Chapter Ten
Two Weeks Later
Elena sat on the veranda sipping a cup of tea. She had been feeling out of sorts all morning with twinges that she thought were contractions but were false starts. She was certain she had been quite difficult to live with, but her husband was a saint. He never complained, even when he was woken in the middle of the night to get Elena a drink of water or chocolate.
Elena's patience had evaporated with each day that passed. She was tired of being pregnant, tired of her sore back, tired of her sore legs that gave her all sorts of problems. Pregnancy did not agree with her. Despite that, she was eagerly looking forward to seeing her baby.
“Hey.” Zoe came around the corner from her house and sat on the steps opposite her. “How is the mama-to-be today?”
Elena put her hands on her belly and grimaced. She crooked her finger, and Zoe rose a little to get a kiss on the cheek. “I’m hot and bothered. How are you?”
“I’m alright.”
“Are you over being irritated with Eva?”
“I’m not irritated with her; I’m just annoyed she won’t let this go.” Zoe nodded. “She doesn’t understand, El.”
“Being irritated is the same as being annoyed, Zo. I’m on Eva’s side on this. I don’t understand it either. That’s your home; that’s your inheritance.”
“I know it is.”
“Ah.” Elena nodded. “So why have you been having an argument with her for the last two weeks?”
“We are not having an argument. She is insisting I go and I’m insisting I’m not going. That’s not an argument, that’s-”
“Sounds like an argument to me.”
“Evy wants me to go to Larissa and I don’t want to go. It’s a simple case of stubbornness on her part.”
“Her stubbornness or yours? Why don’t you want to go back?”
“Because.”
“Because is not an answer.”
“You sound like a mama.”
“I’m getting some practice being one with you at the moment.”
Zoe smiled. “I don’t want to go.”
“You are a stubborn old goat. Let’s not play this game. Just tell me why you don’t want to go.”
“I’ll have to leave Eva here.”
“She’s a big girl, and she can handle you being away for a few months.”
“What?”
“Eva wants you to go back to Larissa.”
“No.”
“Hasn’t she been telling you she wants you to go?”
“She wants me to go and get the job done.”
“So what is the problem? I don’t understand.”
Zoe stayed quiet, making Elena think she may not answer. “I can’t leave and go away without her.”
“That’s not a problem, Zoe. Take her with you. Is it the money? I know it’s expensive and you have been off work for a while. Freddy and I can lend you the money-”
“No, money is not the problem. We have enough for the both of us to travel.” Zoe shook her head. “I can’t take her back to Larissa.”
“I don't understand why you don't want to go back with Eva if money isn’t the issue. Please, help me out here and tell me why. Are you worried about what the village will say?”
“What? No,” Zoe replied vehemently. “I'm not ashamed of Eva and I don’t care what Larissa thinks of me.”
“If it's not that, then what is it?” Elena put her weight on the table to get up. She felt a searing pain shoot through her, and she sat down again. “Argh, that wasn't good.” She grimaced as a second jolt hit her. “Oh boy, not good at all.”
“What's wrong?”
“I think Baby No Name wants to come early.” Elena exhaled in relief as the pain receded once again.
“Oh, no, she can't.” Zoe stood in alarm. “No, no, no.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Elena almost chuckled. Another contraction hit. “Oh, Zoe, I think we'd better go to the hospital.”
“Oh, the hospital.” Zoe got up and disappeared around the corner, leaving Elena still sitting on the chair.
Elena shook her head and tried to get up herself.
A moment later Zoe rushed back, looking very sheepish. “I forgot to get you.”
Zoe held Elena's arm and helped her up. Elena leaned against Zoe for a long moment and they slowly made their way down the path from the back yard to the front, where the car was parked.
“Oh, this isn't good,” Zoe muttered and helped Elena sit in the front.
“Zoe.” Elena put her hand on Zoe's arm to get her attention. “You want to stay calm a little.”
“I am calm,” Zoe replied and fumbled with the keys to the ignition. “Oh, yes, really calm.”
“I can see how calm you are,” Elena mumbled as Zoe swore under her breath when the key fell.
She picked it up and inserted it into the ignition. She then stopped and swore loudly in Greek. “I can’t drive,” she muttered in disgust. “You have to.”
Elena gave her a look and then pointed to her belly. “I don’t think so, Zoe. Call a taxi.” Another contraction hit her. “Oh, boy.”
“Oh, a taxi won't get here fast enough.” Zoe’s head fell on the steering wheel. After a moment she looked up. “I got it.”
“Please, don't give it to me. I've got enough to worry about,” Elena mumbled.
“Don't go anywhere.” Zoe raced out of the car and disappeared down her own driveway.
Elena took deep breaths and counted until Zoe came back.
Zoe quickly came back out of the driveway on her motorcycle with the sidecar.
“Oh, no.”
“Come on.” Zoe hopped off and ran around to Elena's side and helped her out of the car. “I've cleared away everything in the sidecar, and it's going to be perfect.”
“You said you weren’t riding Mabel again. You promised Eva! Perfect way to kill us.” Elena scowled at the sidecar. “Don't go fast.”
“I promise to drive really carefully and Eva will understand.”
Elena shook her head, took Zoe's hand, and let her help her get into the sidecar. It was a very tight fit.
“Zoe.”
Zoe strapped the leather helmet to Elena's head, patted her belly, and put on her leather gloves.
“Yes?”
“Forget what I said about going slow okay?” Elena grimaced as another jolt of pain hit her.
“Oh, okay.” Zoe fumbled with her keys again. “Damn it.” She started the motorcycle.
She gunned it and they roared off down the road with Elena clutching the sides of the sidecar for dear life.
Chapter Eleven
“How long have you been waiting?”
Zoe turned towards the woman seated next to her and sighed. “Six hours.”
The woman knowingly smiled. “Ah, early days. My name is Jenny.”
“Zoe Lambros.” Zoe extended her hand. “Early days?”
Jenny shook her hand. “Six hours is nothing. Is this her first?”
“Yes.”
Jenny rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Oh, my goodness, that might take longer. I remember when I had Henrietta. Well, goodness me, that took well over twenty-four hours, and I remember the poor lady who was next to me, well, she had twins.”
“How long did it take her?” Zoe asked, not really wanting to know the answer but feeling it necessary to ask.
“Oh my, how long did it take?” Jenny pursed her lips in thought. “Oh, I think that was longer. Two precious babies.”
“Is this Henrietta?” Zoe asked as a young girl sidled up to Jenny with a drawing in her hand.
The child looked at her with a wide smile. Blonde curls framed a heart-shaped face with bright blue eyes, and a sprinkling of freckles made Zoe smile.
“Indeed it is. This is Henrietta Louisa.”
“Hello, my name is Henrietta Anderson,” the child said with no trace of shyness, which surprised Zoe. “What’s your name?”
“Zoe Lambros,” Zoe replied. “How old are you?
”
“I’m four!” Henrietta replied and held up four fingers. “Look!” She gave the piece of paper she was holding to Zoe.
“Oh, goodness, this child hasn’t got a shy bone in her body,” Jenny exclaimed as Zoe took the paper.
Zoe smiled. The artwork was a giant sun, and that was about all Zoe could discern. “That’s great.”
“You like it?”
“I like it.”
“You can keep it,” Henrietta exclaimed.
Zoe nodded. “Thank you.”
Henrietta looked pleased with herself. She gave her mother a smile and then went back to her drawing.
“My daughter, the social butterfly,” Jenny proclaimed and laughed.
“You know they’re Freddie’s babies because they’re taking forever to get here.”
Zoe looked toward the sound of the voice echoing down the corridor. Moments later Henry, Earl, David, and Eva walked in. Earl carried a giant bouquet of flowers.
“Hey.” Zoe waved to Eva.
She stood up and, mindful of the people around her, deliberately toned down her welcome for Eva. They looked at each other for a brief moment before they hugged. She went to Henry, Earl, and David and gave them a hug.
“Where is the daddy?” Earl asked as he put his arm around Zoe.
“They came and got him about an hour ago. Let’s go outside,” Zoe said quietly to Eva.
Zoe and Eva walked a few yards down the corridor and out the door to an empty balcony which faced the quiet road. Eva sat down in one of the chairs and waited for Zoe to drag over the other chair and sit next to her.
“What I wouldn’t give to kiss you right about now,” Zoe whispered.
Eva gave Zoe a very chaste kiss on the cheek. “That’s all I can give you, my little hero.”
Zoe giggled. “I’m so glad you are here.”
Eva lit up a cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled. She offered the cigarette to Zoe, who took it, took a puff, and then handed it back. Zoe didn’t smoke but would occasionally take a puff of Eva’s cigarette. It was a habit she had just recently begun, much to Eva’s delight, Zoe had discovered. Smoking was Eva’s way of relaxing.
“Are you alright?” Eva asked. “Debbie said you called when I was out and I couldn’t come sooner.”
“I know. She said you were in a meeting. I’m good now,” Zoe replied. “Elena’s waters broke, and then I was going to take the car.”
“But you can’t drive.”
“Yes, I remembered that.” Zoe chuckled. “So the only way was to get Elena into the sidecar. I promised you I wouldn’t ride Mabel again, but we had no way of getting to the hospital in time-”
Eva gently placed her finger against Zoe’s lips. “It’s alright, and I understand.”
“You’re not upset?”
“No, I’m not upset. You had to take Elena quickly and you were careful. It’s good that you rang me after you were at the hospital for my own peace of mind, but I’m not upset.”
Zoe sighed with relief and smiled. “Time for me to learn how to drive a car.”
“If you want to. It’s far safer than a motorcycle.”
“Would that stop you from worrying?”
“No,” Eva admitted, a slight smile playing on her lips. “I worry anyway.”
“Less so in a car. Want to hear about our adventure with El in the sidecar?”
“That must have been a rough ride.”
“Well, it wasn’t easy. We got stopped by the police.”
“What?”
“I was speeding down Legacy, and you know that police car that sits there just around the corner? Well, he saw me, and the sirens went on and we got stopped.”
“Oh, dear.” Eva put her hand on Zoe’s shoulder. “What happened?”
“Well, Elena was in pain and speaking German, I was panicked and speaking Greek, and the policeman was confused until he realized what was going on.” Zoe giggled. “We got Elena out of the sidecar and into his car and he sped away.”
“That baby is going to have quite a story.”
“What was your meeting about?”
“Something,” Eva said cryptically and took a drag of her cigarette.
“Something?”
“Hmm, work related.”
“Really?” Zoe noticed Eva had turned away from her and was looking out at the traffic. “Evy, look at me.”
Eva turned back to Zoe. “Yes?”
A light tap sounded on the window behind them. They turned around to see Earl beckoning them inside.
Eva stubbed out her cigarette and they went back inside to find a beaming Frederick handing out cigars to everyone in the waiting room.
“Boy?”
Frederick shook his head. “Just as good—a little girl.”
“Aren’t cigars for boys?” Earl asked as he took one.
“I don’t care, my friends,” Frederick exclaimed and slapped Earl on the shoulder.
“How is Elena?”
“Tired, but she wants to see you.”
“Me?” Zoe asked.
“You and Eva. I’ll take the boys to see my little girl,” he said, and put his arm around Zoe’s shoulders. “Thank you for being there.”
“You’ve already thanked me. A few times,” Zoe replied and was taken aback when the usually reserved Frederick kissed her on the cheek.
Zoe and Eva were ushered into the room where Elena was resting.
“I have a baby,” Elena exclaimed as Zoe and Eva hugged her.
Eva sat on the nearby chair and Zoe sat on the bed, holding Elena’s hand.
“We heard,” Zoe said.
“You haven’t seen her yet?” Elena asked.
“No. Freddy told us you wanted to see us.”
Elena regarded Zoe with a very tired smile. “That was hard work.” She made a face, which caused Zoe to giggle. “This was going to be a surprise for later, but I couldn’t wait so I wanted to tell you now.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, as you both know, we don’t have any family other than you, Henry, Earl, and David. In the Jewish tradition we don’t have godmothers like you do.”
“You don’t?” Zoe asked.
“No, but Frederick and I want our girl to have someone who can look out for her and love her in case we are not around.” Elena looked at them. “Life is so fragile. We want both of you to be their legal guardians if the worst happens.”
Zoe glanced at Eva, who was sitting ramrod straight, and saw her look of utter shock. Then a huge smile creased her face.
Eva got up and stood next to Zoe. “I don’t know what to say.” She took Zoe’s hand. “We’re not Jewish.”
“Frederick and I know that if anything happened to us, you would care for her.”
“Of course,” Zoe answered and felt Eva’s hand tighten.
“We want to make this legal, and when I get out of here, Frederick is going to draw up the documents.”
“You are serious, aren’t you?” Zoe felt a little light-headed that Elena was entrusting them with such responsibility.
Elena nodded. “Very serious. You do want to do this? I can give you time to think about it?”
“No,” they said in unison.
Zoe looked up at Eva. “We would be honored.”
“I’m so glad. I have something else to tell you.” Elena grinned broadly. “Well, when you go down to the nursery, you need to say hello to Rebecca Jacobs.”
“Thank you.” Eva kissed Elena on the cheek.
Zoe sat back on the bed and took Elena’s hand.
“Zo,” Eva said after a few moments. Zoe turned around to meet her gaze. “I think we should let Elena have some rest.”
“Oh, yes, indeed.” Zoe hugged Elena again, and they left the room to head down to the nursery.
Eva took Zoe’s hand and held it for a long moment. She brought Zoe’s hand to her lips and kissed it. “This is quite an honor.”
“Yes,” Zoe responded as they walked down to the nursery.
When they got there, Henry, Earl, David, and Frederick were congregated in one area.
Frederick greeted them with a kiss on the cheek. “Elena explained everything? Good. Now come and meet my little girl.”
Sleeping quite soundly in her bassinet was baby Rebecca with her dark hair peeking out from her pink bonnet.
“Oh, my goodness, she is so cute.” Zoe put her face to the glass and grinned broadly.
Chapter Twelve
The tram stopped at a red light and the standing passengers took a collective lurch forward, then back. The afternoon was hot and the last thing any of them wanted was to be stuck on a tram with dozens of their fellow citizens.
Eva wrapped her arm around the metal pole, feeling the coolness of the metal against her cheek, and closed her eyes. She shook her head and wondered why she had to go into work today, a Saturday no less. An influx of new migrants had arrived, and the interpreter department was utter bedlam, which meant everyone had to go to work.
“Excuse me, love.”
Eva made room for people to get off the tram and resumed her spot against the pole. She hated taking the tram, especially on hot days, but Aresti refused to work that morning.
The tram lurched to a stop, and Eva realized it was her stop. She made her way to the door and down the two steps to the pavement. She looked up into the cloudless heavens and sighed.
She was thankful she wore sensible shoes as she rushed down the street and into the cul-de-sac. Earl drove his car up into the driveway just as she neared her house.
“Ah, my adorable Evy, the love of my life.” Earl smiled broadly and blew her a kiss.
Earl was, for all intents and purposes, Eva's boyfriend or fiancé, depending on who was doing the asking. They made a show of it every time they appeared together outside. It was to both their benefits. Earl was a teacher, a well-respected man in the community. Eva went to school functions as Earl's girlfriend, and Earl attended functions with Eva as her boyfriend. The long-standing joke in the neighborhood was that Earl was gun shy and wouldn't commit. Eva played the long-suffering girlfriend.
Earl took a couple of strides towards the end of the driveway and waited for Eva to catch up. Eva was about to give him a peck on the cheek.
“Mrs. Walkins is watching us. Kiss me,” Earl whispered.
Eva smiled, took one step into his arms, and kissed him on the lips. They parted and looked at each other. “Is she still looking?”
Hidden Truths (Intertwined Souls Series Book 3) Page 7