“Very funny,” I tell him sarcastically, even as I flush with pleasure. I love the inside joke.

The dining room begins filling with people. “Good Shabbos, Ima,” Ezra says, bending down to give Mrs. Wine a hug. Ezra is next in line after Josh, bigger and quieter. He’s going into eleventh grade.

“This one looks like a brute, but he’s the biggest softie you’ll ever meet,” Mrs. Wine says, giving him a squeeze.

“Ima,” he says, reddening.

Introductions are made with all the guests, including two stragglers Mr. Wine has picked up at shul. Mrs. Wine bustles around adding place settings while Mr. Wine begins singing “Shalom Aleichem” to welcome the day of rest. Everyone joins in singing as Mrs. Wine points to where each of us should sit. I stick close to Honey and pray I get a Wine kid and not a stranger on my other side. While Honey would be equally comfortable making conversation with a celebrity or a lamppost, let’s just say that I am not able to do that.

As if on cue, the woman from the living room starts loudly humming a completely different song and swaying. I bite my lip, but no one else bats an eye.

Josh punches Ezra in the arm, hard. “Sucker punch, sucker,” Josh says.

“Raise you one, sucker,” Ezra says, gleefully pummeling him back.

“Abba, it’s my turn to sit next to you,” Miriam complains to Mr. Wine, who is enthusiastically singing off-key while trying to wipe up the deep red wine he has accidentally glugged over the side of his silver kiddush cup. It is running a small river over the edge of the plastic tablecloth and down toward the carpet.

“Want to hear the best joke ever?” Micah says to me, his copper hair newly cropped since camp and some freckles standing out against his summer tan. He’s next in age after Ezra and is starting ninth grade, but it always seems to me that he has to work hard to keep up with his older brothers.

“Sure, why not,” I say, trying to sound casual. Of course, I’d rather die than let Honey know I think Micah is cute.

“Two elephants are sitting in a bath and one elephant says to the other, ‘Pass me the soap.’ And the other elephant says: ‘No soap radio!’ ” Micah laughs. “Get it?” He gives me a toothy smile.

I roll my eyes and laugh. “You want me to pretend I get it, even though it makes no sense, so you can laugh at me.”

“Not funny,” Honey informs Micah.

“Yom hashishi!” Mr. Wine says, giving up on his soggy pile of napkins and beginning the blessing over the wine.

“Abba,” Miriam interrupts, standing right in front of him. “You forgot to give us our brachas.”

“Ah,” Mr. Wine says. “Miriameleh, what would I do without you?” Miriam glances at Honey with a smirk before bowing her head so that Mr. Wine can place his hands on it and whisper the traditional blessing over the children.