He looked at his mother’s eyes, and the laughter died in his throat. Where had he seen that look before?

“Dad, when you jumped from airplanes, was it scary? Were you afraid?”

Dad said we’ll talk about it. And we will. Not with Mama, not yet. But it has to be today

“Perele, would you mind... you don’t have to, of course, but... could you tell me what you meant by what you said before?”

“Artie and... and Marjorie. Perele, I’m afraid. They’re two young people and they like each other and....” Her voice trailed off

Her voice grew sharper, even as the tantalizing smell of fresh-perked coffee filled the room. “Oh, but Abe, please, not Grossinger’s”

Could, would Artie even consider a relationship with a girl who, when you got down to it, was not religious at all?

Abie,” she said, her voice softening, “Malka is my baby, too. She’s been my baby since she was six years old"

And as she watched her children — no, her young men — she came to a decision. There was something she had to do. And it had to be done soon

“So Mama, we got to talking with Marjorie on the subway,” he began, “and would you believe she doesn’t have a place for the Sedorim?”

I will ask Dr. Samuels. I can’t live with this for months, and I can’t... I just can’t tell anyone else, not even Abe