Chapter 25: Reunions
Summary: Annie does a difficult thing
Annie turned to Jeff as they closed the door and stepped into the hallway of Sunrise Senior Jewish Living Center.
"I think that went really well. She liked you."
Jeff nodded politely as he continued to lean and hold onto Sophie's hand.
Annie looked down at Sophie and said in a chipper tone, "You were so great, sweetie. Thank you for playing with Bubbe. She really enjoyed seeing you again."
"Yah, Mama. Come on, led pay."
Jeff lurched forward as Sophie attempted to pull him along with a surprisingly strong grip for someone of her size. He smirked as he said, "Okay, hey, just a sec." Turning toward Annie, he remarked, "I'm glad I met her. It's nice to meet someone in your family."
Annie's grin tempered a little as she said, "She thinks you're my dad."
He cringed. "Hey, I know there's an age difference, but it's not that big…"
-"Jeff, she literally thinks you're my dad. She thinks I'm her daughter. And she called Sophie Annie the whole time."
Jeff nodded as Sophie began to twist his hand, moving about in circles. He kept up with her as he leaned down to give Annie a quick kiss. Pulling back, he said, "Still. I'm happy to meet her since I know she loved you so much when you were little. I'm glad you had her."
Annie wiped a tear from her eye as she said, "Thank you. I figured it was time you two met, especially since Anthony's coming over tomorrow."
Jeff took in a deep breath as he reflected on the tenseness he and Annie had both been feeling ever since she had resumed contact with her brother. Following the birthday text exchange, they had let it lie low until after Hanukkah. Jeff rebuffed his firm's party once again after vowing to never spend another New Year's Eve with Alan, and they had spent a quiet evening with Nancy and Ryan.
Early in the morning of January 1st, Annie had finally accepted Anthony's facebook friend request, making sure her profile was censored so that he couldn't view pictures of Sophie. She had fluttered about the apartment while making the changes, making sure everything was perfect before she could finally settle down. Jeff had never felt more useless, knowing there was no way he could ease the situation for her and that she wouldn't really know how Anthony would react until she saw him again.
He roused himself from his thoughts and noticed Annie staring up at him with concerned eyes. He smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, I was a million miles away."
"It's okay."
"Yeah, err, are you sure you want Anthony to come over to the apartment?"
Annie looked at him curiously.
He explained, "It might be better to meet him alone in a neutral location. Then if all goes well, give me a call and I'll bring the baby hobbit over to meet him."
Annie frowned as she glanced down at a now dancing Sophie. She appeared to ponder this idea for a moment before she responded, "You're right. I mean, what if he freaks out? I might not be able to even tell him about her this time. I don't want to scare him away."
"I'm sure you can tell him. It just might be nice to talk to him for a little bit before you do so. I'll be nearby. Let's just plan on him meeting her, okay? I'm sure he'll love her."
Annie nodded absentmindedly as they walked toward the front lounge and reception area. She said, "I have to talk to the staff for a few minutes about Bubbe. Could you take her over to the grandchild area to play?"
She gestured toward a corner of the lounge, which appeared to be devoted exclusively to a plastic kitchen, plastic foods, and several rubber baby dolls.
"Ah, yeah. Take your time."
She gave him a peck on the cheek and shuffled off toward the desk. He watched as the receptionist then escorted her down another small hallway.
Jeff shooed Sophie toward the toy kitchen and then settled down in a chair nearby. He smiled as Sophie spied a child of about the age of five peak out from behind a cabinet and toss a plastic bottle of milk toward her while squeaking something about her helping him. As he watched Sophie readily engage with the kid, Jeff settled back in his chair and, deciding he didn't want to risk a temper tantrum from Sophie over his phone, grabbed a magazine from the table. He averted his eyes from the likely mother of the other child, who was looking all too eager to strike up a conversation. He focused his efforts on appearing engrossed with a Business Weekly article on skiing.
Skiing?
Now there was an idea.
He considered this for a moment but then felt the presence of someone sit down in the chair directly next to him. He affected his best come-hither smirk while turning to expect Annie, but was startled to see an attractive and stylishly dressed forty-something woman with long dark hair smiling coyly at him.
His eyes widened and he mumbled, "Oh, I thought you were someone else."
The woman gave a twitch of disappointment but appeared to recover quickly. She fiddled with her ruby pendant on a long silver chain Jeff figured was likely placed strategically to highlight a tastefully arranged glimpse of cleavage.
"I'm so dreadfully sorry. You don't mind if I sit here, do you? I've been on my feet all day, and I could really use a rest." She motioned toward her black stilettos, slipping one off with a prolonged sigh.
He quickly scanned her outfit, noting the exquisite details of a designer black skirt suit. The red blouse underneath the jacket matched her necklace as well as her lipstick. If there was one thing Jeff Winger was attuned to, it was a sense of style. But there was another thing he was also very well aware of, and that was he was definitely off the market when it came to the ladies.
He responded politely, and with a most respectful eye contact said, "No, of course."
The woman relaxed a little and resumed a friendlier smile. "Thank you so much. You're sweet."
He glanced over to see the mother of the other child scowl in their direction. This amused him greatly, but he made sure not to show it.
I've still got it. Fancily dressed ladies love the Winger.
His eyes went quickly over to Sophie, who was engrossed in play with the little boy. He then refocused his attention on the magazine article. About a minute later, he felt a soft thump of hair against his right arm as he assumed the seated woman tossed it back in an attempt at glamour.
Hee hee.
This sensation was followed by the distinct whiff of Chanel No. 5.
Oh please. Overdone.
He ignored the soft sighs coming from his right as the woman slipped off her other shoe and began to massage her arches.
"Daddy, look!"
His eyes shot up to see Sophie toddling over with a plastic frying pan in one hand and a fake fried egg in the other. She squealed in delight upon reaching him and smooshed her face into his knees.
"Ahh, yes, I see."
She looked up with a giggle and held up the pan and egg.
"Here. This goes in this." He nodded in approval as she placed the egg in the pan. "Good job, munchkin. Maybe you can make Daddy breakfast tomorrow. You seem to have it all figured out."
"Okay."
The woman stared at Sophie in amazement. She leaned over slightly and addressed her directly in a sing-songy voice, "Hi there. Aren't you just the cutest!"
"Hi."
"Is this your daddy? Why, I had no idea."
"Yah. Fee Daddy. Mine."
Sophie promptly smacked Jeff's knee and looked at the woman with extreme skepticism.
Tickled internally once again, Jeff smirked. "Nice job, munchkin. Hey, why don't we go find Mommy?" He cast a surreptitious glance to the side, noticing the woman bristling at his words.
Sorry, you can't have THIS.
He was about to reach down to pick up Sophie when she abruptly squealed and ran back to the playset. He shrugged and leaned back in his chair, watching as she re-engaged with the other child.
The woman sighed with a chuckle. "Just my luck. All the handsome ones are married."
Jeff gave a shrug. "Yeah, well."
The woman lightly swatted the air. "I must apologize. I didn't mean to…"
-"It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong."
The woman nodded and laughed nervously. "I just didn't see a ring. I always check. And I didn't realize you were here with your child. I'm really every sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."
Jeff turned to face her fully, placing his head on his hand as he propped his elbow on the back of the chair.
"Hey, I'm flattered. Thanks for stroking my ego. But yes, I'm taken."
He watched as she covered her mouth with her hand in embarrassment, lightly ducking her head. He felt an eerie wave wash over him but before he could fully encode what he had observed, the woman turned her body to face outward.
"Your daughter's sweet. What's her name?"
"Sophie."
The woman nodded in comprehension and appeared to transition from flirtatious to platonic mode, her voice becoming more relaxed with an odd wistfulness to it. "Ah, that means wisdom in Hebrew. It's a really lovely name. It's so nice to see a nice young Jewish family here. We don't get a lot of kids here, but I think it's important children know their grandparents. You're doing the proper thing in bringing her by."
Jeff smiled self-consciously as they both continued to watch Sophie play. She appeared to be arguing with the other child, placing her hands on her hips and barking orders at him. Before Jeff had a chance to intervene, the little boy nodded obediently and grabbed the pretend saltshaker and 'salted' the egg. Sophie seemed pleased.
The woman let out a hearty laugh at the sight. "She's a spitfire. I love it. She'll do great things."
"Her mother usually brings her here to see her great-grandmother, err, bubbe? Sorry, I'm not Jewish."
The woman turned to pat his arm. "That's close enough. And I'm glad you're here. You're doing the right thing. And your daughter is stunning. Her eyes."
"Yeah, those are her mother's."
"Ah." The woman resumed staring at Sophie, a mixture of awe and bewilderment on her face.
Jeff shifted in his chair as he asked, "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
The woman shook herself. "Oh, that was strange." Turning once again to him, she said in a soft and almost pleading voice, "Please take care of her. Make sure she stays on a good path."
He watched as a tear fell down her cheek.
At loss of what else to say, he replied, "Yeah, of course."
The woman opened her eyes wide and tilted her head slightly. "Please. You have no idea how quickly they grow up and then all sorts of bad things can happen."
He felt the now familiar wrenching of his chest. He leaned over and platonically but sympathetically patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry."
The woman's eyes closed for several beats before she gently maneuvered out of his pat. She murmured, "It's okay. She used to be like that." The woman's lip quivered as she resumed watching Sophie play. She added in a barely audible tone, "Now she's gone."
Jeff turned outward once again, this time leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and hands clasped under his chin.
He felt a strange sense of vulnerability in that moment, but surprisingly, it didn't bother him as it usually would. It was almost as if he and the woman were in some shared bubble, as if time had stopped and they were both looking at a still of Sophie at age two and a half, carefree and unspoilt by the world.
He found the words tumbling out of him, "She and her mother are everything to me. And she's not even mine."
"She's not?"
He continued, feeling the haze of the bubble, "Not biologically. She came along with her mother, and well, now she's mine. But see, it's weird. I'd do anything for her. I never thought it could be like that. That a tiny helpless creature could pull for that from me." He added with a crack in his voice, "And you're absolutely right, anything can happen."
An almost whispered reply came, "My own children's father just picked up and left. It's not so much that he left me, but he left them. I'll never understand it. Promise me you'll stay with her."
Jeff nodded, continuing to watch the motions of Sophie's play. "Duh, of course. My own father was a jerk. I know kids need their parents."
The woman smiled once again and wiped her eye, emitting a sniffle. "They need you until they decide they don't need you. But well, good. I'm glad something is right in this world."
He turned to look at her in surprise as she suddenly replaced her heels and stood. He realized the bubble had disintegrated, and they were now back in the Sunrise Senior Living Center.
For some reason, he didn't want her to go.
Before he could even say anything, she laughed lightly and with a blush said, "Okay, well, time to get it together, Rachel."
"Rachel?"
Her blush deepened as she explained, "That's me. I like to talk to myself. It's motivating."
"I'm Jeff, by the way."
She accepted his extended hand and gave it a firm shake. As he started to rise, she shook her head and motioned for him to remain seated.
"I really must go. Again, I'm so embarrassed I made a fool out of myself earlier. It's just this time of year. I was looking for a pick-me-up. But I'm glad to have met you and your daughter. I hope you and your family have a wonderful rest of the day."
"Thanks."
She stood even higher and puffed out her chest slightly. Jeff was pretty sure this wasn't done sexually but again as more of a motivating gesture.
She muttered to herself, "Okay, I can do this."
"Do what?"
She sighed. "I'm going to see my mother. It's not always easy these days. She's not herself. But I'm sure she'll perk up a little."
"Good luck."
She gave a nod, turned to look at Sophie one last time, waived at her, and then clicked off down the east hallway.
Jeff felt almost as if he had seen a ghost too.
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Annie sat cross-legged on one of the couches in the Greendale student lounge and smiled nervously while patting a pillow on her lap.
She muttered to herself, "Annie, you can do this."
Jeff felt a chill go down his spine but then quickly shook it off. He stood to the side, holding Sophie in his arms.
"It'll be fine. I had the Dean unlock the main door."
"It's so sweet of him to let us in the lounge during winter break."
"Well, you know that's not really sweetness, right? I mean I have to hang out with him and Trobed while you talk to Anthony, and you did threaten to hide the keys to the file cabinet."
Annie jutted out her chin in defiance. "I hid them anyway. He has to wait to get them back."
Jeff smirked in approval. "Ahhh, I see."
He bent down and gave her a soft kiss. "Good luck."
"Thanks."
X
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Annie was continuing to focus her efforts on smoothing the pillow when she heard the footsteps. Her head snapped up, and she saw him.
Anthony.
He's taller than me now.
He's skinny.
He's sixteen.
I hope he doesn't hate me anymore.
"Annie?"
She found herself rising to her feet, clutching the pillow to her chest and nodding rapidly.
Anthony, dressed in ratted jeans and a Smiths t-shirt, carefully walked over to her. He placed his hands in his pockets and hunched over a little while giving her a sheepish gaze.
"Don't hunch. You always hunch. When did you get glasses?"
"Annie, I missed you."
Blinking back tears, she replied, "I missed you too."
After about a full minute of silent awkward staring, Annie motioned for him to join her on the couch. He seemed relieved to sit down, and turned toward her.
At the resulting silence, she smiled nervously. "What?"
He studied her face for a moment before he replied, "You look different. I mean, you still look the same kinda, but you look better. You got really pretty."
Annie found herself relaxing slightly as she chuckled and lightly swatted the air. "Oh, um, thank you. I think I'm happier, actually."
"You are? Oh, good."
Annie nodded. "I am. I've made a good life for myself. I've been going to school here, and I work for the Dean, and that's why he said we could meet up here. I thought it might be less weird to meet in a public place."
Anthony returned her nod and began to gaze around the room. "It looks fun. There's a foosball table and stuff. I didn't know community college could be fun."
"I know I was supposed to go to Yale, but…"
-"Annie, trust me, I know. And mom told me about the drug stuff and the arrest so I know why you couldn't go. She said you were all stubborn and shit and wouldn't - how did she phrase it? - follow the program."
Annie gasped, "I did follow the program! I graduated from rehab. I've been clean ever since. You have to believe me."
Anthony sighed and pressed his finger against his glasses. "Shit, that's not what I meant. She said you didn't follow her program. And you were being," he made finger quotes as he continued, " willful, rebellious, and naïve. She thinks you hate her."
Annie gulped, her eyes widening. "I wish she'd realize it wasn't about her. She didn't understand what I was going through. I needed to do things my way. And I'm happy I've done it. And as for hating her, that's not it at all. I've just come to the realization that she will never understand me, and I'll always disappoint her, so you know what, why even try?"
Anthony seemed to cringe as he adjusted his position on the couch. Looking away, he said tersely, "Can we please not talk about mom anymore? I don't want to. I live with her, that's enough."
Annie grimaced. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to talk about mom anyway. I don't want this to be about her. I want it to be about us. I really, really, really missed you."
There was an edge to his voice as he countered, "Then why didn't you tell me where you were before? I never knew why you disappeared and just left me." He added in an almost whisper, "Turns out you were right next door the whole time."
Annie startled, realizing for the first time the redness around her brother's eyes and the hint of a sniffle. She reached over and lightly touched his arm. She was relieved he didn't recoil. He looked up and met her gaze.
Keeping her eyes on his, she said carefully, "I'm so sorry. I didn't think you wanted to see me. If I had known…"
-"I'm sorry I called you a slut. If that's why….I don't know why I said it. If calling you a slut made you go away…"
Annie quickly grabbed the now sobbing Anthony into a hug, pulling him down slightly so that she could kiss forehead.
"That wasn't why. You didn't make me go away. I love you."
"I love you too, Annie." More sniffs.
She held him there for a little while, unsure of how much time he needed or how much she did. Perhaps more quickly than she anticipated, she felt him press his hand against her shoulder, an indication he wanted to stop.
As they pulled out of the embrace and he wiped his face, Annie smiled at him sadly. "When did you get so tall? It's hard to hug you, even sitting down."
He laughed almost giddily as if letting all the pent-up tension go. "You're short."
"That's what Jeff always says."
"Who's Jeff?"
Annie paused for a few moments to collect herself, turning to place the pillow on her other side. As she turned back to face him, she replied nonchalantly, "My boyfriend."
"Oh, cool."
"I met him here at school my first semester. In a Spanish class. He's been a really great boyfriend. And we have a ton of friends here. We're all in a study group together."
"So you're really doing okay? Like you're okay in school? And you have friends?"
She nodded.
He asked the next question in a lower voice, "And no more drugs?"
She let out a long sigh. "Yes. Despite our mom probably thinking I'm in a ditch somewhere, I'm fine. I'm going to get my bachelors here and then go to graduate school in Denver. And I love my friends. I told you, I'm happy."
He appeared to ponder this information for a few moments before he said, "Mom's been crazy. I think she does think you're in a ditch. Um, just so you know."
Annie found herself stiffening. "She doesn't really, right? I was just kidding."
He began resume looking around the room, turning his head to eye the snack machine. "She does. She doesn't know if you're alive or dead. You, um, might want to let you know you're okay."
Annie tilted her head and stared at him. "Are you serious? She kicked me out of the house! She wasn't supportive of me finishing rehab after I finished my legal-squirmish-thingy! She didn't help me! And she wanted me to get an abortion!"
Anthony's head spun back to her from his scanning of the room. "Abortion? What the fuck?"
"Your language! Since when do you talk like…"
-"Annie! Abortion?"
Annie stilled and let out a squeak. "I assumed she told you that part, since you called me a slut."
He vehemently shook his head and looked at her expectantly.
She grabbed the pillow once again and clutched it to her chest. With a gulp, she explained, "After I tried to…. after the overdose, they did a blood test in the hospital, and it said I was pregnant. I had no idea. Mom flipped out."
Anthony stared at her in shock.
Annie nodded at him, patiently waiting for him to react.
Finally he said, "She didn't say anything about you being pregnant. She just said you were sleeping around."
Annie pursed her lips and shook her head. "That's not true. I had a boyfriend. Well, we had broken up which is part of the reason I was so upset at that time, but she never even bothered asking me whose it was. She just told me to take care of it. She was embarrassed."
Anthony's voice cracked as he asked, "Who was your boyfriend?"
Annie closed her eyes. "Adam. You remember him, right? Dr. Wellson's son?"
She opened her eyes to see a still-agape Anthony, whose only response was,
"Fuck."
She let his exclamation hang in the air for several moments before she continued in a soft voice, "We were together for a little while. And um, I got pregnant."
More silence, finally broken by,
"Wow. That's crazy."
Annie turned outward on the couch and leaned back, continuing to hold the pillow to her chest. She said in a hushed tone, "So, um, I had the baby. Mom doesn't know about that part. I let her think I followed her wishes."
Anthony leaned forward and turned to see her face. "You had a baby?!"
Annie smiled self-consciously. "Yeah. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I had to keep her."
"Her?"
With a sigh of resolution, Annie sat up straight and tossed the pillow to the side. She reached down to grab her purse and pulled out her phone.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm calling Troy Barnes. You remember him, right? We went to high school together. He's in my study group and we're actually really good friends now."
"Ooookay. I don't get why you're calling him when you just told me you had a baby."
Annie took a deep breath and then elaborated, "He's with my baby. He's been standing by to bring her in so that you can meet her." She suddenly turned to him and said quickly, "You do want to meet her, right?" She added with a pleading tone, "I really want you to meet her."
Anthony let out a breath. "Damn. Yeah, of course I want to meet her."
"Cool cool cool."
Averting her eyes from him, she typed away on her phone.
X
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X
"Here she is!" Troy grinned as he held Sophie's left hand and escorted her into the student lounge. Abed held her right hand and did his best to keep a slow and careful pace.
"Mama!"
Annie beamed and motioned for Sophie to come to them. Troy and Abed exchanged looks and gradually let go so Sophie could toddle over to Annie. When she got closer, Annie leaned over and pulled her onto her lap.
"I missed you, sweetie." She placed a kiss on Sophie's forehead.
Sophie nuzzled into her shoulder and turned to watch Anthony with careful eyes, placing her thumb in her mouth.
Anthony turned to look at Troy, who gave him a wave. "Hey, I'm Troy."
"Yeah, I remember. You're that football jock."
Troy shrugged. "Yeah. Look, we'll leave you guys alone."
"I'm Abed."
"Oh, sorry, Abed, I didn't mean…"
-"It's okay, Troy, I don't think we're needed much in this scene. It's getting awkward. I merely said that for completeist purposes." He turned to address Anthony, "I'll interview you later and get caught up on your backstroy. But we should go."
Annie silently mouthed her thanks to them as they ducked out. She then smiled and gave Sophie another kiss. "Anthony, this is Sophie."
He regarded her with wonder. "Hi, Sophie."
"Hi." The thumb promptly went back in the mouth.
"Sophie sweetie, this is Anthony, Mama's brother. He's your uncle."
"Duncle."
"That's right. He's my baby brother."
"Annie, this is crazy. I can't believe you have a baby."
Annie looked at him with sadness. "I know. This is part of the reason I've been away. I couldn't tell mom about her, not after everything that happened. She'd be so disappointed in me, and I'm done trying to please her."
The edge crept back into his voice. "You could have told us. I don't get why you won't let me be her uncle."
Annie startled yet again, and struggling to compose herself she said, "I didn't want to put you in an awkward position. I can't ask you to keep her existence from mom. So I thought it'd be easier if I didn't tell you. But then I've missed you so much, I knew it was time."
They sat in silence for a few moments, Anthony eventually reaching out to touch Sophie's foot. She promptly gave him a soft kick with her glittery pink shoes.
"She's cute."
Annie replied softly, "Thank you. I want you to be her uncle."
"Cool. Yeah."
Annie relaxed yet again and repositioned Sophie so that she was now seated on her lap.
"Fee wan bah."
Annie smiled at her. "You want your bear? I think Daddy has it." She leaned over to grab her purse and pull out her phone.
"So Adam's here?"
Annie shook her head as she paused in her texting. "No. I meant my boyfriend Jeff. We've decided he's her daddy."
"Oh. So that's like serious?"
"Yeah. We were friends for the first year here before we started dating. But um, yeah, we moved in with him a few months ago."
"Oh. Cool. I'm glad you don't live alone."
Annie finished her text and then turned back to see Sophie giggling at Anthony, who was in the middle of making a funny face.
X
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X
Jeff pulled up a chair as he leaned over to hand Sophie her bear. "There you go, munchkin."
"Dank you, Daddy. Mine."
"Yes, that is definitely yours. I swear I wasn't going to keep him."
"No, Daddy. Id mine."
"I get it, trust me."
"Jeff, this is Anthony. Anthony, this is Jeff."
Jeff reached out and shook Anthony's hand, feeling the sweatiness. His guess looking at the kid was that he was pretty freaked out, staring at him with wide eyes. Jeff looked down to see Sophie smacking her bear on Anthony's knee with a hearty chuckle.
He cleared his throat and said, "It's good to meet you."
The kid seemed to take a deep breath before looking back and forth between Jeff and Annie in confusion.
Jeff addressed the issue straight away and said, "I'm probably a little older than you were expecting."
"You don't look like you're in college."
"I never finished my undergrad so I went back to school. Annie and I are in the same year."
"Oh, cool."
Annie smiled brightly and gently placed Sophie in a standing position on the floor. She explained with a light tone, "I know our age difference might seem strange, but we get along really well, and I want you guys to get to know each other. I know you two will be good friends."
Anthony affected a nonchalant shrug and mumbled, "Yeah, okay."
"Great!" Came the chipper reply.
Anthony looked down at Sophie, who was attempting to shove the bear into the side of the couch. "Hey, can I play with her?"
Annie exchanged smiles with Jeff and said, "Yes, of course you can. She'd like that."
X
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Annie cozied up to Jeff's side as they watched Anthony talk to Sophie on the other side of the room. Sophie had taken him over to the foosball table, and he had hoisted her up so that they could examine it more closely.
"I'm a terrible sister."
"No, you're not."
"You know what I just realized? I haven't even asked him what he's been up to over the past three years. I made it all about me. He was only thirteen when I left. I don't know his interests, his friends, how he's been doing living with our mother. If he sees Bubbe…."
-"Annie, there's time."
They sat in silence for some moments, intertwining their hands. Jeff watched her furrowed brow relax, but just when he thought she was feeling better her lip began to quiver.
"I can't believe I haven't let him be her uncle."
Jeff kissed her temple. "It's not that simple. You had good reasons. And look, you've introduced them now. They seem to be getting along great."
Annie nodded wistfully, "Before you came in he told me he's been babysitting for extra money."
"Ah, well that explains why he seemed so comfortable picking her up."
As they continued to watch Anthony and Sophie, Jeff felt the warm tears on his shoulder. He whispered, "It's going to be okay."
"I need to tell my mom. I can't send him back there and ask him to keep this a secret."
"I know." He placed another kiss on her temple. "So I guess today's the day?"
Annie sat up and wiped her eye. She took a deep breath and turned to face him. "Not yet. He's staying over at a friend's house this weekend, so I can do it tomorrow."
She glanced back at Sophie and Anthony, noting Sophie's apparent glee. She sighed. "Honestly, I don't have the energy to do it right now. I mean how do I even go about telling my mother she's a bubbe?"
Jeff grimaced, feeling the heaviness of the whole situation in a way he hadn't since he first met Annie and Sophie. He briefly reflected on the group's collective tendency to get absorbed in the absurdities of Greendale and forget the complexities of their respective family lives. Up until this point, Annie's family had been almost an abstract thought for him, a family in theory only and one with which he made the naïve assumption they would never have to deal. But meeting her bubbe and now her brother and seeing the pain in Annie's face made him realize the crucial importance of facing these people. And he knew enough to be aware of the sticking point of Annie's mother.
Distracted by these reflections, he gave an uncharacteristically lame response. "I have no clue. Just come out and tell her, I guess? Call her? If she gets nasty, you can always hang up."
Annie nodded as she continued to watch Anthony and Sophie, who had progressed to some pretend game with the bear on the floor.
Following her gaze, Jeff muttered, "I'll disinfect that thing and give her a bath tonight."
"I want to invite him over to dinner tonight. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, of course."
"And we'll have Troy and Abed join us. Won't that be nice?"
"It'll be great."
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"Thanks, this has been really helpful."
"Of course, An-nie. I'm touched you reached out to me for some sensible advice."
Annie laughed to herself as she adjusted the phone against her ear and reached over to pick up Sophie's baby doll from the kitchen floor. She walked over to the dining table and placed it in the high chair, right in back of the tray. As she reflected on how well the previous evening's dinner went with Anthony in that very spot, she decided to add a touch of whimsy and place a bib on the doll.
That'll really surprise her.
For added measure, she added a purple plastic spoon near its hand.
Shirley's voice carried on, "Now, you let me know if you need anything, or if you need me to talk to that woman. I can explain to her that you are a good girl and you're one of the best people I know."
Annie cringed against the phone before she said, "Thanks, but I'm not looking to prove to her I'm a good girl. The only reason I'm reaching out is to make things easier for Anthony. And well, I guess because it's time, you know?"
There was a pause on the line and then a judgmental murmur.
"I see. But don't you think you should reconcile? A mother always wants to be a mother to her child."
"I don't need her as my mother."
"An-nie!"
"I'm serious. She held me to way too high of standards, she was impossible to please. It's her rigidity that's the worst. Once she has an idea in her head, she can't shake it. And she had definite ideas about how I should live my life. I don't think she for once considered how I might feel about any of it!"
"I see. Well, good luck…."
She was interrupted by a scuffling sound in the background.
"Shirley?"
"I'm sorry, hey, stop that right now!"
"Let me talk to her! Shirley, as the elder of the group, I must say I'm needed to weigh in here."
"Is that Pierce? I thought he was in Florida?"
"You get away. Shoo! I'm so sorry, An-nie, he showed up on my doorstep this morning half hung-over with no pants! I had no choice but to take him in. And now the boys are throwing things at him."
"No pants? Look, Shirley…"
"He was wearing shorts, but still, it's way too cold, and it's just indecent. Have you seen Pierce in shorts? Well, now I have, and let me tell you that's a sight against the Lord!"
"Give me that…Annie dear, it's Grandpa Peas. I've been listening in on your talk with Shirley, and while I can certainly understand you not wanting to bother me on my vacation, please rest assured I have returned and can accompany you to see your mother."
Annie paused in her pacing across the dining room and touched her hand to her chest. "That's really sweet of you."
"It's no problem."
"But I can't ask you to do that. I need to do this myself."
"Very well, Annie. But know that I'm at your beck and call."
"Thank you."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jeff chased a giggling Sophie into the living room, reaching down to grab her as she fell toward the couch. He lifted her up into the air and made a whirring noise, flying her around like an airplane. As he made a swooping arch, he was surprised by the sight of Annie putting on her coat near the kitchen. He came to a gentle stop and hoisted Sophie to his shoulder.
"Hey, where are you going?"
Annie finished buttoning up her grey woolen coat and placed her winter cap on her head. She straightened herself in a resolute pose. "I've decided a phone call won't do. I'm going to see her."
"Crap. Really?"
"Yes. It'll be better this way."
"Were you going to tell me?"
She smiled apologetically. "I was. I just didn't want to give you too much notice because I was afraid I'd chicken out. I don't want to be talked out of this."
He returned her smile, indicating his understanding. "Do you want me to come along? Cause I can…"
She waived her hand in the air. "No, let me handle this. And I don't want her anywhere near Sophie. You two stay here, I'll go over to Riverside, and my guess is I'll be back pretty quickly."
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
She gasped, "Of course I don't want to do this! But it needs to be done. Shirley convinced me it was the best way. And I talked to your mom, too, and she agreed. And so did Nancy. And even Britta said it would be the best psychologically…."
"Holy crap, you've talked to the entire town this morning."
"Even Pierce seemed to think…"
-"Double holy crap. Didn't he shout at us all before break and run off to Florida?"
Annie shrugged and then put on her brightest smile. "Okay, I'm doing this. I love you. Wish me luck."
Jeff walked over to her and bent down to press his forehead to hers. "Luck."
"Thanks."
They were startled by a loud knocking at the door.
Annie stepped back and gave him a quizzical stare, which he returned in kind. Shrugging, she rounded the corner and headed down the hallway toward the now banging door.
She opened it.
"Mom?!"*
xxxxxxx
*Intentional parallel to Jeff's mother turning up at his apartment in Part One.