Chapter 19

It felt somehow naughty to have her mother in the living room; only a thin wall separating Ida Morgenstern from Rhoda and Mary. Mary and Rhoda in their own room. Who would have imagined it? Who could have guessed that Ida would be such a modern woman? Certainly it couldn't be easy, but here she was accepting them, insisting that she take the sleeper sofa so that Mary, in her pregnant state, could have the bed. All the while Ida knowing that Rhoda would share the bed with pregnant Mary. There was no fuss, no upset, no confusion or questions about it. Rhoda was grinning from ear-to-ear as she lay atop their bed, waiting for Mary to join her. Mary had quite the extensive nightly routine. The curlers, the cream, the lotions, the potions.

"I can't believe it, Rho. I just can't believe she's okay with it." Mary sat down atop the side of the bed as she rubbed lotion into her hands. Rhoda liked the way the Rose Milk smelled against her skin.

"Me, either, kid." Rhoda grinned, reaching out to press her hand to the small of Mary's back.

Mary's body froze. "Uh- Rhoda. She's right there, in the – what if she…"

"She won't bother us." Rhoda crawled forward a little, wrapping her arms about Mary, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. It had been days – had it been weeks? Oh God – since they had last touched, last been moved to find one another between the sheets at night. There had been kisses here and there, always kisses, but scarcely had they touched. Rhoda had forgotten how amazing Mary's body felt beneath her fingers, how smooth and soft her skin was.

"Rho," Mary whispered in useless protest.

Rhoda's hands moved to caress Mary's swollen stomach, wrapping her legs about Mary from behind.

"Oh, Rhoda. I've missed you." Mary tilted her head back, Rhoda pressing gentle kisses to her neck, her cheek.

"I'm sorry," Rhoda pressed her lips to Mary's ear, nipping at the earlobe.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Mary turned to look at Rhoda. Their eyes met, Mary's dark, hooded.

Rhoda placed her hand on Mary's cheek, pulling their lips together. They parted and Rhoda let her finger trail downwards, over the soft flesh of Mary's neck, her eyes following as she moved over Mary's collarbone, sliding down to cup Mary's uncharacteristically hefty breast. Mary whimpered quietly. For they would need to be quiet. "I've neglected things." Rhoda whispered, pressing her lips to Mary's arm, watching as her thumb caressed over a rapidly hardening nipple.

Mary nuzzled her head against Rhoda's, pressing a kiss against her cheek. "It's been a rough few weeks."

Rhoda nodded, the duo sinking down onto the bed, Mary having since found she preferred laying on her side for such activities. Rhoda saw to it that she was comfortable, that there were pillows surrounding her, supporting her so that she was snug, for now it was not so easy to go wild as they once had.

Mary shifted a little, and then froze. "What is this?" She asked, removing the box from beneath the pillow. Rhoda had nearly forgotten about the hidden box!

"Oh," Rhoda sat up. "Oh, Mare. It's, uh, it's something Ma brought. For you."

"For me?" Mary turned to look at Rhoda.

"Yeah, kid." Rhoda nodded, climbing over Mary so that she could kneel at the side of the bed. "I guess she knew all along."

Mary looked at her, a bit bewildered by the box.

"Well open it, won't you?" Rhoda bit her lip, excitement welling up.

"Rhoda," Mary sighed, tears forming at the edges of her eyes even before she'd opened the box.

"Open it, Mare." Rhoda insisted and then when Mary didn't move she took the box from her and opened it herself. "It was my grandmother's. Can you believe it?"

"Oh, Rhoda. Rhoda." Mary exclaimed, the tears rushing down her cheeks then. "It's beautiful. It's…oh!"

Rhoda pressed their lips together, took the ring from the box and slid it onto Mary's right hand. "There, now we're as official as can be." Rhoda laughed through the tears caught in her own eyes.

"Oh, Rhoda. Get back in this bed." Mary demanded through tears. And Rhoda didn't need to be asked twice.

Rhoda had dreaded the morning, for this morning she had to return to Hempel's to collect her final paycheck. Ida insisted that she come along for the ride, for "fresh air", but Rhoda knew she wanted to be there for moral support. They dropped Mary off at work before driving to Hempel's.

"What a place! To fire my precious girl." Ida exclaimed once they were parked before the store.

"Ma, you're not coming in." Rhoda turned to her mother, only guessing what kind of trouble she'd cause if she did come inside. Once someone burned a bridge it was as good as ash by the time Ida was done with it.

"No, I was wondering if I might borrow the keys. You see, I have an errand to run." Ida had a fierce determination in her eyes as she held out her hand. Rhoda knew where she'd go, with whom she'd speak, and she wasn't sure if it was better or worse than letting her Ma come into the store with her and giving Mr. Nichols a piece of her mind.

"Alright, but don't go too hard. She is Mary's mother after all." Rhoda cautiously handed over the keys. She smoothed a hand through her hair, tried to calm her raising heart, her shaky hands. If only Mary hadn't found the cigarettes until this evening then she might be able to soothe herself before crossing the threshold of Hempel's for the last time.

She watched as Ida drove away, looking so small behind the wheel of Mary's car.

Rhoda ran her hands over her dress, smoothing out invisible wrinkles, pulled her coat tighter about herself, and then walked inside with a false confidence. It took nothing for her to go back, collect the check, say hi to Janie, and then duck out again. She felt herself relax, felt the tension that had built up around the whole, small ordeal lessening as she stood on the sidewalk. She thought to walk away as quickly as possible, to maybe steal away to the park nearby and wonder about it until she saw Ma return. Instead, she turned to face the store, to stare at her latest and, now, last window installment. It had been good. Really good. So colorful for the coming 1974 season. How gorgeous it all looked, loud, bright, cheerful, the very opposite of what she felt now.

"This is a really great window, you know?" A man's voice caught her attention. She glanced up, realizing that he was standing there beside her, had also been looking over the window display. She hadn't noticed him, but now she eyed him curiously. He thought the window was good. The window she'd just been fired for…and he thought it was good.

She smiled a little, looked the window over again, this time trying to see it as an objective viewer might. "It is. It really is." She agreed, sadly.

"I was just coming to ask after whom had done it, it's so vibrant and fun. Just the sort of thing I'm looking for."

Rhoda turned then to look at the man. Not much older than her, really, with a tweed suit, glasses, a clean-shaven face. "What might you be looking for, 'cause I happen to know who did this window."

"Oh yeah?" He looked pleased. "My name's Arthur Mitchell. I work for CMJ Marketing. We're an ad agency here in town."

"An ad agency?"

"Yeah, we do graphics for publications and local businesses. Sometimes some large nationwide corporations. We're always looking for new artists. I've been admiring whoever does these windows for some time and thought I'd stop by to inquire."

"Well that someone is me." Rhoda felt her heart racing, pounding there in her chest. "Rhoda, Rhoda Morgenstern." She stuck out her hand. Arthur took it enthusiastically.

"Well what'dya know! Nice to meet you Rhoda. I'm a big fan. Would you have time to meet with me? I'd hate to take you away from Hempel's but I think your work deserves a larger platform."

"Of course!" Rhoda happily took his card and promised to call him that evening.

Things were certainly looking up.

"Oh, Ma." Rhoda stood from checking on the chicken in the oven. Her mother had seasoned it just the way she liked it, just the way she always had. It smelled as it had in Rhoda's childhood, the whole house filled with the aroma of thyme, bay leaves, and a hint of curry powder swirling about.

"If I weren't such a lady and if she weren't such a lady I certainly would have knocked her right in the face. I couldn't believe it. How could she do this to her daughter? Her only daughter. At least I have two of you so it ensures that at least one of you won't disappoint me. Thank God we have Mary because, between you and me, Brenda's prospects don't seem so promising."

"Ma, leave Brenda alone. She's still young yet. She has plenty of time to meet someone."

"What if she decides to move in with some Sheila or Katie or Jessica? What have I done to my girls?" Ida covered her face in mock horror.

"Oh, stop it." Rhoda rolled her eyes and swatted her mother with an oven mitt. "I think you have nothing to worry about when it comes to Brenda's interest in the male species."

"I worry about their interest in her." Ida sighed. "Oh, Rhoda. I didn't tell you the worst part." Ida grasped her daughter's arm.

"It got worse than that?" Rhoda groaned.

"Dottie Richards is having a baby room put in their spare bedroom. Yes, you wouldn't believe it! She even has a crib and the walls are painted sunshine yellow." Ida spoke with distain.

"No," Rhoda gasped.

"Yes, the nerve of that woman. To just assume that she can take the child away from Mary. She kept bragging that no one would even suspect that it was her grandchild because of how young she looks. And you know what I said? I said 'Honey, who are you kidding?'" Ida stated proudly.

"Real good comeback, Ma." Rhoda nodded her approval.

"A baby's room." Ida shook her head. "Well it's more than the two of you have. Where will the baby sleep? Oh, Rhoda, it simply has to come home with you. It's already yours, I feel it in my bones. But you haven't even prepared for it."

"Ma, things have been tight without me working and we –" Well, what had they been waiting for really? Mary had made no move to buy anything at all and here she was expecting soon. Rhoda figured they would take care of it when the time came, but now she was feeling far behind in the game. Dottie had a whole nursery and what did they have? Nothing. Not even a crib. Not even diapers or clothes. All those adorable clothes that Rhoda had looked at during her breaks at Hempel's.

Had Mary given up hope?

"It's wrong, Rhoda. Wrong of Mrs. Richards to do this." Ida was as angry as Rhoda had ever seen her. And she was so happy that Ida Morgenstern was her mother, happy and proud that she had a mother who loved her so much, loved her despite the fact that the person she loved was a woman, and she loved her for fighting for Mary's unborn child even though it had no real relation to her.

"Wrong of Mrs. Richards to do what?"

Both Morgensterns looked up to find Mary, silently closing the front door behind her through. It was apparent she had caught the tail end of the story. "Oh, nothing Mare." Rhoda didn't want Mary to know, didn't want to burden her any further. She figured they could brush their conversation under the table, trusted that her mother would keep her mouth shut for Mary's sake. "Dinner's nearly ready."

"Rhoda, I can handle it. What has mother done now?" Mary hung up her coat and moved towards them.

"Well, you see, Mary, I went to see her today. I thought I could help." Ida admitted.

"Ma, Mary doesn't need to hear about it."

"Rhoda, I want to hear about it." Mary snapped. Then she caught herself, reaching out briefly, chastely to place her hand on Rhoda's arm. Rhoda, unaccustomed to this side of Mary, felt herself tense.

"Well, you see we had a very unpleasant conversation. She's not very happy about – well, your living arrangement and I was very offended by this because my Rhoda here is an excellent woman and I find nothing wrong about living with her and I told your mother this." Ida explained.

"Yeah? Did she – well, how did she react?" Mary seemed so hopeful, as if her mother might have changed her mind and Rhoda felt her stomach clenching then.

Her mother had been right. Rhoda was losing weight. Not because she'd meant to, but because she'd lost her appetite. These past few weeks had been trying. She was anxious, she hated being suspended in air like this, uncertain as to when her feet might touch the ground again.

"Not the way a mother ought to. Not at all." Ida shook her head.

"What were you saying when I walked in? What did she do? What's she done that's wrong?" Mary demanded, remembering the words specifically.

Rhoda shook her head furtively at her mother, eyes wide. But Ida could not contain her knowledge and knew that Mary deserved to know, even if Rhoda did not feel it necessary. It was only going to hurt her more. "Your mother has had a nursery made for the baby."

"A nursery?" Mary looked stricken. "A nursery? Mother's had a nursery put in for my – for…but she…she wouldn't. It's mine…it's… Rhoda," Mary turned to her, "Rhoda, it's mine. Why would she…"

"Mary." Rhoda wrapped her in her arms and helped her to the couch. "Oh, Ma. Why'd you tell her?" Rhoda rasped uneasily. "Mare, calm down. Calm down. She doesn't have the baby yet."

"Oh, but she'll have it. She certainly will. She's always wanted what I ha-had. My life has always been a reflection of he-ers and now that I've deviated from her planned course of a-action she has to ruin my life and take this one for her-herself. She…oh God. Rhoda." Mary clung to her then, holding her tightly as the tears came to her eyes.

"Rho, I'm sorry." Ida apologized from her spot in the kitchen.

"Oh, Ma." Rhoda sighed, patting Mary on the back. "Mare, Mare, I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better. It's really rotten what your mother is doing. Really rotten. I wish she'd understand. I wish she'd see it the way you did, the way we do."

"Why can't she be more like your mom?" Mary sobbed against Rhoda's chest, her voice broken with tearful hiccups.

"Oh, Mare. I don't know. It's a lot for a mother. It's a lot because mothers don't anticipate something like this, you know? Not for their daughters and Dottie Richards is a very straight-and-narrow kind of gal. You know that, Mare."

Mary nodded against her chest.

"Oh, Mary." Rhoda ran her hand over Mary's back, meeting her mother's gaze. Ida looked on with sadness, but there was something else in her eyes. Respect, appreciation, gratitude, love. What her mother was giving to her in that moment brought tears to her eyes and she wished that Dottie could look at Mary the same way, could love her through this.

"It's not fair. Not fair." Mary whimpered.

"I know it, I know it." Rhoda rocked Mary in her arms. She realized that she was the reason for all of this, that if she only disappeared then Mary's life would be just fine. She could happily return to Peter and raise the child the way she and it deserved.

But she would never be happy, Rhoda knew this now. And Rhoda, herself, would never be happy with that. The only solution was to make it work, was to hope and pray that Dottie and her court appeal never materialized.