After reading a few more chapters of Tender is the Night, Liz headed up to the attic to read another letter. She had been dying to read the next one, but trying to pace herself. Truth be told, knowing the end of the story made the beginning all the more exciting.
April 8th, 1967
Dear Abbey,
Well…I did it. I have officially changed my major. Goodbye, Theology. Hello, Economics. I know it doesn't sound exciting, but, I assure you, it is. The dean was surprisingly understanding about it. He said, 'Well, Josiah, these things happen. No reason for you to do something you're not interested in anymore.' My professors were a bit more shocked. Can't blame them. Naturally, they're losing they're best student. Father Devlin said he knew it all along! How could he have known? I didn't even know! He said, 'Jed, you're a romantic. You love God, but I always knew you were bound to find a woman and love her more.' I didn't know whether to be insulted or flattered.
Anyway. I appreciate what you wrote in your last letter. It certainly did a great deal for my confidence. You're going to hate me for this, but I was showing all the guys your picture yesterday, the one you gave me. Let me just say, you should be very proud of the responses you received. I was proud just to be carrying your picture. They all refused to believe me when I said that there was a brain behind the appearance. Well, they'll know it when they meet you. Boy, will they know it!
How are your studies going? You haven't mentioned school yet. I know you think I'm not interested in medicine, but I am. I'd love to hear it about. Write back soon!
-Jed
Liz smiled, folded up the letter, and placed it carefully back in the trunk. She stood up and started downstairs. When she walked past Ellie's room, Ellie came running out the door.
"Whoa! Watch where you're going there, sis," Liz said.
"Sorry, I gotta go!"
"Where are you going!"
"Library," Ellie replied.
"Of course. The library."
"What?"
"Nothing. Go. Be home before Mom," Liz said.
"What time is that?"
"Five."
"Okay. Bye!"
Ellie flew down the stairs and out the front door.
"Zoey!" Liz called as she walked down the stairs.
"In here!" Zoey called from the living room.
"Whatcha doing?"
"Drawing a picture."
Liz came over and sat on the couch.
"Of what?"
"You'll see when I'm done."
When the phone rang, Liz jumped at the chance to answer it. Praying that it would be Mallory, she picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Liz, it's Ben."
Her heart sunk.
"Oh. Hi."
"Uh…how are you?"
"Fine. You?" She replied, coldly.
"Good, I guess. Listen, do you remember when I said my parents wanted to get together with yours?"
"Um, yeah, kind of. What about it?"
"Well, they forgot."
"Okay…"
"But they remembered."
"What the hell is your point, Ben!" Liz said.
"They want to get together. Tonight."
"Tonight!"
"Well, they're leaving for Bermuda tomorrow for about three weeks. They want to do this before they leave," Ben explained.
"Who goes to Bermuda for three whole weeks?"
"I don't know. My parents?"
"Yeah, well, my parents are probably tied up tonight. They're busy people, you know," Liz replied, smugly.
"Just ask them please, will ya, Liz?"
"I might."
"My parents won't get off my ass about it until you do," Ben said.
"Maybe that's a good thing."
"Come on, Liz."
"Look, I'm not doing you any favors, Ben. You certainly haven't done me any."
"I know. But if you don't do this, my dad is gonna have to call your dad at work."
"No!"
"That's what I thought you'd say," Ben said.
"You know how my dad feels about your dad, politically. Socially…I don't know. But politically…"
"Yeah. Just ask them, okay?"
"Fine, whatever," Liz conceded.
"Thank you."
"Bye." She slammed the phone down on the receiver.
"Damnit!"
Zoey looked up, jaw open.
"Bad word, Lizzie!"
"Yeah, I know."
"You should say darnit instead," Zoey said.
"Okay," Liz replied, disinterested.
"Or dag nabbit."
"I am not gonna say dag nabbit, Zoey."
"Well, you should. The baby will HEAR you. And you don't want your baby to come out cursing like a sailor."
Liz burst out laughing.
"Like a sailor?"
"That's what Mommy says!"
"Yeah, well, Mom isn't six."
"How old is she, Lizzie?" Zoey asked, curiously.
"Um. Forty…one. Yeah, forty-one."
"How much older than me is that?"
"Thirty-five years."
"WHOA!"
"Don't let Mom hear you talking like that," Liz said.
"Why not?"
"Because you'll make her feel old."
"But she IS old!" Zoey protested.
"No, she's not. Dad's old."
"How old is Dad?"
"Forty-two."
Zoey titled her head and squinted.
"How much older is that than Mommy?"
"One year."
Zoey frowned.
"You're silly, Lizzie."
"Yes, but I'm a genius."
"What's a gene-ass?"
After two hours of diligent research, Ellie and Becky decided to take a stroll down The Mall to get some lunch. They both deserved a break.
"Can I ask you a question?" Becky asked.
"Yeah, sure."
Honestly, Ellie was surprised that Becky asked first. It seemed to her that nobody ever asked children if they could ask a question. Kids always had to do that. She decided then that it was a stupid rule and from now on she would never do that.
"Why didn't you want me to tell your father what we were researching?"
"No reason."
"There had to be a reason."
"No, it's just…Mom and Dad don't know that I'm researching this stuff," Ellie admitted.
"Why's that?"
"They wouldn't like it. I don't want them to know that I'm so interested. They'll think I'm weird."
"They won't think that, Ellie. You should tell them," Becky suggested.
"No, it would be awkward. I don't wanna freak them out. They have enough to deal with."
"Like what?"
"You know. My sister and her baby, their jobs, re-doing the guest room for the baby, stuff like that. There's no room for me."
"I bet that's not true."
"I bet it is. I'm the middle child. I get left out. It's the rule. I don't mind it most of the time, actually. My family's pretty crazy and outgoing. And I'm just…not," Ellie said.
"That doesn't mean they don't care about you, Ellie," Becky said.
"I know it doesn't. I know they care about me. I just don't fit in all the time."
"You know, I'd really love to meet your family some time. They way you talk about them, they sound fascinating."
Ellie laughed.
"You have no idea."
"So when is your father supposed to pick you up?"
"About 5:30. Same time as last night."
"Okay."
Elizabeth and Zoey were watching television when their father flew through the front door around quarter to five. He threw his briefcase down by the door and power walked into the kitchen.
"Dad!" Liz called. "What are you doing?"
"I'm getting a drink, Liz. That's what people tend to do in the kitchen."
"What are you doing home so early?" She rephrased.
He walked back into the living room and took a sip from his glass of iced tea.
"Because I just got a call from that damn Evan Silverman, your boyfriend's sonovabitch father!"
Liz's jaw dropped-Ben hadn't even given her a CHANCE to ask her parents first.
"He's not my boyfriend," she replied, quietly.
"Well, his father is sure a pain in the ass!"
"Daddy!" Zoey exclaimed.
"Can you believe his NERVE! Calling me at the office. Damnit, I shouldn't have even taken his call."
"Dag nabbit!" Zoey said.
Jed looked at her with confusion.
"What?"
"You should say dag nabbit!"
He shook his head and continued.
"You know what he tells me? He wants to have dinner. Tonight! He's going to goddamn Bermuda tomorrow, and he wants to have dinner. Dinner!"
"Yeah, Dad, I'm starting to get that," Liz said.
"I was planning on having a nice, quiet evening out on the town."
"You were?"
"I was! Was being the operative word."
Liz sighed and looked at her feet.
"You were going to take Mom out."
"Damn right I was. She's had a helluva a week, what with Leo and Jenny's spat, which of course they put her in the middle of, Ellie's outburst this weekend, and we've been working so hard on the baby's room, plus she's been working her ass off at the hospital. And now I gotta put her through a dinner with goddamned Evan Silverman and his Stepford Wife."
"Daddy, stop!" Zoey cried.
"Stop what!"
"SWEARING!"
Jed growled and started towards the stairs, continuing his rant.
"I don't even know why the hell he wants to have dinner. What kind of business could he want with me? He knows I'll never support anything he…"
"Dad."
Jed stopped and turned around.
"Dad, it's not a business dinner. It's because of me," Liz said.
"Oh," he whispered. It finally occurred to him. "It's gonna be one of those dinners."
Liz nodded.
"Well, at least that makes some sense."
"Ben called earlier and told me to ask you. He said if I didn't, he'd have his father call you at work. But he didn't even give me a chance. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, Liz. It's okay. But you know what you can do?"
"What? Anything."
"Make dinner?"
Liz hopped up.
"Sure."
"Thank you. The Silvermans will be here at six. I tried to get a hold of your mother at the hospital, but she's tied up, naturally. She's off at five, but who knows when she'll get here. I'd cook but I have to get ready and the house needs to be cleaned before they…"
"Dad, it's cool. I have no problem doing it."
"Thank you, Liz."
She smiled weakly and headed into the kitchen.
When Leo entered the Bartlet residence after work, he was immediately ambushed by his best friend.
"Damnit, Jed, you scared the hell outta me!"
"What do you think of this outfit?"
"Excuse me?"
"I said, what do you think of this outfit?"
"Why the hell are you asking me? I don't know! It's…nice."
"Does it make me look fat?" Jed asked, innocently.
"Get outta here."
Leo walked past him on his way to the basement.
"Leo! Wait a second."
He whipped around.
"If you're going to ask me if those pants make your ass look big, I'm getting a room at the Sheraton."
"Can you take the kids out tonight? Anywhere, I don't care."
Leo raised an eyebrow at him.
"Planning an especially amorous evening with the missus tonight?"
"I wish! Sadly, no. We have guests coming," Jed answered.
"Yeah, who?"
"Evan Silverman," Jed said, ruefully.
"EVAN SILVERMAN! What in God's name is Evan Silverman gonna be doing here!" Leo exclaimed.
"His son is the father of Liz's baby. I told you that."
"Oh. Right. So this is a meeting of the future grandparents?"
Jed froze.
"Grandparents," he whispered.
"Jed?"
"Grandparents. You know, the thought honestly had never occurred to me."
"What, being a grandparent?"
"Yeah. It's so ironic that at the same time Abbey and I will be having another child, we'll be becoming grandparents."
"That IS a little on the ironic side."
"Anyway. Take the kids please?" Jed asked.
"I was planning to go see Mallory tonight."
"Take them with you. Please, Leo. I have lent you my basement, grant me this one favor. I can't have them running around like madwomen while I've got a Republican in the house!"
"Fine."
"Thank you!"
"Hey, I hear it's going to rain tonight."
"That's fascinating, thank you."
TBC.