He mumbled "Gmmarnppf?" then rolled over onto Ryan's chest again, leaving the dirty work to him. It was hardly fair, Ryan thought, shoving Seth and his grabby hands off of him (but gently), and reaching for the receiver. The damn thing was on Seth's side of the bed. "I'm the one who does 90 of the talking anyway, Ryan, so of course it should be on my side," had been his reasoning.
In all actuality, it was Ryan who usually answered, because after Seth finally wound down into sleep, he clung to it like Linus to his blanket. It was hard to be mad at Seth about this, as a sleeping Seth reminded Ryan of your average six year old - completely endearing, and completely opposite from the nineteen year old who had screwed Ryan into the mattress last night. Hmm, maybe not completely opposite. The adult Seth was just as playful, after all.
"Is that my adorable curly headed grandson who all the girls adore?" A voice crackled over the line.
"I'm afraid not, Mrs. Cohen," Ryan answered. "Hold on a minute, I'll go wa- get him for you."
"Ah, it's the strapping young blond. How are you, bubbeleh?"
"I'm fine, Ma'am." Despite her prickliness, Ryan liked the Nana a hell of a lot more than he'd ever liked Caleb. Not that this was difficult.
"Ryan, how many times have I told you to call me Nana. You're family too, after all. Or 'Sophie', if you can't bring yourself to do that."
Ryan could feel his ear being pinched over the phone. "Yes, Ma'am. Sophie."
"And why is my grandson sleeping such a beautiful day away? It is a beautiful day where you are, isn't it? It's California, after all."
"We were up late. Studying. And it's only six o'clock here, remember?"
"Oh, honey. I forgot about the time difference. Eastern time is so much more civilized."
Ryan laughed. "That's what Sandy says, too."
"Well of course. Where do you think he got it?"
"Excellent point, Ma-Sophie."
"Now go wake my grandson. And next time don't keep him up all night 'studying'." She said it like she wasn't sure that meant smoking crack, or having sex, but she knew it didn't mean hitting the books. "Tickling works well, but I'm sure you know that. I'll wait." Damn, the woman was clearly on to them.
He shook Seth again, this time a little less gently. "Seth! Wake up. Now."
"Geez, dude, you're insatiable. Can't a guy get his mmpff?"
Ryan put his hand over Seth's mouth, then hit the mute button a little too late to do any good. If Sophie had only suspected before, she knew now. "Not that. It's the Nana!"
Seth shot up at that. "You tell me this now? Some boyfriend you are."
Ryan just shrugged and handed the phone over to him. "It doesn't sound like she'll be that surprised, anyway."
Seth just glared at him. "Hi Nana, how are you?"
Seth's part of the conversation was minimal at first. Sophie was probably on a roll. Ryan watched as Seth became more and more uncomfortable, finally turning a shade of red to match the 70s vintage Rolling Stones t-shirt he'd pilfered from Sandy. "Of course, Nana. Yes, I am. You know I wouldn't… no, I haven't told them. I don't know, probably nothing… I know, but I'm not ready to, and I'm sure Ryan isn't either."
Ryan raised a questioning eyebrow, though he was pretty sure he knew what Sophie had asked. Seth pointed to the closet, then to the two of them. There was an even longer pause, then Seth handed him the phone again. "She wants to talk to you."
Ryan took it with trepidation, much like Seth did when Summer called from Penn to fill him in on how much better she was doing without him, but say she missed him anyway.
"Sophie?"
"Tell me something, Ryan. You've known me how long now?"
"About four years, I think, why?"
"And I've seemed like a pretty easy going person, right? Except for a little tzuris with my shiksa daughter in law, I mean." He didn't know where she was going with this, or what some of those words meant, but he was agreeable.
"You've been very nice."
"Then why would you think I couldn't handle you and my Setheleh being together? I know you aren't really brothers"
Shit. "It isn't something we've told anybody. It's not just you."
"But you love him, don't you? I mean how could you not? My grandson is irresistible to the Goyim, just like my son."
"Yes, Ma'am, I love him very much." Ryan flushed a little at Seth's soft look, and squeezed the hand that was offered him.
"Then that's what matters. I always knew you did, I just didn't know you knew."
'From the first day I met him," Ryan admitted. "It just took us awhile to admit it, and get to this point."
"Sounds like a story. I remember when Seth used to love it when I told him stories."
"He still does." Seth liked hearing them almost as much as he loved telling them. Ryan thought that was what made him such a good writer.
"You know, Ryan, I didn't call just to catch up with my two boys. Though since Seth caught himself a gorgeous blond, he's apparently too busy to call his poor old grandmother…"
"What can we do for you, Sophie?"
"I'm moving back to New York, and I hoped you two strapping lads could help."
"You're moving back to New York?"
"Why would she do that?" Seth interjected when he heard Ryan parroting her words back to her.
"I heard that." Sophie laughed. "Tell him I miss my seasons. It isn't right to live without changing leaves. Besides, Miami is for old coots."
Now it was Ryan's turn to laugh. He and Seth had never lived through a real winter. "But won't the cold be bad for your health?"
"Not as bad as that mishegos I almost married. I'm doing all right. I'd rather die at home than stagnate in Miami with the other Bridge biddies."
"I didn't know you played Bridge." He couldn't picture it.
"Only because my Mah Jong fourth passed away. It's just an excuse to gossip, anyway. I miss my old Canasta friends."
"Sounds like the Newpsies," he told her.
"You'd probably best not mention that to Kirsten," Sophie joked.
Ryan missed what Sophie said next, because Seth was poking him. Repeatedly. "Sophie? Seth needs to talk to you again." Ryan thrust the phone back at him, irritated. "Here!"
Seth mouthed "sorry" at him, and spoke into the receiver."Nana? What's this about moving back to New York? Yeah, I know you did…. But I thought you liked it in Miami."
Ryan could see Seth's face fall, and knew it wasn't just about Sophie missing home. He took Seth's free hand and squeezed it. "Oh, I see…. Can't they do anything? That's not fair. You said you wouldn't stop going. You're all I have left. I need you to stick around. So does Dad. Does he know? You're right. We're both good at keeping secrets. Yeah, Nana, I love you too. I'll call you back soon."
Ryan handed him the Kleenex. "Thanks, man. Allergies."
Ryan didn't call him on it.
Using a trick he'd probably learned from Ryan, Seth changed the subject. "Why'd you get so pissy when I wanted the phone back?" Seth asked him when he'd pulled himself back together.
"It's not that. You were interrupting. When I was a kid and did that, I'd get a slap in the face." At least. Once, his mother's boyfriend had thrown the phone at him. Ryan had had a headache for days.
"That sucks, man. I'm sorry."
Ryan shrugged. "At least I learned quickly."
"Like I said, that sucks."
"Yeah, well, it ended up all right." Ryan got the conversation back on track. "She's sick again, isn't she?"
"Yeah. She wants us to go down there. I could go alone, but she asked for both of us. Besides, I really need you there."
"It's fine. I'll go check on flights." He gave Seth a quick kiss, then started to get up. Seth pulled him back down again.
"No, don't go yet. It's only 8:00."
Ryan lay back down again, curling up behind Seth. "You know we're not going to be able to get back to sleep."
"Trust me, Ryan, sleeping is the last thing on my mind."
"You're right, we should probably talk about this."
"I know, but not now. I was thinking we'd get back to the real reason I thought you were waking me up so early."
Ryan had no complaints on that front.
Finals, and a quick visit to Newport later, Seth and Ryan were on a plane to New York. They hadn't told Seth's parents about their new living arrangements (for appearances sake they'd kept the other bedroom looking the same as it had been when Ryan slept in it, but now shared a room.)
"I think telling them about the Nana is going to be enough stress. I wish she'd have called dad herself," Seth had groused.
Sandy had been worried, but unsurprised. "Frankly, I'm amazed she lasted in Miami this long. I'm going to have to go back home and see what we can do for her, though." He made arrangements to fly out near the end of the boys' trip. He'd also convinced her to move into his sister's elevator high rise. "You're kidding yourself if you think you can handle your old fourth floor walk-up, Ma"
She'd said she wasn't that bad off yet, and it was unnecessary, but she'd "Do what makes him happy."
Seth and Ryan were to give the full report as soon as they could call with it.
Even after all these years, Ryan still hated flying. But Seth's chatter usually kept his mind off it. This time, Seth's worry was making him quieter than usual.
Every once in a while he'd burst out with a new concern. "So you think she looks really bad? Because I don't do so well around sick people. I get that sympathy barfing thing."
"I know." Ryan remembered what it had been like when he'd gotten food poisoning earlier that year. Seth had been almost as bad off as he was, even though he hadn't eaten the bad shrimp lo mein. "I don't know how bad she'll look, Seth, but I know you'll be okay. You're a lot stronger than you think."
Seth looked grateful at that, squeezing Ryan's thigh under the tray table. "You'll be fine, too."
Seth's aunt Josephine, slim in a bright green shirt and a denim skirt, was waiting for them at the airport. Ryan had never met her, or Seth's uncle William, but he would have recognized her anywhere. She had Seth's curls, his smile, and his animated way of talking.
"Seth. Squirtface! I haven't seen you since you were this high!" She pointed down to knee level. "God, don't you hate when people say that? And this must be the boyfriend. Cute! I approve."
"Aunt Jo!"
"What, was I not supposed to know? Even if Ma hadn't told me, it was patently obvious when I saw how he was looking at you as you walked off the plane."
"His name is Ryan. And I can't believe Nana told you. What'd she say exactly?"
"That her 'little Setheleh was finally coming to visit her in New York, and was bringing his Robert Redford lookalike 'brother who's secretly a boyfriend' with him.' I'm pretty sure that covers it."
Ryan could feel himself blushing. "It's nice to meet you, Ma'am." He held out his hand.
"Ryan, my mother doesn't even like to be called that. 'Jo' will do just fine." She hugged him, before Ryan could protest. He'd never been greeted so affectionately before he met the Cohens. It was kind of nice.
Jo filled them in on the Nana's condition on the drive home, pointing out the landmarks on the way. "Ma's going to want to show you around, and you should let her, but don't let her over do it. If you tell her you're tired she'll pretend to believe it."
"Sounds like a plan," Seth agreed.
"There's plenty of room at my place," Josephine went on. "But if you need to get away for a few hours - and believe me, you will - there's a terrific piano bar a few blocks away. I know that's not your usual thing, Seth, but the new guy, Ephram, is not to be missed."
"Sounds like something Ryan would like. We'll give it a go. And thanks for the warning about The Nana."
Sophie looked better than Ryan had expected, a hint of pink in her cheeks despite the evidence of her treatment in a multicolored head-scarf.
"Finally! My boys are here. Come give me a hug, you two."
Seth and Ryan gave her a careful embrace, until she 'tsk'ed at them, saying "I'm not dead yet. You can do better." Seth held on tighter, his eyes suspiciously bright when he finally let go. "That's my Setheleh," she murmured, and Ryan found himself wishing he had been close to his own grandparents.
She really didn't have a lot of work for them. Mostly moving boxes of photos for her to go through and parcel out to the rest of the family. If Ryan thought Seth was a pack rat when it came to sentimental memorabilia, now he knew where he got it from. Every picture told a story, and every matchbook pasted into her "week at a glance" date books had another history attached.
There were lots of pictures of Seth as a little boy, and she handed Ryan one for his wallet when Seth wasn't looking. "It'll be great blackmail material", she confided. Seth had taped black paper Snoopy ears to his head, and colored his nose with a marker, something Ryan had only heard about, but which Seth had vehemently denied. Now there was proof.
"You know, I always wanted to do the 'Auntie Mame' thing with Seth. Take him in, show him the world. Kind of like Sandy and Kirsten did for you. But unfortunately, his parents would never let him go that long."
"They wouldn't even send me to boarding school," Seth confirmed. "And I would have loved that. Well, except for the nudist school. But hey, I did learn to make martinis for the Newpsies, and I did date the snooty society girl. Didn't work out so well."
"You're much better off with Ryan, here." Sophie patted Ryan on the shoulder. "He's a mensch."
"I think so too." Seth beamed at both of them.
"Well, if that's true, then why haven't you told your parents yet?" Sick or not, the woman's edge was still there.
"Because we thought they had enough to deal with with your news," Seth told her.
"Is that true?" She addressed Ryan.
"I guess so. Seth wasn't ready." Oddly enough, he had been. It had been Seth's idea to fake out the extra bedroom just in case his folks dropped by unexpectedly. Ryan had always thought they could handle the news, and might even have anticipated it. Still, he would hate to be wrong. He could hardly afford to risk their love. Not financially, he'd earned enough in scholarships and grants not to worry about paying for school, but emotionally. He loved the Cohens dearly.
"But you are, right?" Sophie could read him clearly.
"Yeah, well, they took me in and loved me when I was just a punk kid. I don't think they get fazed that easily."
"Neither do I." Her reassurance helped. "So, you'll tell them? As soon as possible, right? I want to still be around for your wedding."
"Nana!" Seth was aghast.
"What, a grandmother can't dream? I can just picture you two in matching tuxedos, romantic dance music playing as the Rabbi… you will convert, won't you Ryan?"
"I, um, hadn't thought that far."
"Don't worry, I'll introduce you to Rabbi Greenburg before you go. She'll convince you."
Ryan didn't know about that, but he could already see the gears turning in Seth's head. He was probably already planning the DJ's song list, and possibly where to register.
The rest of the week passed by quickly. Seth got to know his grandmother better than he'd ever had a chance to as a child. Ryan got to know the child Seth had been, as well as more about the family Ryan now thought of as his own.
Kirsten decided to fly up with Sandy, which made the whole "telling them" thing both easier and harder. Sophie's 'I'm fine, but the boys have something they'd like you to know' prodded them into action.
Kirsten's "we know that, honey," and Sandy's "Did you think we were idiots?' turned it into an embarrassing anti-climax, but as Seth said later, that was better than them freaking out.
Seth freaked out enough himself, in relief. "I can't believe it was that easy," he kept repeating. "I never knew my parents were so cool."
"I did," Ryan told him. He hadn't worried. Much.
Sophie didn't make it to graduation, much as she wanted to. She was too ill. But she did hear about it. She kvelled like he was her own when Ryan won his first design award, She read first printing of Seth's first real novel; her name featured heavily, and informed all her friends he'd be the next Philip Roth.
And when she finally did pass, she left Ryan her five-story brownstone to renovate. He and Seth moved in, and were mostly happy ever after. They felt Sophie's presence in every room.