Chapter 13
Since Rachel's Aunt Sophie lived near the OSU campus, LeRoy picked up Santana from her dorm shortly before six on Sunday evening. Once she was in the car, Rachel introduced her to her grandparents, and she wished everybody a "Happy New Year". They arrived at Rachel's Aunt's home within a few minutes, parked the car in the driveway, and entered the house laden with gifts: Rachel's Bubbe had baked a honey cake, Rachel had (with a little coaching) made a sweet noodle kugel, Hiram and LeRoy brought wine, and Santana had purchased a mixed floral bouquet. There were hugs and kisses for family members and Santana was warmly greeted and thanked for her flowers. As Esther (Rachel's Bubbe) and Rachel entered the kitchen to drop off their food, Rachel's Daddy (Hiram) introduced Santana to his sister's family: Sophie Lieberman, her husband Max Friedman, their son, Jason, a senior at Northwestern University, their daughter and son-in-law Karen and Steve Goodman, and their children, 2 ½ year old Jeremy and baby Madison, now five months old.
Rachel had not seen her family since early in the summer and marveled over how much the baby had grown. Karen offered little Madison to Rachel, who gladly held her as everybody made small talk. The Puckermans arrived shortly thereafter, bearing a round challa that Nana Connie had baked earlier in the day and more flowers. Upon entering the living room, Noah's eyes fell on Rachel feeding the baby her bottle, and his heart cartwheeled in his chest, his face a mixture of awe and longing. He recovered quickly, but not quickly enough for his mother and Sophie to have noticed the expression that flashed so briefly across his face.
Rachel's aunt moved close to Mrs. Puckerman and whispered in her ear "Well, Deb, it looks like we'll be planning a bridal shower sooner or later. Mazel Tov."
Debbie laughed and whispered back, "I'm sure our mothers already have the wedding planned and a list of baby names, too. Just let them finish college, first."
After the bottle was consumed, Rachel handed the baby back to her mother, and as dinner time drew near, she and Santana entered the kitchen to offer their services. Santana noticed the bread, still unsliced on a cutting board. "Rach, what's that?" Santana asked, nodding her head in the direction of to the bread.
"That's bread, San," Rachel teased.
Santana rolled her eyes. "I get that it's bread, Berry," she said, sardonically. "I guess I should ask what kind of bread it is."
"That's a challa bread, Santana. It's made with egg yolks, and it's really good, especially Nana Connie's."
"But why is it round, instead of a loaf?" asked a still-confused Santana.
"On Rosh Hashanah we traditionally serve round things, because a circle is continuous; it has no beginning and no end, whereas a square has corners that could be construed as beginning or ending points." Santana's face continued to register bewilderment, so Rachel clarified further: "The continuity of a circle represents what we hope will be the continuity of life for another year, and the bread is smooth, so we should have a smooth year, that is, without strife."
"That's different, Rach," Santana acknowledged, smiling. "All we do for 'regular' New Year's is make resolutions that nobody keeps and nurse hangovers from New Year's Eve. I guess traditional 'foods' would be aspirins and Gatorade," she said, chuckling.
Rachel's aunt ushered everybody into the dining room where they were seated at the table. Rachel's Uncle Max said a blessing over the wine and another over the challa, after which he sliced it. He said a blessing for the apples, and a platter of apples with a shallow bowl of honey was passed around. Each person dipped a slice of apple in the honey and ate it. After the treat had circulated around the table, he said "May it be Your will, Lord our G-d and G-d of our Ancestors, that You renew for us a good and sweet year," to which everybody replied "Amen" (A.N.: pronounced Ahh-main or Aww-main, not A-men).
Sophie, Debbie, and Rachel's Bubbe excused themselves from the table to begin serving dinner. LeRoy left to join them, and before Rachel could also excuse herself, Santana whispered in her ear, "Rachel, what was with the apples and honey?"
Rachel whispered back, "We eat sweet things to celebrate Rosh Hashanah in the hope that the year will be 'sweet'. The apple is round and smooth, and the honey is sweet."
Santana nodded, "Thanks," she acknowledged thoughtfully.
Chicken soup with matzo balls was served first, and Rachel excused herself from the table, entering the kitchen to assist in plating for the main course. Her aunt had saved a large portion of salad for Rachel that had been supplemented with lentils (as a protein source), and which would serve as Rachel's meatless main dish. The soup bowls and spoons were being cleared off and the salad course brought in as Rachel spooned cooked vegetables into serving bowls. She was in process of slicing kugel, placing the segments on platters, when Santana walked in carrying a stack of soup bowls, which she placed in the sink. She curiously eyed what Rachel was doing.
"What're you dishing up, Berry?" Santana asked.
"This is kugel, Santana. "This one," she pointed to one plate, "is made with potatoes and vegetables; it's more savory. This one," she motioned to the other, "is made with noodles, applesauce and raisins and is sweeter."
"What's 'kugel'?" Santana queried.
Noah, also helping clear the table, had entered in the meantime and made a beeline for Rachel. He stood behind her, wrapping her in his arms around her waist and tenderly pulling her close, kissing her on the top of her head. "Ya' better watch out, Puckerman; she's got a knife," Santana teased.
"Noah, I was just about to explain 'kugel' to Santana," Rachel elucidated.
"Kugel's delicious, San, just eat some!" he encouraged. He noticed the aroma of the warm sweet kugel. "Baby, did you make this?" he asked Rachel.
"Yes, I did," she acknowledged, smiling, pleased with herself. As he was about to extricate a slice from the platter, Rachel lightly smacked the back of his hand, admonishing, "Noah, behave!" He winked at Santana and woefully said "You're killin' me, woman."
Santana chuckled at their antics and interjected, "Berry, you never did tell me what it is…"
"It's a starchy side dish; this potato kugel is, well...kind of 'potato-y', and the noodle kugel…I can't think of anything to compare it to; it is delicious, though."
"Thanks, Rach, I'll try some. I'm gonna sit down and have my salad, now." Santana left the kitchen, leaving Rachel and Noah momentarily alone, still standing together, Rachel encased in his arms.
Noah drew Rachel closer and she gently wriggled in against him. "Oh, Baby, I've missed you," he quietly moaned.
"I have, too, Noah," she admitted.
"It's great bein' here, but I can't wait to get ya' back to New York," he said seductively, and then kissed her neck. Rachel was tempted to turn around and give in to her baser instincts, but, fortunately, pragmatism prevailed.
"Noah, Santana already warned me that if we're missing for too long, she'll hunt us down with a garden hose." Both teens laughed; Noah pulled away and, before Rachel had a chance to stop him, he snatched a piece of the noodle kugel from the platter, exclaimed "Score!", and took a large bite. "Mmm, good, Rach!" he said, grinning, his mouth full with the delectable bite.
"Thanks, Noah," she laughingly replied. "Now, go on before they come in here with a rabbi and a ketubah."
As Noah reluctantly returned to the dining room, several of the adults entered with salad plates in hand, and Rachel's aunt removed the chicken and roast from the oven. She readied the entrées for serving, and the side dishes began their short trip to the table. The food was delicious and the company basked in the happiness of the New Year's celebration. Talk eventually focused on the four college students. Jason was majoring in physical therapy and was applying to Northwestern for graduate school. Everyone was pleased that Rachel and Noah seemed to be adapting well to school and life in New York.
"Santana," LeRoy prompted, "have you declared a major?"
"No, Mr. B.," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm not sure what I want to do, yet. I joined a group on campus for gay and bi students and ran into a former classmate of ours there," she looked pointedly at Rachel and Noah and continued, "Dave Karofsky. He tried to commit suicide about six months ago." There were audible gasps from some of the adults who weren't familiar with the situation, while Rachel and Noah nodded their heads sadly in acknowledgement. "Listening to some of these kids got me thinking; maybe I can do something help, ya' know, make a difference. I haven't figured out the right path yet…"
"Gosh, Santana, I had no idea," Rachel commented. "You'd talked about law; maybe legal advocacy?" she suggested.
"Yeah, maybe…I've got a while to figure things out, anyway."
Just then, the baby woke up from her nap, crying loudly. Karen (the mom) left the table to tend to her, and dinner was apparently over, making way for dessert. The table was cleared, food put away, the dishwasher filled, and the coffee set to brew.
Rachel's Bubbe was slicing the honey cake she had baked. Noah approached her and teasingly inquired, "Bubbe Ess, did you make that honey cake for me?"
"Of course, dear," she commented, and handed him a piece. He greedily took a large bite and grinned. "Wow, this is awesome!" he avowed (after hastily swallowing).
"Thank you, Noah," she replied, and kissed his cheek.
Santana bemusedly watched the interaction, raising her eyebrow at Noah. "What?" he asked, mouth full of cake.
"What're you eating?" she inquired.
He swallowed and answered, "Honey cake." Her expression was somewhat puzzled, so he asked "You've never heard of this, have you?" She shook her head in response, and he presented her with a small piece. "Try it," he encouraged. She took the piece and chewed it thoughtfully.
"It's…different," she mused. "Good different, though," she quickly clarified.
"It's a traditional New Year's dessert; ya' know, keepin' with the 'sweet year' theme and all." he commented.
Rachel approached them, and Noah immediately drew her in, his arm about her waist. Santana rolled her eyes and laughed, and the three friends entered the living room, where the grand piano resided. Rachel's aunt addressed Santana: "Santana, I don't know if my niece mentioned it, but we have a very musical family, and we always entertain each other by singing."
Rachel responded, "Actually, Auntie, we have something prepared." All eyes were on the three teenagers. "We had a long drive on Friday, and Daddy…" Hiram waived his hand, "…mentioned that you were covering Jerome Kern this semester." Sophie smiled, and Rachel continued, now teasing her boyfriend, "This is probably as close as we'll ever get to Noah singing a 'show tune'." His mother smiled slyly as Rachel introduced, "We'd like to present 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes', as performed by The Platters in 1958." Noah seated himself on the piano bench and, after playing the introduction (using the sheet music Rachel had conveniently printed earlier that day), sang harmoniously with Rachel and Santana. Each took turns singing melody and backup vocals, (including the "Ooh-ahs"), and concluded to hearty applause.
As the others performed, Rachel relaxed against Noah as they sat together on the sofa. Although it was wonderful to spend time with her family, she was looking forward to returning to New York. She had classes to catch up on and needed to practice in earnest if she was going to snag her first starring role in her first college play. She would show Kurt, all right; who said that a freshman can't play the lead their first time out? After all, she was "Maria" in her senior musical, and she was nothing if not confident in her talent. Her mind eventually refocused on her surroundings, in time to listen to her aunt sing "Yesterdays", another Kern song. "That was beautiful, Auntie!" Rachel complimented Sophie, and then stood up to hug her.
"Do you two have a minute?" she asked Rachel and Noah.
"Of course, Auntie," Rachel said, and they followed her into the foyer, away from the others. Sophie looked at both teens, concern written on her face.
"Shirley…that is, Shelby, contacted me about a month ago," she stated. Both teens said nothing; Noah's arm tightened around Rachel. "First time in years," she emphasized. "She's looking for job references. Apparently, she's been interviewing all over…including New York."
Rachel paled; Noah didn't know what to think. On one hand, he might have a chance to see his daughter; on the other, he wanted little to do with Shelby and her skewed perception of relationships.
"Look," Sophie reassured, "even if she does find employment in New York, it's a big place, after all. I just wanted to give you a heads-up."
"Thanks, Auntie," Rachel replied. "If she does get a job in New York, maybe Noah will get to see Beth."
"Don't worry, Baby," Noah reassured her. "Whatever happens, we're in this together." Rachel gave a small sigh of relief and Noah kissed her on the temple. Her aunt smiled to herself, remembering the comment she had made to Debbie earlier in the evening.
Too soon everybody was taking their leave, and thanking their hosts for their lovely evening.
Santana was dropped off at her dorm, ready to face classes the next day. "Talk to you soon, Berry," she remarked as she exited the car. She waived goodbye, and, after she entered the dormitory, LeRoy started up the car and headed back to the condo.
Author's Notes: Sorry if this ran a little long. For additional insight into the characters, as well as casting suggestions, please refer to "Why Is This Night Different?"
A ketubah is a traditional Jewish "marriage contract" that outlines the responsibilities or obligations that a groom has toward to his bride. It is primarily a ceremonial rather than a legally binding document and is often elaborately decorated.
"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and "Yesterdays" are both from the musical "Roberta", music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Otto Harbach.