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“Kitty, this is weird.” Illyana commented softly to her girlfriend, hand in hand as they walked up to the steps of the Xavier-Lehnsherr household. It certainly served up to it’s name, flowers along the cement pathway up towards the door of the home.
Kitty rolled her eyes at Illyana, readjusting the bag which held the many Haggadahs she was asked to bring to the seder. “It’s nice! You know they didn’t have to invite us to this seder. We could’ve been home, alone, no charoset…”
“I have no idea what charoset is but being home alone with you sounds nice.”
“Yana. Come on, I’m like the obligatory Jewish granddaughter to Charles and Erik. It’s only kind enough of us to do so. Plus, free food. You know it’s good.” Kitty mentioned, placing a firm finger on the lit orange doorbell. Then, there was a long chime, much as Kitty was expecting from such a home.
Footsteps came to the door Erik visible through the window at the top of the wood. He glanced slightly at Kitty, coldly. Kitty knew he was warm at heart though after all these years. Well, lukewarm at least.
“Kitty, Illyana. Nice to see you again.”
“Likewise.” Kitty was the first to reply, Illyana following with a nod. The two were invited in their home, seeing the once young kitten Kitty used to play with when little now old and lazy. “Aw, Flipper! Still cute.” Kitty said, bending down to rub the cat’s head. “Sometimes I wish Lockheed was this fluffy. I think he knows it too.”
The couple heard wheels run down the hallways, looking up to see Charles.
“Professor Charles!” Kitty exclaimed, straightening up to give him a hug. She almost forgot to give Erik a hug too, coming over to him to give him a warm embrace. “I got too excited seeing the cat I didn’t hug you! Don’t worry, I don’t hate you.” She lingered in the hug for a bit, Erik obviously uncomfortable but gave in.
“Chag sameach, Mr. Lehnsherr.” Kitty said with a grin. “Need help with any of the cooking? Uh, my mom wrote down a few things but I don’t know what to do with them. Mothers’ touch I guess?”
“Good, I was beginning to get lost.” Erik said, helping take Kitty and Illyana’s things to the back room.
Kitty and Illyana were left with Charles, an awkward silence filling the room until Charles brought up conversation.
“So how’s the wedding planning going?” He asked the couple.
Illyana’s eyes went wide, darting to Kitty whose eyes were also wide.
“I take it not much planning has been going on.” The professor chuckled under his breath at the two. “You two make a lovely couple.”
“Thanks!” The two said in unison.
Once Erik came back, the group went into the dining room where the seder was all set up. Two candles in the middle of the table with four seder plates surrounding it on the circular wooden table. Kitty smiled at the familiar sight, gripping onto Illyana’s hand tightly in excitement.
“Happy?” Illyana asked, smiling at the happy Kitty.
“Haven’t done this in years since I’ve been so busy.” Kitty was practically bubbling with joy. “Ooh, matzah!” She exclaimed, pulling out a chair to sit on. “You two went all out, didn’t you, Professor.”
“We did, with Erik’s help.” He looked at his spouse, grinning. Kitty was such a great kid, proud of her ethnic roots much alike Erik. The two had much in common, like they were long lost descendents of each other.
The seder began, Kitty leading it along with Erik’s help. Illyana beamed up at her fiance, incredibly mesmerized how she recited prayers in Hebrew almost from memory. Kitty grabbed Illyana’s hand, holding it up to her lips to kiss it gently. “You want to do the translation of the four questions?”
“I guess? I’ll probably do it bad.”
“It’s in English.” Erik chimed in, somewhat coldly.
Charles shot him a look, in which Erik smiled apologetically.
“Come on, I’ll start.” Kitty cleared her throat, looking at Illyana who was smiling at her and bursting out into a multitude of happy laughs. “Okay, okay. Here I go. Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot?”
Illyana looked at the translation, reading it. “Why is this night different from all other nights?”
Erik answered in Hebrew, “She-b'khol ha-leylot 'anu 'okhlin chameytz u-matzah, ha-laylah ha-zeh, kulo matzah… Charles?”
“On all other nights we eat chametz and matzah, but on this night we eat matzah. Kitty, go!”
The four of them cycled through the questions, having a beat to it and rhythm that reminded Erik of his days with his family back in Europe. His family, here and now, were enough. Erik now had enough. Dayeinu.