Shabbat Shalom?

“Really!”  Eden was speaking with her mother, who relayed the gossip that several of Bernice’s “friends” had imparted to her, perhaps stopping by the library deliberately just to deliver the news?  After all, Bernice hadn’t seen them at her work recently, so all of a sudden they wanted to connect?  However, the news:  It seems Heidi Fairfax has disappeared.  She was on a cruise in the Mediterranean, and during the stop in Malta she never returned to the ship.  Like the tide the cruise line waits for no man or woman, who it assumed, was over-shopping and didn’t make it back in time.  It was only when the ship docked and the cabins were being cleaned that the crew noticed that her cabin was not vacated and no message from her had been relayed to the cruise line’s main office.  Why the housekeeping staff hadn’t reported this earlier was a mystery.  As was Heidi’s whereabouts.  To give the housekeeping staff some credit, they could have assumed Heidi had found someone to shack up with.  At least that was Bernice’s and Eden’s first thoughts, based on experience.  However, some of the more naive among the gossip hounds suggested suicide.  But the Franklins would never believe that.  Heidi Fairfax was simply not the sort of woman to take her own life.  Taking someone else’s maybe.

“I’m sure she’ll turn up.  Probably on the arm of a count or something,” Eden said cynically.

“Oh, she’ll turn up in spades.  She’s one of those women who can survive anything,” Bernice said, but not with admiration.  “Speaking of surviving, you haven’t said a word about your meeting with Steve’s parents.”

There’s a reason for that, Eden thought grimly.  “Oh, it was just so so,” she said.  “Didn’t you tell me Riley was seeing someone?”

Thus distracted, Bernice moved on to other topics until it was time for her Sunday bunch brunch, their once-a-month get-together.

Eden was relieved when she hung up.  One thing she didn’t want to talk about was Steve’s parents.  The weekend started well enough when Eden presented Sandy, Steve’s mother, with a woven basket from the Renwick’s gift shop.  But then, after the Friday meal, which was very nice, candles lit, blessings said, bread and salt, chicken and broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes, it had all sort of gone downhill when she was in the kitchen with Steve’s mother Sandy, helping out.  Talk centered on Washington and her work, where she went to school, where she grew up.  It didn’t really feel like an interrogation until Sandy started probing Eden about her religious affiliation.  Eden confessed to having none.  “But, Franklin, it could be a Jewish name,” Sandy said hopefully.

“No.  I think my parents were sort of Unitarian until they just decided not to bother.”

“But religion is so important in a person’s life, don’t you think?”

“Um.  No.”  Eden felt she had to be honest.

“But if you marry my son, I’m going to assume you’ll convert and raise my grandchildren in the Jewish faith.  Because religion is very important to Steve.”

Well, Eden had so far seen no sign of that, but she didn’t want to distress her hostess.  Instead, she said, “I think you have the wrong idea, Sandy.  Steve and I are just friends.  We have a companionable relationship, and there has been absolutely no talk of marriage.”

“And yet, Steve brought you home to meet us.”  Sandy stood there with her neat bob, pressed slacks and linen blouse covered in an apron.  “He’s never done that before.  In fact, we’ve always wondered if he liked women.”

“Oh, he likes women all right,” Eden answered with a smile.  Perhaps too much of a knowing smile?

Giving her an appraising look, Sandy said, “Did Steve ever tell you about his jail time?”  With that, she made her exit from the kitchen.

The rest of the weekend consisted of pickle ball Saturday morning, lunch, then an escape while Eden dragged Steve to the Brandywine Museum.  Eden so wanted to confront Steve then and there, but there was the rest of the weekend to get through.  So no drama—yet!  That night they ate at a steakhouse, the next morning, instead of the planned brunch, Eden suggested they should leave early to avoid the traffic around DC’s beltway.

“What a shame you can’t stay longer,” Sandy said.

Steve’s father Marty added, “Next time you have to let us take you to Longwood Gardens.”

“That would be lovely,” Eden said graciously, eager to make her escape.

Once they were in the car and had pulled out of Chads Ford, Steve asked, “So what went wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“You were fine until after Friday night’s dinner, then you became so uptight I could pluck you—if you were an instrument.”

“Am I not an instrument of your passion?” she asked, but rather glumly.

“Come on, Eden.  Spill.  What did my mother do?”

Oh wow.  Steve had zeroed in on the problem right off the bat.  Forgetting her own teenage brush with justice, Eden said, “She told me you had been in jail.”  Eden was very surprised when Steve’s reaction had been to laugh.

He pulled off the road into a Giant Eagle parking lot.  “Why didn’t you ask me about this earlier while we were still there so I could have dealt with my mother?  Because this is nonsense.”  He paused but Eden wasn’t answering.  So he knew he had to continue.  “When I was a teenager, I was arrested for hacking into people’s bank accounts.  I didn’t steal, I just looked, but I was stupid then, and the bank security system caught me.  As far as being in jail, I was taken in for an interrogation and, yes, arrested; but I never spent a minute behind bars.  With parents like mine I was lawyered up quickly, released into their custody, was forced to see a therapist, had testimonials galore at my sentencing because of course I had no way out except to plead guilty.  The judge gave me probation and community service, which I spent helping old people to avoid being duped.  After that, my record was expunged.”  He waited.  “Now.  Tell me why my mother dropped that little bombshell on you.”

“I think it had something to do with raising our children Jewish.”

Again, Steve sat there, laughing his head off.  Honestly, men!

“I told her we were just friends.”

“Bullshit.  We’re not just friends.  We’re lovers.  And, Eden, despite your peculiarities, I think I love you.”

Turning to look straight at him, she said, “How can you say that to me when I have to pee.” She got out of the car and rushed into the grocery store with Steve following more slowly. Of course, Eden could never go into a grocery store without buying something, so she picked up some sandwiches and a large bottle of water, then went to the bakery and bought cookies she probably would never eat.  They were set for the ride back to DC.

Once buckled in, Steve wondered, “You’re not going to say anything in response to my loving declaration?”

“I’m thinking about the children,” she said with what might be a smirk.  “And your mother,” she felt she had to add.

They drove on in very companionable silence.