Alex couldn't wait to take a shower and change into fresh clothes. No matter how good the cause, he decided, this was the last time he'd ever take a spontaneous trip halfway across the country. He still couldn't believe all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Never had he known Jennifer and Jason to be so unruly. It made him wonder if they knew about the letter, too, though he couldn't imagine why Elaine would tell them let alone why it would make such a difference to them.
He hadn't made it through the living room when the phone rang. He groaned until remembering he'd told Elaine to call him. Hopefully, he rushed over to answer, disappointed when it wasn't Elaine's voice on the other end.
"Alex!" Simka cried. "Alex, I don't know what to do. Amanda won't stop crying. Latka went back to work today and it's my first time taking care of her all alone. You've got to help!"
"Shh, Simka, it's okay. I'm sure everything is fine."
"It's been half an hour! Please, Alex, help me."
"All right," he gave in. "I'll be right over…"
True to his word, he threw his jacket back on and was knocking at Simka's door within twenty minutes. Part of him was happy to have a distraction as much as he wanted a nap.
"Hi, Alex…" Simka opened the door guiltily. "She… She's calm now. I got her to go to sleep."
Alex chuckled. "I told you it was going to be okay."
"I'm sorry. I'm just a bit nervous."
"Perfectly all right."
"You can come in if you want. I'll make you a cup of coffee. You look tired."
"Ah, thanks, Simka, but I'll take a raincheck."
Observing him closer, Simka grimaced. "Are you wearing the same thing you wore yesterday?"
"Yeah," he answered. "It's a long story."
"It's too bad you don't want any coffee," she shrugged. "Then you could tell it to me."
He lingered in the doorway a moment, then said, "Actually… Simka? If you have the time I would like to ask you something."
Taking hold of his hand, Simka replied as she took him over to the table, "Goody!"
Alex was quiet while she fussed with the coffee pot, almost hoping she'd forgotten his plea to talk despite the nagging sensation he'd felt all day. Of course, Simka never missed an opportunity for gossip of any sort and nearly threw the coffee at him as she took her seat across from him.
"What is it you want to ask me?"
He mumbled. "Has, uh, Elaine ever said anything about the two of us? Her and me, I mean."
"I asked her once," Simka admitted. "But no, not really."
"What did she say?"
"That she wouldn't tell me."
"Oh."
"Why?" she questioned, eyes as wide as could be.
After a sip of coffee, he said, "Never mind."
"Oh, please, Alex. Tell me! Did something happen?"
He shook his head. "If Elaine hasn't said anything then it isn't my place."
"Something did happen!"
"It's not what you might be thinking. Why do you sound so excited about it? You know she's with Arnie."
"Right…" she corrected. "She's with Arnie."
Raising an eyebrow, Alex questioned, "Do you know something I don't?"
"Not that I know of."
"Are you sure she didn't talk to you?"
"I haven't seen her since she left yesterday." Clenching her fists in suspense, she begged, "You've said this much. I know something is going on so you might as well tell me. What happened between you and Elaine?"
With a sigh Alex gave in, only relaying the bare minimum of the story, admitting his feelings for Elaine, not sure what he was hoping Simka would say in return. She listened in bewilderment and using every ounce of self-control she could find in herself to refrain from speaking until he was through. As soon as he came to a stop, she said, "Alex, she's the one."
"She's what?"
"She's the one," Simka repeated. "Don't you remember my gift? The one where I can find everyone's perfect match?"
Alex scoffed. "Yeah. The one that set Arnie and Elaine up."
"So, I'm not always right on the first try," she quipped. "No gift is perfect."
Standing, coffee half-finished, he said, "Gift or no gift, it doesn't matter now. I should get back home in case she calls, but I'm not counting on it."
"Ooh, you can't have a talk like this on the phone." She followed him to the door. "This is something you need to say to each other face to face."
He turned back to her. "Say what? That after all this time we should finally stop kidding ourselves now that she's settled down in another city with another man?"
"You said yourself she wasn't certain what she was going to do about Arnie."
"No, but I'm not going to encourage her to leave him."
"You have to, Alex. You're meant to be together. I said so to Latka."
Looking side to side, Alex said, "Latka isn't here."
"Not now. Last week at the hospital. I told Latka that you were her perfect match."
"What made you say that?"
"My stomach. That feeling you get when you know something is right. I don't know what you would call it in English. It's part of the gift. It was stronger than ever. When you were both holding Amanda it all made sense."
"Don't you think the fact your body just went through a major shock might have had something to do with it."
She shook her head. "I've known for a while that Arnie might not be the perfect man for Elaine. Before she moved and especially after. I couldn't figure out who it was she was meant to be with. Then when I saw you together, I knew. You have to trust me."
"Simka," Alex said firmly, "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but this 'gift' you have is all in your head. Call it a knack, maybe, but not a gift. Elaine's relationship with Arnie is the best I've seen her have. I'm not going to ruin that for her because you think she and I might be a little bit better. I care about her too much to cause any more of a riff than I already have."
"But you love her."
"I do." He paused, surprising himself by the easy admittance. "And that's why I'm not going to ruin a good thing."
"Did she seem happy when you were in Chicago?"
"Well…" he stuttered. "Not particularly… but I wasn't there long enough. And it was strange between the kids and Arnie and everything she told me. That doesn't mean she's unhappy."
"Poor Alex," Simka said pathetically. "Poor, poor Alex."
"Would you knock that off?"
"You are too scared to take a chance. You should have gone with Elaine years ago if it's true it's been so long."
"This isn't fear," he argued. "This is knowing when to step aside. Yeah, maybe I do regret not taking my chance with Elaine when I could have. It's a decision I'm going to have to live with."
"You don't know that! You said yourself she feels the same way!"
Trying to cool his frustration before speaking again, he took a few breaths. "I know you and Elaine are close, but I have known her longer. I know how she acts when she's under pressure or when there's some sort of big change going on in her life. She needs to cool down. Once she does, she'll realize she's happy with Arnie."
Crossing her arms, Simka questioned, "And what about you? You're okay not telling her how you feel?"
"I did."
"I mean face to face. Not in a letter you never meant to send."
"I spoke to her face to face last night."
"Did you tell her you love her?"
"I don't know. Probably not in as many words but there was no need for it. That damn letter was the topic. Elaine's always known how I feel."
"Then why are you saying she was surprised to find out?"
Stumped for a response, Simka used his silence to go on.
"Alex, you need to go back to Chicago. Give her a day or two. Okay, that's fine. But you have to go back. You have to tell her everything you haven't."
"It's out of the question. I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"But you are meant to be together! Ask any of our friends and they will agree with me."
"What might have worked in your country doesn't work in America. I blew it. It's a fact I've come to terms with and I wish you would as well." He turned to the door and then back again. "I'm leaving. I don't want to hear another word about this."
"Alex—"
"Simka," he shouted as loud as he could with a baby sleeping in the next room, "I mean it. No more."
Simka huffed along with the door shutting behind him. "Men. They are even more stubborn here than in the old country."
