Chapter 21 #3
Then, as if it just occurred to him, though it absolutely did not:
“And a proper side of mashed potatoes for the table.”
Lucy gasps like she’s just been handed the crown jewels.
He reaches for her water glass, steady and composed.
“Balance,” he says lightly.
Lucy nods, “Balanced.”
When the server leaves, he pours water for Lucy first. Then me. “But if you prefer…”
I kick him under the table, and he chuckles. “Lucy, the water is carbonated, so it’s fizzy. We have regular too.”
“But,” he picks up her napkin and, with an easy, practiced motion, flicks it with a light snap of his wrist, and the folds loosen, falling open in clean lines. “Cloth napkins pair beautifully with sparkling water.” He turns to me after settling in on her lap. “Don’t you agree?”
“It’s elegant, but a bit theatrical.”
He chuckles.
“What’s theatrical?” Lucy asks.
“It’s la-di-da.” I bat my lashes at her.
“That’s what granny says about you.” She giggles. “I think I’ll like la-di-da.”
Giggling silently, I nod to the glass, “Go ahead, take a little sip.”
We watch as she leans forward and sticks the tip of her tongue in it and jerks back, eyes comically wide, and giggles. “It’s sparkly.”
“That’s why they call it sparkling water,” Lenzin states with a wink.
“It’s la-di-da, water,” she laughs, and yes, so do we.
By the time we finish, Lucy is deliriously happy, tired, and full. She ate all her meal, a healthy third of our shared chocolate torte, and an apple tart.
Pulling out of the garage, it’s dark, and Lenzin asks, “I’d love to see your school choices, Schatz. Shall we drive by?”
She nods as she holds Axel to her cheek, like she does when she’s tired, “What’s Daddy in your funny talk?”
“In German?” He chuckles.
“Uh huh.”
He clears his throat before answering so, so, softly, “Papa, or papi.”
She yawns, “Okay.”
He drives slowly by each of the two, and it’s dark, so I can’t gauge how he feels by his expression, but I swear it feels tense in this vehicle.
He glances in the mirror at Lucy, opens his mouth to say something, and closes it before he does.
I look back, and she’s asleep. Axel against her cheek and sparkly backpack clutched to her chest.
“Thoughts?” He asks.
“Which direction would you like me to go with that question?” I ask. “Because there are so many.”
“You’re doing quite well riding in the passenger seat and allowing me to drive,” he chuckles. “Well, except for the lack of trust in me about the sparkling over flat.”
“She tolerated it, and then drank two entire cups of normal people water.”
“Am I not normal?” he asks, passing the direction we should be turning.
“No.” I laugh. “Not at all.”
“I’d take offense to that, but look where it got me?” He takes my hand and kisses it.
“Well, there’s a direction I wasn’t expecting to take tonight, but yes, let’s.”
“Care to explain further?” He asks.
“Your family.”
“My family is surrounding me right now and—”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“I assure you, it’s a non-issue. They will meet you and fall in love with you like I am,” Oh my God.
“Or they will fuck off. I will choose us, all five of us, over them if they even dare to try and bulldoze over my happiness. I am stepping softly right now, because you need that. But I can assure you, inside, I am much like Lucy today in the shoe department. Every moment, be it beside or inside of you, I’m happier than I ever imagined I could be.
You’re my sparkly shoes, Hildy Sullivan. ”
We turn on to the Brooklyn Bridge, and I am equal parts confused and desperately wanting to say something to him that makes him feel how he just made me feel, that I am at a loss for words.
He pulls into the Bears arena and puts his vehicle in park.
“Security is amazing here. Keycard access. Cameras are mounted everywhere with 24-hour surveillance outside and inside, both electronic and guards doing rounds.” He turns to me.
“Lucy could ride in with me every morning when I’m in town, and on the days I’m at away games, you can walk her in.
Then, when they outnumber us,” he chuckles.
“I can bully a rookie into meeting me outside every day to help me wrestle them in, or you could ride in with us. It is up to you, but Hildy, she would love it here.”
“But we’re not—”
“We will be, before our next two come into this world.”
I gasp, “Are you seriously asking me to—"
“Do you hear violins, fireworks, me on one knee with a ring?” He asks, looking almost offended.
“No.” I scowl.
“I will not be asking you to be my wife without that, and more, Hildy.”
“I’m not getting married because I’m pregnant, and definitely not until I graduate.”
He throws his head back in laughter, “You care to make a wager?”
“You want to place a bet on —”
“Yes, and just so you’re aware, I have fate on my side.”
We sit here and look at each other, and he looks as convinced I’ll fold as I am convinced that it will not happen. “I have worked too hard to get this far to have anything other than Hidy Sullivan on my PhD.”
“I’ll work twice as hard to make you change your mind.
” I start to open my mouth, and he places a finger over it.
“Lucy is highly intelligent, and the program they run here is better than either of those places. This isn’t part of our little bet; this is about giving her an opportunity that you should have had. ”
“How much is it?” I ask, knowing I could not possibly afford it.
“It’s a perk of banging a bear.”
“Stop.” I laugh, even though I try not to.
“You’re my domestic partner, it’s truly a perk of banging a Brooklyn Bear.” He chuckles and holds out his hand, “Deal?”
“I really hate to sound ungrateful, because I am not, but could you please just tell me how much—”
“As much as I love saying perk of,” he stops when I cover his mouth with not just a finger, but my whole damn hand, and he laughs against it. “Call Claudia, I’m telling you the truth, meine kleine mama.”
“Promise me you always will?” I ask, sitting back and looking at the building.
He presses my hand to his heart, “Ich verspreche es dir.”