Chapter 5 The Waiting Game

Leah had spent Saturday organizing her new room. She had stacks of pictures to hang up, which she meticulously measured and taped in a checkerboard formation on the wall above her bed. There were pictures of her high school friends dressed up at BBYO dances. She and her college roommate in Halloween costumes. A group picture from the Hillel Purim party from her senior year. Even one of her and her friends in front of the Christmas tree in the Boston Commons. Even she, a nice Jewish girl from upstate, could appreciate the beauty of the lights and the holiday season.

She focused on every picture as she hung it up, reliving the memories she had with her friends, until she came upon one with Asher. She and he were standing in his parents' kitchen, he was standing behind her, his arms hugging her around her shoulders. She was looking back at him, a huge smile on her face and her eyes full of love. He was looking at the camera, looking equally happy and in love with her. The picture had been taken during her junior year of college during winter break when Asher was home. They had treasured those few weeks every year, spending every moment together in an intense hope of getting an entire year of emotion into a short school break. They were happy during those times, she remembered. She was always so happy when he came home. And now that happiness made her sad.

She decided not to put that picture on the wall. That was the last thing she needed, a constant reminder of a time she was happy and in love. Before she could start wondering if she had somehow made a mistake, she picked up her phone to see if she had any messages.

Last night she had texted Maya back a simple emoji of the girl with her hands up by her shoulders as if to say she didn't know. What was she supposed to do? Ask Gabe? As he leaned in to kiss her, should she have stopped him? "Wait, sorry, excuse me," she could have said. "Are you Jewish?" If he said no, was she supposed to say, "OK, well thanks for the walk and let's be friends!"? And if he said yes? Would the kiss continue as though uninterrupted by her awkward question? He could be Jewish, she thought. Wasn't most of New York City Jewish? She'd heard once that there were more Jews in New York than in Israel, so the chances seemed high. And the name Gabe? It could go either way. She needed to find out his last name.

She had one new text message from her mom. Hope the move in is going well! I wish I was there to help you! Sunday lunch? Right, Leah thought. Her mom had promised to help her move into her new apartment, but there had been an emergency in the temple Chavurah. The Greenberg's youngest sons' bar mitzvah was that weekend and their catering had just fallen through. How were they going to feed everyone for the Shabbat luncheon? They couldn't rely on the temple's regular bagel and cream cheese spread! There would be hundreds of people there! Leah's mom—head of the temple sisterhood—promised to help. She enlisted volunteers to meet in the temple's kitchen Friday morning to cook together. They'd make kugel, rugalach, knishes, salads, and everything else that was expected on a Saturday after services lunch. I'm sorry honey! It's part of my duties to oversee this! Leah's mom had said Thursday evening. I'll drive to the city Sunday to help! We'll get lunch in your new neighborhood!

By Sunday, Leah was hoping she wouldn't need any more help. On Friday morning, movers had picked up her furniture and she rode with them to the city, feeling that uncomfortable need to make conversation when she really had no interest in talking. They emptied her furniture and boxes and she had gotten to work. The living room and kitchen had been done before she'd gone out Friday (except for the TV dispute), and her room could be done in a day. After four years of dorm rooms, she was a pro at moving .

Leah responded to her mom: Don't worry, everything is great! Would be happy to do lunch Sunday. Hope the bar mitzvah went well.

The bar mitzvah was wonderful! Everyone loved the kugel! And everyone is so proud of you for moving to New York by yourself! The response came in a minute.

Leah put her phone down and went back to her pictures. There were a few more of her and Asher, which she stuffed back into the bottom of the box. After she finished hanging up all the pictures that did make her happy, she slid the box under her bed, not to open it again until her next move (which she hoped was more than a year away).

She organized her closet and her dresser and then stuffed her suitcases under the bed, pushing the box even deeper to a place she'd never think about again until necessary. It was mid-afternoon by the time she'd finished and she hadn't eaten a thing. Not that there was anything to eat in the apartment anyway. She still needed to figure out the closest grocery store and which restaurants or cafes in her neighborhood were worth becoming a regular at. She had her eye on a bagel shop she'd passed a couple of times on her walks to the Subway.

She asked her roommate if she wanted anything on her way out. "Get me an everything bagel with low-fat cream cheese! Thanks!" The roommate responded, enthusiastically. Leah had hoped she'd offer to join her, and the two of them could go together, but maybe if she bought her roommate a bagel, it would be the start of their friendship. They could eat them together on the couch and continue the discussion of where to put the TV.

Leah headed out, with her phone in hand. She wished someone would text her or call her. Ask her how she was doing, or better yet, ask her to hang out. When her phone buzzed, her heart jumped. Her first hope was Gabe, but then she thought a text from Maya would be so much better. It was her sister Shira.

How's the big city? Shira had moved to Los Angeles after she had graduated college three years before. Her degree was in film and everyone agreed there was no better place for an unemployed film major than Los Angeles. She'd quickly gotten an internship with one of the big studios where she was in charge of coffee for a film crew. After their parents had gotten tired of paying her rent for a year, Shira got a job working in the customer service department of a large bank. Their parents had been proud of her for the job, but had suggested that instead she go back to school. They'd even bribed her with another year of rent, but Shira had insisted she liked her job. It gave her plenty of time to work on her own projects in the afternoons and weekends. And she didn't need any help paying for rent, just a credit card number for plane tickets if her parents ever wanted to see her.

Leah sent her sister an overly enthusiastic message about how amazing New York was. She bought two bagels and headed back to the apartment, where she ate alone on the couch, while her roommate ate in her bedroom with the door closed. She grabbed her phone to text Maya, hoping she wouldn't sound too desperate asking her to hang out again already. New friendships and dating weren't all that different. She didn't want to come on too strong, but she really wanted to see Maya again. She started texting a message, but quickly deleted it. She'd wait a few days. Maybe suggest happy hour in the middle of the week. That was less precocious. More low-key. Less desperate.

She turned on the TV that was sitting on the floor in front of the couch and spent her first Saturday evening in New York.