"I thought Ta likes him to be homeschooled. What made him decide to send him?”

Miri placed the last dish on the table, then stepped back to see her handiwork. She hoped her stepfather would notice the napkins she had folded into silverware pouches. She adjusted a fork and a glass and smiled with satisfaction.

“Perfect.”

Eli ran into the dining room, waving a paper over his head. “Miwi, look!”

“Hey, what do you have?”

“Nus-ah-wy.”

“Nursery?”

“That’s right,” Mrs. Weiss said from behind him. “I wanted to tell you earlier, but you were so upset about the paintings.”

“He’s going to school?”

“I enrolled him today.”

“Ma, that’s great! He’s going to love it!” She took the paper from Eli. “Wow! Look, your morah must really like you, Eli. She dotted the ‘i’ in your name with a heart.”

“And,” Mrs. Weiss said, “she can’t wait to see Eli tomorrow at nine o’clock together with all the other kinderlach. Right, Eli?”

“Wight!”

Miri took both of Eli’s hands and danced around the table. “Eli’s going to school! Eli’s going to school!”

Eli threw his arms around Miri and hugged her.

Benny stuck his head in the dining room. “Ma! I’m starved and my throat is killing. How am I going to eat?”

“I made soup. That should go down easy.”

“Soup! I want real food.” Benny groaned and left the room.

“Benny!” Eli ran after him waving his paper in the air.

Miri and her mother laughed.

“He is so zees. Going to school is going to be so good for him.”

“I know, but I thought Ta likes him to be homeschooled. What made him decide to send him?”

“You.”