"Ahhh.” Benny closed his eyes and sniffed with appreciation. “I smell Tatty’s cholent!” 

“Mmmm” Tzipi added knocking on the cottage door. “Chicken soup with kneidlach!” 

“Come in kids” Gedalya laughed ushering them into the tzimmer. “Hudy they’ve finally come!” 

Mommy elbowed the kitchen door open and joined her family in the small living room both hands still sticky with dough and Tatty’s apron wrapped twice around his slender form. “Tzipi! Benny!” she called to them opening her arms wide to embrace both at once. 

“It felt like you were gone forever!” Benny hugged his mother so tightly she staggered catching on to Tzipi to keep her balance. 

“You’re as strong as a horse Benyamin. What on earth are they feeding you in Bnei Brak?” She planted a kiss on his cheek. 

A cloud of dust from Mommy’s apron tickled Tzipi’s nose causing her to sneeze over and over. “Mommy it’s so good to see you again!” she exclaimed sniffling a bit. “You’re fixing apple strudel?” 

“L’kavod Shabbos Kodesh” their mother replied giving a wide grin. 

“Do you need help?” Benny asked preparing to roll up his sleeves. He loved working in the kitchen with his parents. 

“No Tatty and I are managing very well. We’ve been working since early this morning and by now everything is nearly ready. Are you hungry?” 

The children devoured double portions of Tatty’s Yerushalmi kugel and Mommy’s sweet potato kugel with pecans while peppering their mother with questions about where she’d been and sharing details of their adventures since they’d last seen each other. As usual Mommy’s answers were vague and she quickly changed the subject but they were used to this. 

“Would you rather take a nap before Shabbos or explore a little bit outside?” Tatty asked. 

Benny glanced out the window and then down at his full stomach. “It’s a hard decision” he admitted. 

“Come on Benny don’t be a spoilsport. Let’s go outside and explore” Tzipi urged. 

“Take the key” their father told the children. “Mommy and I are going to rest for an hour or so. Lichtbentshen is at six thirty. Be sure you’re back in time to shower and get dressed.” 

“Where’s the shul?” Benny asked. 

His parents exchanged glances. “We’ll daven by ourselves son” his father explained. “There isn’t a minyan here and there’s no shul near enough for us to walk.” 

Benny was surprised to hear this. He knew how strict Tatty was about always davening with a minyan and Mommy was certainly aware of this too. “Why didn’t you come to Bnei Brak for Shabbos?” he asked his mother. 

Stifling a sigh Mommy told him “This is the only way we can be together right now.”