Couples
Chapter 119
"That's perfect!" Rick declares as he steps back from his newly set holiday table.
"What's that thing in the middle?" Kate asks.
"That's the Thanksgiving tableau Alexis made in third grade. I found it when I was in our basement storage inventorying our holiday decorations. Sweet, don't you think?"
"The pumpkin is bigger than the pilgrims," Kate observes.
"True," Rick acknowledges. "It was no doubt more important to a third-grader. But the bright orange hasn't faded, so Lily should love it."
"As far as bright colors go, you didn't set a place for Gamoee, did you?"
"No. We can spare our guests from looking at that exquisitely ugly mug during dinner. I told Lily that mandrills don't like turkey. But, of course, in the wild, they wouldn't encounter one. Fun fact. Mandrills are old-world primates, and turkeys are native to the Americas. So I didn't lie."
"Good for you." Kate checks her watch. "Alexis and Dana should be here any minute. She wanted to make sure their contributions are ready to go before the rest of the family arrives. When did Martha say she and Craig are coming?"
"She said they'd be here at three, but you know Mother. Except for a call or an entrance, time to her is flexible. Still, she's been so busy lately that she hasn't had a chance to see Lily, and I believe she's looking forward to it. And Craig may urge her along a bit. So she might be on time."
"My dad said he'd be here at three, also. So we should be all set. Are you going to wear that?"
Rick gazes down at his R2D2 apron. "Alexis and Dana would like this, but I can change it. I don't suppose my "Kiss the Cook" would do either?"
"My dad likes you, but not that much. How about the one Alexis gave you last Christmas?"
"'Bless this Food?' I'm not sure I like the implication, but all right." A crash sounds from the corral. "Lily's into a solo demolition derby. I want to check that she hasn't knocked anything loose from her toys. Back in a minute." Rick climbs into the great room's flexible enclosure with his daughter and scans the floor for debris. No spare parts.
Idly, he wishes adult transportation was as resilient to abuse. Better still, it would be great if humans were that resilient. Watching Lily, he wonders what it would have been like to have a father around keeping an eye on him. But this is hardly the day to worry about that. He hunkers down to press his lips to the dark silk of Lily's hair before going in search of the coverup Kate suggested.
From a vacant apartment across the way from the Castle loft, Jack lifts his scope to his eye. He still hasn't had any luck tracking down Azra, but sometimes the junior crews on during holidays are more likely to let a clue slip out. He'll keep monitoring the chatter. But in the meantime, he can do a little monitoring of his family. He spotted Alexis and her husband going into the building. From the load they were carrying, more guests must be expected. If Jack can't join in the festivities, at least he knows they're taking place. That's something.
Rick's coming to the window, and he's holding Lily. They're probably looking to see if anyone else is arriving. It doesn't matter. At least Jack is getting to see his granddaughter. She's growing so fast that if he'd waited much longer, he might not recognize her. She's beginning to take on her mother's looks. Lucky girl. But the gleam of curiosity and mischief in her eyes is all Richard. Jack has no doubt she's a handful. From what little he got to watch from afar when Richard was growing up, the boy was a pistol. And Jack suspects that Katherine got into her share of trouble as well. He settles back into a chair that folds into almost nothing for transport. As the afternoon wears on, he's hoping he'll have even more to see.
Bambi's hesitancy about joining Javi's family for holiday dinner disappears as Abuela Maria opens her arms. "Bienvenida. You are welcome here. It's been a long time since Javier brought a woman to see us. I'm finishing up in the kitchen. Come. We'll talk."
Esposito gazes after Bambi as she follows his grandmother. By the end of the day, Abuela will probably know more about Bambi than he does. He only hopes that they talk more about Bambi than they do about him. Maybe he shouldn't have brought her so soon in their relationship. She knows he was no angel growing up, but she doesn't know the details of how bad things got. He can hear his cousins yelling at the screen as they watch a game in the next room. He might as well join them. Keeping his mind on football will be a lot less nerve-wracking than worrying about what's going on in the kitchen.
Abuela Maria sets Bambi to stirring a pan of gravy. If she messes it up, Maria can always make another batch, but her grandson's companion is doing fine. "Javier told me you teach little ones."
"I do," Bambi confirms. "I knew that was what I wanted to do when I was still in high school. I've never wanted to do anything else."
"How about getting married and having bebés of your own?" Maria inquires.
"She gets right to it," Bambi thinks to herself, taking a deep breath. "Only with a man who would love our children and care about them as much as I do," she responds.
Maria nods. "That's a good answer. My Javier, he comes on tough sometimes, but he has a big heart. When he and his cousin Jorge were ten, they were going to the store together. But the sidewalk was broken, and Jorge fell and split his knee open. They were almost the same size, but Javier picked Jorge up and carried him five blocks to me. And he teaches the kids in the neighborhood to play basketball. He helped one of them get a scholarship to college. He's a good man."
Bambi notes the path the spoon makes in the thickened liquid she's mixing. "I think this is done." She takes it off the flame. "And I know Javi is kind, Mrs. Rivera. I've seen it. But my parents went through a terrible divorce. And I know Javi's father left too. I would not want to go through a break-up like that. And I'd never want to put a child through it. So if I decide to marry, it has to be to someone I'll be with for the rest of my life. Do you understand?"
"I do. My Miguel and I were married for 33 years, and we loved each other until the day God took him. But I can tell you this. I knew he was a good man from the day I met him. And there was a look in his eyes when I was with him. That same look is in Javier's eyes now. I've never seen it from him before. So if you love him, don't be afraid. If God brought you together, don't let anything pull you apart. Can you promise me that?"
"Mrs. Rivera, I can promise you that if Javi wants to stay with me, I'll give God the chance to show me whether we should be together forever or not. But we haven't even come close to talking about anything like that."
Maria shakes her head. "I know my Javier. It's in his head. It just has to fight its way to his mouth."