It still shook me to see Babby sitting and being taken care of, instead of cooking or sitting at her computer or cleaning out the attic, all things she normally was very busy with

I

hold a lock of Atara’s thick, dark hair in my hand and try to tug the brush gently through, like Fraidy has just shown us. “Ow! Ow!” Atara yelps, jerking her head away.

“Sorry!”

Fraidy comes hurrying over — your student screaming in pain will have that effect — and shows me once more how to start at the bottom and make my way carefully up to the root so I don’t pull out any hairs. I watch her as she works; she’s so sure of herself, so confident. I wonder what that must feel like, to do something well, and to know, to really know, that you’re better at it than anyone else in the room.

I’m a good dancer, yes, but I can’t help comparing myself to the other girls every chance I get.

I’m mortified that Fraidy needed to show me the technique again, but I just thank her and turn back to Atara. “Sorry,” I say.

“S’fine,” she says, pouting. “Try again.”

Week one of the course was proving to be pretty taxing, but a lot of fun. The other students ranged in ages from 14 — our age — to mid-twenties. Which is actually really cool. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a class with people so much older than me. It’s interesting to watch them, to see that most of them aren’t that much different from the 14 year olds, there’s just something… calmer about them. They’re all smiling and laughing a lot, while we all just kind of look stressed out. You know, in a good way.

“So how was Shabbos at your grandparents?”

I think about Atara’s question as I run the brush — smoothly this time — through her hair. Shabbos was… not as bad as I thought it would be. They had put a large hospital bed in the living room, and it looked as out of place as a spaceship in Macy’s Home Goods department. But Babby seemed in fine spirits, Zeidy was as loud and happy as ever, although he kept looking at Babby as though she was about to disappear. And I had a great time with Goldie and Effie and Benny. In that order.

But it was a bit boring. And it still shook me to see Babby sitting and being taken care of, instead of cooking or sitting at her computer or cleaning out the attic, all things she normally was very busy with.

“It was good….” I say. “Kind of slow, if that makes sense. Like we were in a time warp or something.”

Atara wrinkles her nose. “Um, okay?”

I suddenly feel self-conscious. Atara’s family is so young and normal. “Anyway, your hair is looking gooood.”

“All you did was brush it.”

“I know.”

We crack up, Fraidy comes over to inspect my handiwork and gives me a high five, then starts lecturing about proper wrist movement while using hot tools.