“Is that what you did?” he asked.
“You have no idea,” Blake said.
Eighteen
Iris Sileski was hosting Thanksgiving dinner at her house. Nine months pregnant, due in three weeks, feeling big as a water buffalo in a tutu, ankles swollen, father-in-law in the spare bedroom, husband working until afternoon, Iris was doing the baking and roasting a turkey. Seth’s oldest brother, Boomer, and his wife and kids were going to his wife’s family for the holiday, something they seemed to decide after Gwen announced her divorce and moved Norm out of the house.
“Chicken,” Iris said to Boomer. “The next time you’re in a bad place, call someone who cares!”
Nick, the bachelor brother, was coming. But Nick was not only clueless, he was also unpredictable. If some pretty girl called him with a better offer he might suddenly come down with the flu and miss Iris’s dinner. And being the bachelor, he wouldn’t be bringing the pies if he did come.
But despite the fact Iris was in a foul mood, she gave the dinner her all. She’d gone to Grace’s shop and made herself a beautiful horn of plenty centerpiece, baked three pies, bought a twenty-pound turkey and rigorously cleaned the house.
“Can I help with anything, Iris?” Norm asked her.
“Yes,” she said. “You can go next door and do whatever it takes to make up with your wife!”
“Now, Iris,” he said. And then he went to the station for a while. God forbid he should vacuum or clean a bathroom. Maybe Gwen had a point...
* * *
Seth had volunteered to work most of Thanksgiving Day so other officers could take time with their families. As compensation, he would take an extra-long dinner break, from maybe four till seven, during which time he would have dinner with his family, even though he’d be on call. And as extra compensation, he would have a nice Christmas, working the bare minimum, during which time he expected to have a brand-new baby girl in residence.
When he got home, only Nick and Iris were there. Nick was in front of the TV, watching football, drinking a beer. Iris was in the kitchen, working her tail off. Seth kissed her cheek and asked her how she felt.
“Just great,” she said, heavy on the sarcasm.
“I’m sorry, honey,” he said. “Can I help?”
“You’ve got cleanup,” she said. “You and any other male Sileskis on the property.”
“You bet. Of course. I’m on call, though.”
“Ah,” she said. “Have you scheduled the call yet?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind,” she said. “Just relax. It’s almost ready.”
“Where’s Norm?”
“At the station, of course. I imagine he’ll be here the second the dinner bell rings.”
And sure enough, he was. Iris said five o’clock and Norm came wandering in at ten minutes to—just enough time to wash his hands. He got a little sidetracked, though. He grabbed a beer and sat down with his boys in the living room, watching the game.
The table was set, the bird was resting, the potatoes mashed, the gravy perfect, the green beans under a pat of butter and the rolls buried in a linen wrap in a wicker basket. Napkins were rolled into holiday rings and the ice water had been poured.
There was a cheer from the living room followed by a lot of male laughter. This was not a sound alien to other Thanksgivings in the Sileski family, but usually there would be Boomer’s wife, Sandy, in the kitchen to help Gwen put out the food.
Iris walked right through the living room to the baby’s room, and even though she was roughly the size of an RV, she went completely unnoticed. She stood at the end of the crib, looking around at her baby’s room—it was so precious. She rubbed her tummy; it was getting hard and solid because there was no more room in there. She really didn’t know where she was going to put another three weeks or more. She wanted to hold this baby so dearly.
This was supposed to be the best Thanksgiving of her life—married to the love of her life for eleven months, nine months pregnant, at peace with the family, everyone anxiously awaiting the birth. Instead, what did she have? A day of backbreaking labor that no one really noticed followed by a feast they would all take for granted. And fat ankles.
She went back to the kitchen, again strolling through the living room unnoticed, and put all the food on the table. She began carving the turkey and even the noise from the electric knife only made the men louder. She called them to the table and they all came, slowly, one by one, the TV roaring in the background.
There was laughter and chatter as they loaded up their plates. They talked about the game, the weather, the garage, the sheriff’s department, their schedules, and paused every so often when there was a loud report from the TV, from the game. Nick got up from the table, fork still in his hand, and ran to the living room. “Touchdown!” he yelled. “That’s my team. Seth owes me two bucks so far but I plan to leave here a rich man!”
Then, remarkably, Nick came back to the dining room and picked up his plate, taking it to the living room, balancing it on his knee to watch the game and report. Within sixty seconds Norm was following his son, leaving Seth alone at the table with Iris.
He looked at her pleadingly. She jerked her head in the direction of the living room and before she could even reconsider Seth packed up his dinner and followed his dad and brother.
No one mentioned the glaring absence of Gwen. Iris had only talked to her a couple of times during the week, passing chitchat, because frankly she was furious with them both—Gwen and Norm! She wasn’t thrilled with Boomer, Nick or Seth, either.
She sat there picking at her dinner. Seth came in, kissed her on the cheek and asked her if she was okay. “Fine,” she said. So he took seconds of dressing, potatoes and gravy.
Right behind him came Nick, reloading. “Outstanding, Iris! Thank you!” She answered that it was a pleasure.
Iris sat there for a while and then she began packing up a hot picnic. If any of the men in the living room bothered to look into the kitchen they would assume she was cleaning up. She had a large pan into which she scooped a generous turkey dinner, enough for two. She poured gravy into a handy glass measuring bowl with a cover. She covered the whole thing with foil, carried the gravy, stuck napkins under her arm and slipped out into the cold night.
Assholes.
She knocked on Gwen’s door with her foot. She was actually delighted to see that Gwen was sniffling. “Have you eaten?” Iris asked.
“I’m not very hungry, but please, come in! I might have a little glass of wine. I know you can’t, but I think I will.” And then she blew her nose.
“Maybe you can stuff down a little because I haven’t really had a full dinner yet. I brought enough for both of us. The men are more focused on the ball game and I missed having you at my table.”
“But no one else did.”
“Get the plates out,” Iris said. And she said it sternly.
When Gwen had set the table, Iris served their dinner. The gravy needed a little nuking but everything else had held up just fine. When they were seated before their plates and Gwen had her wine, she dipped her fork into her dinner.
Iris took a few bites before she spoke. “I want you to stop feeling sorry for yourself right now because this was your decision. You sent Norm to our house. And don’t expect me to thank you for that, either. If I can’t feel sorry for myself, seventeen months pregnant and having slaved over a big holiday meal, then you don’t get a pass, either. Besides, not only did no one mention your absence, they didn’t notice that I left. You know why? Because they’re idiots who can’t think past their stomachs, that’s why, and they take us for granted. And maybe you’re right, maybe we should just divorce the hell out of all of them. But you signed on for this and so did I and if we’re a little lonely right now it’s because we allowed this to happen and look
what it got us. I shouldn’t have let Norm move in—I’m too pregnant and touchy for him right now—but instead of saying so, I asked Seth to do it. If Seth had done it, I wouldn’t be here and they wouldn’t all be sitting in the living room in front of the television with their plates on their laps. I hate them.”
Gwen just stared at her while Iris shoveled a few more bites into her mouth. “Iris, you’re crying,” Gwen finally said.
Iris wiped at her cheeks. “Small wonder,” she muttered.
“Honey, you’re exhausted,” Gwen said. “You’re not going back there. When we’re done with this beautiful dinner you’re going to put your feet up in the living room while I clean up and make you a nice cup of tea. You’re not going back to your house until the TV is off and the kitchen is spotless—I’ll see to that.”
Iris realized something. She should have realized it before. It was a special holiday and she was about to have a baby—without her own mother. For the past several years, since her mother died, Gwen had been her surrogate mother and she’d been counting on Gwen to preside over the dinner and also to be with her when the baby came. Seth would be her coach and partner but Gwen would be her stand-in mother. And what had Gwen done? She drew a line in the sand having finally had enough of Norm’s cranky, silent ways. Iris might even sympathize. But did Gwen have to do this now?
“I miss my mother,” Iris said.
“Of course you do, sweetheart. When we’re done and you’ve had a nice, calming cup of tea, I’ll go over to your house and get Norm and bring him home. I don’t really want him back but it was so inconsiderate of me to suggest he go to your house. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”
“I understand,” Iris said with a sniff and a sob. “But wasn’t it inconsiderate of him, too? And Seth, for not preventing it?”
“Inbred, I’m afraid,” Gwen said.
“Are you really going to divorce him?” Iris asked with a hiccup and another sob.
“Possibly,” she said with a shrug. “But now it’s more because he doesn’t care that I’m divorcing him.” She took a sip of her wine. “I might just ignore him for the rest of his life, not that he’d notice.”
“Oh, Gwen...”
“I think maybe you’re overwrought,” Gwen said. “It’s not like we haven’t bickered for forty-five years.” She picked up her fork again. “You did a lovely job on the dinner, Iris.”
“Thank you. I have a beautiful centerpiece on the table, too. I wish I’d brought it. We’re the only ones who care.”
They ate a little more in silence and then Iris pushed her plate away. “I might’ve overdone it a bit,” she said, rubbing her belly. “I might not have eaten a full meal at my house but I sure put a dent in it. I didn’t need this much.”
The front door opened and Seth, looking frantic, stormed in. “Iris!” He rushed to her, taking into account the remnants of dinner on the table. He dropped to one knee beside her chair. “I thought you were in the bathroom!”
She looked at her watch. “For thirty minutes?” she asked.
“Who am I to judge,” he said with a shrug. “Are you all right?”
She was a little flushed and trembling. “Actually, no... I don’t feel very well. I think I ate too much. And I have a lot of gas. And I...” She groaned and leaned forward. “Wow,” she said through her groan.
Without warning, there was the sound and sensation of dripping. She looked at her husband with wide eyes. “Uh-oh,” she said. “My water broke.”
He immediately pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “I guess we’re going to the hospital,” he said. He called one of the other deputies. “Iris’s water broke,” he said into the phone. “I’m off call and you’re on. I’ll be at Pacific Hospital.”
* * *
Iris had mistakenly believed that since she so efficiently went into labor without even realizing it, since the baby was a little early, the birth would be fast and slick and easy. But it was not. When she did get to the labor and delivery ward, she was four centimeters, which was only one more than necessary to be admitted. And then, thanks to a very tiring day, a lot of stress and a huge double meal, she was sick as a dog. And fretful.
She labored through the night, and even with the assistance of an epidural, she was pretty miserable. Gwen had followed them to the hospital and stayed with Iris and Seth through their very long night and cheered her on when she began to push. Norm had also gone to the hospital and took up his post in the hallway outside Iris’s room, getting regular updates from Seth.
Finally little Rose was born. Rose was named after Iris’s late mother and, since they had been in the flower business before selling the shop to Grace, naming baby girls for flowers was something of a family tradition.
After Rose made her appearance, after Gwen had taken some pictures and saw that Iris was going to be cleaned up and the delivery room converted into the room where the new little family would spend at least one night, Gwen went to the hospital coffee shop for coffee and whatever breakfast she could find. When she got back to the room a half hour later, Iris was resting, little Rose was in the baby bed beside Iris and Seth was pacing.
“Oh, good, you’re back. I want to step out of the room and make my calls.”
“You can go to the coffee shop. I had a nice little microwaved egg sandwich down there. You can stake out a corner, have some coffee and something to eat and use your phone.”
“Dad’s been here all night,” Seth said.
“I noticed,” she said.
“Have you talked to him?”
“There isn’t much to say. I’m glad he was here for you, Seth. Even if he couldn’t be in the room.”
“I’m going to send him in to see the baby now.”
“Sure,” Gwen said. “Of course. We’re not going to fight.”
Seth gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Mom. You were wonderful. Thank you.”
“I’m glad I was invited.”
After Seth left, Gwen gave Iris a soft kiss on the brow. “Sleep, sweetheart. I’ll be here watching over the baby for you.”
Iris just mumbled and rolled over.
It was only a little while before Rose started snuffling around in the bed and for that Gwen was most grateful. She happily picked up the little bundle and held her close. She hummed very softly, so softly she wouldn’t wake Iris.
Then Norm walked in, head down, hands in his pockets. He walked right over to where Gwen sat and looked down at the baby. “She looks like Seth,” he said. “But with medical science being advanced like it is these days, that can probably be fixed.”
She smiled in spite of herself. “You sure it’s advanced enough?”
“Oh, sure,” he said. “They pulled my gallbladder out through a straw.”
He pulled a chair over right next to Gwen and sat beside her, studying the baby. “Looks like she might have Iris’s crazy hair,” he said.
“She’ll be beautiful like her mama.”
They communed in silence for a few minutes.
“You just about all settled down now?” Norm asked her.
“I’m completely calm. What are you getting at?”
“I’m getting at—let’s call a truce. We have a new baby in the family. These kids don’t need all the ruckus.”
“Don’t go blaming me,” she threatened, but she did so softly. “I wasn’t the one flirting with a pack of men on the cruise.”
“I knew that’s what it was. I wasn’t flirting. I was pleasant as pie and it just pissed you off.”
“No, it didn’t. It hurt my feelings. It hurt my feelings very much.”
“I thought that’s how you wanted me to be,” he said. “You worried and harped about it all the way to Seattle! I did just what you wanted.”
“I suppose. Except I wanted you to be pl
easant for me, not for a bunch of women we barely met. And I don’t care what you say—they were flirting!”
“That ain’t my problem. My problem is the only woman I ever wanted to be nice to me was sour as a rotten peach the whole time. I can’t win.”
“I am nice to you,” she said.
“Gwen,” he said in a low whisper. “I just wanted you to be happy for once. I tried hard as I could.”
“But you tried to please them!”
“They were the only ones nice to me! If you could be half so nice, I’d sure be grateful. You’re the only woman I ever wanted to fuss over me.”
“I am?” she asked.
“A course you are! Over forty-five years now. Do I have to say it every damn day?”
“Once a year would be a big improvement.”
He was quiet for a minute. “I’ll mark it down on the calendar,” he said. “Now can we please stop this tomfoolery? I’m too old for it.”
“Do you want to hold the baby now?” she asked.
“You gonna let me back in my own house?”
“I never did see any lawyer,” she confessed, passing him the baby.
“’Course you didn’t. We been through too much to get divorced over a bunch of flirty widows. There wasn’t a one of ’em I’d have, anyhow. Yap, yap, yap. Pack of yippy poodles woulda been easier on my nerves.”
“Norm,” she laughed. She leaned toward him and he gave her a little peck on the lips.
“There. That’s better,” he said.
Gwen glanced at Iris. Her eyes were closed. But she smiled.
* * *
Thanksgiving at Winnie’s house had been a happy day. Lin Su took care of Winnie and helped Grace prepare the feast. The day was sunny, so a little time throwing the Frisbee on the beach occupied Charlie and Troy. Mikhail enjoyed one of his extra-long walks and had finally traded his board shorts for pants.
After a robust meal, when everyone in the household felt sluggish and lazy, Blake helped Lin Su clean the kitchen. Winnie was napping, Grace and Troy went down to their quarters to rest, Mikhail was on the sunny deck, Charlie was on the couch with his computer on his lap and, feeling almost alone, Blake stole a couple of kisses in the kitchen.