Page 85 of Love is Grand
Poor Cal, he tried, but he was a nervous Nellie when it came to parenting. I almost laughed out loud when I remembered how he’d jumped in the pool after Weezie that day at the Grand.
“He’s fine, babe,” I said to Cal. “He’s one. He’s going to walk soon, like a real person. But thank you for taking good care of him and Weez.”
“He had oatmeal with mashed-up apples. Although most of it is on the wall.”
I chuckled. Our boy was a messy eater.
“I let you sleep in,” Cal said, stealing Benjamin off the bed and holding him tightly to his chest. “I’m working from home this morning, and I figured you needed the rest after last night.” He sneaked in a wink at me.
“Can I watch TV?”
I started to say no to Weezie, but Cal beat me to it with a firm yes.
“It’s a snow day, babe. That’s what we do back east. Later, you can take her out to play in the snow.”
The night before, Cal and I had shared a bottle of wine after both kids went to sleep. We exchanged Christmas gifts, even though it was only December twentieth.
This year, we planned to do Hanukkah and Christmas with Adam, Rylan, baby Becca, Ruth, and my parents at the Grand. We were leaving in a few days but wanted to share our own time together.
Cal got me earrings shaped like seashells, of course, but outlined in emeralds. I said they were too much, especially with my engagement ring and shell wedding band. I couldn’t wear any of it to work, I told him. He argued and then shut his mouth when I kissed him.
Then I gave him his present ... it was a picture of a Jeep. I’d bought Cal his very own Jeep to use when he wanted to get out of the city. After a lot of discussion, Cal and I decided I couldn’t get to the Caymans as much as Rylan and Adam. New York was where Cal worked, and he needed to be here most of the time. Weezie was in a great school and making friends, and I couldn’t pull her out as I wished. Plus, I loved my job, but mostly, I didn’t like being away from Cal.
A few months ago, we put a bid on a place in the Hamptons. It wasn’t the Caribbean, but it reminded me of home, with its salty air in the summer months and sand to run my toes through. I figured the Jeep would be more fun to take us there than a chauffeured car, and judging by Cal’s response to my gift, he agreed.
His lips immediately locked with mine before his hands made quick work of my silk pajamas.
“Thank you, baby,” he’d murmured before slinking down my body and showing his appreciation with his mouth.
Fast forward to this morning ... and the chaos ensuing.
“Cal! The remote isn’t working,” Weezie called from the other room.
Sometimes she called him Daddy and others, Cal. We just rolled with it. She knew Ricky was out of her life for good and Cal was working toward legally adopting her. She owned Cal’s heart and he ruled hers, but he wanted it to be official. Occasionally, she asked about Ricky and worried if he was okay. Mostly, though, Weezie said she was lucky to have found Cal for us when he jumped in the pool after her.
The timeline was a bit rough for her, and we didn’t bother to straighten her out.
Cal and I ended up canceling the Caymans celebration (no offense to Rylan) and had a Sunday daytime wedding on the rooftop of a restaurant close to where we lived. Surrounded by our small family and a few friends, we said our vows, and then we all had brunch. It was the perfect way to have a wedding with one grade-schooler and two babies involved.
Weezie was a beautiful flower girl in both of our weddings, opting to stand next to Cal under the chuppah, and she even went up in a chair during the hora too at our party.
Of course, since we didn’t get married until after Benjamin Lee arrived, he was a part of everything too. His middle name was meant to match Weezie’s real name, Louise, at her request. Of course, she begged to carry him down the aisle at the second wedding, but we said no. He sat with Ruth, next to Rylan and Becca, drooling during the ceremony as both my parents walked me down the aisle.
Weezie loved Benjamin and asked every day if we could have more babies. She usually asked Cal because he never said no to her.
More babies were one of the reasons I paid my manager at Island Girl Outpost so well. After all, I’d be out on a maternity leave in about seven and a half months.
I was sure it would be hard staying away from my signature coffee shop in the West Village, but I knew Cal would insist I take a maternity leave. In only six months, we had a loyal following, mostly musicians from the neighboring universities, thanks to the open mic night and the weekly steel drum band.
The liquor license was what made us special. From four o’clock on, we offered boozy coffees with the syrups and had a small dessert menu featuring fried plantains, which brought in a lot of the arts crowd and professors.
“Coming,” Cal said to Weezie and kissed my cheek.
I was left holding Benjamin, who was squirming to get down and move. When I set him on the floor, he half crawled, half walked to the window and pressed his sticky fingers on the glass so he could watch the snow.
“Ma,” he called, and I went to him. Benjamin was a beautiful baby with a headful of curls and chubby cheeks, and dark brown eyes with a few of his daddy’s golden flecks.
“It’s snow, sweetie. We didn’t have snow where I grew up,” I told him, kneeling on the floor next to him.