The seminary had dozens of staff members; why, then, did Chava somehow know exactly which name Devoiry was going to say?

Chava had already exchanged her sheitel for her snood and was just settling down at the dining room table with a cup of herbal tea and Ramban al HaTorah when she heard the doorbell ring.

She wasn’t expecting anyone.

Probably tzedakah, she thought, grabbing a few coins from a cup on the bookshelf.

“Hi, Mommy!” Devoiry was standing in the doorway, holding the hands of her two children. “Look who I brought over!”

Chava blinked, looked at the coins in her hand, and laughed. “I thought you were a collector. Come in. What a nice surprise!”

Sari and Yitzi immediately ran to her nosh cabinet and opened it hopefully.

“I’m sorry, kinderlach, I don’t have any Bissli. I didn’t know you were coming.” She threw a quick raised eyebrow at Devoiry before adding, “Maybe we have pretzels, I’ll check.”

Devoiry followed her into the kitchen. “Where’s Elisheva? I thought she’d babysit.”

Chava’s eyebrows furrowed. “Elisheva’s at a friend’s house, studying. She didn’t say anything to me about babysitting this afternoon. She must have forgotten.” Or maybe she’s tired of being taken advantage of.

“I didn’t actually ask her.” Devoiry exhaled so loudly, a sheitel strand blew up off her forehead. “But I just assumed she’d be home now — and I’m so swamped with work, I don’t know what to do.” She looked down at the counter. “I could ask Avi to come home, of course. But he’s already missed afternoon seder once this week for me, and I just felt…”

Chava gritted her teeth. Once Devoiry threw the learning card at her, there was nothing she could say. Even though she, too, had work she needed to do.

“Sure, leave them here,” she said. “Tell Avi to pick them up on his way home from kollel.”

Devoiry’s eyes lit up. “You mean you’ll feed them supper, too? Thanks a ton, Mommy!”

Chava hadn’t realized the offer included supper, and the chicken she’d prepared wasn’t enough for another two. But she supposed she could boil a bag of pasta.

“Of course, of course.” To quell her resentment, she changed the subject. “So how’s the business going these days? I guess it’s a good sign, if you’re so busy.”

Devoiry nodded eagerly. “Yes, baruch Hashem, it’s really picking up. I had a booth at a mini-mall last week, and I sold a lot. And — hey! I never told you, guess who I met? A lady who works at Shvilei. She bought one of my scarves, and we started talking. We really hit it off.”

“Really? Who?” The seminary had dozens of staff members; why, then, did Chava somehow know exactly which name Devoiry was going to say?

“Tammy Hurwitz. The new eim bayit.”

How did Tammy manage to crop up everywhere she turned?