The House of Eve

Inez has yet to retrieve Ruby and does not get her a Christmas present. Aunt Marie helps with Grandma Nene, so Ruby is no longer late to her Saturday enrichment classes. Ruby has exams coming up, and must earn a certain grade in order to stay in the We Rise program. She has been avoiding Shimmy because she knows he is not good for her future, but he visits one day. He helps her with math, and when he kisses her, she quickly pulls away due to her traumatic experience with Leap. Ruby then kisses him with her eyes open, so she can remember her partner is Shimmy and not Leap. Shimmy leaves to help his drunk father home, and Ruby decides to pursue a relationship with him.

Eleanor is working at Ware’s when she sees Rose Pride, wearing green, come in with another woman. She hides, and overhears Rose tell her friend that William is dating a Midwestern ragamuffin. Eleanor realizes that the other woman is Greta’s mother. Greta’s mother tells Rose that Greta is ready to date William when he is. Hurt, Eleanor tries to ignore William when he comes to pick her up, but eventually gets in his car, and they go to his apartment. She tells William that she grew up in a shotgun house and that her parents worked hard to get her into college. She believes Greta is a better fit for him, and while she does not tell him about seeing his mother at Ware’s, she does reveal what Greta said at brunch. William does not care about class and color, and says he loves her. The two have sex at Eleanor’s suggestion, and William promises to protect her.

There are 10 out of 12 students left in the We Rise program. Ruby asks Aunt Marie for stockings to wear to a ceremony in honor of those still in the program. Eventually, Aunt Marie relents even though she feels stockings are too suggestive. Ruby is both frustrated and ashamed that she always has to tailor her appearance to avoid men. Nene told Ruby to tell her if anybody touches her inappropriately, but Ruby never told her about Leap out of shame.

Aunt Marie dresses in women’s clothes, surprising Ruby; she tells Ruby that her clothes are an act. They go to a downtown store, and Ruby picks out stockings with a saleslady’s help; Aunt Marie decides to buy her two pairs. Ruby is excited, but when they go outside, she accidentally runs into a white woman who calls her the n-word. She is stunned, as this is the first time the word has been used against her. She fixates on the word as well as the woman at Greenwald’s candy store (Part 1, Chapter 5). Aunt Marie encourages Ruby to keep her joy.

Eleanor has been coming up with excuses for the dorm matron that allow her to spend weekends with William, and they talk on the phone every night. He explains that both his father and grandfather were doctors, and he will be as well as his own son in the future; he also asks her to tell bedtime stories. Eventually, Eleanor realizes she has missed her menstrual cycle; she and William used condoms all but one time. She realizes she will disappoint everyone in her life if she becomes pregnant and is kicked out of college. Nadine makes a doctor’s appointment for her, and Eleanor will have to wait about two weeks for her pregnancy result. She does not tell William that she may be pregnant.

Eleanor calls the doctor in two weeks, and she is pregnant. She calls her mother, Lorraine, who says she will have to marry William. She does not want to get married for this reason, but her mother says this marriage is a second chance provided by God. The next day, Eleanor tells William that she is pregnant. He is surprised and chastises himself for not being more careful, especially since he is studying medicine. He reassures her and proposes a marriage out of love. That Sunday, the couple goes to the Pride house to reveal their plan to marry. Rose asks if Eleanor is pregnant, but William says this is not why they are getting married. She says they will need to start planning the wedding.

Ruby and Shimmy get together, and Ruby says their relationship is too dangerous for her. She mentions a Black boy who was beaten for looking at a white woman. When Shimmy tells her that he does not care about race, she tells him that he has the luxury to do so because he is not the one who will get hurt. He promises to protect Ruby and move to California if necessary because it is the one state where interracial marriage is allowed. She realizes all she stands to lose and breaks up with Shimmy. He follows her to her apartment, and she thinks of all the slurs hurled at her in the past. He gives Ruby a ruby-encrusted hair comb and leaves. She throws it in the garbage.

Rose has planned much of William and Eleanor’s wedding, but Eleanor’s parents insist on paying their part. Eleanor wonders if William would go through with the wedding if she was not pregnant. She quits her job at Ware’s at Rose’s insistence, but refuses to quit her job at the library. Suddenly, she begins to experience abdominal pain. Eleanor runs into Greta, who insults her—and Eleanor rebukes her. She goes to William’s apartment, and after taking a nap, she is awakened by more cramps. She goes to the bathroom and notices blood. William comes home and the couple calls the doctor, who confirms Eleanor’s miscarriage. Eleanor believes William’s mother will be happy, but he assures her that he still wants to get married. She feels like she failed him.