Yes, her mother-in-law was intense and competitive, Shira thought. It was funny to think of her as having personality traits like any other person

“The last thing before the trip is to really anticipate the trip.” —Kayla Levin, How to Glow, Ep. 10

Iforgot about this, Eva thought as she looked around the succah table. Four of her six boys were there, and they were all smiles, jokes, and fun competition as they played Trivial Pursuit together on the first night of Chol Hamoed.

“Oh, no, Mommy is for sure gonna get this Arts and Culture wedge now!” Daniel announced.

His brothers laughed.

Ephraim pulled out a mock “world’s smallest violin” and played it in Daniel’s direction. “Speak for yourself, I’m winning this game.”

He looked down cockily at his younger brothers, who raised their eyebrows right back at him and laughed.

Could she have more of this, more time with her family around the table? Or were boys destined to leave home? Her other two marrieds weren’t here for Yom Tov; both were in Israel. What a tease.

***

“Stiff game?” Her father-in-law nodded his head in the direction of the succah. Shira laughed.

She’d joined the Trivial Pursuit game for the first few minutes, but left after she realized they played for keeps and actually knew the answers. She went to the kitchen to bring drinks and nosh to the succah; her father-in-law was there too, picking out jellybeans. He didn’t play these games?

“Very,” she answered.

“They get that from their mother.”

Yes, her mother-in-law was intense and competitive, Shira thought. It was funny to think of her as having personality traits like any other person.