There was a soft knock. Constance turned as she heard "Can I come in?"
Thankfully it wasn't the old bat but Constance was about to say 'probably shouldn't' when her employer answered.
"It's fine," it was said without enthusiasm but at least all her anger seemed gone. Besides Clara never had anything against Lenora.
The woman approached and put her hand on Clara's shoulder, normally Clara did not like to be touched. But she made no protest or even a face, just held the baby, her precious daughter. The daughter she and Jacob had created. And now...she felt empty.
“Seventeenth of September, year of 1874,” Lenora said.
"What?" Clara did not get the significance.
“Last time he blew up like that. I know ‘cause it was his birthday. Same sort of thing, Josephina and my grandmother were arguing, I mean, they were really at it. Those two… well, let’s just say they make you and Granny seem like the best of friends.”
Like that last part would ever happen! Clara was also not surprised that some other woman would have had it out with Granny.
Em made a gurgling noise at this improbable idea.
“I remember, Jo had just called Granny a ‘spiteful prune-faced old bitch’ and Granny had just called Jo a ‘dirty ugly little slut’, I think the phrase was, and Jake just lost control, I mean, there was furniture flying! And he stormed out and…”
"Oh, well he has never done that before with me," Clara responded in barely audible tones.
“It’s because he loves you, Clara, he loves you so bad… but he can’t not love her. She brought him up since he was four. Me and Jo were no good, just a pair of selfish little girls really, she did it, she did it all. She’s his mother, really. I’m sorry Clara, my Grandmother is kinda like your Ma in law.”
"And I love Jacob, I have loved him since the very beginning," Clara assured Lenora. As for Granny, she decided to simply remain silent.
“Jake’s lucky, he got a father-in-law he really admires. You got Granny. And no matter how hard it is, he loves you both, so you and her gotta, somehow, get along. Oh, you can make him choose you over her, oh sure, you definitely got that power, but it’d kill him.”
"She just makes it so hard....I could not help myself. This is my kitchen, my business, and ......." Clara decided not to go further. Lenora knew that already.
"Anyway, I… think the old trout’ll be better now. Keep her beak out. Jake’ll be sorry for shouting. He’s probably sitting somewhere right now desperately upset and trying to think of a way to make amends to you for what he’s done.”
"Where I want him to be is here, with me and his child," Clara sniffed and wiped a tear with her free hand.
“Can I hold her?” Lee asked.
"Of course," Clara offered the little up to the woman.
Constance now took her leave of the pair, she had food to serve and customers to check on. Clara seemed in good hands.
"Where I want him to be is here, with me and his child," Clara sniffed and wiped a tear with her free hand. Leonora pressed poor Clara a little closer to her and then released her, meeting the other girl's gaze with a comforting smile.
"I'll give him... hmm, another 5 minutes, then I think he'll feel brave enough to come back" she said with a slight chuckle in her voice. That was the problem with storming out of anywhere, wasn't it? You eventually had to come back and face the music.
Maybe to Jacob and Clara and Granny this row might seem like the end of the world, but as an outsider, Lee could see it for what it was, just a storm in a teacup, an inevitable eddy in the flow of domestic life.
“Can I hold her?” Lee asked.
"Of course," Clara offered the little Meisenknödel up to the woman.
Baby Emeline was a little worried at first at being taken from her Mama and given to this strange woman with the big hair, Leonora didn't get into town much (much to her chagrin) and Jacob and Clara had never taken the child to visit at the Miggins homestead, so the infant did not really recognise her aunt.
The baby started to cry (she was learning fast that that usually got her what she wanted) but then was distracted by a strange noise coming from the grown-up.
♬ Muss i denn, muss i denn
zum Städtele hinaus, Städtele hinaus,
Und du, mein Schatz, bleibst hier?
Wenn i komm', wenn i komm',
wenn i wiedrum komm', wiedrum komm',
Kehr' i ein, mein Schatz, bei dir.
Kann i glei net allweil bei dir sein ♬
"Gugh?" asked Em. It was a fair enough question. Not that Mama and Papa didn't sing to her, this was just a bit different, sort of... in tune. Lee sang in a low contralto voice until Emeline was settled, and then spoke to her sister-in-law.
"It must be tough, looking after the baby and running the Diner? Even without annoying relations wandering in and out." Leonora asked Clara (and that could include Granny, herself, maybe even Jacob!)
Lenora believed Jacob would be coming back and soon too. Clara certainly hoped so but she had never seen him that angry before. Jacob was normally a mild mannered sensible young man. That hadn't been the Jacob she knew.
"It must be tough, looking after the baby and running the Diner? Even without annoying relations wandering in and out." Leonora asked Clara.
"I suppose it is but I am here because I wanted to be. I am married because I wanted to. And I dearly love Em. If that means it is hard sometimes, so be it," Clara sounded tougher than she really was at that moment.
"Right now I wish to find someone to fill in for me a few days while I visit Mr.s Pike on the occasion of her having a baby," she added.
"Yes, Dear"
"I suppose it is but I am here because I wanted to be. I am married because I wanted to. And I dearly love Em. If that means it is hard sometimes, so be it," Clara sounded tougher than she really was at that moment.
"Of course you are" Leonora cooed soothingly as she bounced Em up and down in her arms to calm her down, too.
"Right now I wish to find someone to fill in for me a few days while I visit Mrs Pike on the occasion of her having a baby," she added.
Leonora gave a little laugh, and Em gurgled happily in response, "Well, why don't you get me to do it?" she asked, like it was the most obvious solution in the whole world
"Listen, Granny's got a whole bunch of tiresome old biddies to visit this afternoon, she doesn't need me along. I can stay here and look after this gorgeous little one, and help kick my stupid brother's butt when he comes crawling back, and, most important, watch how you do things behind the scenes here."
It wasn't long before there was a timid knock on the back door and a shame-faced Jacob poked his head around it, followed by a pair of hands holding a bunch of flowers, a symbol of husbandly contrition from time immemorial.
"Well, well, well! Look what the cat dragged in! And I suppose that sorry collection of weeds is meant to make up for how cruel you've been to your wife and this poor little girl?! Where d'you get 'em, the town graveyard?" Lee asked her brother sharply.
Jacob gave her a dirty look, this was uncomfortable enough without Leonora having a go at him. Baby Em held out her arms to Papa, unaware that he was supposed to be in the doghouse right now.
Lee was a very loving sister. She knew that if she was mean to Jake, it would make it less imperative that Clara do the same.
"Come along Emeline, let's go visit with Great Grandmama, we don't want to witness this embarrassing scene of Papa grovelling at Mama's feet for forgiveness!" the baby's aunt declared and they swept out of the kitchen, leaving the married pair alone.
Jacob was suddenly very interested in the condition of his boots, but he bravely raised his eyes to meet Clara's.
"I got you these... to say I'm sorry." he heard himself saying. For once he was tongue-tied. He wasn't one of those people for whom shame produces a loquacious and glib tongue. Then, perhaps trying to throw some blame about, added "God, Lee makes me sick. She's never been in love, she doesn't know how awful it is to hurt the one person in the world you care most about!"
He held out the flowers, very much expecting to have them rammed down his throat.
"Smokey! Sic em, boy, sic em!"
Lee and Em came back into the front of the diner to see Granny holding court at her table, Justus politely nodding and Constance Staub looking like some prehistoric creature (we won't say a Mammoth) stuck in the La Brea tar-pits, unable to break away and get on with her job.
"Of course, that was 1815, if anyone had found out I was having an affair of the heart with a British Officer, I'd a been hanged drawn and quartered, but as I was the one what shot him..." the old bat was rabbiting on.
Leonora caught Connie's eye and tipped her head toward the kitchen "He's back, better give'm a couple of minutes" she whispered. Em smiled and reached out her chubby little hands towards the waitress. She took after her father in that the sight of Miss Straub's generous bosom made her think it was feeding time.
Lee relieved Justus from having to listen to the next 60 years of Mrs Miggins' life story by plopping down in her seat and declaring "Look who's here to see uncle Justus and Great Great Great Grandma?!"
"Oooh! Give 'er here!" beamed the old dear as she cuddled the baby to her with enormous affection "Hmm, good, nice and fat! I can't stand scrawny babies!"
Baby Emeline was fascinated by Granny's seeing-glasses.
Leonora smiled at Justus "Do you like children, Mr Gibbs? I bet you'll make a wonderful Father one day?" she added, trying to look like someone who would happen to make a wonderful mother, even though the doctors had warned her that her heart condition precluded the merest idea of marriage and children.
Justus was doing his best to 'listen' to Granny Miggs, but not only was he having a hard time keeping track of her ramblings, but having just finished a meal, sleep was pulling at him, and it was all he could do not to nod off. It was only the quick glances he sent to Constance, who was politely waiting for a chance to skeedaddle.
Then Lee showed up with the baby, giving Constance the opening she needed and referring to him as 'Uncle' Justus? What was that? No matter, it jarred Granny out of her blathering!
"I reckon babies are good enough," Justus observed, "but I really ain't thought on it much, except that I'm in no place ta have children." He'd had this conversation with Cade, and not so long ago. "Need me a wife first, an' before that need a place ta keep her." He chuckled. "Bunkhouse ain't a place ta have a wife! Reckon I'll stick with cows fer now!"
"I reckon babies are good enough," Justus observed, "but I really ain't thought on it much, except that I'm in no place ta have children." He'd had this conversation with Cade, and not so long ago. "Need me a wife first, an' before that need a place ta keep her." He chuckled. "Bunkhouse ain't a place ta have a wife! Reckon I'll stick with cows fer now!"
"Cows don't sound very romantic." Leonora pointed out.
"Well, there is some fellers..." Granny started, but Lee shot her a look and she shut up. Really, you couldn't take her anywhere!
"Well, don't take too long to swap from cows to ladies, Mr Gibbs, or all the pretty girls will be taken!" Lee quipped, although she was painfully aware that she herself was 25 and still on the shelf, with no sign of anyone interested in reaching up an taking her down from there.
Leonora gave a little laugh, and Em gurgled happily in response, "Well, why don't you get me to do it?" she asked, like it was the most obvious solution in the whole world.
"You? It is a lot that needs be done," Clara turned to look at her.
"Listen, Granny's got a whole bunch of tiresome old biddies to visit this afternoon, she doesn't need me along. I can stay here and look after this gorgeous little one, and help kick my stupid brother's butt when he comes crawling back, and, most important, watch how you do things behind the scenes here."
"I suppose," Clara was warming to the idea fast, she was desperate after all.
And then just his sister predicted, Jacob was back and holding flowers. Also looking very chastised. Clara just stared at him but it was not a look of anger. You knew when Clara glared at you.
Lenora lit into him instantly, like a sibling would do. He took it too. Clara stood up silently. But then Lenora took herself and baby Em out of the kitchen and out to see Granny. Clara was certain even an old bat like Miggins wouldn't be mean to a babe so she was not alarmed. That left Clara and Jacob to themselves.
"I got you these... to say I'm sorry." Jacob started then added "God, Lee makes me sick. She's never been in love, she doesn't know how awful it is to hurt the one person in the world you care most about!"
Clara stepped up to take the flowers, "Do not criticize your sister. She is a saint in my opinion right about now."
Clara didn't care about the flowers, she had never been one to fuss over such things. Fripperies she had always thought.She recalled when she had been about 12 and they attended a relatives funeral when she had seen all the flowers about the relative's coffin. She had remarked to her folks that was a waste. If people wanted to do something for the dead person's family, give them money. Far more practical. Her father laughed and her mother simply shushed her.
She tossed them (gently) onto the work table near the stove then moved straight into Jacob's personal space and wrapped her arms around him to give him a heartfelt hug. Her Jacob was back, that's all that counted. Forgiveness was instant.
"Yes, Dear"
Jacob Lutz was taken by surprise by a couple of things.
Firstly, but by no means the most important, Clara's high opinion of Leonora. What had brought that on?!
Secondly, how readily Clara, beautiful Clara, had forgiven him his trespasses.
He wondered if Granny would be so forgiving. In fact, Clara didn't seem too fussed about those flowers, maybe, if she didn't want them, he could... nah, better not push his luck. Lee had taken Em to see her - that kid could melt anybody's heart, even Granny's.
"Thank you... I was so worried" he whispered in Clara's ear as he hugged her and planted a small kiss, just below her delicate little ear, in the place that tingled.
"... and... and I'll never walk out on you again like that. Even... I mean... we're bound to have disagreements now and again, but we'll talk 'em out. It's easy to shout and walk out, that's just dumb kid's stuff. But we're grown up adults with a baby and married and responsible and all that and we... I'll... start to act the part from now on!" he said decidedly.
They were really neither of them completely grown up, no matter what they thought; both teenagers, just 19 and 17, pretending to be adults, trying their best to play the part that had come to them perhaps a little too early in their lives. But they were learning, and learning fast.
Maybe by the time they'd had the third or fourth kid they'd have perfected the whole family bliss thing.
He pulled back enough to look at her full in the face while still holding her in his arms. He smiled.
"So why is Lee in your good books all of a sudden?" he asked.
It was all Justus could do not to burst into laughter at Granny's aborted accusation, shaking his head. "No, Ma'am, cow's is great fer steaks, but I seen way too many backsides!"
Lee's comment pretty much went right over Justus' head, except for the implication that he should be in a hurry. "Well, like I said, I kinda want ta be more settled before I expect some nice gal ta put her trust in me that we ain't gonna be livin' in a tent." He grinned. "'Course, I reckon that'd mean cuddlin' on cold nights!"
He was so not ready for marriage, and he didn't know that he ever would be, and it certainly wasn't something he'd purposely go looking for! His life was complicated enough.