Page 83 of Malachi
I braided my hair back quickly, my hips still moving to the beat in my mind. I had barely finished dressing when a knock sounded at the front door. That was strange. If it were Malachi, he would have just walked in. I peeked my head out of our bedroom door, peering down the staircase to the entryway. The shadows of several figures blocked the sunlight through the stained glass.
I slipped down the staircase slowly, worry gripping me as my hand wrapped around the door handle. Who would be here at this hour? Knowing that Malachi was likely already on his way to work?
“Good morning, Eden,” Ruth greeted me as the door opened, a strained smile etched on her face. Beside her stood Delilah, but behind them both stood — their mothers, along with my own. Joy. Fucking joy.
“Good morning, Ruth, Delilah,” I greeted them, painting the same smile on my face.
“Eden, you look well, daughter,” my mother greeted me, physically pushing her way forward past the other women.
“Mother, hello! What are you all doing here this morning?” I asked, eyeing Ruth with a look ofhelp, please!
“We thought we’d come get you and take you over to Adah’s this morning,” Ruth answered in a tone that wasfartoo chipper for seven in the morning.
“After getting a tour of your home, of course,” Mother added with a sickeningly sweet smile.
“Oh, Mother, I don’t think that’s a good idea this morning,” I attempted to push off, stepping through the door, but she was relentless.
“Oh, pish-posh. It won’t take any time at all,” she shrugged off my protestations. Ruth threw me a look, a simple raise of her eyebrow, but it gave me the courage and fortitude I needed in that moment.
“Mother, as much as I would love to give you a tour of my home, doing so without Malachi’s approval would just not be appropriate. You understand, I’m sure,” I said, mirroring her saccharine smile of fake sweetness.
“Yes, Mrs. Cantor. Let’s not bother the newlywed with no real warning,” Ruth’s mother tittered politely, taking my mother by the arm and pulling her back. It gave me just enough space to step through the front door and close it behind me with a resounding thud.
We walked out in group formation, Delilah and Ruth linking arms with me and thankfully offering me a buffer between my mother and myself. We piled into Delilah’s mother’s van, and we were off, headed to Adah’s.
“I’m so excited to see my grandbabies,” Ruth’s mother sighed happily.
“Having grandbabies must be such a delight,” Mother commented, turning to eye me with steady intent. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. These women were relentless in their unyielding pursuit of grandchildren. The thought of having a baby right now, or any time soon really, filled me with nothing but fear and dread. No, thank you. Not for me. Not yet. Maybe never. I was only eighteen, and those thoughts were far down the road for me, if I ever decided to be a mother at all. Knowing that I would actually have that choice someday was the only thought that gave me hope as we drove off towards Adah’s house.
By the time we arrived, the luncheon was in full force. Why we were going to a luncheon at seven in the morning was completely beside me.
“Since when did lunch begin at seven in the morning?” I muttered to Delilah with a roll of my eyes.
“No kidding,” Delilah scoffed.
“From my understanding, this is less of a luncheon and more of a brunch,” Talia stated, walking up to join us. Ruth’s mother had pulled her away to go see her niece and nephew, leaving us to our devices among the flock of church women. She grimaced, rubbing her hand over her belly.
“Is everything okay?” Delilah asked with worry.
“Yeah, I’m just feeling a little more nauseated than normal this morning. My stomach is full of bubbles,” she explained with a pained sigh.
“Wait, I remember my sister talking about that,” Delilah exclaimed in a hushed voice. “Does it feel like little bubbles erupting all the time? Like popping bubbles in a bubble bath?”
“Yeah, that’s about it.” Talia nodded as she grimaced again.
“The baby is moving, sweetie,” Delilah nearly squealed with excitement.
“Really?” Talia looked up in joyous surprise. “Huh. The baby is moving. Wow.”
I tried to imagine what that would feel like, to have a tiny person moving around in my belly, independent of my own movements or desires. The thought, while an exciting one, didn’t exactly appeal to me. It would feel strange, alien.
“In a few weeks, I’d be willing to bet you can feel the baby from the outside,” Delilah nodded happily.
“Zeke will be beside himself. He’s been dying for that day. Anything to give him some hope and happiness right now.” We all nodded, understanding the stress we were all under, our husbands in particular.
“Good morning, ladies,” Adah greeted us, walking over to us with Ruth. “Where is Naomi?”
“She’s not feeling well this morning and needed to stay home,” Delilah explained, the excuse readily poised on the tip of her tongue.
