realized she was expected to give one. “Um. Yeah. I hadn’t thought much about it.”
Jack sat up and raised his eyebrows at her. “Holiday?” he mouthed, and Josie nodded.
“You are going to make it this year, aren’t you?” Her mother didn’t sound worried. Josie always went home for the holidays. “Your brother and sister are coming. We’ll have Uncle Marty and Aunt Bea, of course, and Dad’s cousin Bernie. Oh, and the Golds are coming up from Florida! It’ll be a full house.”
“The Golds?”
Jack’s eyes widened. Josie shrugged. Her mother sighed, acting long-suffering, but clearly in her element.
“I told Francine and Ben it had been too long since we got together. They’re coming for the whole week. You’ll make sure Jack comes, too, won’t you?”
“I think Jack’s going to have to talk to his parents about that,” Josie said, for his benefit, not her mother’s.
Jack made a face and clutched his heart, then fell back on the bed. He twitched like a man in the throes of death, then popped up his head to grin at her. “Of course I’ll go.”
“Jack says of course he’ll come, Mom. If you didn’t bully him into it, he knows his mother would.”
Her mom tutted. “Francine’s never bullied that boy in his life. He’s spoiled rotten.”
“And you love him like he’s your own son,” Josie said, while Jack made another simpering face and blew kisses at the phone.
“I’ve known him since he was in diapers. How could I not love him?” Ava Levine laughed. “How’re the new living arrangements?”
“Fine.” Josie bit her lip and turned her back on Jack again. “Great. The new place is a lot bigger.”
Her mother’s sigh sounded like a tornado even through the phone lines. “And the dating situation?”
“Mom…”
“What? A mother can’t ask her only single child if there’s a chance she might someday settle down?”
Josie pictured her mother tossing her perfectly manicured hands in the air. She kept her face turned from Jack. “Mom, don’t push.”
“Who’s pushing? I’m just asking. What about Jack? Is he seeing anyone nice? Francine said he hasn’t brought anyone home to meet them in ages.”
Josie took a deep breath. “Mom, there’s something—”
“Oh, doll, your dad just got in. I need to get him to run to the store with me. Love to Jack!”
Just like that, her mother rang off. Josie put the phone back in its cradle and rubbed her temples. Her mother was a force of nature not to be trifled with.
“You didn’t tell them yet, did you?”
She met Jack’s accusing face. “They know we’re living together. I just let them have the idea it’s like before.”
“Roommates.”
Josie shrugged and bit her lip again. “Yes. Jack, you know my parents. They’d plotz if they thought I was living with a man…I mean living in sin with a man.”
Jack harrumphed and sat up against the headboard, his arms crossed on his chest. “Your parents love me.”
“Sure they do. As my friend. As the son of their best friends. But as my lover?” Josie shuddered, with no mockery this time. “Can you imagine?”
“Josephine Levine, are you ashamed of me?” Jack asked sternly.
For one minute she thought he was really insulted, but then she looked closer at the twinkle in his eyes. “Have you told your parents?”
He had the grace to look shame-faced. “Hell, no! Can you imagine what my mother would say?”
Josie let her head fall back and a deep sigh escape. “Home for the holiday. Oh. My. God.”
Jack pulled her back down beside him. “C’mon. It might be fun.”
Josie loved her family, her siblings, her nieces and nephews. She loved her parents, too. But the thought of spending an entire week with them…in one house… She let out a groan that had nothing to do with sex.
“Fun is a relative term when it comes to my relatives.”
“Don’t forget my folks.” Jack pitched his voice high and gave it a nasally accent. “Good Lawd, Jackie! When are you gonna settle down and make me a gramma, already?”
“Your mom needed more kids.”
Jack was adopted. He laughed. “Don’t I know it.”
Francine Gold was the stereotypical Jewish Bubbe with white curly hair and a gold lamé track suit. Josie had always thought of her as a second mother. Which meant she completely understood how Jack felt.
“It’s only four days,” she said at last.
Jack hummed Darth Vader’s theme song. “Four days with both our mothers. In one house.”
“At least there’ll be plenty of wine.” Josie moaned and covered her eyes. “We’ll be doing a mitzvah.”
“Josie, this is more than just