Levi had greeted his family, nearly being bowled over by his sister Ruth. He brought them home, where Jasper had been making sandwiches for their dinner. The weather was hot, but not too hot. When he opened his apartment door, the temperature was perfect, and the smell was mouthwatering. On the coffee table sat a large plate of smoked meat sandwiches on Rye bread. He seats himself in the comfortable chair in the corner. “Make yourselves to home.”
Joseph walked into the apartment and immediately smelled the smoked meat and was impressed. But he knew his son had an important announcement to make to the younger kids, so he took off his shoes and took Ruth’s suitcase, and his mother,s and put them in the first bedroom.
Daniel smelled smoked meat on the stairs and when he saw the pile of sandwiches he headed straight for them, slipping out of his shoes in steps, leaving them where they lay. He bit in. “Oh man, these are good! Who made them?” he asked with his mouth full. “Because you can’t cook.” he caught a glimpse of someone in the kitchen and nodded, assuming this was the housekeeper.
Esther walked in and immediately summed up the place. Nice. Organized and neat. Sandwiches on the coffee table, but it as a small apartment. Her banter turned from herself to her grandson. “It’s a small place, but nice.” she noted. “You’ve been taught well. Mia will be proud.” she sits down and looks at her youngest grandson who has made himself at home. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, Danny.” she sits on the love seat, noting a chair in a corner that Levi has planted himself in. She reaches for a sandwich and nods as she takes her first bite. She is silent as she chews and finally swallows. “I know you weren’t expecting me, but I wasn’t going to miss this chance to meet you. I haven’t seen you in so long. Tell me everything. Do you have a girlfriend yet? Is it serious? You’re the one giving me the great-grandchildren, Levi.” she reminds me. “I won’t live forever.”
Levi glances in the direction of the kitchen. “Well, that’s sort of why I sent for Pop and the younger ones, Saba.” he blows out a breath. “I should have invited you, too. It’s important .. not bad .. but important.” he glances at his father. “Dad already knows …”
Jasper had been making himself scarce in the kitchen after making Kosher sandwiches for Levi’s family. Part of the way through making them he realized he forgot the special deli mustard he found and rejoiced about when he saw the Kosher symbol on the label. So he had texted Miranda and she had ridden over with it on her bicycle and then helped him with finish making them. But as soon as they were ready the Samuels came in the door and now they were both hiding out. But they could hear bits of the conversation and exchanged glances as a teenage boy took a sandwich and asked who made them.
Ruth walked around Levi’s apartment with great curiosity. She liked the spare room. If she can get away with it she might beg to stay longer. There was food but she was more interested in the space. Her brother was eating. Typical Daniel. It was nice but not ostentatious. There were imperfections and she liked that. Then Grandma Esther starts asking Levi a bunch of questions about a girlfriend and wanting more babies. She tunes out until Levi says there’s a reason he called them to visit and should have invited Esther. And that Dad knows? Now she gave Levi her full intense stare.
Levi knows that Levi and Miranda are sort of hiding out and eavesdropping, so he doesn't want to drag it out. But he still nervous. He reminds himself that his grandmother has always been wonderful. "Saba ..." he sits forward and folds his hands between his knees. He looks at her, then away. "Saba, I'm gay."
Joseph had been told about Levi by Levi after a brief affair he'd had with an accountant. SO he wasn't surprised by anything except the fear that Levi had of coming out to the rest of his family. In Joseph's mind, I expected that there might be some push back by his older sons, but not much, as they knew that Joseph would protect the son he had with Talia above all the others. The sons under Levi were all very young and more accepting like so many their age. It would be fine for him.
Daniel was still eating. The food was good and he considered himself a growing boy who needed his sustenance. Levi announces that he has an important announcement and should have included Saba, and he's a little worried. That all goes away when Levi announces that he is gay. He swallows his mouthful and looks at his brother. "OK, but who made this? It's REALLY good."
Esther listens to this announcement that Joseph already knows about and is a little worried. This was her daughters only child. But surely if it was that bad, Joseph would have told her whenever he found out. So what was the secret? Then Levi announces that he is gay, and the reasons are clear. It is not always easy for gays in the Jewish faith, never mind lawyers. Daniel is more concerned with who made the sandwich and she shushes him with an impatient wave of her hand. She looks at Levi. "My grandson." she looks at him intently. "Do you have a boyfriend yet? Is it serious? Does HE have children, if they aren't coming from you?" she demands. "I won't live forever, you know."
Levi nearly cries. "Oh, Saba ...." he stands and takes a step towards the kitchen. "Jasper .." he calls. "I think my family can meet you now."
Jasper heard it all and had to really restrain his laughter at the younger teenage boy and the grandmother. But he was also immensely relieved that it went so well. He looked back at Miranda as Levi said his family was ready to meet him just in time for her to give him a little push forward into view. He smiled at Levi and then looked like he was trying to decide who to greet first. He started with the surprise grandma “Hi there nice to meet you. Levi called you Saba but please let me know how you like to be addressed. I’m Jasper Rogers, Levi’s boyfriend. It is serious. I have three teenage children, one of whom is hiding in the kitchen..” He chuckles “Miranda, please join us.” He looks at Levi’s father next “Mr. Samuels it is very nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about all of you. Normally I would shake hands but I have to keep telling people not to so I best practice it.” He looks at the two kids now and thinks to recall names “Ruth? Youngest and only girl.” He noticed the intense gaze and didn’t press her further “And youngest boy... you’re Daniel? Yes we made the sandwiches. Miranda and I. I’m glad you like them.”
Miranda gives a little wave around the room “Greetings earthlings.”
Ruth kept her intense stare on Levi but could see how hard it was for him to share his news. When she heard he was gay she gave him one of her rare smiles “ That’s much more interesting than some boring matchmaking story.” Then the boyfriend got called in and he came with an amusing teenage daughter. Ruth gave him the stare but then a small smile “Hi.” She looked over Miranda curiously “Aren’t we all earthlings?”
Miranda smirks “Sometimes you can trip up the aliens if you call them out.”
Jasper moved to Levi after and took his hand if he could, chuckling at Miranda a bit. He smiled proudly at him and gave the hand a squeeze.
Levi squeezes Jasper’s hand in relief and smiles at his family and Miranda. Ruth is smiling, which isn't something she's ever done a lot, so its good to see her do it at all, but especially now. He stands and offers his chair to Miranda. "Have a seat." he looks at Ruth. "Miranda is the only girl too. But she only has two brothers."
Joseph comes close to shaking Jasper's hand and blows out a frustrated breath. "It's nice to meet you too, Jasper. And Miranda as well." he grins. He finally takes and begins to eat, happy that was over.
Daniel looks at Jasper and Miranda. "Seriously this is really good." he compliments. "Please teach my brother how to cook." he arches his brows. "And maybe me, too, please?"
Esther actually stands and is ready to distribute hugs when Jasper mentions telling people they shouldn't. She sort of falls back in her seat. "You can call me Esther, Jasper." she is introduced to Miranda and gives a little hop in her seat trying not to get up again. "Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Jasper." she listens and learns that Jasper knows about the two youngest siblings, at least and then Daniel wants to be taught to cook. "Sit down, Jasper and tell me..." she smiles at him. "What do you do for a living that you tell people not to shake hands?" she wants to get to know this an and this is one way to start.
Jasper laughs and moves from Levi to sit by Esther, but answers Daniel “I can do both of those things.” He winks at Levi after and then turns to face Esther and answer her “I’m a doctor. I just started at the clinic in town. It’s why we moved. So in this era of Covid concern, much of healthcare is just trying to emphasize safety. I mean I had that at my last job too but with an added layer. I worked at the Masqui Correctional Centre before here.”
Miranda looks a little self conscious at Levi giving up his seat but then she graciously sits “Thanks Levi.” She smiles about the sandwiches but looks a little confused that this is impressive cooking. She takes one and bites and then nods “Ok it’s good. Romeo worthy even.” She looks between Daniel and Ruth “So you want to learn to make sandwiches?”
Ruth watches the conversation in a round and then takes a sandwich and bites with a reserved but pleased look. “We don’t get a lot of time in the kitchen without getting shooed out by the cook. But I want to cook more and I know that makes us sound stuck up.”
Miranda blinks and then slowly nods “Oook.” She rememberers Levi saying he came from very rich people and took this as one of those factors. “It’s what you know not you being stuck up. Plus the fact that you’re aware people might think that makes you less so.” Her tone is matter of fact.
Levi watches his brother and sister and smiles. "I'm learning to cook, but Jasper is better at it." he sweeps his arm around. "I clean my own apartment, Saba."
Joseph watches his kids with interest. He knew they didn't know how to cook. There had always been cooks and maids. Of course, the boys all wanted to learn how to drive when they came of age. But he'd never heard of any of them being teased. "Maybe I should learn too, eh? Ruth, you can teach me on weekends." he doesn't always have a lot of time during the week.
Esther listens to Jasper. "A doctor?" she looks at Levi, impressed. "You landed a doctor that can cook. I like this." she listens to the kids and nods slowly. "I think they should learn. The older boys too before it's too late for them. I love your cook and housekeeper, but ... maybe it is time the kids learned to be more self-sufficient." she looks around the apartment. "Very good." she compliments Levi and looks at Jasper, unashamed. "And, I know it doesn't matter, but how old are you? And your other children?" she is giving a bit of an interview, not that it mattered. If Levi was in love, he was in love and she was happy for him. She'd worried because he never brought anyone home ... and being gay explained a lot of that.
Jasper laughs and blushes just a bit at Esther’s you landed a doctor that can cook comment. He’d never thought of himself as someone to be “landed”. He nods in agreement “Levi’s doing great with it all. And it’s so much cleaner than our place...mind you you don’t have 3 teenagers living in it.” He teases and looks at Miranda with a grin. Jasper answers the age question “Not that it matters, but I’m 45. Duncan is 17, Miranda is 16 and Romeo is almost 15 now. Yes...Irish triplets. And I agree that everyone should learn to cook, at least a little bit.”
Miranda rolled her eyes about the house not being clean with three kids comment “I’m not as messy as Romeo.” She observes Levi’s family. It seems the adults were all very successful in the career sense but had missed on the life skills a bit, like cooking, even Joseph, who was pretty old not to know how. It was an oddity to her. And clearly career and title were important as Esther referred to Levi as having landed a doctor.
Ruth looked around Levi’s apartment again as she just listened He cleaned it himself. Again she felt this place was more real. Not that she didn’t love Mia but she sometimes felt like she lived in a bit of a bubble and some of the kids at school were quite relentless in calling her a spoiled princess. It wasn’t who she wanted to be.
Levi just sits back and watches. He'd undergone a bit of an interrogation when he'd been introduced to Miranda and the boys. What a night that had been.
Joseph nodded at Jasper's reply. "So not an intern. You mentioned that you worked at the Masqui Correctional Centre before you came here. That would have to be quite a stressful situation. This place is quite idyllic in comparison."
Daniel looks intrigued. "Irish triplets?" he pauses and considers. "Oh ... yea three kids born really close together?" he asks, having never heard the term before. "Thank god we don't have those running around." he scoffs. "We'd be an army."
Esther nods and sighs softly. "I sometimes feel I failed the kids. Levi came the closest to being like everyone else, because he was so old when Immanuel came along ... they're the reverse of Irish Triplets with thirteen years between them." she grins slightly at Danial's comment about an army and then sadly at Joseph. "Things happen the way they happen, Daniel." but the comment made her think of her daughter who would gladly have had more than just Levi.
Jasper takes on all the questions and topics with warmth and grace. He nods at Joseph “It was very stressful at times. It went one shiv to my neck and one riot far enough to make me look for other work. I’m a single father….I need to stick around. I suspect you relate.” He glances at Daniel, Ruth and then Levi. Then he nods at Daniel “Just the way it worked out….yeah.” He sympathizes with Esther “I think every parent or grandparent feels that way about something sometime but from what I can see…” Again he looks at Levi and gives him a deeply loving look “You folks did alright.” He looks over at Joseph after since Levi was his son so his hand in the person Jasper was in love with was more than Esther.
Miranda shrugs “It means being in the same class as a sibling often which is I dunno good and bad. And how many are you all again?” She looks at Daniel, Ruth and then Levi. She knew it was big but she had forgotten the exact number. “We’re not an army….perhaps a rogue band of Shakepearan misfits.”
Ruth looks at Daniel about the army comment “We kinda are an army.” Then the Shakespeare thing dawns on her. She hadn’t studied all the plays but everyone had heard of Romeo and Juliet. She admires that her Grandma Esther...Saba….admits that she’s felt failure. And then Jasper relates. Way too many grown ups she knew, particularly her mother acted like they could do no wrong.
Levi smiles at Jasper. and looks at his siblings. Glancing at Miranda, he tells her. "There are nine of us, but we're spread out a little bit. Three brothers above me and five siblings below me." he looks at Ruth with a smirk. "Dad finally got his baby girl, so I think he can retire from baby making." it's part humor and part honest hope.
Joseph nods at Jasper. "I've never been involved with a riot, but I've been stabbed twice over the years. Not all of my clients have white collars." he blows out a breath and looks between Esther and his children. "I know my failures. Too well." he admits. "Not the least of them being that I work too hard and not from home. Especially after Talia died." he blows out a breath.
Daniel looks around the adults with interest. To Miranda he laughs. "Our names are all Hebrew and or biblical." then he looks at his brother saying that their father finally got his baby girl and nods, grinning. He believes he is almost as close to Ruth as Levi is, since they share a mother.
Esther smiles at Jasper and nods. "There have been a few stabbings in the family. As Joseph said, not every client has a white collar." She also nods at the idea that Joseph is done making babies. She knows that Ruth is a most beloved daughter. Perhaps even spoiled. Joseph was wrapped around her finger for sure.
Ruth looks uncomfortable with the dad got his baby girl comment. The reminder that her father had been stabbed is also overwhelming to her whenever it comes up. She was singled out a lot for being that, for being a spoiled little girl with an older father and it’s gotten extreme in her school life. She stands up a bit abruptly and mutters “I need to go to the bathroom.” She’s seen where they are and heads for the closest.
Jasper notices Ruth’s abrupt leaving after they started talking about things that might be possibly too scary for a 10 year old. He drops his voice as the bathroom door shuts “I hear you Joseph….maybe we should talk about it …..another time.” He’s not sure how mature Daniel is either or how much fear it instilled. He offers a new topic “How can we help you folks have a great vacation? Aside from sandwiches. We have a nice beach. They rent windsurfers. There’s a great park.”
Miranda watched Ruth head for the bathroom and nodded when he dad told Joseph they should talk about stabbings and being threatened by criminals later. Ruth was young. She remembered being tally freaked out by her father coming home looking a mess after a prisoner he was treating attacked him one day. No kid wants to think about their parent being killed at work. “The beach is awesome.” She encourages.
Levi watches Ruth abruptly leave and sighs. He agrees with Jasper. "The beach is very nice. This is a small practice and we don't have any real clients at the moment." he looks at his father. "Two nuisance cases from a woman in town who is known for that. So technically I am suing the town, but once the judge is finished laughing, he'll throw them out of court." he grins. "So I at least have time to hang out with my brother and sister." he looks at his grandmother. "Just a warning ... not a lot of Kosher around here, but you can find it if you look for it. I ... break it a lot..."
Joseph arches his brows at the ness that there is a person filing nuisance lawsuits. But that is easy money for the firm and it does give Levi and Natalie something to do. "The beach sounds good. I didn't bring my trunks, which might be a good thing, if I don't want to scar my children any more than they already are."
Daniel brightens at mention of a beach. He liked the beach and he liked girls. Part of him is glad Levi can spend time with them with their father. He just hopes that no one will talk about what a charming family they are, confusing Levi for his father, his father as his GRANDfather and their grandmother as their GREAT grandmother.
Esther smiles. "I think I'd like the beach, but also to walk around looking at this town. It's adorable!" she looks at Levi when he mentions kosher food. "Yes yes yes you break Kosher. You think I don't know? And you . oh all of you. Can't keep the Sabbath because of court, can't keep Kosher because of an island. Always excuses, is what it is." she chides, but she is smiling.
Jasper chuckles about the nuisance cases as he was pretty sure he knew which woman Levi meant by his mentions and her reputation. “They actually had all the sandwich stuff in Thriftys so I suppose Kosher wise you could live on sandwiches and that vegan place.” He looks at Joseph “Pretty sure they sell trunks at that Island Dive shop. Miranda bought a swimsuit there our first week. Don’t we get to scar our children a little?” He teases and then looks contrite when Esther starts in about excuses.
Miranda nods “They had a sale so I bought two swimsuits but they have men’s ones too.” She’s not sure what to offer about the Kosher stuff because it was new to her but it was interesting. She smiled at Ruth as she came back and tried to engage the girl in conversation “So I’m going to a new school this year. What’s your school like? Is it a Jewish school?” She looks at Daniel as well “Do you two go to school together?”
Ruth had just walked back out and sat down when Miranda was suddenly asking her about school. She froze for a minute and then gave short answers “Um…..no not Jewish yet. I don’t change to that until grade 7. I go to Bairdmore Hall. It’s a private girls school but not religious. I’d love to go to a new school….” She tries to make the last part sound casual but there’s an undercurrent of a plea in her tone. She nervously starts chewing on her thumb nail after for a moment and then tucks her thumb into her fist and lets her hands fall between her knees.
Levi nods. "Sandwiches are how I DO manage to keep kosher, and I do try to follow the Sabbath, Saba. It's actually easier here, since my caseload isn't so bad." He looks at his brother and sister, letting them answer about school.
Joseph chuckles at Jasper. He liked this man. "Well, so much for the excuses." he looks around. "I can buy new trunks. I don't know if you kids have them in your suitcases." he hadn't packed, and they hadn't either. "But I suppose now is a good time to buy new clothes for school..." he muses. He's never gone clothes shopping with his kids before. "So if you want new clothes, now's the time." Ruth returns and wonders a little at her tone.
Daniel goes through a second sandwich and chuckles. "As long as it's good kosher, I don't care." he listens as the subject turns to school. "I'm at Silverstein Torah Collegiate." he tells Miranda. "All boys." he rolls his eyes. "The girls academy is across the street, at least." he looks at Ruth and gives her a slight widening of the eyes as she starts biting on her thumb nail until she stops. He brightens. "I want new clothes. I want to pick them out MYSELF." its part demand, but mostly plea.
Esther looks around and seems pleased that they can keep kosher and practice the sabbath. That reminds her and she looks at Levi. "You should call Rabbi Dreyer." she tells him. "He's noticed you haven't managed to come to virtual Temple since before you moved here. And he's one of your friends.'' She looks at her grandchildren and smiles at Joseph's offer. "That sounds like a good idea. Give them some freedom, Joseph."
Levi arches his brows at the mention of Rabbi Dreyer. "Well he's busy. We haven't seen each other as much since he got married. I will try and make it. I promise. For you and Gavriel, since he's so worried about me." he avoids rolling his eyes. He grins at his siblings. "Picking out your own clothes. Man, I didn't get to do that until high school."
Jasper didn’t clue in on the name Rabbi Dreyer but as soon as he hears Gavriel in association with the surname and Rabbi and since he got married he makes the connection. Levi’s ex. He gives Levi a tender look. He knew the family didn’t know how painful that connection might be for him. He jumps to the topic of school and clothes “So private schools? Uniforms? What grades are you both going into?” He addresses the two Samuels siblings.
Ruth smiles brightly about picking out clothes. This was all still new to her even choosing what she got to wear each day from the clothes she had. “We do wear uniforms but we need new clothes for the weekends and after school stuff. And shoes. I don’t want to wear any dresses this year when I’m not in uniform.” She announced. Her mother had made her wear dresses so much she hated them. She looks surprised Levi didn’t get to pick his own clothes until high school.
Miranda didn’t know the Rabbi person so she focussed on the school and clothes topics too “Ugh uniforms. But hey Ruth, grade 6 right? It sounds like only one more year until you get to change schools anyway…..to that girls Jewish school across from Daniel.” She smiled at Daniel who had made it obvious he wished the girls school was closer.
Ruth shrunk a bit into herself “Yes….just one more year…” She felt like it was a prison sentence and her tone reflected it.
Levi returns Jasper’s look, but falls silent, listening to his siblings. It’s been too long since he’s seen them. Ruth doesn’t seem keen on school, but he doesn't know if it's actually a worry or just that she’s lonesome without her brothers.
Joseph listens to his kids talk about school and catches Ruth’s tone. “Do you miss your brothers that much?” he asks with a slight grin.
Daniel looks at Ruth. He also gets the idea that Levi and his father aren’t entirely getting what the problem is. Scoffing, he tries to get the spotlight off of her. “Oh, yea … STC is a BLAST.” he rolls his eyes. He mocks one of his teachers. “Oh I remember your brother …” he snorts. “Insert name here.” He rolls his eyes one more time. “I wish you could come across the street Ruth.” he admits.
Esther is also watching. Especially at how Daniel seems to want the spotlight. That’s not always his style. “It could be that way if girls could learn the same things as boys.” she purses her lips. “But we cannot.” an ancient argument.
Ruth silently nods at her father with her intense stare about missing her brothers “I wish I could go to school with Daniel, Elazar and Chai (pronounced Kye short for Mordechai.” In her mind she had been silently screaming for help but she also knew she couldn’t really. She gave her father a forced smile after “Just to make sure they stay out of trouble.”
Miranda finds Ruth an interesting contradiction of moods. So very serious and then joking. Intense for a 10 year old and intriguing. “You can’t keep your brothers out of trouble….even my older one who’s supposed to be sane..” She doesn’t elaborate after catching a warning look from her dad. But she instead goes on about Romeo “My younger one…..has a smart mouth. But he can usually use it to charm his way out of too much trouble. Boys…” She looks around “No offense.” Then she looks at Esther “So they segregate the genders because girls aren’t allowed to do stuff? Wow talk about stuck in the wrong era. Also….what happens if they get a transgender kid...I mean in either school? Does that happen?”
Jasper gives Daniel a grin “It’s hard to walk in the shadows of siblings sometimes. But I’m glad you’re close….you and Ruth and the other siblings still in school.” He extends the sentiment to Ruth with a look and then his head snaps towards Miranda with a warning as she starts to bring up Duncan’s business. That was not a discussion for today and certainly not something to talk about when he wasn’t even here to meet Levi’s family himself. He does laugh about Romeo “As Levi said, Romeo would make a great lawyer.” He holds his breath a bit as Miranda gets into gender politics and gender inclusion in Judaism. He looks at her again and almost considers redirecting but it was a valid question. “I imagine that would be complicated in a faith perspective where gender defines roles.” He tries to word it more neutrally but he’s not a fan of women having less education or opportunity either, or anyone being excluded by gender.
Levi gives his sister a sympathetic look. Then he hopes to lighten things by saying. “If he chooses that path, he will have a place in our firm, if I have any say in it.” then Miranda brings up gender, equality and the like and he simply sits back, looking just about anywhere but at the females.
Joseph looks at Levi. “I’ll make a note of that. Sounds like he has a few years .. who knows who will be in charge of the firm by then.” and he too goes uncomfortably silent with the tough issue is brought up.
Daniel looks over at Ruth. “I don't’ know about trouble, but you’re smarter than me in a lot of areas, and I could use some help.” Then he looks at Miranda. “Girls aren’t allowed to do stuff. Can’t even go to temple sometimes. I mean … I don’t understand all of it, but … It’s a Conserative thing … mostly … isn’t it?” and then he blinks at the transgender thing. “I … we’ve never had a transgendr in our school, so I … don’t …” he looks helplessly at his grandmother now, falling as silent as his brother and father.
Esther sighs looking at both Ruth and Miranda and seems to focus on them. “There are some strict laws. The Negiah, which forbids women and men from touching, unless they are married and then they cannot touch with the woman is unclean … on her cycle.” she doesn’t look ashamed. “Our family isn’t Cnoservative, but that is one of the rules at the kids school. When a girl turns 11 she is assumed to have started her time. Which is why the schools are separated. So the girls do not touch the boys and get in trouble.” she shrugs. “I believe our family leans more towards Reform. After all, Joseph hired a female lawyer and has nothing but praise for her. And .. as for the transgender … the … laws are still caatchin gup, I’m afraid…” she bites her lip and looks at Levi. “Maybe you could talk to Rabbi Dreyer. He is getting quite powerful. People listen to him…”
Levi looks up. “Gavriel will not listen to me. I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t pack my bags and personally escort me to harem (censure/shunning).” he shrugs. “I’m sorry … but that is why I was in the closet until I fell in love, Saba. I won’t force Jasper to live in a closet with me over something I don’t think is any of God’s business.”
Esther looks at Levi. “Don’t apologize. Never apologize for being who you are.”
Jasper had been focussing on Miranda and Ruth when all the gender stuff was discussed. Miranda was just gaping at all the rules and restrictions for women.
“Well I’m glad YOU’RE not conservative….you mean to tell me that if I were Jewish and Aunt Flo was visiting...and I high fived Daniel we’d like burst into flames in a synagogue. What are they afraid of?” Miranda was very floored by it all. Then she heard they didn’t have a plan for transgender people and Levi talking about some Rabbi shunning him over being gay and she huffed and had to get up and walk around, ending up at one of the windows.
Jasper took a deep breath “Miranda….we respect all faiths. Whether we understand them or not….it sounds like there’s a controversy within the faith as well.” When Levi talked about Gavriel and shunning and not forcing him to live in a closet he walked to Levi. Esther told him never to apologize for who he was and it made Jasper smile and lean in kissing Levi’s cheek. “She’s right.” And then he dropped to a whisper and said the next part in Levi’s ear “And Gavriel can go fuck himself.” before stepping back and shoving his hands in his pockets. He’d never been the new boyfriend a man had brought home before and now there were big conversations.
Ruth stayed quiet but watched with her wide eyed intense stare. She knew about all the rules for women and what it would mean for her life once she fully became one, which was her inevitable biology. Miranda was so outspoken and brave. So was Levi and even Daniel. She gave him a grateful look briefly for saying he thought she was smart, smarter even. He knew he meant it kindly even though it often cost her when it came up at school where competition was political.
Levi watched Miranda. Her reaction was not surprising. She was a strong woman. But he remains quiet, letting his grandmother handle it. Not unironic given a woman's place. He grins into the kiss Jasper gives him and smiles at the whispered words about Gavriel.
Joseph raised his brows at Miranda. She was a firecracker. "There is controversy." he agrees with Jasper. "I would have thought that Rabbi Dreyer would think less traditionally, as he is so young but ..." he looks at Levi. "Apparently not."
Daniel smiled outright at Miranda's reaction. "Stupid, right?" he sighs. "We have different traditions in our family." he motions to Levi. "Papa won't disown Levi for being gay. And Rabbi Dreyer ..." he just shrugs, never having liked him, even if he had once been close to his brother.
Esther smiled at Miranda and watched Ruth's wide eyed stare. "Well, one thing you learn as a woman ... of any religion, I would imagine ... is that we have power men don't understand." she grins at Joseph. "I think maybe that is why they created laws to try and keep us weak. In the religious texts ... in the government ... but you learn your history and you learn how strong a woman is." she glances at Daniel. "Of course your father wouldn't disown Levi." she makes it sound absurd, which it is.
Joseph shook his head. "No worries there ... right now your brother is in the running to take over the firm when I ... retire." he tells Daniel ... and the rest of them. "And of course, if Ruth decides to follow in the family tradition the firm would be proud to have her."
Miranda turns around at Esther’s words but she had listened to the others. “Damn straight.” She smiles about their absolute acceptance of Levi as well as their rejection of sexism.
Jasper nodded at Joseph and Daniel about Gavriel. If only they knew the half of it. He beams at Miranda and Esther and then gives Levi a check in kind of look. Did he know his father was considering him for that? How would that go for him with the older brothers? Now he looks at Ruth “Well there you go Ruth.” He slightly teases.
Ruth takes in Saba’s words and the fierceness of her stare increases a bit. She was determined to be strong. “If anyone tries to disown Levi, they lose me too from their lives. “ She digests the notion that she already would have a job if she chose to be a lawyer. Did she want that? There were so many things a person could be.
Levi blinks at his father. Part of that is not a surprise. He was a good lawyer, but he is also Talia's son. He simply shrugs about Gavriel. "He is sometimes very traditional." he also smiles, knowing his father would never disown him, but also pleased that his siblings and grandmother have his back.
Daniel also blinks and stares at Levi. "Cool..." he breathes. Then he considers what it could mean. And then he looks at his sister and father. No Levi would never be disowned. And he agreed one hundred percent with Ruth. "Me too." he nods. He was glad that Ruth could become a lawyer. He thought she'd make a better one than he would.
Joseph chuckles at his children and holds up his hands. "No, I would never disown Levi. And I would not want to lose my beautiful daughter, either." Parent’s were not supposed to love one child over another, and for the most part he loved them the same, but also each of his children had gifts that made them stand out. Ruth was hisonly girl. Daniel ws his last born son. Yosef was his oldest. And Levi was Talia’s.
Esther grins at Miranda's 'damn straight'. and then turns her head to look at Ruth and her opinion of Levi ever being disowned. "Oh I would also have something to say about it, also." she agrees and winks at the girls.
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