Unlike her mother, she’d never fail her baby

The elevator was broken. As if Shira wasn’t hot and sweaty enough.

She climbed the narrow flight of stairs, black City Mini under one arm and a squealing Rikki tucked under the other. When she finally reached the landing, she dropped them both and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. At least the store didn’t look too busy.

She squeezed in the doorway, the smell of fresh leather hitting her as she found her nose nearly pressed against the shoe display on the opposite wall.

“Can I help you?” The saleswoman had a slight European accent and a short, stiff sheitel.

“I, um, I need shoes for my 14-month-old. She just started walking. Rikki, no!” Shira yanked the toddler away from the nearest tower of shoeboxes. Rikki squirmed and shrieked. “Come, Rikki, cutie, hold your foot still so the lady can measure,” Shira coaxed, flushing.

The saleswoman didn’t seem fazed. “Nineteen,” she said briskly, sitting back on her heels. “But her foot is a bit wide. I’ll bring you some choices.”

The bangs of her sheitel stuck to her damp forehead. It was a relief to be the only one in the store. See? Another good reason I don’t send Rikki to a babysitter! I can take her shopping before it gets crowded. Even in her mind, though, Ezzy’s smirk told her he wasn’t convinced.

Rikki was wiggling almost violently in her arms, but Shira didn’t want to put her down; there were so many things around for her to touch, so many ways for her to hurt herself. Shira was struggling to hold onto her when her phone rang. She fished through her bag to check who was calling. Mommy? Her heart beat a little faster. It was so early in America.

“Hi, Ma, is everything okay?”

“Hi, Shira, everything is great, baruch Hashem. How are you? How’s the baby?” Mommy’s voice was rushed, as usual, even at six in the morning.

Shira tucked the phone under her ear and jiggled Rikki, switching her to the other arm. “Baruch Hashem, good. We just got to the shoe store, actually. The ride here was so hot and the elevator was broken, and Rikki’s all over the place these days so— “

“Shira, zeeskeit,” Mommy interrupted, “I’m so sorry to cut you off, but did you finalize your Yom Tov plans yet? Chaya Leah wants to know which meals she can come to us.”

The woman was back with a stack of shoeboxes, swiftly opening the first and pulling out the tissue paper. She slipped the shoe onto Rikki’s foot and tied it into a deft bow. “These look nice.”

“Hmm,” Shira said vaguely.

“Shira?”

“Yeah, Ma, I’m here, sorry.” She felt her shoulders tense and shifted Rikki on her lap. “We’re going to stay here. It just doesn’t make sense to come in. Who else is coming, besides Chaya Leah?”

“Well, we’re not sure yet, the boys are still deciding, Lieba will be here, of course, Yosef Dov and Rochie are going to her parents for the first days and coming to us second days. Shana Rivka is planning on coming, so it will be a pretty full house.”

“Oh, wow. That’s so nice,” Shira said quietly. Something squeezed inside of her.