Ayyyy! Now we're getting this story started. And hopefully, it's good. Because... I don't know.
Thank you so so much for the review! Keep in mind I already have this story completely pre-written, which is a good and bad thing, haha.
* March 1952 *
The first two years of Liesel and Rudy's marriage were spent in a blur of pure joy and pleasure. Slowly but surely, Rudy rose up to a decent managing position at his job, and eventually earned enough money to buy his wife a few new books each month. He still longed to save enough money to give her the honeymoon she so deserved— better late than never.
Liesel was so very happy with her life, and though at first she devoured each book her husband brought home for her, she started to take her time reading through them. After all, there wasn't much else for her to do at home all day, and she wanted to savor the books.
Now, of course, Liesel would go out frequently and explore the city. One particular day, on Rudy's 23rd birthday, Liesel had no clue what to get for him at first. Rudy wasn't even half the reader she was, and the only thing she knew he definitely enjoyed as a hobby was playing soccer in the street with some of the neighborhood kids. Liesel realized she had two definite gifts for him then, and rushed to buy a soccer ball.
OoOoO
By the time Rudy got home from work, it was raining steadily outside. Since they lived on the top floor of their building, the rain raged loudly on their roof, sounding like the loud pitter-patter of mouse feet.
Rudy burst through the door and was greeted with an embrace from his wife as well as the peculiar smell of her cooking.
"H- have you made something for me, sweet?" Rudy asked, blinking curiously as Liesel took hold of his hand and pulled him over to the miniscule kitchen.
"Made something? Of course I did! It's your birthday!" Liesel beamed and motioned for him to sit at the table, while she skittered about like a puppy trapped in its crate. Finally, she set down a casserole in front of him, with interesting-colored spots and edges that ranged from crispy to helplessly burnt. "Well, I tried." Liesel frowned, pushed the casserole to the side, and replaced it with an entire roast chicken.
Rudy's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "How- oh, it looks delicious, Liesel! I mean, the casserole looks amazing too, it's all just so— thank you so much, love." He leaned over the chicken and planted a kiss on the top of her head.
"It's nothing. I guess I maybe shouldn't have put the casserole and chicken in the oven at the same time. It's clear which one turned out better!"
The two dug in to the chicken, and by the time only a carcass remained and their plates were cleared, Liesel reached under the table and placed what looked to be a shiny new soccer ball on the table.
"Is that— is that what I think it is?" Rudy gasped. His cobalt eyes sparked with excitement like he was child again.
"Well, it's either a soccer ball or a bowling ball wrapped in soccer ball paper, so—"
Rudy snatched up the soccer ball and leaped over the end of the table to sweep Liesel into a suffocating hug. "I can't wait to show this to the kids downstairs— they'll be thrilled—"
He hesitated, hand on the doorknob, when he saw a slight frown crumpling her pretty features. "Liesel, what is it?"
"Rudy, that's not the only thing I have for you." Uncertainly, Liesel stood up from her chair, then sat down again as her knees buckled. Rudy returned to her side and knelt down so they could lock gazes, her hands in his.
"You can tell me anything, sweet. What's the matter?"
Liesel pushed one more deep breath through her lungs. She didn't understand why she was so nervous to tell him. "Okay, well, this is going to change everything." She chewed on the inside of her cheek, staring with huge eyes at a point over Rudy's shoulder.
Rudy reached forward and brushed some strands of blonde curls behind her ear. "I promise I won't be upset. Please, love, just say it, before I get any more worried."
Liesel looked from his eyes to their hands, then back to his eyes. "Rudy, I- I'm… I'm pregnant."
Rudy remained crouched, frozen, his mouth stuck mid-gasp. He only came to his senses when a loud crack of thunder came from outside, and the rain pounded harder still. "I can't believe it," he muttered. He stood up, and without warning he picked her up and spun her around in an embrace, heart skipping with joy as her soft hair bounced against his arms. He put her back down, and brushed the tears off her cheeks. "This is wonderful, extraordinary news, saumensch! Please don't cry. Imagine it— a child that's a mix of us! Scary and exciting all at once! Oh, Jesus, Mary— I love you so much right now."
The tears fell harder from her chocolate gems of eyes, like the rain outside. "Rudy, I'm happy too, but how in the hell will we raise a child in this tiny apartment? And think of all the expenses of feeding a third mouth!"
"We'll make it work, Liesel," Rudy whispered to her, hugging her closer as her tears soaked his shoulder blade. "We have been blessed with the most amazing and delicate gift, and it's all ours! We'll have a new addition to the family that will only make us closer. You'll see, my love, you'll see."
OoOoO
Later that night, Liesel lay awake in bed, thinking hard. She wasn't just terrified by the looming costs, but also at the fact that something was growing inside of her. She had learned of her pregnancy when she went to the doctor a month ago. She had been feeling faint, and was afraid of another miscarriage.
You see, our poor Liesel suffered three miscarriages, the first one just a few months after her marriage. She would spend long nights sobbing quietly in the bathroom, dreading the day when Rudy would inquire about having children. And although he never asked directly, she could tell from the distant look on his face after he returned from playing soccer with the neighbor kids. He was still somewhat of a child himself, stuck in the body of an adult.
Liesel had a feeling it was time to tell him once she was two months along. It was the farthest she'd ever made it, and she could tell her body was beginning to change. Maybe, just once, this one wouldn't end in disaster.
* May 1952 *
It was around two months later that Liesel noticed her usual clothes, even the looser-fitting ones, were getting too tight for comfort.
She felt self-conscious going out in a skirt and blouse with buttons that seemed about to pop off. She could feel multiple pairs of eyes on her and her barely-visible bump, and she hated it.
It was one day when she was a block away from home, carrying a bag of new very loose-fitting dresses and such, that she was stopped by an older, somewhat grizzled-looking man. Liesel would have mistaken him for being homeless if it were not for his perfect set of teeth, slightly rumpled suit, and freshly-shaved face.
"M- may I help you, sir?" Liesel stammered, stopping and moving the bag in front of her stomach.
Dark green eyes stared down at her, not in a predatory way, but rather in a scrutinizing way. "Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but first off, congratulations," he said, nodding to her stomach.
"Oh, er, thank you," she replied, speaking quickly and glancing around the man's shoulder.
"Look, I don't mean to creep you out or anything," the man continued. It was then that Liesel picked up on his faded German accent. It was still a little distinguishable under the rasping from wear. "But I believe I once knew you long ago."
Liesel took another good look at him. She eyed his black hair tinged with some gray and white as if sprinkled with salt and pepper, and his eyes, a very dark green that could almost be mistaken for brown. His height was immense; he towered over the average height Liesel, and he was definitely taller than Rudy by a long stretch. Where did she know him from?
"I was living in Germany until a short while ago. I stopped in this man's shop, what was his name… oh yes, Alex Steiner."
Liesel stiffened, nearly dropping her bag. It couldn't be!
"I asked for someone named Liesel Meminger, and he told me that she ran off to America with his son Rudy! I wasn't quite sure I heard him correctly, but I decided to come to where he said you were, and would you look at this! Married and expecting a baby."
Finally, Liesel let her bag fall to the dirty sidewalk, and she stood on her tiptoes to pull him into a hug. "Max! All these years and I never knew if you were still alive, or if you…" She trailed off, not able to bring herself to say it. After a long embrace, he pulled away and sighed. "What is the matter?" she asked, beginning to bend to pick up her bag.
"No, let me get that for you," Max insisted, swiftly grabbing the bag and handing it to her. "And anyway, I just… I don't know, now I feel quite silly for coming all this way. I knew I had to see my friend again, after so many years apart. But…"
"What is it?" Liesel pressed.
"I'm broke," Max admitted. He threw his hands up in defeat. "I spent all I had getting here. This suit I'm wearing— it's one of the two outfits I brought with me. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning, and that was half a bagel someone handed to me on the street, because they thought I was homeless."
As Liesel stared into Max's exasperated eyes, it all came rushing back to her: his hair like feathers, soft and contrasting sharply with his angular face. The stubble on his cheeks, rough against her fingers, as if she were scraping her palms on the sidewalk during a fall. She only ever touched his face during the Parade of Jews, as he marched miserably down that street in Molching. Liesel had barged into the parade, trying to find her poor Jewish friend. She did find him, but the Nazi guards also found her.
She shuddered at the memory of being kicked away by those harsh black boots. That was the last time she'd seen Max. Soon after that, the bombs were dropped and her life changed forever. After that, all she knew was Rudy. She only foresaw a future with Rudy. It was Rudy who brought her to America, encouraged a new life. Rudy was the one who married her, the one fathering her child.
And yet, now… she was unsure. Max had been roughly her age now last time they spoke. Now in his mid-thirties, he had definitely aged, but still, somehow, he was the same. Still, he reminded her of her old home in Germany, the home she had left almost four years ago. At first, the bustling madness of New York had scared her, until she grew used to it. But seeing Max again brought back a flood of old memories, and a longing to just be with him in that basement in 33 Himmel Street once more.
She crossed her arms over her midriff, speculating a couple moments more before coming to a decision. She smiled and nodded toward the block ahead. "Come with me, Max. Stay with Rudy and I for a while until you get back on your feet."
Max opened his mouth in protest.
"Please," Liesel insisted, moving her arm to steer him in the right direction.
"But- but what about Rudy? What if he doesn't want me?"
"He'll understand," Liesel assured him, her coffee-colored eyes twinkling. "I'll make sure he does."
Hmm, Liesel, something doesn't compute...
And yes, I put Rudy's birthday in March, since I don't think it was ever mentioned in the book? So he's like a month younger than Liesel.