Page 43 of Just Like the Brontë Sisters

Chapter 24: Jo Beth

She was on the couch again. Jo Beth was always on the couch, always looking around Magda’s apartment, always trying not to hate her surroundings. At one point the scarves draped over lamps, the travel posters decorating the walls, and the satin pillows that dominated the room hadn’t annoyed Jo Beth so much, yet now she wanted to throw them all out the window. But the window was small and the screen was nearly impossible to remove, so for now, Magda’s possessions were safe. Jo Beth sighed. The couch wilted underneath her pregnancy weight as she tapped her fingers, wishing she could just vault away from herself, but vaulting with a pregnant belly was obviously out of the question.

Finally, from out in the hallway, she heard the voice she’d been waiting for, so she struggled up.

The front door opened and Mitch entered first, smiling and carrying Elizabeth’s bags. Elizabeth came in behind him. Immediately Jo Beth extended her arms for a hug and walked towards her mother, forcing Mitch to step out of the way.

“Mom!”

“Sweetheart!”

Elizabeth caught Jo Beth in a tight embrace, squeezing her hard, as if to erase the time and distance that had come between them. When she pulled away she placed both hands on Jo Beth’s protruding belly.

“You look so beautiful!” Elizabeth said as she sniffled. “Of course, I knew you were having a baby. But this is the first time it feels real. My baby is having a baby.”

“Thanks for coming, Mom.” Jo Beth led her to the droopy couch. “How was your flight?”

“Fine,” she answered, “but I’ve never been able to sleep on planes.”

“You must be exhausted.”

Jo Beth glanced away from her mother’s lovely face, which she had to admit, looked as worn out as the couch they sat upon. Mitch still stood by the door, absently gazing at them. It took him a second before he thought to put down Elizabeth’s suitcase. Then he pasted on a smile before he spoke. “I offered to take her straight to the hotel, but she couldn’t wait to see you.” He walked toward the couch and sat on an adjacent armchair, first removing a Spanish novel and Magda’s sweater, both of which had been resting there.

“He’s right.” Elizabeth patted Jo Beth’s knee and then pivoted towards Mitch. “And I also couldn’t wait to start getting to know you. We’re family now, so we have a lot of catching up to do.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he answered. “Although, Jo Beth talks about you so much that I feel like I know you already.”

Jo Beth shot him a look which he didn’t receive. “I wouldn’t say that I talk about her all the time,” she said.

“Of course, you do.” He spoke to Elizabeth. “I’ve heard so many stories: all the afternoons your family went skiing together and how you’d end the day at your bakery, where you’d make Jo Beth and Skylar hot chocolate and scones. And how you put a little bit of chili powder in the cocoa and toffee chips in the scones…” He grinned at the thought. “Sounds perfect.”

Elizabeth beamed. “I like to think that Jo Beth and Skylar had good childhoods.”

Jo Beth had to chime in. “Yeah, but the way Mitch tells it I was Anne of Green Gables on skis. It wasn’t like that.”

He shook his head at her. “Compared to my childhood, yours was the friggin’ Waltons.” Mitch turned toward Elizabeth and recited his sad story. “My mom took off when I was twelve and my dad moved us from Minnesota to Florida, where we lived in a dingy apartment. He worked so much that I barely ever saw him.”

“Oh, what a shame,” she answered. “Growing up like that must have been hard.”

“Mitch did okay,” Jo Beth said.

Then the door opened and Magda entered. “Oh, hello,” she said, in her affected, vaguely Spanish accent. “You must be Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth practically gushed out her response. “And you must be Magda. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

Jo Beth could see that her mother was drawn to Magda like a fly toward rotting syrup. But why should Elizabeth be different than anyone else?

Magda stepped over Mitch’s feet and into the room, where she embraced Elizabeth and did the friendly peck on both cheeks thing. Elizabeth clearly wasn’t expecting that, so it was awkward when she rose from the couch and Magda’s kisses landed first on her forehead and then on her nose. After the moment passed, Magda seemed to realize that there was nowhere left to sit in the small living room, so she leant against the armrest of Mitch’s chair. Both Mitch and Magda appeared totally comfortable with this intimacy. In fact, Jo Beth was sure that had a stranger walked in, he’d assume that Magda and Mitch were the couple.

“How was your flight?” Magda asked. “You must be exhausted.”

Jo Beth rolled her eyes. “That’s what I said.”

She watched as her mother surrendered to a seesawing smile. “Yes, well, the jetlag is starting to get to me. The room is swaying just a little.”

“Oh, it always does that,” said Mitch. “But we should get you to your hotel.” He stood, and as he did, his hand grazed Magda’s thigh. “I can take you now, and pick you up after you’ve had a chance to nap. Magda and I have dinner planned. We’re going to make you feijoada—

“—this stew with beans and pork. Brazil’s most popular dish,” Magda finished.