No way will I be the married-for-three-years-without-a-baby nebach case at the wedding

MY

younger sister Tova is getting engaged! I am so excited; really, I am. It’s been a while since our family has had a simchah, and we are ready to party. At the same time, a worm of fear wriggles its way into my heart.

Will Tova skip us?

Betzalel laughs me away in the way that only husbands can.

“Seriously? You’re stressing about that now? She’s not even married yet! A million things could happen before her wedding or right after! Don’t worry for a second!”

I try not to.

But I decide that as my own secret consolation prize, I’m going look my best at the wedding. My gown will be stunning, my sheitel gorgeous, my makeup flawless. No way will I be the married-for-three-years-without-a-baby nebach case at the wedding.

The big day arrives.

I look just as I’d wanted to. I walk into the hall and force myself to mentally shelve my troubles for the night. The music plays softly as the band does a sound check. I exchange mazel tovs with all the early guests: aunts and uncles, siblings-in-law, my in-laws who came in from Brooklyn, and everyone else.

I try not to think about it too much, but my arms are conspicuously empty, especially since my mother rented matching baby outfits for all the grandchildren for the occasion.