The week went by at a crawl. Nearly every waking moment Nadine had was spent with her mother, barely giving her any time away for herself or to spend with Greg for that matter. There was nothing Marie-Fantine could do outside of the house, since she spoke no English, without her daughter's assistance. Greg was sticking to his iPod teachings religiously and could pick up a few phrases, but they spoke so quickly by the time he processed a response, the subject had been dropped. And Nadine…poor Nadine looked like she'd been squeezed through the pickle press. Every morning she woke up with a fresh bout of anxious nausea; the circles under her eyes from lack of good sleep could have hid Ali Baba and his Forty Thieves. Every time he thought he had a moment alone with her, Marie-Fantine would be bouncing into the room demanding Nadine's attention or assistance.
The one break came when an old Francophone friend of Marie-Fantine's from across the lake invited her over for tea. Nadine had all but kicked her mother out of the house, hoping for a little peace and quiet. She wanted nothing more than to drag Greg upstairs and bang his brains out, which was precisely what she did the minute she was certain Marie-Fantine was safely away. It had been almost a week since they'd made love, and since it was usually two or three times a week at least they did so, Nadine felt like a junkie having withdrawal. Now she lay flat on her back on the floor of their bedroom – they'd had been too impatient to get to the bed – chest heaving as she gulped air into her lungs and ran her hands through Greg's hair. He'd collapsed on top of her and was now propping his chin on his fists that rested in the valley between her breasts.
"Thank you, God," she said aloud before cracking up laughing.
"I don't know who needed that more, you because you've been so stressed out or me because I'm a guy."
"Oh me, definitely. It has been hell, Greg absolute hell," she said, but was cut off by the doorbell ringing. "Were you expecting anyone?"
Nadine wriggled out from underneath him, pull her bathrobe from the hook of her door on the way. She pulled her hair from her face and fixed a polite smile on her face as she opened the door. The grin turned goofily guilty when she saw Nick and Renee standing there with grocery bags in their arms.
"Hi Nadine," Nick said in a placidly knowing tone. "How's the vacation with Greg and your mother?"
"Ignore him; he's mad I didn't put out this morning when he got in from work. We brought supplies to help with dinner, thought you guys might like some friendly faces," Renee smiled, shoving past her boyfriend. She knew that look on a woman's face, since she'd seen it so often on her reflection in Nick's mirror. As she waltzed into the kitchen, she pulled a bottle of tequila from one of the paper bags.
"Thirsty?"
"Yeah man," Nadine replied, though the thought of alcohol had her stomach turning over. Something about any kind of fermented beverage was making her stomach churn; Nadine blamed it on the harpy across the water. "Actually, I'll pass; I've been feeling a little nauseous lately."
Renee's female senses immediately went to hyper-drive. "Nauseous? As in, like, in the morning?" she asked innocently.
"I don't know. Probably not."
"Probably, says the girl doing my big brother on a daily basis. You think there might be a little Greggo or Nadine running around soon?" Then all of a sudden, Nadine burst into tears, which had Renee rushing around the island. "Hey, what's all this?"
"No, no, it's fine," Nadine sniffled. "It's just…my mother is here and giving me all this shit about family and babies, and-and I love Greg so much, but…"
Nadine's tears started up fresh again, which had Renee pulling her into a soothing embracing. The noise of it had brought the men running from the foyer, but Renee headed them both off at the pass.
"It's okay, just a little girl moment here. Greg, why don't you and Nick have a game of pool in the games room?"
Greg was concerned about the fact his girlfriend looked like she'd been told Christmas was cancelled this year but he trusted his sister; she was a natural nurturer and his beloved would be in good hands. A slap on Nick's shoulder and a jerk of the head left the girls alone once again.
"I'm sorry, Renee."
"It's okay, I think you've had that one on the brew for awhile. Now," Renee sat on the bar stool and pulled the tequila closer, "what has got you so upset?"
"Babies."
"Babies, okay, that's a start. You and Greg don't want babies?"
"Are you kidding? We can't wait to have them, but there's a good possibility I won't be able to conceive." Nadine tearfully explained her situation, while Renee simply listened. "So the last time I took the test, it was very discouraging to once again see the little minus sign."
"Don't worry; I'm sure you have a good shot at it. Look at me and Greg, there's six years between us because my mom was told after he was born she was off the mommy wagon."
"I know, I know, it's just…my sister is thirty one, she's got a seven year old, a five year old, a three year old and a one year old, and been married for eleven years."
"So?"
"So in my mother's old school eyes, she's an ideal woman and I'm the whore of Babylon."
Renee sighed. "I can't say I understand because I don't. I grew up with a brother and we got along really well. What I will tell you is that perhaps the reason your mama is so wound up is because it scares her that you don't need her to be a mother anymore. But that doesn't change the fact she is your mother and deep down I'm sure she's only thinking of your happiness."
Nadine stared at Renee. "You're good, man, you are really good. Now could you tell her that?"
"Sorry, sunshine, that's going to be all you."
The door opened then, and Marie Fantine strolled in, a haughty look on her face. "Of all the nerve, that insipid woman! Nadine! Where are you?" she bellowed.
"Mama, what is it?" Nadine called from the kitchen.
"That woman who said she was happy to have me in for the afternoon not only insisted on speaking to me in English but also tried to tell me that she just loves this man who calls himself your boyfriend!"
"Well Naira has had Greg and me over for dinner, Mama," Nadine tried but was cut-off as Renee showed off her linguistic skills and stepped in with her own French.
"That would be my brother, Madame, and he is a wonderful man who simply adores Nadine. I've never seen him happier."
Marie-Fantine sniffed at Renee. "And you are?"
"Doctor Renee Sanders, I'm a psychologist."
"Good, perhaps you can treat my daughter and explain to her that she shouldn't be having a boyfriend at her age, she should have a husband. And she'll never get one lounging around in her bathrobe while that odd little man with the spiked hair spends his time in this house. It sends the wrong message to potential suitors."
Nadine swallowed a laugh at her mother's blindness while beside her, Renee fumed. "With all due respect, my brother is a perfect match for Nadine; he is a decent and honorable man who works hard and loves her more than words can say."
"You'd be wise to hold your tongue, my dear, where Nadine is concerned. She's pushing thirty and still has a boyfriend; your brother will soon come to his senses. I only wish I could say the same about my unfortunate daughter."
At this Nadine had to literally hold back Renee from using her jujitsu skills on Marie-Fantine's narrow ass; Marie-Fantine took no notice of it as she continued, "Now, I'm going to have a nap, so you'll wake me when dinner is ready."
After the petite blonde swept up the stairs, Renee turned back to her friend. "Please let me do her in; I've got a forty-five, a shovel and a pipeline to the sheriff's office. No one would miss her."
Nadine giggled at Renee's enthusiasm to commit murder, and only arched an eyebrow when Renee unscrewed the lid from the tequila and took a quick pull. "Well, I guess I should probably go and get a shower, and start on dinner soon. My mother should be a little bit more calm by the time we sit down."
"Okay. But if she says one more thing like that again to you when I'm within earshot-"
"Don't worry, you'll get first crack on her."