"Great," Ellie said.
"There's no way they could have known, El," Liz said.
"It's a sign."
"It's not a sign." Liz rolled her eyes.
"It is. It's a sign."
"Yeah, okay." She sighed. "So what do you wanna do, do you wanna order a pizza or what?"
"Yeah, I guess. Call it in."
"Okay." Liz turned to go into the kitchen.
"Liz?"
Liz whipped around.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for trying."
She shrugged.
"It was nothing."
Ellie walked into the kitchen with her.
"You know what's weird?" Ellie asked.
"What?" Liz responded, rummaging through the menu drawer.
"It's weird how like, you and I can talk and stuff. It's like we're the same age, but we're not."
Liz laughed.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious."
"But don't you think it's weird?"
"It's not weird, it's cool."
"But you're like…the only person I can talk to."
"Ellie."
"I'm serious. I don't act…normal around anyone but my family. I'm all shy and stuff."
"I know," Liz agreed, quietly. "But that's why we're family. If you can't be yourself around family, who can you be yourself around?"
Ellie smiled.
"Nobody."
"That's right. Now. Pepperoni or plain?"
"Mushrooms!"
"Ugh. You're so weird," Liz said.
"Mushrooms!"
"Fine. Pepperoni and mushrooms. But you're picking the mushrooms off my slices."
Ellie grinned.
"Kay."
An hour later, the two girls were sprawled out on the couch, exhausted after having finished an entire large pizza all by themselves. Ellie was leaning back on the couch and Liz was laying across it, with her feet on Ellie's lap.
"That was some pizza," Liz said.
"I can't believe we ate all that."
"I can. I'm eating for two, remember?"
Ellie giggled.
"Oh yeah. What's my excuse?"
"You're a growing girl, Eleanor! You must eat!" Liz proclaimed, as if imitating a teacher.
"Famous last words."
Elizabeth laughed.
"What?" Ellie asked.
"I just didn't expect that to come out of your mouth."
"Why?"
"Can't remember the last time I heard an eleven-year-old say that."
"I read it in a book," Ellie explained.
"Likely story. Read anything good lately?"
"I finished Great Expectations last night."
Liz sat upright in shock.
"Great Expections? Like, Charles Dickens-Great Expectations?"
"Yeah!" Ellie said, matter-of-factly.
"Jeez! I didn't read that till 8th grade, and that's only because Mrs. Tierney made me!"
"I liked it."
"Wow."
"I liked Tender Is The Night better though."
"You've stumped me. What's that?" Liz asked.
"F. Scott Fitzgerald."
"Means nothing to me."
"He wrote The Great Gatsby!"
"Oh, I think we have to read that next year in English. Is it good?"
"Tender Is The Night is better."
"Why is it better?" Liz questioned.
"Because it's about a doctor."
"Yeah?"
"Well, a psychiatrist. But he's still a doctor. He's married to a mental patient. Well, ex-mental patient."
"That's pretty twisted," Liz commented with a laugh.
Ellie remained serious.
"It's not funny though. It was a really sad book. I cried at the end."
"Oh."
"You should read it."
"I don't know, Ellie. I'm not really into the classic stuff. You and Dad are the nerdy ones."
"Hey! Mom reads the classics too."
"Well, you and Dad are still nerdy."
"Looks like you are the eleven-year-old in this relationship, and I'm sixteen," Ellie said.
"Wow. That makes me a pregnant eleven-year-old. That's one for the Guinness Book."
"Hey, Liz?"
"What?"
"Do you remember the first time Mom had a miscarriage?"
Elizabeth paused.
"Um, whoa. That was pretty random, El."
"Yeah. But do you?"
"Umm…that was like nine years ago, Ellie. I was seven," Liz replied.
"Then you remember?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"What was it like?"
"What was what like?"
"Like how did everyone react?" Ellie asked.
"Well, it wasn't exactly the best of times, Eleanor," Liz answered.
"Tell me about it."
"I don't know. Dad took some time off from teaching, not too long though. Maybe a week or two."
"And Mom?"
Liz paused while she tried to remember.
"Mom…"
"What, Liz?"
"I remember Mom wouldn't come out of their bedroom."
"What? For like a few hours?"
"No. For like…days," Liz answered, shuddering at the memory.
"Days!"
"Yeah. She wouldn't let anyone in but Dad. And that was only sometimes. He spent a few nights on the couch, I think."
"Was she mad at him?" Ellie asked, curiously.
"No, she wasn't mad. I don't know what it was. But she wouldn't…let him touch her either. She'd pull away every time he tried to. That went on long after she went back to work and stuff. I remember it scared me a little, because she wouldn't really talk to anyone. But I didn't read too much into it back then."
"What happened to me?"
"You were only two then, I think. Dad took care of us for awhile. That's why he took off work. To take care of us. All of us."
"And that was Jilly?" Ellie asked.
"Yeah. Jillian."
"I called her Jilly?"
"Yeah. God, you were so excited. You didn't really understand, but you couldn't wait for Jilly to come," Liz responded.
"I wonder why they didn't name Zoey Jillian. I would have thought…"
"For the same reason they didn't name you Elizabeth. They already had a daughter named Jillian."
"Yeah, but Jillian was a miscarriage."
"Doesn't matter. To Mom and Dad, both Jillian and Gracelynne were their daughters. Our sisters. Whether or not they made it out of the womb."
Ellie turned quiet, ruminating on all she had just been told.
"What about the second miscarriage? Gracelynne?" She asked, finally.
"You remember Gracelynne, Ellie. It was only three years ago."
"I know, but I want you to describe it to me."
Liz shook her head.
"No, I don't want to."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't!" Liz exclaimed.
"Liz!"
"Why are you making me do this!"
"I don't know," Ellie answered, softly. "I want you to tell me that the memories I have of it are wrong."
Liz knew exactly what she was talking about.
"They're not wrong, Ellie."
February 2nd, 1984
"Abbey!" Jed called up from the bottom of the stairs. "Abbey!"
"What, Jed? And lower your voice, for God's sake. The kids are still sleeping."
"Don't forget about the State Dinner tonight."
"You've reminded me about ten times this morning." She came over and stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at him.
"I know, but this is just really important for my re-election campaign. And it's not every day we get to go to the White House."
"I realize that, babe, and I will not forget. My shift ends at three. I'll have plenty of time to get ready."
"Okay. I'll be here at six sharp to pick you up. I'll already be dressed, I'm getting dressed at the office. Be ready when I get here."
"I will be," she said, walking down the stairs.
"Six sharp, Abigail."
"I heard you the first time, Josiah." She was standing in front of him now.
"Did you get a sitter for the girls?"
She looked at him with confusion
"No. We don't need a sitter anymore, Jed. Liz is thirteen now and perfectly capable of keeping an eye on Ellie and Zoey for a few mere hours."
"Oh, right."
"Man, you really are preoccupied about this dinner, aren't you?"
"Yeah. It's just that it's really…"
"Important. I know."
"Yeah. I gotta go."
"Okay." She smiled. "Hey, today's the 2nd."
"Yeah? And?"
"Four months left. To the day." She glanced down at her stomach.
Jed grinned.
"And I'm counting the days."
"Yeah, sure ya are." She rolled her eyes.
He leaned in and kiss her.
"I'll see you at six."
"Indeed you will."
"Six, Abbey!" He repeated.
"Six, Jed."
"Be ready!"
"I will be ready. Now go."
"Okay." He kissed her again. "Bye."
"Bye!"
TBC.