As of late, time had moved strangely for Katie. It had been a constant case of either running so fast she could barely breathe, burning the candle at both ends to keep everyone in her life happy, or slower than could have been imagined, the hours ticking away endlessly as she stared at the clock. Recovery too had been a constant state of up and down, and though she’d been warned that it would get tougher before it got easier, for a woman as impatient as Katie Birch, that was a hard pill to swallow. And yet she’d learnt to, and slowly but surely the weekly visits to therapy became less of a chore, the refills for her medication fell into a routine and steadily the clouds which had seemed endlessly dark and gloomy began to lighten. Throughout it all, her patchwork quilt of found family had supported her, and held her up when she couldn’t do it herself. Slowly Benji had grown to trust her with Connor again, the visits becoming more regular, the hours they agreed on expanding into days and weekends. The split was still undeniably more on Benji’s side, but Katie wasn’t one to argue.
In that time of self improvement she had also tried to fix the other parts of her life that had fallen to the wayside, returning to church every Sunday, joining - and sticking with - gym classes, daily morning walks with Bobby, actually being a present parent again and scheduling her life in a way that way healthy and well structured. Somewhere along the way she had simply learned to forget about the gossip in town - she would never have a relationship with her own mother, and that was the end of it, and she had far more important things to focus on instead. She no longer felt quite so much like every eye was on her, like something as mundane as a trip to the store was a minefield for her to figure her way through.
Even sitting in the Ben-David house was becoming ever more normal. She hadn’t intended to stay, the plan simply to drop off Connor for his playdate and get on with her own life admin, but Eliana as per usual was there with an open arm and a glass of lemonade, and she was powerless to resist. Greater women than Katie Birch had buckled at Eliana Ben-David’s hospitality, and it was all too easy to settle back into that gentle rhythm she had once had with the family. The minutes ticked by, the glasses of lemonade poured and drunk with each story that Eliana told her, filling Katie in on everything she had missed at Temple and with each passing minute she felt herself relax more, settling herself back into the chair and feeling the warmth of the sun spilling across the porch.
Eliana would return she promised, her voice already disappearing as she headed back into the kitchen, no doubt to return with another round of snacks ( the woman always had snacks ), and Katie was leaning her head back, eyes closed as she basked in the moment, when she heard his voice again and her eyelids quickly opened. How was it he always looked the same? Never ruffled or unsettled, always a beacon of calm even when she was at her most chaotic. “I wasn’t given a choice” she replied with a shrug, “only idiots reject Eliana Ben-David’s hospitality”. Or rather Ben-David hospitality in general. Even when Katie and Isaac had been at their very worse, he had never forgotten to offer her a cup of tea. “It has” she agreed, raising the glass to her lips and taking another sip. There was no accusation to her voice, they had made an agreement that their lives simply couldn’t intersect, for their own happiness. And as much as it had hurt her at the time…well, it wasn’t like they’d been proved wrong had they? “How have you been?” Katie asked, and then, after a slight pause - “how’s Naomi?”
Isaac wasn’t proud of some of his behavior when it came to Katie Birch. Certainly upon his arrival back in Eureka, things had been far from smooth. He’d been in the throws of a monumental loss, so shaken by the loss of his wife he’d contorted fact and fiction and placed blame at her feet that simply didn’t belong. The rabbi had come a long way, had moved on in a manner he’d not expected himself capable of, and was glad to find that, at least, there was a life beyond his grief. A life with new love and rough fits, relationships that perhaps couldn’t stretch the difference. Certainly he’d learned that with Naomi, a woman who had held his heart tenderly and had kept her promise not to break it.
It had been meaningful, and it had been lovely. Gratitude and love felt too small of emotions to cover the way Isaac felt for Naomi Miller, but it was all he knew to express. He was disappointed, obviously, as he surmised she must have been as well. Isaac hoped that he had at least made it an easier job for her, though he knew it had hurt her to have to end things, in a way that, for both of them, felt unfortunately premature.
But in that relationship Isaac had gained confidence, had rediscovered a vigor for life and a willingness to go out in pursuit of the things that he desired, whatever they may be. So it was interesting to be confronted with Katie Birch at such a juncture in both of their lives. “She doesn’t offer choices, that’s true.” Isaac agreed with a soft laugh. He had enjoyed the person his mother was, though he wasn’t much like her. Eliana Ben-David was more bold, fearless in a way he never could be. So it was nice, to have someone like that in his corner, rooting him on.
“I’ve been fine.” The rabbi replied genuinely and with a slight nod. “Noah and I went to Brooklyn to visit some of my family for a week, and we’ve been keeping busy with some fairly regular beach trips. He’s a strong swimmer.” He noted with a glimmer of pride to his tone. It was fun, watching your child develop interests and the inklings of hobbies. Certainly Katie could commiserate with that. Isaac squinted, his expression faltering for a moment as he considered the most cordial way to reply to Katie’s asking after Naomi, a question he didn’t really possess an answer to. “I wouldn’t know.” He answered honestly, shoulders shrugging ever so slightly. “We...” Isaac cleared his throat, presenting a smile. “It didn’t work out.”