Rusi put her hands on her hips. “I messed things up? This painting business was your idea!”

Chava twirled her fork anxiously as she chewed Devoiry’s grilled cutlet, served on Shabbos china, and waited for the bombshell.

Chava’s husband Shloimy leaned back in his chair and said, “Nu, to what do we owe the zechus of this Shabbos meal on a weeknight?”

Chava was sure she’d heard wrong when Devoiry had invited them over on a Thursday night. But Devoiry had repeated the invitation — she wanted Tatty and Mommy to join her for dinner tonight. That could only mean one thing: She had something to tell them that they weren’t going to like.

Devoiry looked at Avi and said, “We’re so grateful for all the help you’ve been giving us these past few months. It hasn’t been easy launching a new business, and you’ve been incredible, with all the meals and babysitting and everything.”

Chava nodded. There was something more, she knew, but the appreciation was welcome. “It’s my pleasure. I’m happy to help. And”—she hesitated for a fraction of a second—“Tatty and I are really proud of the way you’ve been working so hard to build this business. You set yourself a goal, and look how much you’ve accomplished!”

Devoiry beamed, and Chava was reminded of the tichel sale in Tammy’s house the other night. She’d been struck by the magnetic mix of self-confidence and passion Devoiry had exuded as she’d spoken about her artistic creations, and a little voice inside had admitted that her daughter had found her calling.

But why did her calling have to be selling overpriced tichels to women who couldn’t afford them? Maybe if she were, say, selling them to women who otherwise wouldn’t cover their hair at all…

Chava shook her head and forced herself to refocus on Devoiry, who’d continued speaking. “Thanks, Mommy, that means a lot to me. Actually, that’s one of the reasons I wanted you to come over tonight. Baruch Hashem, my business is growing faster than I expected. Now Avi and I are ready to take it to the next stage.”

Avi picked up the thread. “We’ve been in contact with factories in China,” he said, “to look into mass producing. We’ve also been looking into renting a storefront.” As he spoke, he opened up his laptop. “Here’s the spreadsheet. I have it all laid out.”

Shloimy moved forward to look.

“This is our projected growth,” Avi said, pointing to a graph in the corner. “And these are our expenses. Rent, utilities, raw materials. Employees, as the business expands.”

Chava turned away from the computer screen; the numbers were making her dizzy.

“But why do you need to rent a store?” she asked. “Can’t you keep selling tichels from your home?”

“I’m moving into other accessories as well,” Devoiry answered. “Like bags. Do you have any idea how much women spend on bags? And you have to replace them each season as styles change, so there’s always going to be a market for a high-quality fashion bag.”

“I see,” Chava said, trying to keep her face neutral.