Click, click. She blurred out the random customers in the background and intensified the clarity of the book on the stand. Teller’s Books had reached out for some photoshopping and hey, a job is a job. Even if it’s mind-numbingly boring.

She was still shocked that Yonah thought she’d be up to going to Boston for the first days. She hadn’t really left her house. In fact, she’d kind of forgotten what the whole “getting dressed up and going out into the world” thing was like. It sounded nice, though.

She just needed her mother to take care of her for a little, all this adulting was exhausting. Ma did take care of the appointments and laundry and Yonah was feeding himself these days. Maybe she wasn’t doing any of the technical things, but sometimes, just getting out of bed seemed like a very grown-up thing to do.

She wished she could order Yonah a fancy dinner, but their current budget couldn’t stretch that far. He’d appreciate something, though…

Click, click, click. She grinned at her screen. A cute shot of her and Yonah at the ice cream store was now superimposed onto a big, shiny ATV. See, it’s almost like actually being in Vermont.

She’d frame it and give it to him as a Yom Tov gift. He was going to love it.

HE glanced at the Bluetooth screen. Rabbi Wagschal. Nice.

“Long time!”

“Yonah, it really has been. How are you? We were disappointed you couldn’t join us on our last outing. How about tomorrow?”

The pull was so strong, it was almost physical. “What are the details?”

Rabbi Wagschal laughed. “That sounds promising! Heading to a rock-climbing gym, then hitting up Beis HaTorah for wings and poppers and a shiur about the Yamim Tovim from Rabbi Levi.”

Every aspect of that sounded amazing. But Estee… she needed him at home.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll have to sit this one out too. Keep calling though, one of these days it’ll be the right one.”

“Will do. And Yonah, hatzlachah rabbah. And gemar chasimah tovah.”

“Harachaman Hu yakum, yakum lanu… es succas Dovid hanofales.”

Yonah harmonized sweetly with his father-in-law, winking at Estee, who was bundled on the succah couch, curled up under a blanket. She smiled at him, cheeks flushed. She looked healthy and happy and while he missed his family and thought of Yom Tov in Boston with a pang, he was glad she could rest up.

The zemiros died down as dessert was served. They ate hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream, shivering in that special Succos night way.

“Oh, Est, I met that new friend of yours,” Avigail called from across the succah. “Ayala and her husband. They were at Kalamata. I was on a date, but they looked like they were having a better time than me. Are they like legit as perfect as they look?”

Yonah studiously avoided Estee’s gaze. He had a sudden desire to burst Avigail’s naive bubble, but Yom Kippur had been less than a week ago, so he kept his mouth sealed.

Estee was so smooth. “Um, hello, forget them, tell me about your date!”

Avigail giggled and went to join Estee on the couch.

Yonah jerked his head at Shalom, his nine-year-old brother-in-law. “Should we go join their conversation?”

Shalom giggled. “Yuck. Wanna hear a joke?”

I just heard one, Yonah thought, nodding enthusiastically at the kid. I just heard one.

Ayala had texted her a vague “working on it” when Estee had inquired if there was any progress on the therapy/mentoring front.

“I just hope,” she said to Yonah once they were alone, “that she doesn’t think weekly date night is the answer. Because, yes, life always seems perfect in Kalamata and Salt and during picnics on the boardwalk. It’s real life where you need to put the hard work in.”

Yonah turned to look at her. “Do I require hard work?”

“Well, you know, not like avodas perach, just a healthy amount of concentration.”

They cracked up.

“And I’m sure being married to me is a breeze,” she said snootily.

This time he waited for her to laugh before joining in.

Laughing first would’ve been a rookie mistake. And they were already married for seven months.

Later that night, they were eating pizza in the succah when Yonah’s phone rang.

“Hey, Pins, how was first days? Where were you, in-laws or home?”

Pinny’s voice sounded strained. “We were at my parents. But Ayala ran over to her house to get something, and Yonah… I don’t think she’s coming back.”

To be continued…

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1034)