“He knew you were married with five other children. He didn’t want to intrude on your privacy.”

“He is a better person than I am.”

Rina squeezed her hand. Frieda looked up at her, smiled. “He picked a beautiful bride. A young woman for his age.” She knitted her brow. “He just turned forty-one. You must be…what, ten, twelve years younger than him?”

Rina nodded.

Frieda shook her head. “I talk stupidity. Tell him I love him. He will not believe me, but tell him anyway. Tell him I will leave it up to him what he wants to do. But I would like to talk to him, ask his forgiveness.”

“There’s no reason—”

“Yes, there is, Rina. There is reason.”

“I’ll tell him.” Rina paused. “I don’t think he wants to see your parents—”

“My parents!” Frieda blurted out. “They’ll recognize him. Oh, dear God, my husband and children know nothing of my terrible shame.”

“So we figured—”

“I feel like dying.”

“Rest, Mrs. Levine,” Rina said. “Let me talk to Peter. I’ll find out what he wants to do.”

“Tell him my parents go to my sister’s house tomorrow for lunch,” Frieda said. “It will be only my family…” She started to cry. After a minute she asked, “Does he have any family?”

“Of course!” Rina said. “Peter didn’t grow up in an orphanage or anything like that. He had a very nice childhood. His mother and father live in Florida, where he grew up. They were taken aback by his conversion—”

“He doesn’t have to convert,” Frieda said.

“I know that,” Rina said. “And you know that. But it was easier to tell everyone that he was a ger than to explain the circumstances. Besides, he feels like a convert. His mother is a religious Baptist. Peter speaks very fondly of his parents. And he’s close to his brother.”

“Just the one brother?”

“Yes, that’s his only sibling,” Rina said. “And of course, he adores his daughter, Cynthia.”

Frieda clutched her heart. “A granddaughter I’ll never know. Such a terrible fate to suffer. But I deserve such a fate, Rina. It’s punishment from Hashem—”

“Shhhh,” Rina quieted. “Everything will work out.” But she didn’t believe her own words.

There was another knock on the door. Shimon this time.

“I’ll be out in a minute, darling,” Frieda said. “I feel much better. It was just a little exhaustion.”

“Rest, Mama,” Shimon said. “I just wanted to know.”

After he left, Frieda said, “You’d better go to him.”

Rina stood. “I’ll let you know what he wants to do.”

“Tell him I love him, Rina,” Frieda said. “I will not intrude on his privacy just as he didn’t intrude on mine. I will honor whatever decision he makes. Please tell him that for me.”

“I will.”