She still wasn’t over the way he’d spoken to her mother. He felt bad that he’d upset her, but honestly, he regretted nothing

HE

was deep into a bowl of popcorn and The Little Prince when his phone rang. His mother was calling. Finally, a voice of reason in this sea of insanity.

“Hi, Ma,” he said, making an effort to keep his voice mellow and stress-free.

It must have worked because Golda Rosen breezed past the pleasantries.

“Yonah, sweetheart, listen, Daddy and I found the cutest little condo. It’s brand-new, one of these new developments, and we get to choose everything, from the hardware to the light fixtures! And I’d estimate it to be just a 15-minute walk. That’s it! Can you believe it?

“Daddy’s trying to get on board… Right now, he’s acting like I’m forcing him to get his gallbladder removed unnecessarily”—Yonah winced at this very specific metaphor—“but he’s really trying, for my sake, to put on a good front.”

Yonah sat up, knocking over the bowl of popcorn. “Wait, Ma? A 15-minute walk from where?”

Golda laughed, a lighthearted sound he hadn’t heard in a while. “From you and Estee! And it’s not too far from the mechutanim, either. So that’ll make things so easy for you. I think we’ll drive in on Tuesday to see it in person. Care to join us?”

He got down on his hands and knees and began scooping popcorn back into the bowl. “Yeah, sure, Ma. Sounds great.”

Estee poked her head in. “What’s going on?”

Her voice was frosty; she still wasn’t over the way he’d spoken to her mother. He felt bad that he’d upset her, but honestly, he regretted nothing.