Nine Months Later
The cold January air brushed against Rose's face. It was Friday, time for another show. Rose had her three outfits, one as a Van Dame, one as a Flanagan Sister, and one for her melodramatic solo. Soon the fanfare of the orchestra sounded, Rose was in her costume, and it was time to dance.
Number after number after number. Rose was dancing as a Van Dame, then singing as a Flanagan Sister, back and forth back and forth back and forth. In between she would watch the comedians and other soloists. In the middle of the second act was her solo, and after which she would change back into a Van Dame. Every single time she sang her solo song, Rose could picture Jack's face and hear his voice.
"Rose, I'm sorry but you must go to your home now." Mr. Steichen said when Rose was backstage, about to go on for the next Van Dame number.
"What why?" Rose asked, looking at the other dancers.
"Your... companion, Helga is having her baby. Your solo is done with the Van Dames will manage." Mr. Steichen said. Rose's jaw dropped, but Mr. Steichen shoved an envelope in her hand. "It's Friday, here's your paycheck, now go! Go!"
Rose was practically running from the New Brussels Theater and towards the apartment in Brooklyn. Rose nearly lost her paycheck several times. This wasn't Tzipora's apartment from when she first found them.
After five months of being a Van Dame, Flanagan Sister, and a featured soloist, Tzipora had enough money to have teacher training. Cora was still in school, and Helga's stomach grew more and more everyday. On Thanksgiving, Rose had enough money for the four women to move.
The new apartment had two bedrooms, not enough room for the four women, but far better than the blanket on the floor that they were used to. The kitchen and wash room were separate, and Tzipora was eternally grateful. Tzipora stopped making thin soups and began cooking real meals.
"I made it." Rose said after running up the stairs of the new apartment. Tzipora and Cora looked up from the door, which they were already locked out of. "It already started?"
"Auntie Helga's baby is coming." Cora said with a smile. "The doctor is inside, we can't go in yet."
"The doctor came thirty minutes ago." Tzipora said before Rose sat down next to her. "Perfect end to my first day."
"How was your first day?" Rose asked, turning her head towards Tzipora. Helga's screams of labor were heard through the door.
"Wonderful, the students were very welcoming. I never could of done it without your money." Tzipora said with a smile. Cora was wandering up and down the hallway. "Cora is incredibly bright. She was able to solve all arithmetic problems after explaining the process once. She was able to predict the answer to every single question I asked, simply through her own reasoning. I have never seen such an intelligent child. Luckily we had some together before Helga's labor started."
"Really? Do you think she could go to university?" Rose asked. She remembered her mother, who refused to let her go to university after she met Cal. For the first time in nine months, she thought of her mother.
"I don't know how we could ever afford it, but Cora's mind works too fast. Cora could learn everything if she wanted to." Tzipora said, looking at Cora. "Not just math, but science, reading, writing, and history. No one taught her anything, she can simply think and she'll have an educated guess."
"I can see you were protesting today." Rose said, looking at the gold, white, and purple sash across Tzipora's torso.
"I was." Tzipora said with a small smile. Then the door opened and a man in a medical coat opened the door. Tzipora stood up.
"Ms. Kominska, Helga has given birth to a beautiful baby boy. Both mother and child are perfectly safe." The doctor said. Rose ran through the apartment door as Tzipora talked to the doctor.
"Rose!" Helga's voice called out. Rose saw Helga, covered in sweat, holding a small baby. "Einar DeRossi." Helga said, holding the baby up. Rose walked over to the bed and gave Helga a kiss on her forehead.
"Congratulations, Helga, he looks just like him." Rose said, a small, melancholy smile. She kissed her forehead again. "I'll always be there for you, and for Einar. Tzipora and I are working to support you, and Cora is already our child now. I love you."
"I love you, Rose." Helga said.