It's THAT Day Again
Ziva feels guilty about celebrating Mothers' Day 2021. Tony and Tali have their work cut out for them to convince her otherwise.
"Thank you for calling, Jimmy," Ziva waved at the screen as the weekly Zoom session with the Palmers came to a close.
"Happy Mothers' Day Ziva!" Jimmy grinned as he ended the call. He, Victoria, and Edna high-fived as they looked at their list of calls to make. One more to go; Ellie's mom, Barbara, in Oklahoma was the last of the Zoom calls. The three Palmers had come up with the plan to call all the mothers they knew to wish them a happy Mothers' Day as a way to honor Breena's memory.
Tony put the laptop back on his office desk as Ziva and Tali headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner. He quickly followed behind his girls so that he could help with the preparations.
"Ima, you're supposed to let me and Daddy make dinner 'cuz it's Mothers' Day," Tali protested.
Ziva shrugged and sighed, "We have had this discussion several times this past week, Tali. I do not mind cooking dinner for the family. I rather enjoy cooking actually."
"But… Ima…" Tali looked to her father for support. "On Mothers' Day we are supposed to let you just relax and enjoy the day. Daddy and I are supposed to do all the work and stuff. Pop-pop said we hafta cook and clean and do the laundry and do the chores and…"
"I heard what your grandfather said when we had the Zoom call with him yesterday. He was just being polite and reminding you and your father about Mothers' Day." Ziva noticed Tony pulling a chair out from the table and motioning for her to sit. She smiled at him and patted his cheek as she sat down. "We do not need to make a big deal over some made-up holiday designed to sell flowers and cards."
Tony took his wife's hand in his own, "Ziva, let us do this, please. It's important for Tali and for me… we didn't get to do this for you until last year, so we have a lot of years to make up."
"For that I am sorry," she blurted out without thinking.
"NO, there is nothing you need to apologize," he tilted her chin up so she met his gaze. "You are here, you have been here for almost a year and a half; that is what's important. You are here."
Tali watched her parents carefully; she knew her Ima sometimes got very sad about the time she was away from her and Daddy. Daddy sometimes got really sad about the time he and Ima were apart before the Mossad lady brought her to Daddy. It made Tali sad when those times happened, but she also knew that if Daddy or Ima needed some time alone to feel better it was okay.
"Are we makin' sketty Daddy?" Tali looked between her parents who were gazing at each other. "The special recipe?"
Tony smiled, and replied without breaking the look with Ziva, "If that's what Ima wants, Princess, then we will make the DiNozzo special spaghetti for dinner. What say you, Mrs. DiNozzo?"
"Spaghetti is fine," Ziva gave a small smile to her husband and turned to Tali. "Are you going to make garlic bread also?"
"Uh huh, 'cuz Daddy says that's one of your favorites," the almost seven-year-old replied with a signature DiNozzo grin. "An' you can help if you want."
The three DiNozzos began the meal preparation together, each doing a task to put the food on the table. Tali and Ziva made the individual salads and the garlic bread. Tali helped Tony with the meatballs and sauce, and then with serving the spaghetti to the pasta bowls.
As the family finished the food, Tali jumped up from her seat. "I almost forgot, Ima… I have a present for you," she started towards her room. She froze when Tony cleared his throat. "Um, may I leave the table, Daddy, Ima?"
"You may after you put your dishes and utensils in the dishwasher," Ziva responded.
Tali rinsed her pasta bowl and salad plate and placed them in the lower rack of the dishwasher, "Are we having dessert tonight?"
Tony grinned at his daughter, "Shh… that's our secret surprise for Ima." She grinned back and skipped off to her room, leaving the adults at the table.
"What is that all about?" Ziva inquired.
"Don't let Tali know that I told, but we bought some baklava while we were out yesterday as a surprise for you."
"You did not need to go to all this trouble. I feel guilty about celebrating when so many have lost so much in the last year. Poor Victoria and Jimmy," Ziva placed a hand on her husband's.
"Hey, I feel their pain, I really do… however, I want to celebrate every day that you are back with us, Ziva. Not just today, but every day is Mothers' Day. You did all the hard stuff to bring Tali into the world. You know, carrying her and growing her inside you, giving birth to her…"
Ziva looked at the table; this discussion always made her heart hurt. She had yet to forgive herself for keeping Tali from her soulmate for almost two years. How had she ever convinced herself that she was better off without him back then?
"Water under the bridge, Zi," Tony could tell her thoughts by the expression on her face. "We are together now. You did what you had to back then. I forgave you a long time ago, you know."
Ziva sighed, "But I feel as though I am constantly letting you down…" The news from Ziva's ob/gyn on Thursday had been a huge blow to the couple.
He pulled her to him and held her in his arms, "Hey, yeah, it would have been great to give Tali a sibling, but if it's not meant to be, we still have one great kid. We got each other as well." He wiped a tear from her face as he continued, "She is our miracle. Given what the doctor said the other day, we should celebrate that we managed to have her."
Ziva sniffled, "I wish my body could have another; I know you want more. Tali would be an awesome big sister."
"I'm gonna be a big sister?" Tali bound into the room with something wrapped in purple tissue paper and a handmade card in her hands. "That's so cool!"
"La'azazel," Ziva muttered to her husband. She turned to her daughter, "Tali, come sit a minute," she patted the chair where the child usually sat for meals.
"Okay, Ima," the girl frowned at her mother and looked to her father. Both looked sad again; Tali sat quickly and placed her things for Ima on the table in front of her. She looked at them expectantly.
Tony nodded at Ziva as he took her hand in his, "You remember how babies are made?"
Tali nodded, "They grow in the Ima's belly until they are ready to come into the world."
Ziva continued, "Well, as much as Daddy and I would like for you to be a big sister, my body will not grow another baby. It is too damaged by things that happened before you were born. Daddy and I will just have you, Tali. You are our miracle…" Ziva trailed off trying not to let the tears fall.
Tony picked up the conversation, "Ima was told before you were born that she could not have a baby. We are so lucky to have you, Tali-T, and Ima and I will always be incredibly happy that we gave you life. I kinda hoped you would get to be a big sister one day, but it's not meant to be. That's why Ima and I are sad."
"Oh. So, I will be an only child? Just me? Like Daddy was for Pop-pop?" Tali was putting the pieces together in her head.
"Ken," Ziva didn't even realize that she'd reverted to Hebrew. Tony noticed; he always did… his better half tended to revert to her native language when she was upset.
"It's okay, Ima," Tali popped out of her chair and threw her arms around her Ima's neck. "I have my cousins, so I am not the only kid. Even if we don't get to see them much. I love you, Ima."
Tony wrapped his arms around his girls, Tali's resilience and good-natured adaptation amazed him sometimes. He felt the two shift and released his hold on them.
"Now can I give you your present, Ima? I made it just for you," Tali thrust the wad of purple tissue paper at her mother. "An' I made a card too."
Ziva took the items from her daughter. She opened the card and read it out loud, "To Ima, from Tali. I'm glad you are my Ima. You are the best Ima in the whole world. Love Tali." With a teary smile, she tore the wrapping from the gift. "It's beautiful, Tali!"
Ziva held up the wooden plaque on which Tali had painted three figures and some flowers and hearts. Under each figure, she'd added a name: 'Daddy,' 'Tali,' 'Ima.' The printed paper greeting was glued alongside the figures. When Ziva turned the plaque so that Tony could read the words, both wiped at their eyes.
'My family is the best because we have each other always.'
"I told that to Madame Taubert when we had to tell her what we wanted to say on the sign," Tali grinned at her parents. "It's true 'cuz our family is the best!"
Ziva drew her family into a hug; perhaps Mothers' Day was worth celebrating with these two.