17. Nick #2
“No. I support his dreams, like he supports mine,” Maddie says. “I’d be more worried that I’d lose him if he didn’t make it. I’d worry that his creative flame would die, and he’d become bitter. And then he wouldn’t be the Nick I know, who’s so passionate about making music.”
She gets me. How does she understand me so well?
“You’re not worried about him being swept up in the fame?”
“He’s pretty level-headed. You probably had a lot to do with that,” Maddie says. “I think he knows what’s real and what’s not.” She gives me a pointed glance.
“What about the fact that he’ll have to travel?”
“My sister is married to a lawyer. Believe me, that’s not better. He works until eleven every night and works most weekends. And his routine doesn’t include dancing to stay fit.”
I very much appreciate the way Maddie’s eyes flicker over to my chest, with a definite heat of approval in her glance.
“Plus, I have my own career, and I often work nights or weekends,” she says.
“Oh, so you don’t plan to have kids?” my mom asks.
I can’t believe she’s going there. We will drop them off here. I think she’s half afraid that’s my plan.
“Not at the moment,” Maddie says. “We’ve only just started dating.”
“I got pregnant on my first date with Nick’s dad.”
“Mom!”
“Although, I guess it wasn’t really a date,” my mom says.
“We’re taking every precaution,” Maddie says.
Yes, like not even kissing.
“Do you want kids?”
“Someday, but obviously, we’d have to both be financially secure,” Maddie says.
“But my mom and my sister run a cookie business, and it has a daycare for employees, so I can drop them off there. That’s what my sister does.
It’s pretty much a child’s dream to be living in a cookie factory.
At first, anyway. My mom would be happy to see them.
She spends more time there now than in the kitchen. ”
I want to delve into that “ At first, anyway .”
“That’s good that you have a plan. Would you like some tea or coffee? Let me take you on a tour of the house first,” my mom says. “Nick mentioned that you make miniatures. You will love our miniature room.”
Maddie seems to have passed whatever test my mom has with flying colors.
“Oh here. I forgot to give you this,” Maddie says, and she hands my mom the little present.
My mom unwraps it, and she does indeed love the miniature knitted sweater.
She takes us on a tour of the house. First up is her knitting room, which has a bookcase full of yarn and a comfortable rocking chair.
Next, we visit the miniatures room, so titled because it’s literally a miniature town, and meet my mom’s roommate, Christy. Her other roommate is away this weekend, visiting a friend.
“Wow, you even have a bookshop, a coffee shop, and a Christmas store,” Maddie says, staring at the red, white, and green shop.
Christy beams with pride. “I couldn’t decide whether to make a house for Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, but then I decided that I have so many Christmas miniatures that I really needed a shop.”
“Oh, and you created a secondhand shop too. I haven’t seen that before,” Maddie says.
“Same thing. I made some things for my mini club, and they didn’t fit in anywhere, so I thought a secondhand shop would be perfect.”
“What is your mini club?”
“We meet once a month at someone’s house and make miniatures. You’re welcome to join us, if Nick wants to bring you up here on the third Saturday of the month.”
“That’s why you seemed so familiar with miniatures at the fair,” Maddie says to me.
“I told you my mom’s roommate had a mini town,” I say.
“I’m sorry I missed that New Jersey fair,” Christy says. “Several of my friends were dealers there, but my boyfriend had an operation earlier that week, and I needed to be around. Do you have a website?”
“No,” Maddie says. “With my work schedule, it’s hard to create enough stock. I do this one show, and periodically I email my list to see if they have any requests.”
“Well, I know so many people in the mini community. If you ever want me to put out the word, let me know.”
“Have you ever seen this work before?” Maddie asks and shows a photo of Ward’s bodega.
She peers at the image. “I know that artist. He has an Instagram page.”
“He does?” Maddie asks.
“It’s not under his real name, obviously, but sure. Let me find it,” she says. “He spends a fortune on miniatures.” She shows Ward’s Instagram handle to Maddie.
“Wow.” Maddie shows me one of the posts. “Look at this miniature deli. It really captures a New York City deli. And the signs are even electrified and blinking on and off.”
“I wanted to get an electrified one, but they were too expensive,” Christy says. “Even I couldn’t justify spending that much for my miniatures.”
“That must have been a lot, then,” says my mom wryly.
We next see the library. Maddie immediately finds the photo of me at twelve, awkwardly holding up my math medal.
“He’s very good at math,” my mom says. “He could have a stable career in accounting or something else math related.”
My mom’s back at it.
Christy glances out the window, and gestures for us to look out too. “The snow is coming down thick and heavy now. They’re expecting several inches.”
“You guys should stay the night. The roads might be icy and slippery,” my mom says. “And it’s not that often that I get to see you.”
But that would mean we’re sharing a room. And a bed. My mom doesn’t have any rooms with twin beds.
My mom looks out the window. “It’s already several inches deep. It looks like it’s going to be hard to drive with limited visibility. I won’t sleep if you go.”
How am I going to sleep if we stay?