Jo storms into Fritz's classroom carrying a stack of papers.
"Impossible!" she exclaims.
"Mrs. Bhaer, what is it?" he asks calmly.
"How can the future world have great writers if these children refuse to use proper punctuation? Look, this one does not even capitalize the beginnings of sentences! I have taught this a thousand times…" she suddenly raises her head from her papers and notices that he has a classroom full of students. She recoils slightly, silently apologizing.
"May I continue with my lesson, Mrs. Bhaer?" he asks while stifling a smile.
"Yes, I am sorry," she begins to exit when she sees a boy slouching in his chair in the corner. She storms to his desk and slams a paper on it. He wakes up from his nap abruptly, shocked to see the tall woman in front of him.
"Maybe if you remained awake in class you could write a simple sentence!" she roars. She turns to exit the room and yells again, "And rewrite that essay with proper punctuation by tomorrow!" The boy lets out a small whimper in response to his scary teacher's outburst.
Fritz sighs as she slams the door. He turns to his students and says calmly, "Let us continue…"
…
He covers his nose as he enters the apartment later that afternoon. "Jo?" he calls.
"Fritz, what are you doing home so early?" she says as she emerges from the kitchen. He laughs at her flour-covered state.
"Please don't laugh, darling, I am trying to make you a nice dinner."
"That is wonderful, darling, but you look as if you have had an accident." Her shoulders fall in defeat, chuckling at her mess.
"Wait until you see the kitchen…" she laughs.
"I think that maybe this is not your strength." He wraps his arm around her and they head to the kitchen to repair the damage and perhaps salvage the dinner. He places a hand over his nose again.
"What is that smell?" he chortles.
"I was planning on making you traditional German food, but I had a little trouble cooking the herring."
"Mein Jo, what brought about this thought?"
"I want to be a good wife to you."
He laughs, "You are a wonderful wife. What makes you think that you are not?"
"I cannot cook, and we do not entertain, and I do not clean while you work…"
"You do not clean because you are also working. Including your writing, you work more than I do…"
She cuts him off, yelling, "How can I be a good mother if I cannot be a good wife?"
He pauses, surprised by her outburst. "Jo…" he breathes.
"Mothers are soft and demure. They take care of the household and cook and clean…" she begins to cry. He reaches to comfort her, but she pulls away.
"You are a wonderful wife," he says slowly. He reaches for her again. She takes his hand and he pulls her close, dancing in place. He kisses her forehead. She is unconvinced by his notions.
"Do you want to know what makes you a wonderful wife?" She pouts and he continues, "You are a wonderful wife because you do not cook, you do not clean, and you do not simply stay hidden away at home." She looks at him confused. "This is who you are, mein Jo, and this is who I love." She curls up in his embrace. He kneels to the ground, holding her hands. He says to her little bump stretching out her loose trousers. "You do not care if your mother can cook, do you?" He places his ear against her abdomen and listens. "No, the baby does not mind."
"He told you that?" she asks, amused by her silly husband.
"Yes," he smiles. "And you do not know that it is a boy."
"You keep telling me that. Are you suggesting that you would prefer a daughter, Fritz?"
"I know I should not think such things. Of course I would be happy with either, but yes, I believe so. I would like a daughter. One exactly like you."
"Oh Lord," she shakes her head. "I would not wish that even on an enemy. Do you realize what I was like as a child?"
"I bet you were just as magnificent," he says as he pulls her tightly against him.