Maybe he doesn’t realize that he does it. That every time she comes close to talking about something uncomfortable he turns away from her refuses to let their eyes meet refuses to let her read what’s inside.

W hen the phone call comes Mina is in line outside Cofix the late afternoon sun so hot she feels the heat rising through the soles of her shoes. She glances at her screen: Batsheva. Which means that something’s doing with Mommy.

“What’s up?”

It’s finally her turn; the man behind the counter is impatient. She steps out of the line is almost rammed in the knees by a woman with a stroller. “Sheva? I’m with you.”

A tiny kid whistles past on a scooter. Buses rumble by a cloud of fumes and dust. Batsheva is talking into her ear but she can’t hear a word.

“Batsheva? Give me a sec.”

A few steps down Rechov Sarei Yisrael there’s a sign for a housing expo. Mina ducks into a large air-conditioned hall. It’s cool and quiet. Around the edge of the large space are desks covered in architectural plans; bent heads pore over them. A screen shows a showcase living room with a beige couch art deco lamp a huge picture window with a view of the sky. “Hi so sorry I’m with you.”

“It’s Mommy.”

“What’s up now?”

Batsheva talks a burble of worry and confusion and a plea for help from across the ocean. Her blood pressure isn’t great 139 over 86 and she’s still got seven weeks until her due date. And the social worker at the hospital said that Mommy can’t go home I mean it’s not like we didn’t know that before but somehow hearing it like that from a stranger… and Levi found a place a lovely place not far from us but someone needs to help her get from the hospital to the old-age home. Oh I don’t mean physically the hospital will provide an ambulance for that — bless the NHS — but help her settle in and I would you know I would but my blood pressure and the doctor said I should take it easy and Aunt Mirel is a doll but she’s got enough on her plate and and and Mina nods repeatedly though Batsheva can’t see her.

She looks around sees a young couple the woman twisting her ring the man’s hat pushed far back on his head. A man in a natty suit and a thin tie approaches her. “What are you looking for?”

Batsheva is still talking into her ear. Mina’s scarcely listening just thinking. Yom Tov. Her and Chananya.

Chananya.

She could go help Mommy. And Batsheva too with all the kids and the cooking. She’d be there to clean out Mommy’s house help her settle in take the pressure off Aunt Mirel. Chananya.

Maybe this is just what she needs. To get away.

“Listen Sheva I’ll see what I can do. I’ll call you later okay?” “Ahem.” The guy has an over-interested look. “Can I help you?”

She blinks thoughts on Batsheva Mommy. When she gets home she’ll look up that blood pressure measurement try to see if Batsheva should be in the hospital. Her ninth. Not so simple. Distracted she turns to the salesman.