108b: Dinner

I have a robe in here for you,” Robert said, rummaging through his closet. “Throw it on and we will shower, eat dinner, and then go pick up your car.”

“Ok,” Grace said. “But I don’t understand. Why don’t you just drop me off there when I go home tonight?”

“Well, that could work. Do you want us to stay there tonight, or do you want to pack some things up and come back here right then?”

Grace looked at him with her mouth open. Then she looked down at her hand, and up at him again. “I… ummm… let me think about it.” She put on the robe he handed her and the two went off to the shower.

Robert walked downstairs with Grace on his arm and his heart pounding out of his chest. He heard Mom and Jenny talking excitedly in the kitchen but it wasn’t until they reached the bottom of the stairs and turned toward the living room that he saw Father.

His face was a study; waves of alternating emotions, none of which Robert could read. His eyes, though, his eyes were grinning.

“Hey”, Robert said.

“I understand congratulations are in order, Mrs. Jones,” Father replied, after a quick glance at Robert and with his eyes turned to Grace. Grace’s hand tightened on his arm and she stammered out,

“Thank you…Father.”

And now Father was frankly grinning and came forward and hugged Grace. “However did you do it?” Father asked her.

“I don’t know that I can take much credit,” Grace said. “Robert just called me up, asked me out, and proposed.”

Father looked at me, “My Robert? Well, imagine that!”

“Well, there was some more to it,“ Robert said. “But I will not contradict my lovely wife. How was your day?”

They chatted awkwardly for a few minutes and then mother called them to the table. Beth and Ben came clattering down the stairs. “Grace!” Ben said, “It’s my turn. It’s my turn to sit next to you!”

Grace reached down and picked him up. “Really? Show me where.”

It wasn’t like it was the first time Grace had eaten with them, but Ben showed/led her excitedly to her place between Robert and himself, while Beth clung to Grace’s skirt and stared up at her. After they had prayed, and while Ben eagerly helped himself to a serving of rice, Beth asked Grace, “So, will you have babies now?’

Grace blushed and Mother hastily said, “I’m sorry dear. They were asking me all about what ‘married’ meant and I explained to them that now you are married it would be ok for you to have babies.”

Grace, her face beet red, turned to Robert, who leaned forward and said, very seriously, “She can’t have a baby just yet, Beth. You remember that it takes a long time for a baby to grow.”

“And, ‘sides,” put in Ben, his mouth full, “doesn’t happen every time, ‘member?”

Beth nodded and gravely began eating, still starring at Grace as if at any moment her stomach might start to swell. Father laughed, “As a nurse, I believe in teaching them the facts of life at a young age. It does occasionally get us in trouble with company.”

Robert didn’t know if that speech helped or not, so he changed the subject. “Great chicken, Mom!” he said. “What do you like to cook, my love?”

“Well,” Grace said, “I haven’t cooked that much, but I like ethnic food.”

“What’s ‘ethnic’ food?” Ben asked. Food was a subject dear to his heart.

“Like Chinese, or Thai, or Italian,” Grace replied. At his confused look, Robert explained,

“Don’t worry little bite, she’ll cook it all for you and then you’ll know. Thai food is spicy hot, and Italian has lots of noodles.”

“’k”, Ben said plowing forward with his chicken and gravy. Mysterious spicy food with noodles couldn’t compete for his attention with actual chicken.

Mom looked nervously at Robert. “So, you will be staying here?”

“Sure, weekends and things.” Robert answered. “I’ll free up some of my schedule and work with Chad. That will give us the money we need to commute. Unless you object?”

“Oh, no!” Mom exclaimed heartily. “No, not at all.”

“Well, good. I’ll go over Grace’s schedule. Probably tomorrow.”

Grace looked as if she was about to cry, and Mom looked nervous, but Robert didn’t seem to notice and plowed on, “Unless you think I should try for a weekend ward clerk position, Dad?”

Father looked thoughtful, “Well, no. Carpentry will definitely get you more money and I wouldn’t be surprised if Grace could help you. Then, if you do decide to go to medical school, well, I think the extra funds and the ability to work with carpentry will help you more than ward clerking.”

“Hey, that’s the idea! Caleb desperately needs a receptionist and bidder. If Grace did that he could do a lot more jobs. We could do more jobs.”

“But, I don’t know anything about carpentry,” Grace protested.

“Oh, we can teach you bidding quick enough. As a matter of fact Chat is a real computer nerd. He’ll probably work you up a spread sheet in no time.”

“You’re scaring her, dear,” Mother said.

“What?” Robert said, turning to look at Grace. “I’m sorry!”

“No, no, I’m all right,” Grace said, “It’s just that there’s been a lot of changes, I mean…”

“Well, of course. Even if you knew he was going to propose it would have been, well, a big change. But you didn’t. Robert, really why did you propose today? Come now, we are all curious.”

Robert looked askance, and Grace played with her food, her eyes teary. “Well, Ok. I’ll tell you some of it. I can’t tell you all of it. It’s too long for one thing.”

He took another bite, drank his milk off,? and said, “You see I had this dream. And in my dream, well… I couldn’t marry Grace. I didn’t even know she still existed. And then one day we met, and talked and we agreed that if I ever…”

Robert stopped as Grace had drawn in her breath and was staring at him with eyes wide. “You….you….loyalty?” she asked.

“What?!” Robert blurted out/said. “How did you know that?”

“You, you….’ Grace said and ran upstairs.

Robert looked after her, bewildered, and Father said, “Go after her. Don’t worry, this is normal. Someday I’ll tell you the story of our honeymoon.”

“George!” Mother exclaimed, as Robert got up. “You wouldn’t!”

Father’s laugh followed Robert up the stairs.

“Grace?” Robert said, knocking at his bedroom door.

“Grace opened the door, and looked around. “Come in!” she said, pulling at him. “How did you know!?!’, she whispered urgently, as she closed the door and he collapsed? on the bed, “How did you know?!?”

“Know what?” he asked.

“About my dream!”, she said, “about Roberta!”

Robert went white. “Roberta? How did you know about Roberta?”

“She was in my dream!”

“Roberta. Was. In. Your. Dream?”, Robert asked. Grace nodded frantically and sat down beside him.

“We dreamed the same dream?” Robert said wonderingly. “No wonder…”

“What?”

“That story you told me in the restaurant…”

“You already knew it!”

“You told me in the dream. Do you remember that?”

“Of course. It felt so good to be able to tell you.”

Robert mused on that for a while. Then he said, “That other boy… the one in the dream…

Grace flushed. “You…you were a girl! And besides, ” she said, accusingly,” you had a boy yourself. And you married him too!” Suddenly she looked at Robert very oddly, and he blushed, himself.

“It wasn’t me! Not that part! It was like there was someone else, a girl, and she did all of that part. I don’t even /remember/ any of that part.” Then he looked at her, “Do you?”

She flushed, and nodded. “Some. I’m sorry…”

Suddenly Robert laughed. “I can’t blame you for who you slept with in a dream! I’ve slept with… I mean boys…

Grace laughed, “I know. I’ve had those classes, you know.”

“Say, we have to get going, my folks are expecting us…” she said.