The Two-Family House(30)

Helen didn’t want to be upset today. She wanted to enjoy herself. But every time she took a step toward Rose, her sister-in-law moved in the opposite direction. She tried a few times to catch Rose’s eye, to share a smile or a laugh together like they used to, but Rose kept looking away. Helen wondered whether it had been a mistake to have the party here. Maybe Rose would have been friendlier if they had celebrated at home.

“Attention, please,” Mort called out. He tapped his spoon against his water glass. “May I please have everyone’s attention?” Helen was surprised. It wasn’t like Mort to make speeches.

“A year ago today the road outside this building was blocked with snowdrifts piled six feet high. Twenty-six inches of snow fell from the skies—the worst blizzard to hit New York since 1888.” Mort stopped to clear his throat. “Against all odds, my son was born that day, a healthy baby boy. Happy birthday to Teddy.” Mort drained his glass and sat back down.

An awkward silence filled the room until someone began to clap. There were so many things wrong with Mort’s speech that Helen couldn’t decide what aggravated her most. He didn’t even mention Natalie! Luckily, Abe stood up next.

“Well, my brother certainly is right about that day,” Abe began. “What a storm! And with us away, our poor wives had to deal with everything alone. So first, I think we should all raise a glass to them, to Helen and Rose, the two bravest women I know.”

“To Helen and Rose!” Bob Sherman shouted, and everyone repeated it. When the noise died down, Abe continued, “You know, when Helen told me she was pregnant again, with our fifth child, I was surprised. But imagine how surprised I was when Morty here told me Rose was pregnant too!” The crowd chuckled. “Anyway, it all worked out perfect, everybody happy and healthy. So I wanna say happy birthday to Natalie and to Teddy. Drink up!” Everyone clapped loudly this time, joining together in a chorus of “Happy Birthday to You.”

One of the waiters took the cue to wheel out the cake, decorated with yellow and white icing. Rose carried Teddy over to where Mort and Abe were standing, while Helen smoothed the front of Natalie’s dress. Someone lit the two candles on the cake, and the babies were held up for photos. Helen and Rose blew out the candles, and everyone clapped all over again.

The crowd broke up as the waiters rolled the cake cart into the kitchen for slicing. Helen couldn’t help herself from calling out to Rose as she was walking away, “What’d you wish for?” she asked.

“Hmm?” Rose’s back was to Helen and she pretended she hadn’t heard.

“What’d you wish for when you blew out the candle? I wished for fifty years more of celebrations like this, all of us together for the kids’ birthdays.”

Rose turned around. For the first time all day, she looked Helen straight in the eye. “I wished that night had never happened.”





Chapter 24





ABE


(August 1949)

Natalie loved steps. At twenty months old, all she wanted to do was climb up and down the hallway steps that connected the floors of the two-family house. Mostly she liked going up. Going down was more difficult, so when she got to the top she’d look at Abe, lift her arms and shout, “UPPY!” at the top of her lungs. Abe would laugh, carry Natalie down to the bottom, then hold her tiny hand while she started climbing all over again. She never got tired of it. Neither did he.

Abe used to worry about what he would do with a little girl. When he tried to picture himself having a pretend tea party or dressing up baby dolls, he started to feel queasy. He didn’t think he would be good at it. But this? Walking up and down stairs? This he could do.

Helen got annoyed with him. “You’re spoiling her.”

“Spoiling her? Did I buy some silver spoons at Tiffany’s?” The kids were finally in bed and the two of them were talking in the kitchen, trying not to wake anyone up. Helen was drying the dishes from dinner and Abe was putting them away.

“That’s not the kind of spoiling I mean and you know it.”

“So I walk her up and down the stairs—so what?”

“So, you let her do it every morning! You indulge her! Do you know that after you leave for work in the morning, she stands by the front door and cries for you to come back and take her on the steps?”

“Yeah?” Abe was pleased. “What does she say?”

“‘Daddy! Uppy! Daddy! Uppy!’” Over and over.”

Abe chuckled. “She misses me, that’s all,” he said, with a smile as wide as his face.

Helen hit him on the head with the spatula she was drying. He grabbed it from her and gave her a swat on the backside.

“You think it’s funny, but it’s not. I don’t have time to walk Natalie up and down the stairs all day! I have to do the breakfast dishes, make the beds and clean the tornado the boys leave behind. Plus, whenever we go out she wants to climb every set of stairs she sees! I couldn’t get her off the drugstore steps the other day. She thinks it’s a game!”

“It is a game! Come on, don’t get all bent out of shape. Pretty soon Natalie will learn not to cry when I go. She’ll understand that when I leave, the game is over.” Abe snapped his fingers. “Besides, it’s educational. I’m teaching her to count. She says a number for each step. She’s already up to ten.”