“Uh huh.”
“Shit, if Noah had been here before we got pregnant, we may not have to worry about any babies coming.”
“What?”
“I said, if Noah had been here before we did the hoo-ha, we may not even be pregnant right now.” Zane repeated and I glared at him as Noah laughed.
“I suppose you guys haven’t had the opportunity to have alone time, huh?” Noah winked at his brother. “Come on now, Zane. I didn’t know you had problems in that department.”
“I don’t have problems.” Zane started and stopped as I gave him a murderous look. “Anyway, just let us know when you guys will be gone.”
“Sure, bro.” Noah laughed. “I can take Skylar out to the mall this morning, if you want. Give you some guys some alone time.”
“No.” I blurted out at the same time that Zane said “Sure.”
“I’ll let you guys think about it.” Noah grinned and I shook my head at him.
“I’m going to call Sidney after breakfast. I was hoping we could go and see him later this week and discuss our shooting schedule.”
“That sounds good.” Noah nodded. “I told you that Betty has a friend that is willing to be videotaped as well.”
“The Jewish lady?” I thought for a moment. “The one who was in the concentration camp?”
“Yeah, Mrs. Rosenbaum.” He nodded. “I spoke to her and she’s very eager to tell her story.”
“I suppose she doesn’t want people to forget.”
“Yeah. What makes the story even more powerful is how she and Betty got to be friends.”
“Betty used to be her cook, right?”
“Yeah,” He laughed. “She had to learn how to cook Kosher because she didn’t really know. It’s a pretty fascinating story. Mrs. Rosenbaum taught her how to cook Kosher and then never left the kitchen.”
“I thought Betty was a housewife.” Zane interrupted looking confused. “Who’s Mrs. Rosenbaum and what’s this about cooking?”
“She went to be a cook for a few years.” Noah paused as he swallowed some food. “But she and Mrs. Rosenbaum became friends and stayed in contact after she left the household.”
“That’s a bit unusual, isn’t it?” Zane looked surprised.
“That’s the point, silly.” I laughed at him. “They weren’t supposed to be friends. Everything about their situation should have kept them apart but it didn’t. Their identities as an older Jewish lady and a younger African American lady didn’t stop them from developing a lifelong friendship.”
“Interesting.” Zane grabbed another pancake, and I rolled my eyes at him.
“I’m not sure how you fooled me into believing you were interested in history and making this documentary.” I laughed. “You really have no clue, do you?”
“You’re not going to tell me that you should have met Noah first again, are you?” Zane made a face at me and then laughed. “You know I love you guys and the Johnsons, but I can’t say that the subject matter sends my mind spinning with excitement.”
“Philistine.”
“Ooh, someone learned her word of the day,” he shot back at me, and we all laughed.
“So I’ll ask him if he’s free next week?”
“Yeah, sure.” Noah smiled at me and yawned. “I think I’m going to go get some sleep.”
“But, I wanted to play board games,” Skylar pouted, and Noah groaned and looked at me and Zane.
“No way, Jose.” Zane jumped up and slapped his brother on the shoulder. “I’m taking Lucky out and then we’re going to come back and relax before we go out to dinner.”
“I’m guessing I’m not invited.” Noah grinned and Zane gave him the eye.
“You’re guessing right.” He walked over to me and stopped by my chair. “Thank you for breakfast, my love. I’m going to go in the shower now.”
“Hold up.” I grabbed his arm. “You’re not expecting me to do the washing up, are you?”
“I thought you liked washing up.” He groaned and I gave him a look. “Okay, okay. Noah can help me.”
“That’s more like it.” I jumped up and kissed him on the cheek. “This isn’t the 50s, you know.”
“Trust me, I know.” He pinched my ass and I slapped his hand away before giggling and running up the stairs.
“Don’t leave any crumbs on those plates, boys.” I laughed as I entered the bedroom. I paused and closed the door slowly before pulling my phone out and calling Sidney.
“Hello?” He answered the phone right away, but his voice sounded a lot more feeble than I remembered it being the last time I had seen him.
“Sidney, it’s me Lucky.”
“Well, imagine that. I was just thinking about you, Lucky.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, I was just wondering when you and your young man were going to tie the knot.”
“Oh, we haven’t set a date as yet.” I sighed as I sat down on the bed.
“That’s not a sigh I’m hearing, is it? Don’t tell me you’re changing your mind?”
“No, no, I’m not.” I mumbled quickly. “It just seems like I have so much to do, and yet I’m not doing anything.”
“You’re missing your parents, I suppose?” His voice reminded me of my dad’s, and I felt a little teary-eyed thinking about my parents.
“Yeah, I guess it hasn’t really hit me that my dad won’t be giving me away on my wedding day and my mom isn’t here to help me pick a dress and well, I just don’t even know if I really want a big wedding, but I don’t know how to tell Zane. And now he wants us to write our vows but I have no idea what to say. And I don’t even know what we’re going to do with the babies. Neither of us really has a clue and oh, Sidney, I just don’t know which way is up anymore.”
“Take a deep breath, Lucky.” His voice was calm and soothing. “Remember that that boy loves you more than life itself. That’s all you need to remember. Everything else will be right as rain. It’ll work out. All you need to focus on is staying healthy for the babies. Me and Betty had no clue what to do when we got married and started having babies. In fact, I still don’t have a clue, but we got ourselves some mighty fine kids.”