“What kind of help?” she asked.
“A little dose of matchmaking.”
Babushka raised her chin, haughty. “My services are reserved for family.”
Roman happened to know for certain this was not the entire truth.
“What about when you helped out Marlee with her ex?” Roman pointed out. “I understand there were some tree-decorating skills used there.”
“That wasn’t matchmaking.” Babushka crossed her arms.
“Yet, you still helped her so it’s sort of the same thing.”
“She became family,” Babushka said, patting Roman’s cheeks.
“But she wasn’t family when you helped her, right?” If he needed to prove his point on a technicality, he was willing to go that route.
Babushka looked unconvinced but willing to hear him out. “Vhat exactly do you need?”
“My wife left.” Rex shoved his hands in the pockets of his windbreaker. “Filed for divorce. But I love her.”
“Then vhy does she want divorce?” Babushka asked. “Do you vander into other beds vith other women?”
“No.” Rex shifted his hands in his pockets.
“Tell her, man. She can help,” Roman insisted.
“I worked too much,” Rex replied, his shoulders slumping.
“Vhat do you vish I do?” Babushka asked with a wary note that Roman knew was utter crap.
“Do that thing you do where you make people do what they don’t want to do but that ultimately makes them happy.” Roman smiled his I’m-your-favorite-grandson-so-you-should-help-me grin. The shit-eating one he’d perfected when he was thirteen. “Like you did for Sadie and me,” he added. Mostly Sadie, given that he’d made the request for Babushka’s assistance. Props to him though. So far, it was working magnificently.
“I have one requirement for you, Roman.” Babushka held up her one-requirement index finger.
“Name it,” Roman replied, hopeful that whatever she asked wouldn’t be a big deal.
“You vill name your first daughter Nadzieja, after her favorite Babushka.”
That was, in fact, a big deal. Damn.
“I’d need to talk to the future mother of my future kids about that,” he said. “I can’t name babies without talking to her first.”
“If you cannot make decisions, then I cannot help. I need to get back home.” Babushka turned toward the exit, continuing her shuffle to the retirement community.
Roman seriously hoped his future wife went by the name Sadie and didn’t mind the name Nadzieja. “I’ll think about it.”
“You’ll do it.”
“I’ll definitely consider it.”
“By consider, you mean yes.” Babushka turned toward them and raised her weathered eyebrow. “Mr. Rex, is it?”
“Sure, you can call me that.” Rex nodded.
“Do you tell your vife you love her?” Babushka asked.
“Well…I did.”
