Through Fire (Portland, ME #3) (37 page)

“Second on the right,” he says, as he follows me up the stairs. I ignore the low rumble of voices coming up from the kitchen as I push open the door Ike indicates.

“Oh.” I clap my hand over my mouth, it’s just so pretty. Part of me expected pink, but instead the room is done in soft sage green and dark lilac, with splashes of yellow. “It looks like spring,” I tell Ike, who walks past me into the room and runs his hand over the railing of a crib in the same color as the green from the walls. The bedding is lilac and yellow, tying the entire room together.

“I’m sure Viv will like that better than Pam’s description of an Easter basket,” he chuckles, and I smile.

Inside my heart feels a little heavy. I never thought much about not being able to have children. It was never something I was missing, given the life I lead. But standing here, looking at the love and the excited anticipation that was poured into this room, I miss it. I think Ike may have misinterpreted my silence, because he walks up to me and lifts my chin with his thumbs, a hand on either side of my neck. “There is nothing between them but friendship, Ruby. I have to admit, I didn’t feel too good about it at first, but the truth is, Tim’s been a good friend since school and Viv...well, Viv’s everything. I love them both.”

Stupid me, I burst into tears at his words. Not because of what he says, although it’s beautiful, but because I realize how blessed I am to feel so cared for. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that.

T
im

“There you are!”

As per usual, Mom has her spidey sense on full blast as she comes charging out the door at the precise moment I lift Ruby down from the truck. When I feel Ruby stiffen under my hands, I turn to intercept Mom, but she easily sidesteps me and smothers Ruby, in what looks like a distinctly uncomfortable hug.

“It’s so good to see you!” Mom gushes as she squeezes Ruby’s face in her hands. Seeing the hint of panic in her eyes, I pull her from Mom’s hands tightly against my side.

“You too, Mrs. Veldman,” Ruby mumbles, earning a stern look from Mom.

“It’s Jane,” she snaps, but then her face softens. “Or Mom, whichever you prefer.” I roll my eyes heavenward. Mom’s determination knows no bounds.

“Hello to you too,” I draw her attention to me, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

“Hey, honey.” She smiles way too innocently for my peace of mind.

“Are we hanging out in the driveway all day?” Dad’s ruddy face is sticking out the front door. “I thought you were grabbing me a beer, Jane.” The last is directed at my mother and seems to immediately jar her into action. As she hurries back inside, with us following at a slower pace behind, Dad throws us a quick wink. He knows her well.

The closer we get to the door, the slower Ruby moves, not sure what to expect from Dad. But I do. It doesn’t surprise me when he steps out on the porch and pulls her straight from underneath my arm into his signature bear hug. “Good to see you, doll,” he rumbles, before turning Ruby to the door and basically marching her inside. Completely ignoring me.

“You made it.” Mark waves his beer from the couch when I make it to the living room, where Dad’s already trying to sell Ruby on some of his homemade wine. Good thing Ruby rarely touches alcohol, because that stuff would turn her off it completely. Even Dad doesn’t really like it, his preference being beer, but still every Sunday he tries to pawn one of his bottles off on us. Poor Mom is stuck drinking it, since Dad has now banned all other wines from the house. Claims it’s a waste of money to buy her preferred bottles of Moscato with a cellar full of perfectly good wine.

Another typical Sunday afternoon at Casa di Veldman.

Armed with a beer and relieved to see Ruby’s insisted on her glass of water—much to my father’s chagrin, I’m sure—I sit down beside her on the couch. Dad flips through the channels for the game and settles back in his recliner. As usual, both Mark and I pop our feet on the coffee table and settle in, but this time I do it feeling pretty damn good with my life. And that has everything to do with the slightly stiff, delicious smelling, woman butted up against me.

“Why are you all down here?” Mom wants to know, panting as she comes down the last steps. “Turn that thing off!” She flaps her hand at the offensive big screen TV. Dad’s pride and joy. “We’ve got company,” she hisses at my father, who calmly watches her come unhinged.

“We don’t have company. We’ve got family. Just like every other damn Sunday, woman.”

“But...” Mom starts to object when Dad cuts her off. I can feel Ruby squirming uncomfortably in the seat beside me. She’s not used to my parents’ tiffs yet, but I’m sure she will be.

“No buts.” There’s no mistaking the authority in my dad’s voice. Something he’s always been able to shut any one of us up with. “Look around the room, Jane? See anyone who doesn’t belong?” Automatically Mom’s eyes go from Mark, to Ruby, to me, before flicking back to Ruby and a soft smile spreads over her face as understanding dawns.

“Nope,” she says, with the tiniest of winks at Ruby, before turning on her heel and huffing and muttering all the way upstairs.

Yup. Not much changes here. Except perhaps the feel of Ruby’s body relaxing against mine, her head tilting to lay against my shoulder, and her hand coming around to rest on my belly. Yeah, except that.

-

R
uby falls asleep about two minutes into the Bruins’ second period. When Mom comes down to see if she’ll lend a hand in the kitchen, I shake my head no. I don’t want to wake her up. God knows these past days, since that report on the news, it’s been one drama after another. I know my Boop is emotionally drained. So I let her sleep through the entire game. She barely even flinches when Connolly gets boarded for the second time in the game, making both my brother and father loudly voice their displeasure. Something I’d normally have gladly joined in, but doesn’t seem half as important as the woman snuggled up to me.

The moment the final minute ticks away on the game, Mom’s head pokes down the stairs. “Dinner!” she yells, unnecessarily, since just like she somehow manages to get it ready at the perfect time each Sunday, we know that when the final whistle goes, the food’s already on the table.

I let Dad and Mark go up ahead, holding Ruby behind. Mom’s holler woke her up. “Shouldn’t we go upstairs?” she asks, tilting her head to look at me.

“In just a minute,” I mumble, my mouth already on hers. “I need my appetizer first.”

-

M
om’s already served us by the time we sit down at the table, and I pointedly ignore the snickers from across the table where my brother sits. Sometimes, it’s like we’re still in high school.

“I got you some more water, Ruby. Unless you want something else?” Mom holds up a bottle of Dad’s wine.

“I’m good with water. Thank you.” I squeeze her knee in relief.

“So tell us about this Nina?” Dad asks, and I flick my eyes at Mark, who must’ve told them because I sure as heck didn’t.

The question seems to melt the last of Ruby’s inhibitions, though, because before I have a chance to respond, she launches into a spirited account of our impromptu trip to Boston just this Friday. Feels like a lot more time has passed. I sit back and let her tell the story, a smile playing on my lips when I notice the more passionate she becomes, the thicker her normally almost undetectable accent becomes. Her vowels are rich and round, and her consonants seem to roll off the tip of her tongue. With the color high on her cheeks and fire in her eyes, she’s more beautiful than ever. “Can you believe it?” She ends her impassioned monologue with a dramatic snort.

“When she gets settled in,” Mom says, sniffling suspiciously. “You bring that girl for a proper Sunday family meal.” She finishes on a sob and Ruby leans in and buries her face in my shoulder.

“We will, Mom,” I promise, feeling fucking blessed.

Unfortunately, Mom is not done.

“And we’ll all go shopping soon,” she adds, clapping her hands.

This time, Ruby dissolves in giggles, leaving everyone around the table stunned at the unexpected outburst. I can’t hold back and give in to my own bout of hilarity, which only serves to confuse them more.

-

R
uby falls asleep on the way home and barely stirs when I try to lift her out of the car. Unfortunately, the condition my shoulder is in, there is no way I can carry her all the way upstairs.

“Baby, we’re home,” I try, stroking the hair that’s fallen in her face out of the way.

“I’m home?” she mumbles, cracking her eyes open as she battles back sleep. I help her on her feet and keep my arm firmly around her waist as she stumbles beside me to the front door. I have to lean her against the wall, while I dig around my coat pockets for the keys. Ruby spreads her arms, palms flat against the siding, rubbing them up and down. “I like our home.”

“I do too, baby. I do too,” I say, as I finally manage to get her through the door.

Once upstairs, Ruby flops on her belly on the bed and is almost instantly asleep, leaving me to rid her of her clothes. I stand back to look at her face, soft with sleep, and regret having to pull the covers up over her glorious ample ass, the slight dip of her waist and the swell of her full breast peeking out on the side. She fits me perfectly.

R
uby

“You’ll love them,
cariño
” I look over my shoulder, where Nina is huddled nervously in the backseat.

These past three weeks have brought us to spring, and Tim’s parents are throwing the first BBQ of the season. Still just a Sunday family dinner, Jane assured me on the phone, but this time with hamburgers and hot dogs. The invitation to bring Nina along had been a repeat of a standing invitation since she asked the first time. The difference this time, I’d had a chance to spend some time with Nina. Some with Pam, when she felt my presence would be helpful, and some time just for the two of us. Getting to know each other better, hanging out for lunch at The Skipper a few times, and talking about school. Nina was understandably hesitant to start school here, so for  now Pam is home-schooling her, with the approval of CPS. Assessing her knowledge level and preparing her for the standard curriculum. I’m glad for her. Glad she’ll have the chance to make something of herself. I want to make sure she doesn’t waste it.

The last few times, I brought Tim into the mix, who hadn’t seen Nina since we dropped her off at Florence House. Careful to keep his distance at first, he’d had no problem making her feel safe, just as he’d done with me. We’d just seen her yesterday morning when we took her out for breakfast. Jane’s call had come in the night before, and after a quick chat with Pam, we’re hoping that we’d might be able to convince Nina to come.

I think we were both a bit shocked when, after Tim regaled her with some childhood stories, and I described how easily I’d been accepted, she seemed to readily accept the invitation. That was yesterday. Today she is nervously biting her nails in the backseat, her leg bobbing up and down so much, I can feel it in the front.

“How do you know?” she asks, her English getting more secure with every passing day.

“Because you’re family,” Tim says simply, conveying the same message his father had to me only a few Sunday dinners ago. I reach out and grab his hand, which he folds around mine instantly. A quick peek in the rear-view mirror shows Nina following every move.

I lean back in my seat, my own nervous energy slowly disappearing.

This time, we don’t even have a chance to pull in the driveway before the door flies open, and Tim’s mother, her long tunic fluttering behind her, comes barreling down the steps. Tim chuckles in the front seat and lifts his eyes to look at Nina in the rear-view mirror. “I warned you about my mom, right?” I turn just in time to see her nod with more than just a hint of trepidation. I don’t blame her. I don’t think I’ve quite gotten used to Jane’s exuberance myself. “She’s just...excitable,” Tim says with a smirk in my direction, before he gets out of the car. I can’t help but snicker when he tries to intercept his mother, who is going for the back door.

“Come on, Nina girl,” I smile over my shoulder. “Let’s give Tim a break. I’ll distract her and you slip out behind me.” Nina looks out the window and giggles at Jane’s apparent struggles against Tim’s hold. The sound is music to my ears. I’m still smiling ear to ear when I get out and slip between Tim and Jane, surprising her by throwing my arms around her, knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to resist. “Be gentle with my Nina,” I whisper in her ear. She slowly pulls back and looks at me warmly. “Of course, honey. I love her already.”

The sound of a door slamming shut behind me has us turn around, where Nina is half hidden behind Tim, clutching his hand in both of hers. “Hi, sweetheart,” Jane says softly, her voice sounding a bit shaky. “I’m so glad you could come. I don’t know what you like yet, so I made Chiles Renellos on top of the regular BBQ stuff. My boy tells me it’s Ruby’s favorite, but I’ve never made it before.” She turns and starts walking toward the house, casually throwing over her shoulder, “Maybe you can taste it, tell me if I did it right.”