Oren appeared in the doorway. He was back in his shorts and T-shirt, his sling in place. I thought I might have time to show him my quilling stuff, but Mom told us it was time to get ready for dinner. Together Oren and I set the table.

The mac and cheese was amazing. Even Nate said it was as good as he’d ever had, and I could tell he wasn’t just saying that to be polite. Jared was impressed too, and he told Oren that if this was an indicator of his cooking skills, he was welcome to take over in the kitchen anytime.

Oren nodded eagerly, like it hadn’t been a joke. And when Jared scooped out a third helping of the gooey and so delicious pasta, I realized it really hadn’t been a joke.

I didn’t get to show Oren my quilling stuff after dinner either. Nate had barely cleared the dessert dishes before Jared pushed back from the table and started saying his goodbyes. He needed to get Oren home, he said. I think he really needed to get himself home, but Oren didn’t fuss. I said I’d show him my quilling another time.

I walked them to the door. “Have a great weekend,” I said.

“Thanks, Evie,” Jared said with a small smile. He really did look exhausted.

“I had a good day,” I told Oren as he put on his shoes.

He only nodded back, but I could tell he meant he had a good day too.

Seventeen

Saturday was Shabbat—the weekly day of rest. Since funerals can’t be held on the sabbath, every week Mom and Dad have from Friday night to Saturday night completely off. And they take that time off very seriously. We always do something together on Saturday afternoons, powering down our devices and doing things old-school: board games, flying Dad’s fancy kites in the park, checking out a museum or going to the JCC pool. Or sometimes we walk through the botanical gardens. Even though I hate gardening, I don’t mind going there because I don’t have to weed those gardens and, more important, we almost always stop at the ice cream store on the way home.

On this Saturday, Nate wanted to go to the pool because that’s where his friends were. But he was outvoted, so we headed out to the gardens. We strode along the paths and through the big bushes of roses that were in bloom. I loved how their sweet aroma wrapped right around me. It felt good to be out in nature, smelling the flowers, listening to the birds and just being with my family. Even though the more we walked, the more my feet started to hurt—my sneakers were getting pinchy.

I told Mom all my shoes were getting tight. She laughed and told me to stop growing so fast. She promised to take me to the mall for new shoes soon. Then she leaned in close and whispered, “Maybe we’ll get pedicures too, huh? A girls’ pamper day? What do you think?”