The Two-Family House: A Novel

by Lynda Cohen Loigman

  Rose was distraught over Faye’s passing, but her anger over the bequest to Natalie superseded her grief. What had Faye been thinking? She hadn’t left gifts for the other girls. Why Natalie? What set her apart? And why was everyone always so taken with her?

  Rose was up late that night, waiting for Mort to return from the hospital. She was anxious for news, and she wanted to know what Abe remembered from the wedding. She certainly wasn’t about to call Helen to find out.

  “Abe woke up tonight,” Mort told her as he removed his tie.

  Rose’s heart was pounding. “That’s good news … isn’t it?”

  “Yes, very.”

  “Did he … say anything?”

  “Not much. I was the only one there at first. Helen was at home getting some clean clothes, but she came later. He was a little woozy still, mumbling about eating too many lamb chops.”

  “Well, did you see him at the reception? He was shoveling them in like he hadn’t eaten in a week.”

  “Rose, please. He’s in the hospital.”

  “Well, maybe he wouldn’t be in the hospital if he hadn’t made such a pig of himself.”

  “Enough!” She had gone too far. Mort looked like he was about to explode. “My brother had a heart attack! He could have died and all you can do is criticize his eating habits? What’s wrong with you?”

  She was unprepared for his outburst, but he wasn’t done. “I forbid you from saying one more word against my brother. Do you hear me?” Mort’s voice grew more hostile and ragged. “Or against Helen either! That woman has done nothing but try to help you for as long as she’s known you. Do you remember how she used to come downstairs and take care of Teddy when he was a baby? Or how she came with me to the hospital when he got hurt? When Teddy died, Helen was here every night cooking and cleaning. So what is so terrible about her? What did she ever do to make you hate her so much?”

  The way Mort looked at her then was something she would never forget: like she was a monster from a nightmare and he couldn’t wake up. It was awful, but she would have been able to get past it if he hadn’t thrown all of Helen’s good deeds in her face. If he hadn’t held Helen up like some kind of saint against her own awful wickedness. She might even have apologized for the lamb chop comment if Mort just hadn’t said what he said to her next.

  “Do you know what you’re going to do tomorrow?” Mort asked, his voice hard with resolve. “You’re going to the hospital to visit my brother, the way you should have two days ago. And when you see Helen there, you’re going to tell her you’re sorry. Whatever this feud is about, it’s gone on long enough. Tomorrow you’re going to end it.”

  Rose’s heart was racing. She couldn’t do what Mort demanded. The thought of walking into the hospital, of facing Helen at Abe’s bedside, made her physically ill. She would not let Mort dictate the terms of her forgiveness.

  “I can’t go tomorrow. I have to go to the travel agent and book my airline ticket. Then I have to pack. I think I’ll bring Dinah with me.” She was nonchalant.

  Mort thought she had gone crazy. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “My aunt Faye died yesterday,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Faye. She died yesterday of pneumonia. Her lawyer called this afternoon.”

  She had caught him off guard. “I’m sorry, Rose. I … I didn’t know.”

  “How could you know?” Her voice was detached, thoroughly indifferent. “Faye left everything to me: the house, her bank accounts, everything she owned. I need to meet with the lawyer to sort it all out. I’m sure it will take a few weeks at least. So I won’t have time to go to the hospital tomorrow. I’ll be leaving for Florida as soon as I can arrange the trip.”

  Chapter 60

  ROSE

  She wasn’t coming back. She wouldn’t say that to Mort, of course. She wouldn’t say it to anyone. But she knew it to be true. As soon as she recognized it, it became more real than anything else. A calmness settled over her, and she was able to focus her energies with an efficiency she didn’t know she possessed. Her anxiety faded into the background, and for the next several nights, she slept better than she had in decades.

  Preparations for the trip took up most of her time. Dinah would be joining her at first—she had just graduated from high school and had no summer plans. They would be staying at Faye’s house. It belonged to Rose, after all, and she decided that the easiest thing would be to live there. The lawyer had given her the phone number of Faye’s longtime housekeeper, and Rose had arranged for the house to be cleaned and groceries to be purchased before they arrived. She had even arranged for Faye’s car to be serviced (Faye hadn’t driven it for years). “I have it all worked out,” she told Mort. “We’ll leave next Wednesday.”

  For the most part, Mort let her be. He didn’t bother her with questions about the house or Faye’s property. He didn’t offer advice about how to deal with the lawyer or the tax implications. There was nothing he could say to change her mind about the trip.

  There was one thing he wanted her to do, however. “I’d like you to visit my brother in the hospital before you leave.”

  She pretended to be busy arranging her toiletries in her suitcase. “I’ll visit him when I get back.”

  “You’re staying for two weeks. With any luck, he’ll be out of the hospital by then.”

  “Then I’ll see him at the house. I have to pack.”

  He pointed to the suitcase. “You’re finished packing. You’ve taken care of everything and you don’t leave for two days yet. You have plenty of time to see him tomorrow.”

  Rose had no more excuses. She would visit Abe the next day.

  * * *

  When she arrived at the hospital, she could see Abe through the half-open door to his room. He was propped up in bed, reading the newspaper, and he was alone. Thank God. Maybe she’d get lucky and miss Helen altogether.

  “Hello, Abe,” she said, knocking on the door.

  He was surprised to see her. “Rose! Come in, come in.” Abe folded the paper and put it on the table next to the bed. He looked better than she expected. Helen must have brought him some clothes, because he was in pajamas instead of a hospital gown. He was freshly shaven but pale.

  Rose sat down on the chair farthest from the bed. “How are you feeling?” She couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  “Good. The doctors say I should be out of here next week.” He smiled and looked down at his hands. It occurred to her that he probably couldn’t think of anything to say either. She wondered how long she was obligated to stay. Was twenty minutes long enough? If only he had been sleeping when she arrived! She could have just left the gift and written a note.…

  “I almost forgot. I brought you a gift.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.” He winked at her. “But if it’s something from that deli down the block, I won’t turn it away. The doctor put me on some low-fat diet, and I haven’t had a decent sandwich since I got here.”

  “It’s not food.” The disappointed look on his face made her want to punch him. Instead, she handed him a rectangular package wrapped in paper from a local bookstore.

  “I hope you enjoy it,” she managed to say. “It was on the bestseller list for most of last year and some of this year too—it’s called Hawaii.”

  “Oh?” It was obvious he hadn’t heard of it, but it had given them something to talk about, for a few minutes, at least. “If you don’t like it, I’m sure Helen can return it for you.”

  “No!” he insisted. “It’s gotta be terrific if it was on the best-seller list for that long! Geez. I’ll start it first thing tomorrow.”

  “Good.” She paused. “Well, I should let you get some rest.” She got up from the chair, but before she could leave, Abe reached his hand out. “Wait!”

  “Are you all right? Should I call the doctor?”

  “No, nothing like that. I just wanted to say thanks for coming to see me. I know you’ve got a lot to do, so thanks fo
r taking the time.”

  It occurred to Rose that this might be the last time she would ever see Abe, and that thought, coupled with the vulnerability of his condition, compelled her to take his outstretched hand. In truth, she cared very little about what happened to him once she was gone, but a tiny part of her was glad for Mort that he had a brother like Abe to keep him company. There had never been a man with as little guile and as much forgiveness in him as Abe.

  “You’re welcome.” She held his hand, just for an instant, before she let it fall.

  Chapter 61

  HELEN

  Helen couldn’t believe it when she saw Rose leaving Abe’s room. What had she said to him? Of course, Rose must have been prepared for the possibility of the two of them running into each other. But Helen was flustered.

  “What are you doing here? You didn’t say anything to him, did you?”

  “Of course not. Mort asked me to come before I left. I’m going on a trip in a few days.”

  “A trip?”

  “My aunt Faye passed away. I’m going to Florida for a while to settle everything with her estate.”

  “Faye? Oh no. She was a wonderful lady.”

  “She was. Anyway, I’m leaving on Wednesday.”

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “A few weeks.” For as long as the two women had known each other, Helen could always tell when Rose was lying. There was something about the way Rose’s upper lip curved inward that gave it away. As much as Helen wanted to know the truth, she didn’t want to provoke an argument. The last time the two of them argued, Abe had almost died. Stop asking questions, she told herself.

  “Have a nice trip.” Helen forced a noncommittal smile and made herself walk past Rose and down the hallway to Abe’s room. Her hand was already on the door handle when Rose called after her.

  “Helen!”

  Even from several feet away she could see that Rose was crying. It took all of her strength not to go to Rose to comfort her, all of her willpower to root her feet to the spot on the floor where she stood in front of Abe’s room. She tightened her grip on the door handle and waited for Rose to say something. Silently she counted to ten, promising herself that if Rose was still silent by the time she reached ten, she would open the door and go inside. When she reached eight, Rose spoke.

  “I’m sorry. For all of it.”

  Helen didn’t move an inch. She didn’t look at Rose. She couldn’t trust herself. She couldn’t even breathe. Rose spoke again.

  “Goodbye, Helen.”

  She watched Rose turn away from her then, watched her walk back toward the elevator that would carry her down to the first floor of the building. From there, Helen knew, Rose would walk out of the cold sterility of the hospital lobby into the warmth and brightness of the May sunshine. She would go back to her house and finish packing her things. In a few days Rose would board the airplane that would take her south, far away from Mort, from Natalie and from everyone else. Rose would leave every mistake and complication of her life behind, and when she disembarked in Florida, everything would be simple and new. Why, Helen wondered, would she ever want to come back?

  Chapter 62

  JUDITH

  Rose was leaving the next day, and Judith was running out of time. She couldn’t speak with Aunt Helen, not with Uncle Abe in the hospital, and there was no one else to ask. She was the only one who suspected. Whether that made her particularly observant or particularly foolish, she would decide after she talked to her mother. Had she finally deciphered the truth, or was the whole idea ridiculous? She wouldn’t wait for her mother to return from Florida to find out. She would ask her today.

  In the meantime, Judith decided to help Dinah finish packing for her trip to Florida. Judith couldn’t figure out why Rose was taking Dinah with her, but she was happy her sister was getting some attention. From a very young age, Judith had taken her place in the family as the most studious of the three sisters. Mimi, as everyone knew, was the beauty. Only Dinah remained undefined. For a few years she had occupied the role of the adorable baby of the family, but only until Teddy came along. After that, she had faded into the background, her personality hazy and her role in the family vague.

  Judith found Dinah in her room, folding clothes into neat, square piles on her bed. Dinah had the smallest of the bedrooms, with faded yellow walls and white painted furniture. Other than a carefully arranged display of old dolls on the shelves in the corner, there was no clutter to be found.

  Dinah was happy to have company. “You’ve never been on a plane, have you? I’m nervous.”

  “No,” Judith shook her head, “but they’re completely safe.” She wanted to say something encouraging, something about how Dinah and their mother would have a wonderful time together, but she couldn’t make herself say those words, so she opted for simple truths. “It’s going to be so sunny in Florida!”

  “Not too humid?”

  “Not when you’re on the beach! And the food—I bet you’ll have stone crab claws.”

  “Are they good?”

  “Delicious. One of the girls on my hall is from Florida and all she talks about are the stone crab claws. Plus you get to stay in Faye’s house. I bet it’s fancy as anything. Remember her apartment in New York?”

  “Of course!” Dinah was finally smiling, and Judith wished she hadn’t waited so long to make that kind of effort with her sister.

  * * *

  They were sitting at the kitchen table when Rose returned from the grocery store.

  “Is it all right if I borrow the car for an hour?” Dinah wanted to know. “I need to pick up a few things at the drugstore. Want to come, Judith?”

  “You go without me. I’ll see you when you get back.”

  “Sure.” Dinah took the keys from Rose and headed out of the kitchen with her purse. A few minutes later Judith heard the click of the front door lock. She was alone with her mother.

  Rose busied herself unpacking the groceries. She sprinkled a chicken with salt and garlic powder and put the roasting pan in the center of the oven. “There’s something I need to talk to you about,” Judith told her.

  “It’ll have to wait. I have too much to do before I leave tomorrow. I have laundry and phone calls to take care of, and I’m just starting dinner.” Rose slammed the oven door shut.

  “Then I’ll talk while you cook.” Judith’s tone was desperate, but Rose chose not to notice. She slid a pile of chopped broccoli into a casserole dish and poured a can of cream of mushroom soup over the top, all without looking up. “Fine.”

  There was no easy way to introduce the topic, no smooth transition Judith could employ. “I have to ask you a question, but I don’t know how.…”

  “You don’t know how to ask me a question?”

  “I don’t have … the right words.”

  “Isn’t that what you’ve been studying for all these years? Words?” Rose was exasperated. “I don’t have time for this nonsense. I have to start a load of laundry.”

  Judith stopped her before she could leave the kitchen. “I heard you arguing with Aunt Helen,” she blurted out. “The night of the wedding.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Helen and I didn’t argue at the wedding.”

  “It was before Uncle Abe’s heart attack. I was in the bathroom by the coatroom and I heard you yelling about a deal you made, thirteen years ago, you said. After that, I couldn’t hear anything else and I went back to the party.”

  Judith waited for her mother to speak, but Rose didn’t say anything. She took a seat at the kitchen table and smoothed her skirt on her lap.

  Judith kept talking. “I don’t expect you to explain everything to me. It was a long time ago, I know that. But I think you were talking about the night Teddy was born. The night Teddy and Natalie both were born.” Rose still didn’t speak, so Judith continued, “You were never the same after that night.”

  “I was never the same? Nothing was ever the same!”

  “Please don’t get a
ngry with me,” Judith whispered. “I don’t want to argue with you.”

  “Then what do you want?”

  “I just want to ask a question. One question, that’s all. And I won’t bother you about it ever again.”

  Rose crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “Go ahead.”

  The air was thick with dinner smells and it was hard for Judith to breathe. There was nothing to do but to come out and say it. “I think you and Aunt Helen … that night. I think…”

  “For heaven’s sake, just say it!”

  “Is Natalie my sister?”

  There was nothing exceptional about the moment that followed. Rose didn’t even seem surprised by the question. There were no tears, no shouts, no confessions. There was no hesitation before her mother spoke, and no excuses after. Judith knew the answer before the sound was fully formed. The only thing that surprised her was the flood of oxygen that filled her lungs the moment the word was spoken out loud. “Yes.”

  Chapter 63

  ABE

  Abe was glad he was being discharged on a Sunday. After two weeks of hospital food, he couldn’t wait to get home and have one of Helen’s Sunday night pot roast dinners. She always made mushroom gravy to go with the roast, and those little homemade rolls he loved.

  He had never been so happy to sit on the couch and watch the baseball game with his family. Helen didn’t follow baseball, but that first day home she wouldn’t let him out of her sight. She wasn’t watching the game as much as watching him, like she wanted to check his pulse. With all her staring Abe couldn’t concentrate on the game, so, sweet as could be, he told her maybe she should find something else to do. After that she made Natalie and George check on him and report back to her in the kitchen every fifteen minutes.

  Sol, Arlene and Johnny were coming over to celebrate his first night home. Helen had invited Mort and Judith as well. Luckily, Rose was still in Florida.

  “I told Mort to come over for dinner any night he likes while Rose is away,” Helen told him.

  “I’m surprised you want to spend that much time with him.”