Noemi

by

Katia N. Ruiz

CHAPTER FIVE

Friday's was like any other restaurant, but like few, it had a bar also. Noemí had not been there in a few years, since Amelia had passed away. But today, there were important matters to discuss, and this was the place that brought her peace despite its often-noisy crowds and her memories. Noemí, as they waited for the matron to greet them, studied Terri. "Do you want something to eat?" she asked, and thought she saw Terri's eyes light up at the idea of lunch. "Okay," Noemí said, smiling softly. "You'll enjoy the food here."

The matron, a short red headed woman was heading their way, and she smiled at Noemí in recognition. "Noemí! Long time!" she exclaimed, sounding very happy indeed to see her. Her brown eyes traveled the length of Noemí's body, and the heated look she gave her was not lost on Terri.

Noemí smiled at the woman, and moved forward to hug her. "Melanie. How are you?" she said warmly, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Then she looked her up and down. "You look great."

Melanie flushed with pleasure, pulling back and slapping Noemí's arm gently. "Fine, fine. Got a promotion since the last time you were here, as you can see," she replied, gesturing for them to follow her and guiding them to the back, where most of the eating area was. She looked Terri over briefly and then shot Noemí a questioning look.

Noemí smiled at her and shook her head in answer. Melanie's smile grew, and she handed them each a menu. "See you later, then," she said, and turned to go. It seemed she thought of something else, because she turned back to Noemí. "Does this mean you're back?" she asked in very suggestive tone.

Noemí smiled, and pulled out her business card from her wallet, handing it over to Melanie. "Give me a call Monday, maybe we can have dinner somewhere," was all she said, and this pleased Melanie; she beamed as she left them to do her job.

Terri stared at Noemí curiously and Noemí met her eyes. "Old friend?" she asked.

"Yes," Noemí replied, and looked down at her menu with a heavy sigh. "Old, old friend."

Terri slightly pursed her lips and looked down at the menu, looking through the plastic coated pages. "I don't know what I should have," she said after a while, and Noemí smiled at her.

She looked at her own menu and then at Terri. "How about some steak?" she suggested, and Terri looked up at her with wide eyes. "With mashed potatoes?" she stopped and looked at the younger woman with concern. "Is something wrong?"

Terri looked away from her. "Uh, nothing," she stuttered. "I just rarely have any meat, that's all."

"Are you a vegetarian?" Noemí asked.

Terri flushed a deep shade of red, and braved a look at Noemí. Noemí was now studying the menu for something without meat. "I can't afford it all the time," she said with difficulty.

Noemí was speechless, and she felt like an insensitive jerk. "Sorry, I didn't think," she apologized, just as the waiter came to their table with his little notepad and pen in hand. She ordered a steak and mashed potatoes with orange juice for Terri and a chicken salad with a Vodka mix for herself. He smiled at them and took away the menus. "It doesn't have to be that way, Terri," she said to her with a low tone of voice. "You can have anything you want, if you'd only put that pride to sleep for a while. Like it or not, you're stuck with us."

Leaning forward, her elbows on the table, Noemí pointed a slender finger down at her womb. "That child inside you is my parents' grandchild and my niece or nephew," she whispered fiercely. "You can't only think about yourself now. You have another life inside you now that you have to think about, and we can provide for you and your child what you can't right now." She paused and studied Terri's expression for a reaction.

The more Noemí spoke, the more Terri became afraid. What if they're trying to take my baby? She whimpered very softly, and half turned away from Noemí; she could feel a light sweat break out all over her body. She trembled and wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't want you take my baby away from me," she whispered softly.

Noemí stared at her, at first confused, and then realization dawned on her. Feeling horrified that Terri had assumed that they would want to take her baby away from her, she shook her head. "No," she whispered softly, bending forward more. "No! That's not what we want, Terri. We want to be there for this baby. We want it to know it has family, to have our last name. We don't want it to ever need anything. Don't you understand? Don't you feel the same way? Don't you want a family?" Terri met her eyes again, and nodded very slowly, almost imperceptibly, and Noemí sighed. "Then won't you at least think about it?" she asked softly.

Terri looked down at the table, and whispered: "I'll think about it." She twisted in her seat, and was sitting facing Noemí again, looking at her with guarded eyes.

Noemí sat back and met her eyes. "My mother wants me to go with you to your first visit with our family doctor," she said.

"It seems you discussed a lot about me without talking to me," Terri said defensively, narrowing her eyes. Now they're trying to control my life, she thought, feeling a little angry.

"No, no, you don't understand," Noemí said, sounding irritated. "It is only if you want me to go, if you want to get to know me. She likes you already, Terri, she believes you when you say that you are the mother of her grandchild."

Terri looked directly into her eyes. "You don't?" she asked.

Noemí sat back. "That will be proven when that child is born," she answered Terri's accusation evasively.

Terri shook her head, and laughed softly. "What is it about your bloodline that will let you know who is a Leone and who is not?" she asked sarcastically.

Noemí leaned forward again, and moved a hand to stroke her hair by an area on the right side of the top of her head close to her forehead, which sent her hair slightly to the left side. "You see this little part here?" she asked, fingering it and eyeing Terri closely. Terri nodded; she'd seen the same part on the same area of Anthony's head. "This is the Leone hair part, not one child in our family is born who doesn't have this; unless for some reason or another that baby ends up not being a Leone. Call us foolish, but it is true. We haven't had a case like that in a long time, but you see…"

Relaxing a little, Terri smiled. "But what if it comes out with my part?" she asked teasingly.

"Our bloodline runs deep in every Leone," Noemí said proudly, sitting back again. "We have beauty marks in certain areas of our bodies." She cleared her throat. "You would know."

Terri's smile faded, and she looked away. Their food arrived, and they proceeded to eat silently. Noemí hardly touched her salad, and nursed her drink carefully. By the time Terri finished with her lunch, stuffed to capacity, Noemí had finished three drinks. Terri noticed the way her eyes were slightly unfocused, and that she now blinked very slowly.

"Have you thought of my offer to stay in my house?" Noemí asked suddenly, her words ran together a little.

"Yes," Terri answered as the waiter came back around and removed her plate, and Noemí's barely touched plate.

"Bring the check," Noemí said and the waiter nodded. She looked at Terri, and closed her eyes for a second. "Yes, you've thought about it, or yes, you accept my offer?" she asked very slowly.

"I accept," Terri said recklessly, and looked down at the tabletop shyly. Noemí smiled.

The check arrived, and Noemí pulled out a few bills from her wallet and threw them on the table, standing up. She almost lurched away from the table, and Terri followed her out to the street. She followed Noemí back the way they came, and walked silently beside her as Noemí walked along, seemingly thinking deeply about something. She was a little drunk, Terri could see. They turned on the street her parents lived in, and Noemí took her elbow and guided her the rest of the way. She pulled out her key chain from her pocket and slipped a key into the hole.

As she walked through the front door, Terri's eyes widened in awe as she studied the beautiful interior. Everything was made of wood, a dark wood that shone brilliantly and cleanly. She stumbled over her own feet as she looked into the living room, and Noemí held her up. "Be careful," she whispered good-naturedly.

Terri looked at her with glassy eyes, her mouth parted slightly. "This is wonderful," she whispered back, and continued to look all around. Noemí chuckled softly, and called out to her father. He called back from somewhere down the hall and she guided Terri into his study. Terri couldn't hold back the gasp that came forth.

There were books, on shelves that covered all of the walls from floor to ceiling. Soft classical music came from hidden speakers around the room. Natalie sat on a large rocking chair by the large window; her knitting rested on her lap as her small hands did the work. Thomas sat behind his huge desk, leaning back on his chair, a large book sitting across his lap. He pulled off his glasses, and sat forward, smiling a welcome at Terri. "Hello there," he said softly, standing up and walking around the desk. He smiled down at her reassuringly. "You're feeling better now, I trust?"

Terri nodded, and was surprised when Natalie came to her and kissed her cheek. She'd never known such gentle mannered people in her life. Anthony doesn't know how lucky he is, she thought fleetingly, allowing their caring demeanor to take her in. "Sit down, sit down," Natalie told her and guided her to one of the chairs.

Noemí went to the window and stared out, sitting on the custom made seat right in front of it. "She has accepted the offer to live in my house." She said quietly, and Thomas seemed very happy, even going so far as to leaning down and hugging Terri with his big bulk.

"Smart girl," he said, and moved to sit behind his desk again. "Good job, Noemí."

Noemí smiled softly at him, and turned her face again to stare out the window into the beautiful afternoon.

Natalie sat on the other chair, and gazed at Terri with a gentle smile. Terri blushed, and she looked down at her lap. "What's the matter?" Natalie asked softly, leaning forward and touching her arm gently.

Terri looked at her, her eyes glassy with suppressed tears. She felt Thomas and Noemí's eyes on her and was uncomfortable. "I've never been offered this type of comfort," she said uneasily, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Natalie scoffed tenderly, and leaned back in her seat. "This is only the beginning child. By the time we're done with you, you will never want us to go away," she said with a small laugh. "We're very lovable people, you know."

Terri believed her with all her heart, and she did her best not to find them irresistibly lovable. "It makes me wonder what happened with Anthony," she said suddenly, not thinking, and was met with a warm smile from Thomas.

"I often wonder that myself," he said reassuringly, and he looked at her stomach. "You're not showing much, yet," he continued, and she instinctively pressed her hands to her hardening stomach.

Natalie waved him off, and leaned over to touch her arm again. She whispered in a confidential tone, a twinkle in her eye: "He doesn't know much about pregnant women. I wouldn't let him near me when I was pregnant with my babies." Terri couldn't help but laugh, and covered her mouth. Natalie looked happy at having made her laugh, and said condescendingly to Thomas: "She's only four months along, Thomas. Wait another two months, and she'll be a balloon." Thomas broke out in laughter.

"Balloon?" Terri whispered, wide-eyed.

Noemí laughed softly, and stood behind Terri's chair. "Mom, you're scaring her. Stop it," she said in a mock stern tone, and Natalie laughed; her laugh was identical to Noemí's, Terri noticed. "You should know, Terri," she said, placing a now gentle hand on her shoulder, unnerving her. "That it is only natural for a pregnant woman to blow up after some time. But once they give birth, most go back to their original look, with a few more enticing curves." She smiled down at Terri when she twisted to look up at her curiously. She lifted her eyes from Terri's and looked at her mother again. "She's a painter, mom," she said to Natalie, who smiled brightly upon hearing that. "Really excellent."

Before Natalie could say a thing, Terri was shaking her head and saying in a self-deprecating manner: "Oh, nothing big, Mrs. Leone, only watercolors."

"That is bull, mom," Noemí said with a low husky laugh. "She is good. As soon as you get the chance, mom, since you know all the painters in New York, I want you to get her canvas and whatever else painters use."

Natalie surprised Terri by saying: "Why of course, as soon as you get her settled into your house."

Terri stared at her then stood up abruptly. She looked at Noemí for a long time. "I'd like to go home now, please. I'm very tired," she whispered softly, her eyes watery and reddish. She looked like she was about to cry, but she made it past their already loving good-byes and out of the house. She sat pensively in Noemí's car, and waited for her to join her in the vehicle.

A few minutes later, Noemí came and got into the car, slipping the key in the ignition hole and starting the car. Her parents had already closed the door behind them, and Noemí sat quietly in the car. Suddenly, she twisted around and looked at her for a long time. She reached over and touched Terri's shoulder softly. "I know my parents can be overwhelming sometimes-"

"No," Terri cut her off with a husky voice, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening. "They're wonderful. I always wished my dad were like yours is, and that my mom hadn't died and left me with him. I imagine she would have been like your mother." She laughed softly, and it sounded like a half-suppressed sob. She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth, and a tear slipped out. She wiped at it, and said with an attempt at levity: "But it looks like our brothers were cut of the same paper, eh?"

Noemí joined in her laughter, trying to let her compose herself, and she straightened in her seat, slipping on her seatbelt. She twisted again, this time putting her arm behind the passenger seat. She brought the car in reverse onto the street. With a lurch, they moved forward down the street onto Queens Boulevard. Terri fell asleep as Noemí drove her home.