I stare at my sister-in-law. Maybe she has sunstroke? “Goldie. I can’t have clients. I don’t have a business”

Nothing says summer like a long shopping spree while sipping a Dunkin’ Donuts iced caramel latte. Goldie holds up a blue and white tie-dyed T-shirt for my approval, I give her a thumbs-up and lean over to tickle Effie. He’s getting so big and, honestly, the kid gets cuter every single day. I don’t think he has any clue he’s about to become a big brother, but I guess his parents will cross that bridge when they come to it.

We try on a bunch of stuff, and then head across the road to Bath & Body Works to stock up on their newest summer lotions. “Mmmm,” I say as I breathe in deeply. There’s coconut and vanilla and something that can only be described as suntan lotion in the moisturizer I’m holding. Goldie is torn between two candles, she’s letting Effie smell them. I crack up, because if we let one-and-a-half-year-olds make all of our choices, we’d probably be in pretty good shape.

I leave the mall laden with bags; Goldie just has her candles.

“I think if I’m going to find a summer dress, I’m going to have to look in the frum stores,” she says. So we pull onto Coney Island and get out, trying not to melt in the 90-degree weather.

Goldie is whisked away by an overeager salesgirl, and I rock Effie back and forth, spacing out a little. I shake my head to clear it, and tune in to a girl, obviously engaged and shopping for sheva brachos, clearly super agitated.

“It’s just, like, ready-made,” she says. The salesgirl looks confused, so the girl elaborates. “Like I would feel like I bought something out of a catalog and stuck it on, you know? I want to wear my clothing.”

Now the salesgirl looks like she’s going to cry. I figure it’s time to step in.

“You know, you can change them to look exactly how you want them to.”

The kallah turns slowly, and looks at me so dramatically that it’s all I can do not to burst out laughing. Honestly, there are tears sparkling on her eyelashes. Literally, like in the books.