author note - at last! Updates! With two chapters to make up for my not writing in ages. And more to come as I try very very hard to be a good author and update on either Sunday or Monday.

11Resolution

The next day, she was as calm and rational as when we met. It was like last night had never happened. Only a missing vase from the living room and clock with a broken face in the living room gave it away. Rebecca and Alex had gone off to school, the other parents had gone to work and Freddi's mother was off to market. Leaving Xavier and me with Naomi, who was quite happily talking about her artist friends and the rabbi who was also a violinist.

I didn't know what to say or do, so I went along with it. And I must admit I did have fun. Naomi's art friends were just as eccentric as my art friends at home, and I found myself trading email addresses with them so I could keep in touch with them after I left. I found I liked deli food, even kosher, and was intrigued to learn how much Christianity owed to Judaism for its heritage. Rabbi Abrams was kind of like my dad, in fact, warm and fatherly and wise. He was a great violinist, too, and I found myself begging him to play just one more song. So he did something by Paganini, and I found I did like classical music after all. It could be exciting!

When we got back to Naomi's place, the others had prepared a great, big kosher feast and set it out in the kitchen buffet style. I was the first to snag a plate and dive in!

As I was dressing for bed that evening, I was in a much more peaceful mood. Maybe Naomi-mother had had a bad moment, that was all; if that was so, I could learn to deal with it, right? I mean, I was grownup; if she started flipping out any time during this or any future visits, I could just leave, or go upstairs and lock the door.

A knock at the door.

"Come in," I said.

Naomi sailed in beaming, and came to throw her arms around me. "What a wonderful day we had, my daughter! I was so glad to see you so avidly listening to Rabbi Abrams, enjoying your soul food. You see! Coming here was just the thing you needed to do. You have finally found your roots. Isn't it wonderful? I can't wait until you move in! We can make over the attic suite for you and Xavier, and you can both start going to classes to become Jewish, so you can marry. I have s many friends in the newspaper business; we can get you the perfect job! You'll become famous fast. And then, I can't wait for the grandbabies to start coming! You will work at home with your op ed columns by then, so it will be so easy, and I will be a full-time artist by then, so I can stay home and help you raise them! Oh, art! I already have a theme thought up – fairies for girls, dragons for boys. Wait! I have drawings in my studio. You want to see them." She kissed me on the cheek, on the other cheek, then dashed away.

I sat down hard on the bed.

Now she was planning my entire life!

I couldn't deal with it!

I had to get out of here!

When she came back, though, I was very very composed. I looked over her sketches, cooed over how cute the dragons and fairies were, even suggested doing the fairies as princesses in a pink tower bedroom theme. She loved it, and was talking about embedding faux pearls and diamonds in the upper walls to catch the light as she sped back to her studio.

When she was locked in and had loud music throbbing the walls, I snuck to Xavier's room. "I can't stand it," I said, throwing myself into his arms. "Now she's planning our entire lives up to our having children! I have to get out of here!"

"You sure?" Xavier asked.

I nodded.

He breathed out a sigh of relief. "The minute I get out of Rebecca's crosshairs, the happier I'll be." At my surprised look, he added, "Guess who has been hitting on me ever since we got here? Guess who has always had a crush on me? And guess who, because her father wasn't Jewish like yours was, says it makes more sense for me to go for her while you find a nice Jewish doctor or lawyer or banker or something?" I saw he looked as frazzled as I felt. "I'm already packed," he added.

"I'll go pack right now," I whispered.

We had just made it to the kitchen and were heading to the hall when we heard a soft voice saying, "Why Ruthie, Xavier, where are you going?"

I dropped my suitcase with a clatter and yelped.

"It's okay," the woman said, and came forth to reveal herself as Rachel, Freddi's mother. "You two are leaving us?"

Immediately I felt guilty. "I just can't take the ups and downs any more, I'm sorry, but she was planning my whole life and…"

She put her arms around me. "And pretending she's suddenly this super Jewish orthodox mama to impress you, and talking babies and jobs and all that. Dearheart, she's doing this because she's nervous, and overwhelmed, and hyperactive with her moods. I'm not going to talk you out of going – in fact, it might help the both of you – but I would ask you to just take a hotel room, and come back first thing in the morning, before she even knows you are gone, so you can tell her how you feel."

I made a noise.

She laughed. "I know, but if you don't, she'll just chase you back to California and make one of her scenes there. I love the girl dearly, but sometimes I wonder about her high drama quotient. She says it's because she's an artist, but so is my Freddi and she's as calm as can be."

Curiosity kills the cat, and it kills me too. "So, how do the three adults relate, anyhow? Who loves who?"

"They each love the others," Rachel said. "It's something called polyamory. I can't explain it – for me, it's one woman and one man – but if it makes them happy, let them stay together."

Oh. Okay. Weird. "For me, it's one woman one man, but I can't judge if it's two women or two men," I said, leaning against Xavier. "I don't understand more than one love, but then again, I can't understand being attracted to the same sex."

"We'll come back around six, all right?" Xavier said, hugging me.

"Good idea. Take care, little one," she said, and went to kiss me on the forehead. "You watch over her like you have been," she said to Xavier, kissing his cheek. "Now I'm going to go out to the front porch, look at the stars and have tea, as I always do at night, so no one will wonder why the door is opening and closing and comes down to see."

I had to kiss her back for that, and we snuck out after her.

We settled in adjoining hotel rooms, said our goodnights, and left the doors between our rooms open. And, for the first time since I flew there, I had a good night's sleep.