“Unless some claver’s fat-ass brother-in-law wants one,” Alex said. “Then it’s ‘Wait your turn, grub.’”
Jon had never heard Alex speak that way before. It didn’t seem to shock Miranda, though.
Instead she patted Alex’s arm. “You’ll get your truck,” she said. “And we’ll make a good life for ourselves. And for little Mulrooney.”
Alex stopped and gave her a hug. “Daniel,” he said. “Daniel Mulrooney Morales.”
Miranda laughed. “See, Jon?” she said. “Alex pretends to be such a tough guy, but I’ve got him wrapped around my little finger.”
Alex kissed her little finger. Jon felt jealous. He would never love a girl the way Alex loved Miranda. That was the price he’d pay for what he did to Julie.
They walked most of the way in silence, except for Alex’s occasional coughing. They slowed down a couple of times so Miranda could catch her breath. It was hard on Jon, too. He was used to running around in fetid air, but this time there was no oxygen tank to cleanse his lungs with.
The baby will never survive, he thought. Alex might not either, the way he was coughing. And what would that do to Miranda?
She seemed to read his thoughts. “You’re not used to this,” she said. “But after a while you don’t notice. We’re really very lucky, Jon. We have each other and Mom, and we know Matt and Syl and Carlos and Gabe are all right. And we have a future. I tell the baby that every day. Things are going to get better. Alex will get his truck, and we’ll find a safer, healthier place to live.”
Alex laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Miranda pictures the world as some great big enclave,” he said. “Room enough for everybody.”
“Maybe not tomorrow,” she said. “Or a year from now or even five years from now. I know everything that’s happened can’t be changed. But look at Jon. See how healthy he is, how strong. That’s how our baby is going to be. Gabe started out in much worse conditions, and he’s doing wonderfully. It can happen. We’ll make it happen.”
“Or die trying,” Alex said. “Or die not trying.”
“Don’t,” Miranda said. “Alex, please. Jon’s here, and we’re going to a dinner party.” She managed a small laugh. “Mom and her parties,” she said. “She spent all of yesterday cleaning and shopping. I’ve never seen the apartment look so good.”
“It helped take her mind off of things,” Alex said. “So what’s this Sarah like, Jon? How long has she lived in Sexton?”
They spent the rest of the walk talking about Sarah, Lisa, school, soccer. Jon felt much better about things—until he got to Mom’s apartment and saw her sitting at the kitchen table having an animated discussion with Sarah and her father.
It made perfect sense that they would have gotten there before him. The clinic was only a few blocks away, while he had the commute and the three-mile walk. But Jon had imagined himself there when Sarah arrived, to reassure her that she shouldn’t be uncomfortable, that soon she’d be back in Sexton where she belonged.
Sarah didn’t look remotely uncomfortable. She and her father rose when Jon, Miranda, and Alex entered the room. Jon could see the resemblance right away. Sarah and her father shared the same sandy hair and inquisitive green eyes. Introductions were made, hands were shaken, and before Jon knew it, Mom was fussing at the stove while continuing her conversation.
“Wine?” Alex asked, seeing the bottle on the table.
“My contribution,” Dr. Goldman said. “I brought a red and a white, since I didn’t know what dinner would be. Laura’s agreed to keep the unopened bottle for next time.”
“White with chicken,” Mom said. “Isn’t it amazing the things you remember?”
Clavers didn’t have to pay for their groceries, so Jon could only guess how much the chicken had cost. He saw Alex and Miranda exchanging glances, and Alex shrugging. Dinner for six, Jon thought. Who knew when Mom would eat next?
“I borrowed the table settings from our downstairs neighbors,” Mom said as she began serving the chicken and vegetables. “The apartment came with service for four. White meat or dark, Jeffrey?”
“White,” Dr. Goldman said.
Jon couldn’t get over the fact that Mom was already on a first-name basis with Sarah’s father. Or that Sarah was chatting with Miranda like they were old friends.
“We kept all our old china when we moved to Sexton,” Sarah said. “Daddy insisted. I have no idea why.”
“It was your grandmother’s,” Dr. Goldman replied. “And very important to your mother.” He took a bite of chicken. “You know, we never used the good china back home. My wife didn’t want to risk putting it in the dishwasher. But now, with the domestics washing the dishes, that’s not an issue. Sometimes I feel like we’ve gone from the twenty-first century back to the nineteenth.”
“The nineteenth wasn’t that great,” Alex said, helping himself to a slice of potato bread. “Child labor. No universal suffrage.”
“No indoor plumbing,” Miranda said. “I’ll take our twenty-first century with all its problems as long as I have a bathroom.” She laughed. “Oh, Mom. Alex’s agreed to Daniel. Daniel Mulrooney Morales.”
“It’s a girl,” Mom said. “I just know it. My first granddaughter.”
“It is kind of nineteenth century not to know if it’s a boy or a girl by now,” Miranda declared.
“I can’t wait to have babies,” Sarah said. “Dozens and dozens of them.”
“You can wait,” her father said. “High school, then med school, and then babies. As many as you want.”
“I’d like to have more than one,” Miranda said. “Maybe because there were three of us growing up.”
“I was one of four,” Alex said. “Let’s see how we do with one before we start adding on.”
“It’s natural for girls to want to have children now,” Mom said. “Like the baby boom after World War Two. Offering life, after so much death.”
“But the 1950s were a time of prosperity,” Alex pointed out. “Now we don’t know one day to the next if there’ll be enough food to survive.”
“Stop it,” Miranda said, putting her hands on her belly as though to keep her baby protected. “Jon, do you remember when Dad and Lisa came to visit? She was pregnant with Gabe, and we got to talking about the future, how bad things might be, and she walked away from the table? She couldn’t bear to listen.” She shook her head. “I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand anything in those days. But now I know just how she felt. My baby, Daniel or Liana, is going to live in a better world. I won’t hear otherwise.”
“You’re right,” Dr. Goldman said. “We can’t accept that things will always be bad. If we do, we won’t fight to make things better.”
“I’m sorry,” Alex said. “But that’s easy for you to say. You have your family china and the domestics to wash them. You have college for your daughter. You’ll be driven home in a private car to a house with clean air. Sure, you’d like things to get better. But we dream of what you have now. And we know we’ll never have it.”
“I know we’re spoiled,” Sarah said. “Jon and me and everyone in Sexton. But I really think we’d give up some of what we have so everyone could live better. Wouldn’t you, Jon? Eat a little less so your family could eat more?”
“You’re putting Jon on the spot,” Dr. Goldman said. “What’s he supposed to say, no, he won’t? And even if he would give up some of his food, how would his family get it? We’re not there yet, Sarah. We’re not at a point where we can make those kinds of sacrifices work.”
“You’re right,” Alex said. “Right now all the sacrifices go one way.”