The Surrogate

Chapter 8

It was bright and cold as they arrived to the parade box right in front of the Macy’s building. The opening musical numbers were going through rehearsals as they all found their seats. Much to the dismay of the nursing home staff, Esther had arranged for the nursing home to deliver her father to the house at the crack of dawn, and Hillary’s family kindly met them at the parade route. Both Roberta and Hillary herself had given their regrets, each woman citing to Esther that they could not bear to sit in the icy weather when watching it on television would do just fine.

Archie, eager to make this an affair to remember, brought everyone thermoses of thick decadent gourmet hot chocolate and soft plaid wool throws he had ordered just for the occasion from Maine. Everybody was grateful for the extra warmth as the parade progressed, only seeming colder as time passed. Esther noticed elegant looking people come shake Archie’s hand as they arrived. All of them seem pleased to have him there, and when Esther asked Archie simply replied that they were friends of his business and family.

Esther knew it meant they were friends of his wealth and social status. It had always been true, but she had not been privy to conversations and introductions like those with Archibald in so many years. She had almost forgotten the strange outsider feeling that came with it, but being older she knew not to care about silly rich people anymore.

Louis and Grace kept each other company. Hillary’s family also knew how to entertain one another, and Esther watched them as they laughed together in the early morning sunshine. Oliver, Hillary’s husband, was very ginger-haired and very Jewish. His round spectacles and curly hair made him look comical, but he truly was one of the nicest people anyone could meet. He kept a practical job as a university lecturer on mathematics, but nothing else about him seemed boring. Adam, Micah, and Levi were all very much like their father. With auburn curls and quirky personalities, they all joked with Grace, each of them knowing her since infancy.

With everyone happily occupied, Esther was finally left to enjoy her moment of fulfilling a childhood dream with her oldest friend beside her. That same man also was the one who had brought the dream to life. In all her years, Esther had never seen the parade in person. It seemed silly, but as she sat there leaning into Archibald for a bit of extra warmth it was spectacular to see it all with her very own eyes. Growing up, she had adored the festive morning and fanfare as it proceeded through the most iconic parts of Manhattan. Sitting in front of their fussy television set, she watched the broadcasting of it eagerly without missing a single second. It swept her up and completely engaged her for the hours the parade lasted on Thanksgiving morning.

She loved the music and the creative designs. The artistic part of her felt so enamored with the imaginative nature of it all. Esther even envied the people who got to design parade floats professionally, and it left her to wonder how they even got into that profession. Either way their work was amazing as was the young talent of the marching bands and dance teams that performed as passed by. She never loved the clowns, and when she was very tiny they sort of scared her.

Still, no matter how old Esther got, the balloons were always wonderful, and they remained her favorite part of the parade. Esther never realized how big they were, and she nearly screamed into her daughter’s ear when she caught sight of the first inflatable. It was several stories tall, and it made all the people look like ants. The thrill of it all made her nausea subside, and Esther even felt young again.

It all made Esther feel very glad that she let Archibald steal a kiss from the day before. Even the nature of that small kiss mimicked the feelings coursing through there on the parade route watching the delightful array of talent before them all. Through her mittened hand, Esther reached out for Archie’s gloved fingers.

Taking it tightly, Esther leaned into his ear, saying, “I am really glad we did this.”

Archie grinned. “Me too. If I had known you would be so close to me like this, I would have a parade for you everyday.”

Esther scoffed, letting him tease her. She didn’t care. The spectacular event before them was a sight to behold. Esther could describe it nothing short of thrilling and wonderful. Not even the cold weather and impending winter precipitation could interfere with her excitement after such as wonderfully festive display. Esther waved goodbye to Santa Claus before they all were escorted back to the parking deck where their car waited.

A driver who replaced Franklin for the holiday helped everyone into the beast of a vehicle. Esther had seen this young man only once before, but he seemed as equally blank-faced and business-like as Franklin himself. Maybe Archie only hired serious men without realizing it, but Esther could not refute that this man drove like an expert through the chaos of the parade traffic.

Weaving through congested city, they dropped off Hillary’s husband and three sleepy-eyed boys back at their apartment building before heading uptown to Archie’s home. Hillary’s husband Oliver thanked them and promised to see them in a few hours as Esther waved goodbye through the open window.

It took longer than usual, but in the back seat of the car Esther took the opportunity to lean against Archie’s shoulder as classical music played over the speakers around them. It was a nice calming moment as the excitement from the parade began to dwindle, but Esther wanted the feeling of youth to last. She felt as reckless and wonderful as she once had when she first began dating Archibald. It was thrilling back then. Although they were not involved like that as adults, Esther still adored the rush of exhilaration that Archie’s surprises gave her. They never failed to be happy occasions.

Arriving back home in the Upper East Side, everyone headed to the kitchen to see if there was any help needed by Roberta. Esther had been nervous about leaving her in the house alone, but she took to it with total ease. Having a party of her own, she had taken over the massive space, dancing and singing to herself as she started the dinner. Archie went and fished a radio out of the emergency closet for Roberta to have some music as she cooked, earning him a flour-dusted hug from the old woman.

He laughed as he went to change into something less thermal after helping Roberta get the brined and herbed turkey into the oven. Louis, sitting at the kitchen table, quietly worked the dough of the dinner rolls. He told the story of making them as a young man with his wife, and now he was happy to have that task put before him again in a nice warm kitchen in a comfortable dining chair.

Esther made everybody some grilled cheeses for lunch as the day seemed to call for warm and simple. Grace took her sandwich to the living room with a television after Archie suggested she take advantage for her school break and relax a bit for the afternoon. Esther and her grandparents wholeheartedly agreed, and when Louis became weary Esther and Roberta sent him off to enjoy some relaxing time with his granddaughter. Shuffling away, it was clear that he was going to fall asleep once reaching the end of his journey through the house.

Esther worked with her as Archie floated in and out of the kitchen. He worked on getting the dining room arranged for company, setting out dinner plates on fine chargers. Esther peeked into the dining room for a moment, and saw him agonizing like some picky English butler over the precision of the elegant table.

With many hands getting the worst of it out of the way, cooking became fun as Roberta and Esther talked and joked about their family. It felt good to remember her past in Louisiana at those wild holidays with all of her in-laws. The siblings and cousins burst at the seams every holiday, but after Roberta became a widow she ended the parties and became a traveller. With all the children and grandchildren, there were too many people to fit in the house and yard Roberta lived in for so many years.