"Why are you here?" Gloria yawned. Coming out of the walk-in fridge carrying a bag of something that resembled porridge, she plopped it down heavily on the counter and fixed Red with a curious stare. "I told you to sleep in."
"I can't sleep in with everyone making the noise they are," Red said grumpily. She frowned down at the bag Gloria had just tossed up. "Although the sight of that mess makes me never want to eat again."
"You want me to make us some strawberry jam sandwiches instead?" Gloria smiled at her. "We've got enough if we eat in secret before the other girls show up for their shift."
"That does sound better," Red admitted begrudgingly.
"Doesn't it?" Gloria agreed. She went into the pantry for some bread and then into the fridge for a precious jar of raspberry jam. Such a luxury food item wasn't widely available anymore. Anyone who wanted more than a sliver of margarine over their morning toast had to buy from commissary and carry it to breakfast with them.
"It's not kasha or butterbrots," Red observed, when Gloria handed her a toasted jam sandwich a few minutes later, "but it's better than slop."
"Way to be positive," Gloria replied. "So, eat up and then you gotta get out of here."
"You want me gone so badly?" Red asked.
"Uh...yeah," Gloria blinked. "Did you forget it's your birthday today?"
"So?" Red asked. She took a bite of the sandwich and chewed thoughtfully.
"So... most people take it easy on their birthdays," Gloria replied. "Do what they want...let people celebrate them."
"Celebrate getting another year older and another year of my life wasted in this place?" Red said grumpily, as Gloria pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation.
"Okay, fine, don't celebrate," Gloria told her. "Why don't you go back to your bunk and read a depressing story or something? Wallow in misery…"
"Why not just let me help make breakfast?" Red replied.
"Because then it will look bad when I refuse to lift a finger on my birthday," Gloria answered with a smirk. "Don't expect me to emerge from my bunk before ten that day."
"I see," Red said dryly. "Hmm...well, in that case maybe I'll go see if Nicky wants to take a walk outside with me before visitation. Probably going to have to drag her out of bed though, no doubt."
"Your sons are still coming for visitation then?" Gloria asked hopefully.
"Yes," Red nodded her head. She gave Gloria a knowing look. "Which means so are yours…." She'd already needed to reassure the woman more than once that the plans weren't going to suddenly change without warning. Gloria seemed to expect the sky to fall through if she ever got too excited about something. It just seemed too good to be true that Julio and Benny would be able to visit her regularly. After one tense drive with Sophia's wife and son, Gloria hadn't believed anybody would be willing to put up with Benny's attitude voluntarily. There was still time for anything to go wrong, but Gloria really was being to dare to hope that this might work out. Red didn't seem to think her sons were making any sort of sacrifice by allowing two boys along when there was room in the vehicle and they were coming here anyway. She had appreciated Gloria giving her the kitchen back, at least initially, and a big part of her really sympathized with the other woman's plight. Being mothers was something they both had in common, even if that appeared to be the only thing.
"Try not to worry so much," Red told her, watching the way Gloria had bitten down on her bottom lip either in anxiety or excitement. It was probably a bit of both.
"It's just that if I get the chance to see them more regularly, we might be able to have a real relationship again," Gloria said softly. "But I don't want to get my heartbroken from too high of expectations...I barely know them anymore."
"Well, I hope today goes well," Red said quietly. "And if this time doesn't, then maybe their next visit. My sons will bring them again."
"Thank you," Gloria whispered with a nervous smile. She jerked her head towards the exit meaningfully. "Now are you going to go find Nicky and take a walk or do I have to throw you out of here?"
"I never knew you were so bossy, Mendoza," Red said dryly. She carried her plate over to the sink and dumped it into the sudsy water. "But I suppose I'll leave you in peace…. clearly you want me gone."
"Go enjoy your birthday for a little bit, Reznikov," Gloria told her with her arms crossed sternly. "I'll see you at visitation."
XXX
As soon as they were cleared to enter the visitation room, Red stepped briskly ahead with a confident stride that Nicky wished she could emulate. She kept close on Red's heel, her eyes were transfixed against the back of her wavy red locks. Nicky pressed her hands firmly against the front of her thighs and nearly bumped into the back of the woman, when Red stopped suddenly in front of a table near the back row.
It was only then that Nicky stepped to the side, out of the way. She watched as a tall, thin man, with black hair jumped up from his seat to embrace Red. Nicky knew from his mother's descriptions that this was Vasily. His two brothers, Yuri and Maxim, followed suit. Hurrying up from their seats they queued behind Vasily and waited to embrace their mother with the sort of formality that suggested that this routine was normal to them. Thirty second hugs were permitted at the start and end of visitation, and by observation Nicky could see that the boys were all almost automatically stepping back to give each other enough time to properly greet their mother before the guards ordered everyone to take their seats. This was just their life and family now. It was obvious to Nicky that the mother and sons were used to it.
One person had remained seating at the table. She was a pretty woman with auburn hair and bright blue eyes that were accentuated with black mascara. Nicky immediately recognized her as the daughter-in-law who had shown up one Christmas in a red glittery sweater. Sparkle Tits, Nicky had dubbed her afterwards, and Red had not seemed to mind. Last time she had been mentioned Red had announced that Yuri's wife had taken the kids, and the guinea pigs, and moved to Sheepshead Bay. Evidently the couple had reconciled, though that was hardly newsworthy. Much to their mother's irritation, Red's sons seemed incapable of having stable relationships that were not prone to frequent outbursts and dramatic breakups, aside from Maxim who annoyed his mother in a different way by seeming to avoid romances all together. Nicky noted with a smirk that the black eye daughter-in-law number two had given Vasily after a drunken exchange shortly after the birth of their son seemed to have healed. Red hadn't been too sympathetic about that situation either.
"Hello, Anna," Red said quietly. Stepped closer to Nicky's side, Red dragged her own chair out from the table and sat down in it. If it bothered her that her daughter-in-law hadn't stood up to embrace her then she didn't show it. Red eyed her with cool blue eyes and then glanced up at Nicky with considerable more warmth. "This is Nicky," Red announced to their four visitors, gently squeezing Nicky's shoulder as she took the seat beside her. "Nicky, this is Maxim, Vasily, Yuri, and Anna-Yuri's wife."
Anna smiled tightly across the table at Nicky, while fidgeting precariously with a yellow gold hoop earring. "Hi," she said with the slightest trace of a Russian accent, not nearly as present as her Red's but still detectable to Nicky's ear. "It's nice to meet you," she said politely, extending a hand across the table that flashed of long pink acrylic fingernails.
"You too," Nicky nodded, feeling more awkward and shy than she had ever expected. She accepted the pale hand in hers and held back a smirk at the feeling of Anna's large wedding ring as it stabbed into her. To the untrained eye it would look rather impressive, but she could tell it was a fake just by the way the diamonds caught the light.
"Lida wanted to come see you for your birthday, Ma," Vasily said, after they all finished murmuring shy hellos to Nicky. "But she didn't trust Pop to babysit Alexei," he snickered.
"She's a smart girl," Red rolled her eyes. "You were at least three before I was comfortable going out alone and leaving Papa to mind you for more than a few minutes."
"Really?" Maxim raised his eyebrows, and Red's lips twitched as she met is gaze and gave a curt nod.
"Lida isn't that bad," Vasily guffawed. "At least not anymore. She trusts me."
"I don't know," Anna said dryly, glancing sideways over at her brother-in-law. "Don't you recall the way she lashed out at you down at the cottage for forgetting to pack the extra diapers last week?"
"Yeah, well, in Lida's defense, we were out in the middle of nowhere," Yuri reminded his wife, as he stretched his arm across the back of her chair. "They had to drive forty-five minutes back into town to find a store that sold them. I'd have been mad too."
"I still would never have lost my temper like that," Anna said coolly. "She hasn't been exactly right in the head since the baby was born." Neither Red nor Nicky could fail to notice the way Anna immediately stiffened, straightening her posture so that her husband's arm didn't touch her. Red looked like she had swallowed a lemon and with surprising restraint she didn't comment about what was going through her mind.
"The baby isn't even a year old," Red said thickly. "I think she deserves a little more time to adjust. Especially since he hasn't been exactly easy…"
"That's an understatement," Vasily groaned. "The kid never sleeps. He still wakes up multiple times a night and fights naps with everything he has."
"That sounds a lot like you as a baby," Red said pointedly, with the smallest hint of a smile. She turned to Nicky, who had been uncharacteristically quiet since they had set down.
"I had two boys who slept when I wanted them to sleep, ate when they were supposed to eat, and were all smiles the rest of the time," Red told Nicky, trying to steer her more into the conversation.
"And then I had this one," she motioned back with her hand toward Vasily. "He had this awful high-pitched shriek he'd emit whenever I put him down for an instant. I had to carry him around 24/7."
"See, that is why I don't ever want to have kids," Nicky joked, leaning forward in her chair as she tried her hardest so seem at ease. "No respect for personal boundaries. I need space."
"Oh, Mama, you didn't mind," Vasily smiled. Affectionately, he reached across the table to pat his mother's hand. "Think of all the extra bonding we got in because of that. No wonder, I'm your favourite son."
"Well, maybe you should apply that to your own middle of the night calls now," Red told him wryly. "Get yourself out of bed once in awhile and let your wife rest."
"Not my wife," Vasily reminded her. Red rolled her eyes in irritation as she swatted her son's hand off of her own briskly.
"I'm with you, Nicky," Maxim laughed, rolling his eyes at his younger brother's antics. "I go over to Yuri and Vasily's and I play with their kids, and then I like going home to some peace and quiet. I mean..no offense, guys," he held up his hands as he glanced sideways at the three people seated with him. "But your houses are loud."
"You'll feel differently once you meet a nice woman and want to settle down," Red told him sternly. "Why wouldn't you want to have children?"
"I don't know, Ma," Maxim chuckled, glancing down at his lap as he withdrew a wallet from his jeans pocket. "But how about we pause this topic for now? I'm going to go get us all some snacks from the vending machine."
"What would you like, Nicky?" he asked generously, looking down at the young woman his mother had been so eager for them to meet. He was trying to be friendly. For whatever reason, she and his mother clearly had connected and it had been very important to Red that they all meet. None of them were thinking too much of it for now. They were happy that their mother appeared to have found someone to make being in here a little more bearable. In the end, they just wanted her to be happy. All three sons had always been uncomfortable with the way their father's life had remained considerably pleasant while their mother suffered in prison. They knew it was unjust, but they were also powerless to control anything about either parents' situation. They loved them both.
"Huh?" Nicky asked, raising her eyebrows as she looked up at him in surprise at being singled out.
"Soda, chocolate bar, you name it…" Maxim listed off.
"Oh, I'd love a diet coke," Nicky said after a moment's pause. "Thanks a lot."
"Anything else?" asked Maxim.
"Maybe some pretzels?" Red suggested, glancing back at Nicky. "You could share with me…"
"Yeah," Nicky nodded, giving Red a shy smile. She was beginning to relax, despite feeling like a complete stranger in their midst. This was Red's family, her three children who had been carried by her as babies and grown up together. It was hard not to feel somehow inferior compared to all of that history, though she knew her relationship with Red was special too. Red loved her and she had wanted her with her today because she was family. Nicky belonged there too.
"Are you treating for everyone?" Yuri teased his brother.
"Oh, don't be cheap," Anna hissed. She reached behind her into the black purse she had slung over the back of the chair. Reaching in for her wallet she pulled out a few bills and handed them to her husband. "I want a ginger ale and some skittles," she instructed him. "Then you can get whatever you want."
"Well, someone is going to have to buy for me," Vasily joked to his brothers. "Because I forgot my wallet in the car. You two can fight over it at the machine."
"What do you want?" Maxim asked him.
"Coke and an O'Henry bar," Vasily told him. "Thanks." He leaned back contentedly in his chair and smiled across the table at them. "Are you having a good birthday so far, Ma?"
"When I manage to forget for a few minutes that it's my birthday," Red said gruffly. "Why would I want to get older? I'm happy to see all of you though." Her eyes were wandering, following the trek of her two other sons as they walked across the visitation room together towards the vending machines. They passed the table near the back, where Gloria was seated with her two boys. Red wasn't sure who was who, but both of Gloria's sons seemed quiet. Sitting with their hands under the table and their eyes averted from hers. Red sighed as she observed the way Gloria was leaning forward, clearly desiring closeness with the two children that seemed forever distant.
"How was the drive?" she asked, glancing back over at Vasily and Anna. "Were Gloria's boys okay?"
"Quiet," Anna answered. "But very polite."
"Really?" Red asked in surprise. From all that Gloria had said about her sons, in particular Benny, quiet and polite hadn't been how she would have expected them to be described. Although, Red's family was strangers to them and it made sense that they would be a little uncertain going for a long car drive with people they didn't know.
"Mhmm," Anna nodded her head slowly. "I was surprised too. With their mother in prison...well, I mean, I would have expected more behavioural issues. Poor kids...they aren't even that much older than Feliks and Ivanna," she observed, referencing her and Yuri's two children whom Red had never met. At the hurt expression on Red's face, Anna bit the inside of her cheek, clearly aware that what she had just said was offensive to both women seated across from her. However, she continued to look resoundingly unapologetic. In her opinion, Galina Reznikov had made her own poor choices and pretending like that didn't hurt her family was ridiculous. Anna saw up close how difficult all of this was for Yuri and his brothers.
"They seem like nice kids," Vasily hurried to say. "I'll probably come up just by myself next week but I already told them that they're welcome to join me. I think once they get a little more comfortable they'll talk some more."
"Yes, just be patient with them," Red said in quiet agreement. Glancing back over in Gloria's direction, she sighed at the tension that she could sense even at this distance. "They were out of state for years apparently and lost touch with their mother. It's very good of you boys to bring them along and give them that chance to reconnect."
"Well, you asked," Vasily shrugged. "Their mom's your friend?"
"I don't know if I would go that far," Red scoffed. "But...I work with her. She's alright. I figured if we could help then we should."
"Hmm," Vasily nodded, looking suspiciously across the table at his mother. "Well...that's nice of you."
XXX
Since she had caught sight of her two sons, Gloria hadn't been able to take her eyes off of them. Seated quietly across from her, looking uncertain and without too much to say. It would have broken her heart, except after not seeing them both together in two and a half years, Gloria could hardly blame them for being unsure. She had missed so much of them, it was impossible to know where to begin and just how to fill her in about such a large gap of time that had taken them across the country and put them through things she would never be able to completely understand. Phone calls had been expensive and infrequent. There was never enough time. And Lourdes, Gloria's aunt, was always quick to remind her niece that she had no business asking for even more from her than she had already sacrificed. Yet, the punishment of estrangement from her children was far harsher than being physically confined to this prison. Gloria paid heavily for it every single day.
"Here guys," a gentle voice said as he passed their table. He set down three different chocolate bars on the table and three sodas. "Thought you might want something to eat." He was gone before they could respond, walking back towards his own mother's visitation table after guessing correctly that neither Julio or Benny had spending money to buy candy with at the moment.
"That was very nice," Gloria said quietly. She glanced back her shoulder at the broad shouldered young man with lightly streaked reddish hair. Of Red's three sons, he was the one who most resembled her. "Which one was that?"
"Yuri," Julio answered quietly. His eyes lit up at a can of orange crush and he claimed it quickly before Benny could. "Do you want the Kit-Kat, mom?" he asked politely, glancing down at the assortment of chocolate bars they had been gifted. He remembered how they had been her favourite before.
"Do you want to split it with me?" Gloria asked him with a small smile. Julio nodded shyly and handed the bar over to her. Gloria tore the wrapper and then broke the bar down the middle, breaking the ice as effectively as she did the chocolate. She passed half to Julio and then glanced anxiously over at Benny. Her younger son hadn't spoken a word since they'd sat down.
"Benny, you want a piece?" Gloria offered. She broke her two sticks in half and held one out to him.
"No," Benny shook his head. He exhaled loudly, unclenching his tightly folded arms as he straightened up in his chair and looked down at the table. "I'm going to have this whole one," he announced to them, reaching for a snickers bar. "And since Julio snagged the best drink without even asking me, I guess I'll get stuck with a Root Beer."
"Poor you," Gloria said sarcastically. "You realize Yuri didn't have to bring us anything. So, you should be thankful."
"I didn't have to come at all today either," Benny told her spitefully. "So, I hopeyou're thankful."
"I am," Gloria said quietly. "All I want is to see more of you two. I'm more grateful than words can possibly express, and since Mrs. Reznikov's sons visit a lot, we'll be able to spend a lot more time together."
"Yeah, I guess it's nice you're making friends in this place," Benny said sarcastically. "Tia was a bit worried about letting us drive off with kids of a convicted felon, until I pointed out that Julio and I are also kids of a convicted felon. She kind of appreciated the irony in that."
"Well, I think they seem like good people," Gloria said, ignoring the way she knew her son was intentionally trying to get under her skin.
"I like them," Julio offered sweetly. "They're nice. They said they'd take us to McDonalds on the drive back to the city."
'That's wonderful," Gloria smiled at him. "I really want this to work out. And Benny- I expect you to behave because they're the reason we'll get to see each other more, and we really need that."
"Yeah, yeah," Benny said indifferently, as he bit off a large bite of chocolate.
Gloria curled her toes in her shoes and pressed her tongue up to the roof of her mouth in a desperate bid to keep control of her temper. Benny was such a frustrating person. Gloria knew that Lourdes hadn't been exaggerating at all the last time she had visited and described his behaviour. There were barely any recognizable signs of the sweet little boy that had once been so clingy to his mother and been afraid of the dark. Now, Benny was becoming a teenager-an angry adolescent who was mad at the world and at her, not that Gloria could blame him. She just hoped seeing him a little more frequently would give her the opportunity to reach him. She worried about her sons so much and the consequences her own mistakes were having on them every minute of their lives. More than ever before, Gloria knew that she needed to practice patience.
The rest of the visit passed in relative silence and short answer responses from both boys to the questions she would ask them. Gloria wanted to know everything. She pressed for information about their school, friends, hobbies, favourite books and TV shows. She just wanted to know them, but they made it resoundingly difficult. In the precious minutes remaining, Gloria and her sons polished off the sodas and chocolate bars that Yuri had gifted them. By the time the guards announced that visiting hours had come to an end, Gloria hoped that she had made a little bit of progress. She hugged them to her tightly while they stayed stiff in her arms and then they were gone. She would be counting the minutes until their next visit.
"Are you alright?" Red asked carefully once they had been processed out of the visitation room pat downs and were walking down the hall together with Nicky.
"Yeah," Gloria nodded slowly. "I'm alright. Thank you for-"
"Don't mention it," Red said gruffly. "I didn't even do anything."
"Well, your sons are great guys," Gloria told her softly.
"Not so sure about the wife though," Nicky said bluntly.
"Nicky," Red chuckled.
"What? You like her?" Nicky asked in wide-eyed amazement.
"No," Red scoffed. "I think she's spoiled, prissy, and not nearly as smart as she seems to think she is."
"Well, you probably don't need to worry," Nicky told her. "I highly doubt that marriage will last much longer. Did you see the body language between those two? Talk about cold!"
"Well, I suppose that's why they stopped after two children," Red said dryly. "According to Dmitri, he doesn't think they've slept in the same bed in at least a few years."
"You still talk to him?" Gloria asked in surprise.
"No, not since last May," Red shook her head. "But before that we used to talk on the phone at least every other night. He'd keep me updated on the boys lives-try to stay on top of his lies…"
"You feel better now that it's over?" Gloria asked her with a smile.
"I feel liberated," Red told her. "My boys don't like to discuss it, they say they're fine with it…. but I'm happy. Marrying him was a mistake that I finally decided to rectify."
"Amen," Gloria smiled.
"Yeah, when my mom and dad divorced, Marka threw a big party to celebrate," Nicky shared. "Not the classiest affair the woman ever threw, mostly a lot of bitter middle-aged women trashing their exes. But the cake tasted good at least."
"Nicky," Red chuckled, reaching out to affectionately tuck a lock of hair behind the girl's ear. It bounced back almost immediately. Nicky's hair was always unruly.
"Was it alright in there for you?" she asked, with a touch of concern in her tone. She wasn't sure if she had been too forward in insisting Nicky meet her sons, except she had wanted them to know one another. Most important, she had wanted to show Nicky that she really meant it when she called her her daughter. She thought by including her in the family, Nicky would have no remaining doubts that Red wanted her to be in her life always. They had a future to look forward to out of this place and now it seemed reachable.
"Yeah, it was good," Nicky assured her. "I liked them-I guess we can keep them."
"Good," Red said, smiling so brightly that Gloria had to take a second look. Galina Reznikov didn't smile like that too often-at least not since they had transitioned to the disgusting bags of slop in the kitchen. Her whole face lit up when she smiled though, making her look younger and softer than she usually did. Gloria liked the glint of happiness in her eye.
"Well, you two…" Gloria said, shooting a meaningful look at Nicky. "I guess I'm going to head into the kitchen."
"Why?" Red asked sharply. "We don't need to start prepping for supper for at least another two hours-it takes all of five minutes just to poor that slop into a pan and warm up."
"Yeah, well, you know," Gloria said distractedly. "There's just something I want to check out. I won't be long. You don't have to come."
"I don't like to spend more time in that place than I have to," Red informed her, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Now that the administration has done away with anything worthy of human consumption."
"Uh huh," Gloria rolled her eyes sarcastically at the rant that she had been listening to every single day since she and Red had started working together. "Where was that attitude when I was trying to kick you out all morning? I told you to take the day off."
"You just didn't want me around," Red told her, as the corners of her mouth tugged threateningly.
"Well, that was only part of it," Gloria teased her. "I'll see you both around...Nicky?" she looked back over at the girl who caught her eye and nodded, before quickly snapping her attention back to Red who was looking suspicious.
"What was that about?" Red frowned. "You two have some secret code about me now?"
"Why do you presume everything is about you?" Nicky asked innocently. "But seriously, Ma...what would you like to do now? We should go in the common room, see who's hanging out."
"No," Red shook her head. "I don't want to see people. I'm going to go read in my bunk until I need to get back to work."
"How exciting," Nicky rolled her eyes. "You can do that anytime. Besides, I need to show you something."
"Nicky," Red growled. "What exactly are you on about now?"
"Come on, come on," Nicky said brightly. She linked her hand in the crook of Red's arm and tugged her eagerly in the direction of the common room. "You won't be sorry."
Reluctantly, Red allowed Nicky to steer her where she wanted her to go. She was in too good a mood to say no. So, although she usually preferred to be alone after visits with her sons, to unwind and reflect, it was how Red found herself walking into the ordinary common room that was decorated up as best as could be with all their closest friends in attendance. They were clearly waiting for her.
"Happy Birthday, Red!" Piper exclaimed. She was leaning against Alex's arm with a cup of juice in her hand. Lorna was standing in front of a birthday banner that only she could have made, judging by the pink and yellow colours which were well known to be her favourites. Gina had music playing and Norma, Frieda, DeMarco, and everyone else was standing around together smiling at her.
"You had to put the age on the banner?" Red said grumpily, as Lorna skipped across the room to hug her.
"What? Sixty is a milestone birthday," Lorna exclaimed. "It's a pretty special one."
"It means I'm old," Red complained.
"Don't worry, Ma," Nicky said, resting her chin affectionately against Red's shoulder. "You still don't look a day over fifty-nine. You want something to eat?"
She and Lorna led Red over to the double card tables that had been pressed together with sheets covering them to serve as tablecloths. Gloria was standing behind one, currently laying a large pan holding a golden cake with vanilla icing down in the middle. The rest of the spread looked just as enticing. A garden salad and what appeared to be egg and cheese sandwiches. A platter of corn on the cob was set to one side, that was still steaming hot as Gloria had just removed the tin foil cover.
"How on earth did you manage all of this?" Red asked her amazement.
"With a lot of difficulty," Gloria replied. "Thanks to your complete inability to take a hint when someone tries to get you to leave the kitchen. Didn't you ever learn the rule not to question things on your birthday?"
"Well, I didn't believe that applied in prison," Red told her dryly. She tapped her red fingernails against the cloth covered table as Nicky, Lorna, and the others began lining up to help themselves to the rare good food available.
"You gave my sons back to me," Gloria said quietly. "There's nothing better than that. So, I had to work a little magic-and get Frieda and Nicky to do some raiding of the garden when you weren't looking, but I made it work. Everything else we got from commissary. I didn't do it all myself." She smiled shyly across the table at Red. A woman who had been her rival and once barely tolerable but was now becoming a friend.
"Does the number sixty look better when it's written in smarties?" Gloria teased, pointing out the large 6-0 that had been spelled out with the candies. "That was Nicky's idea by the way, I had a feeling you'd be weird about that."
"You all just want to rub it in," Red shook her head, though she couldn't help but smirk. It wasn't the aging that bothered her, it was just the passage of time and the years of life she had missed. But she'd be going home soon enough, and even now, Red had things that were bringing her happiness.
"Well, before I eat that sixty cake... I think I'll have a bit of everything else you made. It looks good," she admitted.
"Well, mostly everything came from your garden," Gloria reminded her. She handed Red a plate to fill and then took another for herself. Silently, they both took helpings of the corn, salad, and the sandwiches which Gloria had made from bread and canned ham and tuna at commissary. She had sent Nicky shopping with a list a few days ago and the girl had come back with everything she had needed.
Gloria and Red took seats side by side in the chairs set around the floor space where Pennsatucky and Big Boo were busting out some dance moves together. Over their food, the two women exchanged looks and tried not to laugh as they watched the best entertainment one could expect to find around here.
"Vasily told me that he is going to come back next Saturday and he'll bring your boys with him," Red told her quietly.
"Next Saturday?" Gloria said excitedly. She leaned back in her chair and as she did so, her shoulder brushed against Red's. Almost seeming unaware of the subtle pressure, neither woman moved back as they looked at one another. "I didn't think it would be that soon. Red-thank you."
"It's nothing," Red shook her head. "Vasily likes them. They told me your boys are both very polite, if a little on the quiet side."
"Both of them?" Gloria asked skeptically. "Benny was polite?"
"The calm before the storm?" Red asked softly, with a touch of amusement in her voice. From what she had seen of the boy, it wasn't hard to imagine that he would be a handful, though he'd been apparently fine on the drive today.
"Probably," Gloria reckoned. "He's a nightmare at home…."
"Well, maybe seeing more of you will begin to help with that," Red suggested. "They don't usually stay like that."
"I think he misses me," Gloria said uncertainly. "Though he'd never admit it."
"Of course, he does," Red replied. "Gloria," she spoke her name gently, and as she did she reached out a hand and rested it on Gloria's forearm. "They both love you," she told her seriously. "Don't ever doubt that."
"I try not to," Gloria whispered, looking down at where Red's hand was touching her arm. The room had become suddenly more still as everyone stopped what they were doing and turned towards the door. Healy had just walked into the room. His sudden appearance offering a simple explanation for why all of a sudden everyone seemed more withdrawn.
"He let us have private use of the common room today," Gloria told Red, who had pulled her arm away as she looked over her shoulder at the man. "Nicky asked him if we could for your birthday and he said yes. I was surprised when she even bothered asking-they wouldn't do that for most people."
"We should give him a piece of cake or something," Red said.
"You don't have to be that nice," Gloria retorted, but Red had already gotten to her feet and carried her cleared plate back over to the table.
"Thanks for reserving the room for us, Sam," Gloria heard Red say from across the room. "I didn't suspect a thing." Shrugging to herself, Gloria turned her attention back to her own food. Her eyes scanned around the room landing on the group of younger girls that Nicky was hanging out with, followed by the older women that Gloria momentarily considered joining before deciding she was comfortable enough where she was.
"Happy Birthday, Galina," Healy said, when Red reached his side. "I'm about to go home for the day, but I just wanted to wish you that before I left. Are you having a good day?"
"Yes," Red nodded. "My sons came to see me this afternoon and now all of this," she motioned with her hand to the room that was decorated, filled with food, and people who cared about her. "It's very nice."
"You deserve it," Healy told her warmly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Red nodded her head slowly as the slightest blush burned across her cheeks. She looked up at him, suddenly feeling a little shy. Wondering why he had decided to seek her out now, of all times, when she was surrounded by all of her peers. She didn't want to draw attention to the comfortableness that existed between them-and yet, at the same time, she was happy to see him. It was a confusing feeling but inwardly she felt special that he hadn't wanted to leave before wishing her a Happy Birthday. It was a simple thing, but it made her feel like she mattered.
"Do you want a piece of cake before you go?" Red stammered awkwardly. "I mean...I didn't bake it, Mendoza did, but she's almost as good a cook as me so it's probably worth tasting."
"Sure," Healy chuckled. "Thank you."
They walked over to the table, which was now mostly cleared of all the food as nearly everyone had already helped themselves to seconds. The cake was still untouched, everyone waiting for Red to make the first slice. She picked up the butter knife and cut a square for Healy which she placed in a paper napkin for him to carry.
"Well, now I at least know you'll have eaten something on the way home," Red told him. "I don't think you've been eating very well since the separation. You look like you've lost weight."
"Do I?" Healy asked, subconsciously bringing his hand across his very ample round stomach. "I don't know...but Katya never cooked much for me anyway. I guess I haven't had much of an appetite lately though."
"Sam," Red said his name reprovingly, clicking her tongue. "You need to take care of yourself…. otherwise how will you take care of us?"
"I try my best," Healy told her with a smile, seeming to relish in the praise from her.
"You're good to me," Red told him sincerely as she looked up into his eyes. "I'm thankful to you…"
"Can we have some cake now too?" Nicky asked loudly, as she approached the table with Lorna, Alex, and Piper on her heels.
"Yes," Red told them. "Do you want big pieces or small?"
"Big," Nicky replied. "And can you make mine a corner piece?"
"See you tomorrow, ladies," Healy told them all, turning to leave the room and head out to his car. He glanced back over one final time to see Red serving the cake out to her girls and looking content and peaceful. He'd meant what he said, that she deserved a good birthday. Galina Reznikov was so much to so many people and, even though she was in here, he knew she was a good woman. He was glad that he was able to make her life a little easier, that she recognized what he did and didn't hesitate to acknowledge it. It was something his wife had never done, but which with Galina came so naturally. She appreciated him and he was glad to know her.
"Don't you want some cake too?" Red asked, as she walked back over to where she had left Gloria sitting alone. She hadn't moved. Instead staying seated while everyone else had clamoured over eagerly for a piece.
"I wasn't sure if there'd be any left after all those savages raced over," Gloria laughed, as she happily accepted the piece Red had brought her.
"We don't get cake around here often," Red reminded her. Sitting back down in the seat beside her she took a small bite from her fork and savoured the sweetness that engulfed her. She hadn't had such a treat in awhile and this was delicious.
"I think this is better than mine," Red admitted, as she took another bite. "It's going to be hard to equal all of this when it's your day."
"Except you won't have to sneak around the way I had to," Gloria replied. She brushed some crumbs from her mouth with the back of her hand and then smiled. "I'm not going to show up for work when it's my birthday, so at least you'll have the kitchen all to yourself that day."
"Sounds like a plan," Red said in amusement as she took another bite of cake. She felt a warmth inside of her that she hadn't woken up with, and though she was in prison, this had turned out to be one of the best days she could remember. She was happy to have been with Nicky and her boys, even Anna had been a familiar face she didn't mind in small doses. And now it was peaceful and felt like near perfection to sit quietly with Gloria, eat some good food, and just celebrate that her life wasn't yet over. She had a couple more years to serve with the grace she had mostly maintained thus far, and then she would be back to a life on the outside that was waiting for her to take back. Red was happy.