The Middlesteins: A Novel(14)

Emily pulled off her winter cap, and Josh unraveled his scarf. Emily walked over to the boom box to restart the song, and in that quick moment Josh popped and locked in one beautiful, swift motion.

Rachelle drew in her breath.

“Did you see that?” said Benny.

“I did,” she said.

“Takes after his old man,” said Benny. He executed a wobbly moonwalk across the kitchen floor.

“Right,” said Rachelle.

The boom box began blasting the same song again. Rachelle was starting to hate that song.

“So I was thinking I’d drive over to my folks’ house today,” he said. He barely looked at her. She had stiffed him in bed last night, curled up in the far corner, a pillow behind her to rebuff any approach.

Rachelle did not know if he wanted her approval or not. If she gave her approval, it was as if she had commanded and he had followed, which, obviously, was what had happened, but she didn’t know if it was wise to wound him any further. If she didn’t acknowledge him, he might think she was still mad at him, which she wasn’t. In fact, she was more in love with him at that moment than in years. All of the recent stressors on their marriage, his slight disconnection from his mother’s multiple surgeries, his inability to prepare or even merely purchase a significantly healthy meal for his children for months now, all of that was washed away with just one appropriate, adult decision.

She threw her arms around him and enmeshed her fingers in his hair and kissed him, hard, and for a while, long enough so that when their daughter looked up at them through the window, it inspired her to believe in love and the sanctity of marriage, if not for herself, at least for others.

Later, in the parking lot of Old Orchard—there was a sale at Nordstrom’s, winter coats, 30 percent off—Rachelle began to plot how she would save her mother-in-law. It would require a commitment from her husband and obviously from Richard, more than anyone. They would all have to work together to get Edie back on track. Rachelle would happily prepare meals for her, healthy meals, and she knew a nutritionist who was affiliated with her Pilates studio. Or maybe she would just sign her up for Weight Watchers. Rachelle would drive her to the meetings herself, and sit with her if she felt it necessary. And Rachelle would give up her daytime matinees to go to the gym with Edie if it meant she would finally get some exercise. Hell, all she had to do was go for a walk every day! Even that little bit would help. But more than anything, it was really on Richard to make sure she wasn’t sneaking trips to the fast-food joints. If that meant he had to work less, then so be it. There was always time to make more money, but you only have one wife, and one life. And Benny would have to call his mother every single day and check in on her, and let her know that he loved her. A call from a son means everything to a mother. Rachelle knew she would want the same thing someday.

They were all in this together, that was the most important thing. If everyone worked together, Edie had a shot.



*

At the dance studio, the kids were sweating and grinning; Emily, in particular, had a healthy glow to her.

“Mom, we had a breakthrough moment,” she said.

“They did,” said Pierre, and he put his arm around Emily. “They remembered all their steps without me having to remind them.”

“I could feel the whole thing inside me,” said Josh. He touched his fingertips to his temples and then pressed hard, his eyes bugging out a bit. “Like I can see it all in my head.”

“It’s magic when it clicks like that,” said Pierre.

Rachelle drank in all their energy, she felt it ripple through her face and neck and chest, a warm, milky love, and it melted into the enthusiasm she already had for turning her mother-in-law’s life around. The kids were jumping up and down. Everyone was laughing. Rachelle pulled out her checkbook to pay Pierre for the month of classes. She asked him for a pen. He opened a desk drawer, and she saw inside at least a hundred different save-the-date magnets, all with different names on them. A pile of invitations. Of course everyone invited him. He was the most fabulous person ever. Rachelle blushed, and then felt a little nauseous. She wrote the amount incorrectly on the first check, and then tore it up, her hands trembling. This is so dumb, she thought. What do I care? I have a mother-in-law to save.



*

Benny returned just before dinner, sad creases worming their way around his forehead. He saw the kids and he smiled, and he hugged Emily, though over her head he gave a wary glance to Rachelle. Something began to tick inside her.