Nicky kneeled down on the floor as soon as she entered the apartment so that she could greet the two dogs and calm them before they woke the kids up by barking. The living room was empty and the apartment was silent. The lamp, which Red had purposefully left on for her, gave off a soft lighting in the otherwise darkened space. Red had probably gone to bed hours ago.
Nicky yawned loudly as she pulled her boots off one by one and tossed them onto the mat by the door. She slipped her jacket off and slung it over the back of the couch. Hanging it on the hook seemed like way too much effort at the moment. She would put her things away properly tomorrow.
"Did you have a good night?" Nicky heard. She looked over at Red who had just entered the room. She was wearing a white sweater over her pajamas and looked utterly exhausted.
"Yeah," Nicky said, "you didn't have to wait up for me though. You look dead on your feet."
"Hmm," Red sighed, "I wasn't actually waiting up for you if I'm being honest."
"Oh, yeah that," Nicky said, looking slightly guilty, "sorry I didn't answer the phone. It was really loud where we were so I didn't hear it." What had just transpired between her and Luschek had caused her to momentarily forget about what Vasily had said about Red needing to go pick up Gloria's sons from the concert.
"That's alright," Red said, "Maxim was at home and he drove over while I went to pick the boys up. I should have thought to call him first anyways, since he was closest."
"So, what happened?" asked Nicky, looking slightly amused.
"Both of them drunk out of their minds," Red said testily, "according to Julio they bought from somebody selling in the parking lot and got completely hammered. Then his wallet got lost or stolen so they didn't have any money for the cab fare home. At least they had enough sense to call me to come and get them."
"Yeah," Nicky said, "it could have been worse. They could have tried to hitchhike."
Red looked utterly petrified, "don't even think about such a thing."
"Sorry," Nicky replied.
"Just give me a few minutes and I'll make you up a bed on the sofa for tonight," Red said grimly, "The boys are sleeping over. I wasn't going to drop two drunk teenagers on Lourdes doorstep at this hour. It's my fault for trusting that they were responsible enough to go to that concert unsupervised."
"You gave them my bed?" Nicky asked in outrage, "that's not fair. Give them yours since you're the one who brought them here."
"Shush," Red hissed, "Alexei and Vera are sleeping in my room, you know that."
"Then make them sleep on the couch," Nicky sounded annoyed, "I don't understand why I'm the one being punished."
"There's not enough room for two, Nicky," Red said with a yawn, "be reasonable. It's only for tonight."
"Huh," Nicky breathed, "there would be enough room if one of them slept on the floor. Don't we have a sleeping bag around here somewhere?"
"Right now, one of them is sleeping on the bathroom floor as we speak hugging the toilet," Red said rubbing her bleary eyes. She sighed, "it's going to be a long night."
"Which one?" asked Nicky, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Benny," Red said thickly.
"Well, can you kick him out long enough for me to use the bathroom?" asked Nicky, "I need to take a shower and I really want to get to sleep soon."
"Don't we all," Red rolled her eyes, turning on her heel towards the direction of the bathroom. Nicky padded along behind her.
"How are you feeling now?" Red said as she walked into the dark bathroom. Benny was curled up on the floor with his head in his hands. He let out a dramatic moan of anguish.
"Alright, up you come," Red said sternly.
"I'm sick," Benny groaned.
"That nature's way of punishing you for being stupid," Red told him unsympathetically. She walked over and leaned down to wrap her arms around his shoulders and, with difficulty, help him to his feet. He was over a foot taller than she was and the way he leaned his weight against her was not comfortable.
"Into bed now," Red told him in a clipped tone. Nicky stepped back to let them pass, and Red led Benny into Nicky's bedroom where Julio was already sleeping soundly.
The clock on Nicky's dresser told Red that it was a quarter to three and she could have collapsed then and there being how tired she was. She had just crawled into bed when she had gotten the phone call from Julio asking if she could please pick them up. Quick as a flash, Red had sprung into action arranging for Maxim to hurry over to watch the children, before heading out to pick up the boys with just her jacket worn over her pajamas.
The boys had been sombre as she drove them back to her place. Red hadn't said much to them besides demanding they get into the car and then watching them clamour into the back seat together, Julio apparently too nervous to sit next to her in the front. Red was upset that they had betrayed her trust when she had believed them responsible enough to behave themselves on this night out she had bought them at quite an expense. However, an even bigger part of her was elated that Julio's mind had immediately thought to call her when he realized that they were in trouble. She had always had a call anytime, no questions asked policy for her own sons when they had become teenagers. She felt positive that she was doing something right if Gloria's sons felt they could count on her. She never wanted to let them down.
"I am proud of you boys for doing the right thing and calling me," Red had praised them as she drove, and they both had looked taken-a-back at her words. Benny had already been feeling a little queasy and Red had told him sternly to let her know if he needed her to pull over, unless he wanted to be responsible for paying to have Maxim's car's interior deep cleaned. Julio didn't appear to be nauseous like his brother, but he seemed very depressed and jumpy to Red. Whether this was an effect of the alcohol or because he was feeling guilty, she was not certain. They both had looked as though they were expecting a good scolding from her, which Red would be more than happy to deliver tomorrow morning. At the time, she had just been grateful that they were both safe. She would save the lecture for the morning.
Julio was curled onto his side facing the wall with his covers kicked off. Red noted that he was shivering slightly. She walked Benny over to his side of the bed and then went to Julio. She pulled the covers up and tucked him in. Such a foolish boy, she thought affectionately. He was reminding her of the time Yuri had been visiting a friend when he was thirteen and they stole a bottle of gin from the liquor cabinet. She hadn't enjoyed the task of caring for her drunk child, but she did consider such infractions to be a right of passage and a part of growing up. So long as they knew enough to call if things got out of hand, Red considered it to be a life lesson.
She went back to Benny who was sitting hunched with his legs dangling over the side of the bed. There was no expression on his face, he seemed to be in a daze. Red wondered if he would even remember any of this come morning.
Without any inhibition, Red slowly unzipped Benny's jacket and helped him slide his arms out of it. Once he was free of his coat, she knelt down on the floor and pulled his shoes off one by one. Benny let out a whimper and looked down at her with glazed eyes that revealed nothing. Red got up to put his things on the desk.
She felt a bulge in the pocket of Benny's jacket and stuck her hand inside curiously. Her hand wrapped around a baggie and when she pulled it out she saw that it was pot. Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, Red stuffed it into the pocket of her own sweater without hesitation. There was no way she would be allowing him to walk out of here with that. Her back was to the bed and she wasn't sure if Benny had seen what she did. He wasn't in any state to fight her for his stash anyway. She folded up his jacket and placed it on Nicky's desk where he could retrieve it tomorrow.
"I want you to try and get some sleep now," Red said in a clipped tone as she turned back around. Benny shook his head and wrapped his arms tighter around his middle. He was bent over at the waist with his hair brushing his lap and even in the dark he looked a little green to her.
"Do you think you might be sick again?" Red frowned and Benny shook his head pitifully in reply. "I'll get you a bucket anyway," she said wearily, entirely unconvinced. She walked briskly into her kitchen and rummaged through the recycling bin for something she could place on the nightstand in case Benny should need it in the night. She flinched when she turned around and saw that he had followed behind her.
"What are you doing?" Red asked perplexed, her forehead creasing.
"I don't know," Benny mumbled, "I didn't want to be alone. I've never been here before." He sounded more vulnerable than Red ever thought he could sound. His drunkenness causing him to reveal the side of him that was usually kept protectively away. He seemed so young right now and if she didn't know better, Red would struggle to believe that he was the same boy who displayed so much anger, who got into fights on the street, got drunk at a concert, and had a large quantity of weed in his coat pocket.
"You're not alone in there," Red told him, her expression softening, "Julio is going to sleep right beside you and this is a small apartment, you're can't lose me in here."
Benny nodded. Red moistened her bottom lip and went to the sink to get him a glass of water while he leaned against the counter and watched her. This was the closest he had ever allowed himself to be to her and it was certainly the first time he had willingly sought her out. It was a shame that he needed to be drunk and sick for this to happen. Red had given up on having any sort of relationship with him awhile ago but the way he was being right now renewed her hope that things could be okay between them. Maybe he was ready to finally be done punishing her for the things other people had done wrong. She knew she would be devastated if he reverted back to treating her with contempt tomorrow.
"Okay then," Red nodded, "let's get you back into your bed." Benny turned automatically and led the way. He still couldn't walk a straight line to save his life and bumped against the wall and the side of the door while Red walked behind him and gritted her teeth.
"It's not his bed, it's my bed," Nicky said with a pout. She had emerged from the bathroom dressed in Red's robe just in time to hear her last remark. Nicky followed them into her room and began rummaging in her dresser drawer for pajamas. Red put the bucket on the night stand and then placed an encouraging hand on Benny's shoulder as he climbed back into the bed.
"Do you think you can drink some water for me?" Red asked him softly. She placed her hand behind his head and brought the glass to his lips. Benny made no move to take it from her, but allowed her to hold it for him while he dutifully drank. He leaned his head back against her hand, seeming to savour the feeling of her touch. Encouraged, Red scratched his scalp affectionately with her nails. She was happy to give him a bit of comfort.
"Very good," Red whispered in praise. She kept her hand on the back of his head as she helped him lay down in the bed. She reached for the covers and pulled them up to his chin. She was doing for Benny what she had done countless times for her children and for the women she had looked after in prison. However, she was still a little stunned in disbelief that he was permitting her to care for him. He even seemed to be enjoying her attentions. Benny let out another whimper of discomfort.
"You need to get some sleep," Red said, brushing his hair off of his face, "if you think you feel bad now, just wait until tomorrow." She sighed and smoothed his blanket unnecessarily.
"My head hurts," Benny told her pathetically.
"I'll get you a cool cloth," Red replied, walking back out of the room and catching Nicky's eye on her way. Nicky had been lingering unnoticed by the dresser while watching the exchanges between them. It was interesting to observe Benny when he was not at all in a position to be defiant. Red returned and sat down naturally on the edge of the bed beside him as though this was normal for them. It was like Benny hadn't spent the better part of the last year actively avoiding her and being downright abrasive whenever they happened to meet.
"It's cold," Red said warningly, before wiping Benny's face and neck with the wrung-out cloth she had brought him. She then folded it and placed it gently over his forehead. Nicky decided she had seen enough and walked out into the hall carrying her pajamas. Neither Red or Benny noticed her departure.
"My bedroom is right across the hall," Red told him, laying her hand on the blanket where she knew his arm was. Benny nodded but his eyes were already beginning to close. "I'll leave my door open. Come get me if you need anything. Anything at all, okay? You won't be bothering me." Benny nodded again.
"We'll talk about everything else in the morning," Red said. She moved her hand back to his head and rested it there for a long pause. Benny's eyes were closed but his lashes flickered as he waited for sleep to come. Red glanced over at Julio who hadn't stirred since she came in.
Julio had looked so ashamed of himself when she had arrived to pick them up. It was as though he were terrified she was going to hate him for letting her down. The two of them had a special bond that Red had encouraged and was grateful for. She had thought Julio had been secure in it, but the look on his face that night had made Red realize how great his fear of losing her really was. Their relationship had developed into something deeper and more meaningful than Red had ever imagined a relationship with Gloria's son could be. She loved him like her own, she had even said as much to him as she had put him to bed when they got home. He probably wouldn't remember her words in the morning but the sentiments were there. Red felt so blessed to have him in her life.
Red looked back at Benny with sad eyes that took in the stony expression on his face. Even in sleep he did not look rested. His forehead was creased as he frowned and his jaw was clenched tightly. Without hesitation, Red cupped his chin gently in her hand and rubbed her fingers against his cheek. She was rewarded when his facial features began to relax.
Red stood up and her hand pressed against the bulge in her pocket where Benny's confiscated marijuana was. She knew Benny would be furious when he discovered that she had taken it. However, it went against everything Red stood for if she allowed him to keep it. Walking resolutely into the bathroom she impulsively dumped the weed into the toilet and flushed it away. Benny could always find more and he probably would, she knew she couldn't stop him.
Despite wanting nothing more than to crawl into her bed at that very moment, Red went into the living room to see about Nicky. She found her precious girl curled up on the couch with the throw blanket tossed over her. Suppressing another sigh, Red opened the hall linen closet and pulled out a blanket and pillow.
"Sorry about all of this, darling," Red murmured as she covered Nicky with the heavy blanket and passed her the pillow to put beneath her head. She sat down on the couch by Nicky's feet and rubbed her leg through the blanket, "I'm glad you had a good time tonight."
"It was okay," Nicky said shortly. She didn't mean to sound grumpy but it was late and she was tired. It annoyed her to have Gloria's sons in her bed that night. She hadn't even slept in it once yet. In all fairness, that was because she had been choosing to sleep in Red's bed since her homecoming. However, knowing Red's grandchildren would be spending the night had made Nicky sort of excited to sleep for the first time in the beautiful room that had been lovingly prepared for her. Now she was lying on the couch like some unexpected guest.
"Are you mad at me?" Red asked her with an edge in her voice.
"You can't give somebody my bed without asking me first," Nicky said, sticking out her lower lip.
"I didn't know where else to put them," Red said honestly, "you've never slept in it anyways. You like to sleep with me."
"It's still my bed," Nicky insisted, "and you said I couldn't sleep with you tonight anyways because you have the kids."
"I'm sorry," Red said, sounding slightly exasperated, "it's just for tonight though, okay?" Nicky shrugged her shoulders and did not answer. It bothered her a bit that there were always just so many people around taking up all of Red's time and energy. She never would have believed they would have had more space together in prison.
"We can talk more in the morning," Red said. She could tell that Nicky was still upset with her but she didn't have enough stamina to handle that right now. She needed to get to bed. Alexei and Vera would have her up in a matter of hours. Not to mention the two boys who would surely be sporting matching hangovers by morning. Red hadn't told Lourdes that they had been drinking when she rang to let her know that they were with her. She hadn't wanted to make this a bigger issue than it needed to be and, even more importantly, she wanted them to trust her.
Rubbing her tired eyes, Red stood up and leaned down to kiss the top of Nicky's head. Nicky glared at her in response. "Happy New Year, beautiful girl," Red whispered, as she switched off the light.
Alexei was lying with his arms and legs spread as though he were making snow angels in his sleep. It always astonished Red how such a tiny person could take up an entire bed. Wiggling him over slightly, Red crawled in beside him. Vera was sleeping soundly in her playpen next to her, and Red gently touched her cheek to ensure the baby was not too hot or too cold. Satisfied, she turned over and went to sleep. Morning would be here very soon.
Very soon indeed. It felt like it had only been five minutes since she had laid her head on the pillow, when Red was roused rudely awake by the sound of her granddaughter crying. She opened her eyes and stared into the playpen where Vera was standing up, glaring at her reproachfully.
"Good morning, Vera," Red smiled at the baby, "are you ready to start your day?"
"Up, up!" Vera exclaimed, her little frown switching to a smile now that she had her Grandma's attention. She held her arms out and Red lifted her out of the playpen.
"I was hoping you might sleep in sweetheart," Red said, as she reached into the diaper bag Lida had left on her nightstand, "but I suppose it doesn't matter to you if everybody else kept your Grandma up all night, does it?"
"No," Vera said clearly, shaking her head as Red changed her diaper.
"I didn't think so," Red smiled in spite of herself, "that isn't your problem, is it baby?" She pulled Vera back onto her lap and kissed the little girl's scarlet hair.
"No," Vera said again.
Alexei was still snoring loudly as Red slowly got out of bed and walked across the hall, with Vera in her arms, so that she could check on the boys. They were both still asleep and hopefully would stay that way for a little longer. Red shut the door to the room tightly, and hoped that would be enough to block out the inevitable noise that came from having little children in the house.
She walked into the kitchen and glanced at Nicky who was sleeping on the couch with her wild curls spread out like a halo around her. Red felt terrible because she knew it would be almost impossible to not wake her when there was a rambunctious toddler in the apartment. Red flicked on the television to some cartoons and turned the volume down low in the hopes that it would keep Vera occupied, and reasonably quiet, while she went to prepare her breakfast.
Humming softly to herself, despite how tired she was, Red walked back to the kitchen and turned on her coffee maker. Then she busied herself preparing the oatmeal that Vera ate everyday. She heard a crash and creaking of floorboards and little feet raced down the hall towards her.
"Grandma," Alexei said, holding his dinosaur to himself protectively, "I woke up and you weren't there. I was so sad."
"Aww," Red said, kneeling down to give him a good morning hug, "I just woke up with Vera so I could start making breakfast. Are you hungry, baby?"
"Yeah," Alexei nodded, "I want chocolate chips!"
"I don't think so," Red told him with a look of disapproval, "but you can have some oatmeal or a piece of toast with jam."
"I want jam!" Alexei said loudly.
"Jam it is," Red said, standing back up and turning to pop a piece of toast into the toaster, "do you want something to drink too?"
"I have juice?" asked Alexei.
"Apple or orange?" Red asked.
"Apple," Alexei said. Red reached into the cupboard for one of the plastic cups that she kept for when her grandchildren came to visit. She poured Alexei his juice and put some jam on his piece of toast. Then he wandered over to the tv for some early morning cartoons. Red bit back a smile when she saw him hop up on the couch without hesitation, and seat himself on top of Nicky's feet. By some miracle, Nicky didn't stir and Red sat down at the table to savour a few minutes of peace while she drank her first coffee of the day.
"Ahh!" Nicky yelped.
"What's wrong?" Red asked in alarm, "did she bite you?" If Vera had, it would not have been the first time it happened.
"Do you know how scary it is to wake up to a child standing about an inch away from your face staring at you?" Nicky exclaimed.
"Pretty terrifying I'd imagine," Red said dryly.
"You know I have a bad heart, right?" Nicky said grumpily, jumping up off of the couch with her comforter still wrapped around her.
"I'm sorry," Red said, placing her half-full coffee mug down on the table, "I didn't notice her doing that or I would have stopped her." She stood up and filled a bowl of oatmeal for Vera. "Come get your breakfast, baby," Red called to the little girl.
"I guess since they're both out here that means I'm allowed to go sleep in your bed now?" Nicky asked.
"That's what it means," Red said absentmindedly, picking up Vera and fastening her into her booster seat. "I'll try and keep them quiet so you can rest."
"Try hard," Nicky pressed. With a roll of her eyes she walked towards Red's bedroom and threw herself down on the unmade bed. She had had a terrible night. The couch was not comfy to sleep on at all and Nicky had tossed and turned for several hours after Red turned out the light.
Deep down Nicky knew it wasn't Red's fault for how the evening had gone. She had known there were going to be compromises and adjustments made in their relationship now that they were living in the real world with several family members to account for. What Nicky hadn't counted on was being made to feel like she was always going to be Red's last priority. She enjoyed having people around in general, but she did not like how her space had been invaded. However well meaning her intentions had been, Red should not have given Gloria's sons her bed. Nicky probably would have allowed it had Red bothered to ask, but being kicked out of her own bed without a say had bothered her more than she could put into words. It had made Nicky feel like she was in the way.
Nicky's sleep had also been impacted by the numerous thoughts that had been spewing through her mind since Luschek had dropped her off last night. She was worried about Lorna and desperate to know how her night with Harry had gone. Nicky really wanted to phone her but she was hoping that Lorna might call her. She had gathered enough evidence the night before to conclude that Lorna did still love her even as she continued to wrestle with her incessant need to search for somebody to fulfill the fantasy concocted in her brain. Maybe someday Lorna would let that go and realize that Nicky had been there all along waiting patiently. Nicky wasn't going to hold her breath but she would be open to it.
One thing she had staunchly decided however was that she was not going to put her life on hold for a relationship that might never happen. It was why she had slept with Luschek last night and didn't regret it. Nicky had been pleasantly surprised by what a considerate partner he had turned out to be and the confidence he displayed once she gave him the go-ahead. He must have been thinking about doing things like that to her for awhile, Nicky sniggered. So long as he didn't try to read anymore into it, she would probably sleep with him again. Nicky refused to sit around feeling sorry for herself while Lorna tried to find herself. She had her own independent life to live.
Once the kids had been fed and Red finally got the opportunity to finish her coffee, she went to check on Nicky who was blessedly sleeping. Nicky had been annoyed with Red since she had gotten home last night and she was hoping she'd wake up in a happier mood if everybody left her alone. It had probably been wrong for her to put the boys in Nicky's bed but there had been no other alternative that she could see. She was doing her best.
Shutting the door to her room, Red walked across the hall to peer in on the boys. Benny was still sleeping in the same position he had fallen asleep in, but Julio was sitting up in bed with his shoulders hunched and his head in his hands.
"Well, good morning," Red said to him with a touch of humour in her voice. She opened the door a little wider and stepped into the room.
"What's good about it?" Julio grunted.
"Well for starters," Red said as she walked over to the window, "it's a beautiful day." She threw open the drapes and allowed the imposing sunlight to stream into the room.
"Augh," Julio protested, burying his face in the covers, "cover the windows."
"I think we'll leave them open during the day," Red replied brightly, a wicked smile spreading across her face, "the light wouldn't bother you if you hadn't been drinking last night."
"Okay, I get it," Julio replied, "I'm really sorry. Will you close the curtains now? Please?"
"You scared me," Red said honestly, ignoring his request. She walked over to sit on the foot of the bed. "Anything could have happened to you two. There is a reason why there are age restrictions on drinking." Julio gave a slight nod of understanding, his head still buried in his hands.
"Would you like me to get you something for your headache?" Red asked him, "although I'm tempted to just let you suffer. Teach you a lesson."
"Can I have a Tylenol?" Julio asked pleadingly.
"Sure," Red relented, "wait there." She walked back into the living room to check on Alexei and Vera who were playing with the Lego she had spilled out onto the floor for them. She poured a glass of water for Julio and grabbed the container of Tylenol from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Then she went back to the bedroom.
"What happened last night?" Red asked, passing Julio a pill and the glass. She refrained from commenting on the curtains that he had closed in her absence.
Julio shrugged, and chased his pill down with a sip of water.
"Do you realize how stupid what you did was?" Red asked him sternly.
"I know," Julio said quietly, looking ashamed.
"I don't really care that you were drinking," Red said, "but I care that you and your brother were drinking in public surrounded by people who could try to take advantage of young boys like you. You're lucky that you only lost your wallet."
"I'm sorry," Julio found that he couldn't quite meet her gaze. He did regret his actions though, even if a part of him felt good to know that she cared about his well-being and hadn't just thrown him out the moment he got up.
"You should be," Red told him, "now get up. There are some dishes that you can wash for me and then we'll see what else I can find for you to do."
"I'm sick," Julio said unnecessarily.
"Which is your own fault," Red replied, "a hangover from underage drinking does not give you a pass to lounge around in bed all day. Wake up your brother and meet me in the kitchen."
Julio moaned and buried his face in the comforter, "I'm going to throw up," he groaned.
"Well, if you do make sure it's in the toilet," Red told him indifferently. Then she left to go back to Alexei and Vera in the living room.
Julio followed a few minutes later looking bleary eyed and miserable. Benny was with him looking quite pale and uncertain as he entered the room after his older brother.
"Dishes?" Julio sighed, glancing at Red who was sitting on the couch while the children played. She nodded and Julio obediently went over to the sink. There weren't even that many to do, it was more just the principle of putting them to work.
"One of you can wash while the other rinses." She waited to see if Benny would curse at her or refuse, but he did neither of those things. Red was impressed.
She got to her feet and went to reach above the microwave for the pills she had put up there. "Here," she said to Benny, "these will help with your nausea and headache." Benny hesitated before reaching to take the two pills from her flat, outstretched palm. Julio turned on the faucet and both boys turned their backs on her to begin the task she had assigned.
"When you're finished with that, the bathroom could use a good scrubbing," Red told them nonchalantly, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you why, Benny."
"I threw up in the toilet," Benny said in annoyance, "I didn't make a mess."
"Then it won't take you very long to complete," Red said calmly. Benny looked for a moment as though he would like to argue, but Julio nudged him and he clamped his mouth shut.
"Are you going to tell our Tia what we did?" Julio asked Red worriedly.
"Should I?" Red asked him, leaning her back against the counter where she stood next to him.
"I'd rather you didn't," Julio admitted.
"Then I won't," Red said simply. She had no intention of interfering in their home life and invoking more conflict. She wasn't even entirely sure that she would have told Gloria what had transpired last night were she around to hear it. As it stood, it did not matter. Informing Gloria of any of her sons' grievances would only serve to cause her to feel even more helpless and isolated than she already did. Red would do anything to avoid causing Gloria more pain.
"Did you at least enjoy the concert?" she asked them conversationally.
"Yes," Julio answered for both of them, "it was amazing. Thanks again."
"Your welcome," Red said softly.
A knock at the door caused both of the dogs to leap up from their resting places in uproar. Leaving the boys to do the dishes, Red went to open it. It was Lida and Vasily, both looking a little worse for wear but in good spirits.
"Happy New Year, Ma," Vasily said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.
"Happy New Year," Lida echoed, also kissing Red's cheek before rushing over to sit on the floor next to her two babies. She was dressed in gray sweats, a black sweatshirt, and was suspiciously wearing a dark pair of sunglasses that she did not remove even once she was indoors.
"Rough night?" Red asked her daughter-in-law as she shut the door behind them.
"No, I had a great night," beamed Lida, "one of the best nights I had out in awhile. That Piper is a lot of fun." She leaned over to kiss her children.
"So, I guess those sunglasses are just a fashion statement," Red teased, "that's alright. I'm glad you had fun." Red went to pour them all a cup of coffee.
"Glad you had fun?" Benny rolled his eyes at Red as he dried his hand on a tea towel. Then he passed her to go clean the bathroom as she had instructed. Red was just happy to see that he hadn't put up a bigger fight over the punishment chores she had assigned them. He could be reasonable when he wanted to be.
"That is an amazing tower, Alexei," Lida praised her son, who was intently focused on building the tallest building he could out of the mega-blocks. Vera was content to be dumping spare blocks out of the container before promptly replacing them in a game she had invented.
"Mommy, you help me?" Alexei asked.
"Hmm, I think you can do a better job without me," Lida replied, pulling herself onto the couch next to Vasily and resting her head on his shoulder. Red brought the coffee over and sat down on her son's other side while they watched the children play.
Nicky woke up and frowned when she heard the sound of chatter in the living room. She had sort of been hoping that the apartment would empty itself while she was asleep. No such luck. She rolled out of the bed and headed into the bathroom. Julio was on his hands and knees deep cleaning the tub while Benny sprayed down the sink.
"She put you guys to work, huh?" Nicky asked sympathetically.
"Yeah," Julio sighed, getting back up to his feet, "I think it's good enough now though."
"I don't know," Nicky said, "can I see my face in it yet?"
"Is that supposed to be a requirement?" Julio asked.
"It should be," Nicky shrugged, "maybe I should put that stipulation on you guys. I'm the one who had to sleep on the couch last night."
"I'm not doing another thing after this," Benny said, "I'm going home."
"Sounds like a plan," Nicky said, "I'm going to go have some breakfast." She walked out into the crowded living room still dressed in her pajamas.
"Auntie's up," Alexei cheered, jumping up from the floor and running to wrap himself around Nicky's legs.
"Ooof," Nicky exclaimed, "yeah. Good morning to you too, kid." She patted Alexei awkwardly on the top of his head.
"Anything to eat around here?" Nicky asked Red.
"What would you like?" Red asked standing up reluctantly. She wasn't exactly in the mood to cook for her but was willing to do it if only to make amends for giving away Nicky's bed last night.
"Hmm," Nicky considered, "can I have a western sandwich?"
"Sure," Red replied, she turned to look at Vasily and Lida, "anyone else?"
"I'll take a sandwich, mama," Vasily said, "thanks."
"No thank you," Lida said, "I don't feel like eating right now."
"How about a drink for your hangover?" Nicky asked her sarcastically.
"I'm good, Nicky," Lida giggled. Red was preparing the two sandwiches when Julio and Benny walked into the room.
"It's done," Julio told her.
"Thanks, you two," Red told them, "I can make you some dry toast if you'd like. Maybe some tea to soothe your stomach?"
They both nodded and sat down silently at the kitchen table to wait. Red smiled to herself as she popped some more bread into the toaster. Even as troublesome as they were, she was glad that Benny hadn't bolted from the place the moment he woke up. He was quiet, but he had been nothing but respectful to her and he had done as she asked. They sat slumped at the table with their heads in their hands while Red worked briskly to prepare everybody's food. She gave the first servings of toast to the boys and then went about putting together Nicky and Vasily's sandwiches.
A full house like this was what Red enjoyed most. She knew Nicky was annoyed, and she would make it up to her later, but Red was old enough to appreciate that a house overstuffed with family was a blessing. Especially, since Benny and Julio were both here. It almost brought tears to Red's eyes when she thought of Gloria being released and coming home to an environment where she had a partner who adored her and also made her children happy. What had once seemed unobtainable was now becoming possible.
Julio and Benny lingered even after Vasily and Lida had left with the kids. They seemed in no hurry to leave and Red was happy to have them stay. She handed them the remote and allowed them to lounge in front of the television looking the picture of relaxation. Red made sure to sit close to Nicky, wrapping her arm around her and pulling her so that Nicky was leaning against her, her back to Red's stomach and her head on her chest.
"Who are you texting?" Red had whispered, as Nicky leaned back into her embrace but kept her gaze firmly fixed upon the phone in her hands.
"Lorna," Nicky said absentmindedly.
"Lorna?" Red blinked, "is that a thing again?"
"It could be," Nicky shrugged, "I have many things. If anything definite ever came of it I would let you know though."
"Alright," Red agreed, and she opened up the final Harry Potter book again. Try as she might, she had not managed to finish it after Vera went to sleep last night. Perhaps she would have more luck this afternoon. Julio noticed what she was reading and smiled. It meant a lot to him that she cared enough to take an interest in the things that he liked, but it thrilled him that he had converted her into such a fan.
It was only after the boys decided they should be getting home that Red's heart started hammering extra fast and her inner peace became forgotten. Benny went into Nicky's bedroom to retrieve his coat and shoes. He came back into the living room wearing a frown on his face and went over to his brother.
"Do you, have it?" Benny whispered.
"Have what?" Julio asked, sounding confused.
Benny pulled the inside fabric of his pocket out to reveal that it was empty. Red moistened her bottom lip and decided it would be best to come clean about what she had done. It didn't thrill her to ruin the progress that had been made between them but it needed to be said.
"Are you looking for the bag of pot that you had in your pocket last night?" Red asked him, putting her book aside and sitting up a little straighter. Nicky looked intrigued and moved over to the other side of the couch to look between the two. Benny's eyes narrowed.
"I found it last night when I helped you take your coat off," Red told him calmly, "it's not a good idea to have that."
"Where is it?" Benny demanded.
"I flushed it last night," Red said, looking him straight in the eye, "I hope you won't turn around and buy more."
"You can't stop me," Benny stammered, almost rendered speechless by this woman's arrogance and nerve. How dare she look through his things and throw his stash away. It wasn't like he had been carrying around a dangerous drug or something. His face paled and his lips almost disappeared as he thinned his mouth. He wanted to hate her so much for being so invasive but the memories of how she had cared for and comforted him last night were still too fresh.
"That's why I said 'I hope' instead of 'do not'," Red replied. The room fell into an uneasy silence. Red stood up and walked over to the door. "Are you guys sure you feel well enough to walk home?" she asked them.
"We're fine," Julio said. Benny looked down at the ground solemnly as he slid his feet into his shoes. He didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say.
"Alright," Red said, taking a deep breath, "take care then. Tell Lourdes that I will see her tomorrow at work."
"Thanks for everything," Julio said graciously. He was a little stunned about what she had done to his brother but he wasn't really upset about it. Benny said nothing but followed his brother outside.
Red turned to look at Nicky with widened eyes once she had closed the door behind them. Nicky sniggered. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed that.
"What a beautiful start to the new year," Nicky grinned wickedly at her mother. Red gave her a small smile back in return.