing and stacking and shakes her head at Saul “Natalie has no idea….does she? Did we make her? Did we make our daughter push it all down so far she can’t talk to anyone? What kind of mother am I Saul?”
Pavel quietly creeps to the bedroom door and opens it slightly “Lisa, can I come in?” He’s asking permission even though it’s his room too.
Marcus gets in the car and puts the keys in the ignition. He looks over at Natalie. "Yea ... well ... maybe she's just upset we got pregnant so fast?" he sees her digging into her hand and he takes it, kissing her palm if allowed. "That doesn't matter to me. You matter to me." he tells her, softly.
Saul puts the dishes within reach of Marla and sighs at her words. "It doesn't look like Matalie knows ... no." he blows out a breath. "And .. you are a wonderful, loving mother, Marla. But times were different then ... maybe we had our priorities messed up but .. it was different then. Girls ... and boys ... " he blows out a frustrated breath.
Lisa is laying face down in the bed. She hears Pavel at the door. "It's your bedroom too ... yes." she sniffs and tries to put herself back together. She'd almost cried ... and she was now glad she could only look tired.
Pavel walks in and sees her looking tired but he knows there’s more going on. On a hunch he walks past their dresser and picks up one of the many wooden foxes he carved her when they were courting, well when she was recovering from having and giving up a baby at that cabin beside his parents home on the Fraser river many years ago. He sits down beside her and holds the fox out to her, looking at her with the same kindness in his eyes when she’d been so sad then. He doesn’t even say anything he just sits,
Natalie allows the kiss to her palm “Sorry, old instincts. Maybe…..I’m not sure though. Marcus I’m so sorry for all the things she said to you tonight. I mean it about not making you put up with her shit.”
Marla looks comforted by Saul and starts loading up the dishwasher “Why do they put the utensils eating end up?” She has to comment even though it’s not the topic “If this baby of Natalie’s is going to bring it all up for her, she should tell her. I mean I don’t know how…..we need a team of shrinks and a distillery…..honestly Saul…”
Marcus shrugs. "It's okay." he says about her habit. He expects it may be a long time before she can truly stop. "It's OK ... I mean we might not see much of your mom .. I hope we see more of your dad and Grandfather." he rubs at her hand. "We'll figure it out. You're my priority, natalie. You and our baby."
Saul ignores the question about the utensils and sighs deeply. "You think Lisa will tell Natalie that she has an older sibling? Oh god, Marla. We'd need an ARMY of shrinks." he shakes his head. "But I think the last thing Lisa needs at this point is more alcohol."
Lisa feels the bed sag as Pavel sits and hands her the fox. She takes it and bursts into tears. Leaning into Pavel she opens her mouth and at least some of it comes out. “How DARE she … what did she do? Fuck him the night they met and get knocked up? It’ll never last and she’ll be stuck with that .. baby. God!” It has nothing really to do with why she is really upset … and yet it has everything to do with why she’s upset.
Natalie looks at Marcus with loving gratitude “ And you and our baby are my priority. They’ll come around I’m sure. And Petra and G-Mama. Hopefully my mother if she can keep it together.I really do wish her healing. Nana was probably right about the booze.”
Marla nods “I was kidding about the distillery. I don’t want her drinking either. Natalie quit. Maybe this man and this baby saved her from where it all took Lisa. Oh Saul...our girl. I hope Pavel can get through to her.”
Pavel lays down with Lisa and curls his body around hers protectively. He takes her in his arms and just holds her for a while before asking a pointed question “Are you really just talking about Natalie?” His tone is gentle and careful.
Marcus smiles at Natalie and finally lets go of her hand. He puts his seat belt on and nods. “Well, they better come around. I’m not playing around when it comes to my family.” he reaches for the keys and starts the car.
Saul moves over to Marla and kisses her on the top of her head. “I hope so. I like that young man a lot. He’s good for Natalie.” he sighs and nods. “I hope he can. He loves her so much, and she hasn’t made that easy for him to do.”
Lisa lays down with Pavel and cradles the fox and his arm. He asks if this is really about Natalie and she begins to cry much harder. “I didn’t want to give it up.” she sobs. “They didn’t even tell me if it was a boy or a girl. I know nothing!”
Natalie beams at Marcus “ I love you. Sometimes I kick myself that it took this long to meet you….I feel like you’re who I needed and wanted all the years. But I’m also just happy we found our way together.” She clicks her own seatbelt in place and lets her hand rest on her abdomen.
Marla hugs Saul around the waist “I like him too...so much better than the other putzes…...oy.” She sniffs “I have faith in Pavel. He hasn’t run screaming away.”
Pavel just holds her tighter and strokes her hair “I know. I know…” He rocks her a little and kisses her temple.
Marcus smiles as he backs out of the driveway. “I love you, too … and … things happen when they happen, I guess. Maybe when we were younger we weren’t ready? I don’t know.” he begins driving. “Home we go … because … I’m starving, baby. I mean your moms personality is one thing … but that food …”
Saul hugs his wife. “No, he hasn’t. And not many men would put up with our daughter. They’re both lucky to have good men with them.” he backs away a bit. “Let’s get this finished and leave those kids alone, eh?”
Lisa continues to cry in her husband’s arms. She doesn’t know or care of there’s anyone left in the house. Her past has come back to slap her in the face with a bat, if feels like, and she can already tell she isn’t handling it well. All she wants now is a drink.
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