Chapter 9
BY THE TIME I made it home, I could say I was “frazzled,” but it was actually more of a deep-seated exhaustion. I’d been all over the city and parts of New Jersey, and it was still only a little after dinnertime.
As I entered my building, Rodney, the main doorman, held the door for me and said, “Good evening, Mike. I hope you had a favorable day.”
His pleasant greeting made me stop and look at the muscular man who once had played linebacker in the Canadian Football League.
I knew all about it, since nearly every time I made small talk with Rodney for a few minutes, it inevitably led to some story about his football days.
Sometimes he told me about his year on the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I shook my head and said, “It was some kind of day.”
“You weren’t involved in that foolishness downtown, were you? The idea that someone is planting bombs in Manhattan is an insult to democracy.”
This wasn’t like our usual conversations. I didn’t want to say anything, but I must have given Rodney an odd look.
He smiled and said, “My girlfriend bought me a subscription to a web series on modern politics and philosophy. It’s making me look at things in a different way.”
“That’s always a good thing. I applaud your interest in learning.”
“And it doesn’t interfere with my interest in keeping you and your family and the building safe and secure.”
I patted him on the shoulder. “You hungry, Rodney?”
“I’m a thirty-five-year-old former football player. There’s not enough food in the world to keep me from being hungry.”
I handed him the bag containing an untouched full-size turkey sub. I’d picked up two while looking fruitlessly for Jimmy Pinter, and I’d already eaten the other one.
Rodney said, “This smells great. Thank you so much. Where is it from?”
“A place called Mr. Submarine. It came highly recommended. Although the person I was hoping to meet there wasn’t around.”
Rodney said, “Between this and my leftover lasagna, I should be able to make it until nine o’clock. I’m working a double tonight. Larry called in sick.” He gave me a broad smile that showed two teeth with gold frames.
“What’s wrong with Larry?” I tried to keep my voice neutral, but I had recently been having a few concerns about the rail-thin former school custodian and his drinking habits.
“Between you and me, it was Larry’s birthday yesterday, and I think he went a little overboard,” the former football player said, in a manner that confirmed my suspicions. “He and I are going to have a little conversation later on.”
I didn’t envy Larry at all.
I said my good-byes and headed up to our apartment. Dinner was over, and about half of the kids were seated around the dining room table doing their homework.
I said hello to everyone individually, which took a while. It might not sound like much, but when there are ten kids to greet, plus my wife, and often my grandfather visiting from the rectory at Holy Name too, arriving home is rarely a simple process.
It seemed like math was on the agenda for my three youngest today. I was still able to help Shawna and Chrissy with most of their homework, and could just barely keep up with Trent’s. Middle-school math didn’t yet go over my head. At least most days.
The twins were a different story. They were both working on algebra, and though I did my best, it felt like no matter what suggestion I offered, either Fiona or Bridget would explain why that wasn’t the proper course to take.
Thankfully Jane took mercy on me and slipped in next to Bridget to give her sisters some quick tutoring.
I slunk away from the table like a dog who’d been caught chewing on the furniture. As I sat next to Mary Catherine on the couch, I said, “I feel like Sister Sheilah sends them home with extra algebra just to frustrate me. She remembers I hated algebra when I was a student at Holy Name.”
My wife had taken to sitting on the couch with her feet on the coffee table to ease some stress off her back.
Although the pregnancy wasn’t obvious yet, the changes in her body were causing her a great deal of discomfort and fatigue.
I tried to support her, but there was no way I could understand what it felt like.
This was a first pregnancy for us both. Our other kids—six girls and four boys—had all been adopted by me and my late wife, Maeve, though largely raised by Mary Catherine.
Mary Catherine patted me on the leg and said, with her charming Irish accent, “That’s right, my love. The Catholic Church is consumed with making you regret not studying more.”
Clearly, I would be getting no sympathy from my wife. Then my oldest child, Juliana, burst into the living room. She didn’t say hello or ask me how my day was. Instead, she looked directly at me and said, “Why didn’t you tell me Rob was going to Montana?”
My college-aged daughter and my young NYPD partner had recently started dating—or had they? It was hard for me to tell how serious things were between them, and I didn’t want to get involved… not that I could completely avoid it.
“Maybe because this is the first time I’ve seen you since he and I spoke this morning.”
Juliana gritted her teeth in an expression of frustration she’d utilized since she was a little girl. “He just called me from the airport, but I didn’t have a chance to ask him many questions. I hope he’s back in time for my new show’s opening night.”
Ricky, sitting on the floor with Eddie playing video games, looked over his shoulder at his sister and said, “Oh, yeah. What’s the play called again? Burning Cat on the Ceiling?”
Juliana glared at her brother. “It’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, doofus. I was lucky to get it after Godspell was unexpectedly canceled.”
I caught Ricky’s crafty smile. So did Juliana. That’s about the only thing that kept him from being throttled right in front of us.
Juliana turned her attention back to me and Mary Catherine. “I’m going to help out Rob’s roommates while he’s gone. They all have doctors’ appointments tomorrow.”
I said, “All five of them?”
“Yep. Can I borrow the van?”
Mary Catherine said, “Of course you can.” She stood up from the couch, then gave Juliana a big hug. “You’re such a good girl. I am so proud of you.”
Juliana was clearly moved by the sentiment, and I was moved at the bond between the two of them.
All I could do was sit on the couch and appreciate how lucky I was to have this family.