“Thanks, Miche.”
“You know how you’ll be thanking me.”
“I sure do.”
Instead of laying into me about losing Alan for a day, she had me sign up for eighteen involuntary babysitting sessions, one for each hour I borrowed her husband to rehydrate me, accounting for his travel time as well the time spent helping me. She’s been quite serious about this, including making a formal spreadsheet for me to attach to my calendar. She’s already warned me that if I miss one, I will owe her two, which she claims is a reasonable interest rate.
“Yeah, I’m well aware.” The truth is I don’t mind because there’s no downside to spending more time with my nieces. It will not only be good for me, I’m more available now that my work situation has changed. Even with half a day’s drive between our towns, it doesn’t feel like a burden, but another move into this new chapter in my life. One where my family isn’t on the back-burner. Seeing more of those three girls is part of reorganizing my priorities.
“So, Michelle.” I clear my throat. “Have you heard anything from Lily recently?”
Silence.
“Miche?”
“If you want to know how she’s doing, why don’t you call her?” Her tone is firm but not unkind.
“She doesn’t want to hear from me.”
She barks a sharp “Ha,” that sounds nothing like a laugh at all. “Because reading women’s minds and deciding you know what they want has always worked out for you.”
Given all the evidence, I can’t argue with that.
“Do you think I should call her?”
“Yes!”
“Do you think she’ll answer?” I can’t keep the hope out of my voice, and I’m not sure that I care that she can hear it.
“No. But you should still make the effort.”
“Okay, I will.”
“Wait, what?” Michelle’s tone is incredulous on the other end of the phone. “No argument? Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
“Very funny. I’m trying here Michelle.” I clear my throat. “If you think I should call her, I will.”
“I definitely think you should call her… By the way, you should know, you don’t have to avoid us for Passover.”
“Because Hanukah worked out so well.” I deadpan.
“I’d miss having you here.” My sister is working up to something, I can tell. Our family usually gets together with the Haddad family in Lincoln and that can only mean Lily would be there. The idea that I would ruin another holiday for her or our families is at the forefront of my mind. After everything I’ve put Lily through. I had resigned myself to having Passover alone at home.
I pull up to my driveway as my sister stays quiet. I let Ginger out and into the back gate before I let myself into the house, lost in thought when she spoke again.
“So Passover will be different this year. First of all, we are celebrating more than one night.”
“Since when do we all celebrate more than one night of Passover?”
“Well, Roselyn and David do, and since they’re coming into town, Lily is planning a whole thing. In fact, her parents and other siblings are coming as well.”
“All of them?”Why would Miche want me there for that?
“They’re all invited, but we’ll see what comes of it.”
Not for the first time, I feel mixed emotions for Lily—proud that she’s confident enough to expose herself to her entire family. The next layer of feelings is worry—that they will hurt her again. At least she has Roslyn and Abbie. Abbie had been in touch a few more times to give me no end of shit, which is the least of what I deserve. I know she’s thinking about moving to Nebraska. Her family doesn’t live in the D.C. area anymore, and she misses Lily.
“Yeah… so, the point is the Mendes family will all be gathering at Rose and Lily’s for the first night. So Roselyn, David, and their daughter will stay for the second night. What I’m getting at is we aren’t joining them until the second night. It would be too many people. I mean they’ll be around nineteen, not including all the kids. So, you see, Alan, Mom, and I will have the first night at home and we’ll join Rose on night two.”
