One thing was for sure: Bella and Zach were getting an uninvited guest for lunch tomorrow, because there was no way Ari was putting herself in the vicinity of Judah Klein ever again without an entire wedding between them.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Do we think jeans are okay for a Lag Ba’Omer party?” Liana looked down at her outfit and frowned. “I feel like I’m underdressed.”
“You’re eating s’mores around a bonfire in Brielle Benovitz’s backyard while taking care of a toddler. Whatever you wear is going to end up covered in grass stains and reeking of smoke. I think jeans are a safe bet,” Ari said without looking up from the matching game she was playing on her phone.
“Brielle Benovitz’s backyard is nicer than most wedding venues,” Liana huffed as she headed back to her closet to flip through some more options. “Lo that I were marrying a neurosurgeon. I should wear a dress.”
“Fine, wear a dress.”
“Thanks for the support, Ar.”
Ari snorted. “You need support to get dressed for a party at the house of a woman you literally work right next to every day? Which I still can’t get over, by the way. I will never not associate Brielle Benovitz with being the girl who downed an entire plastic cup of vodka on her birthday and then puked all over the seminary roof.”
“Yeah, well, let’s just say she’s turned things around.” Liana glanced over her shoulder. “Speaking of which, maybe you should come with me tonight.”
“I’m not invited,” Ari reminded her. “I haven’t actually spoken to Briellesinceseminary.”
“So? I bet she’d be happy to see you. More important, you’ve been nonstop miserable since you got that promotion, and I can only assume that means you’re working too hard. Which meansyou clearly need a break. So yes, you are coming with me to this party, and you arenotfighting me about it.”
Ari narrowed her eyes. “You want me to crash Brielle Benovitz’s Lag Ba’Omer party? Are you out of your mind?”
“What’s the matter? It’s not like you don’t know her. And I was invited with Gideon, so obviously there’s room for me to bring a plus one.”
“The matter is that it’s a party for couples and families, to which I was not invited. I can’t just show up in her backyard and shout, ‘Surprise!’”
“You really can though,” said Liana. “And you’ll be doing me a favor, since otherwise I’d have to take the train home by myself at night, and you know how I hate doing that. Plus, Ollie. You can’t argue with Ollie time.”
“Using your extremely adorable nephew against me is cruel and unfair. You know I can’t resist the way he calls every single time period in the past ‘yestermorning.’”
“You are not meant to resist.” Liana smirked. “You are meant to come eat s’mores in a ginormous backyard in Westchester belonging to a girl you haven’t spoken to in over ten years and delight a four-year-old with your presence.”
Ari sighed deeply, knowing the battle had already been lost. “Fine, but if anyone asks, I’m your wife.”
A train and cab ride later, they’d reached Liana’s sister Aliza’s house to pick up Oliver. With Aliza on mandated bed rest for the last couple of months of baby number two, Liana’d been spending more time there and watching Ollie more than usual. Between that and delaying her and Gideon’s engagement party until Aliza was able to attend, Ari was pretty sure Liana qualified for Sister of the Year.
Once upon a time—before Evan—Dana probably would’ve been that sister. Just another thing in Ari’s life that’d become less than ideal.
Brielle lived only a few blocks from Aliza, so they walked over, swinging a joyful Oliver between them while shouting, “Lions and tigers and bears—oh my!” until they reached the Tudor-style home and its lush green yard, packed with food and families milling around the kindling for an enormous bonfire in the center.
“You weren’t kidding about Brielle turning things around,” Ari murmured as she took in the fenced-off pool, the tables covered in sushi platters, and the gorgeous landscaping filling the air with the scents of lilac and roses. “Jesus. How does someone have all this at twenty-nine?”
“She marries someone who’sthirty-nine,” Liana replied, scouting the yard for Brielle while Oliver begged for a cookie from the dessert table. “Not yet, Ollie. First you gotta eat something with nutritional value.”
“Oreos have lots of vitamins,” Ollie said authoritatively.
“Sorry to say, you made that up, kiddo.” Liana led them to a crudité platter and picked out some cucumber spears and sliced red peppers. “Here, eat these and then you can have a cookie.”
Ari grabbed a stick of jicama and dipped it in the ranch dressing at the center as she looked around. This was exactly the kind of life she couldn’t imagine ever having for herself—owning a home, maintaining a yard, knowing what kinds of fancy platters to buy… It was the kind of life Bella and Zach would have soon enough, and Liana and Gideon, and Judah and Mira, while Ari would probably end up living with Hannah until they were old and gray (or old and whatever color Hannah decided to dye her hair that week).
She crunched into the jicama as she looked down at her toes, lilac nails peeking out of strappy leather sandals beneath the hem of her maxi dress. She might look the part, but she didn’t belong there, and she was never going to. She’d never evenwantedto (except during the Sedarim, when she had, delusionally, kind of wanted to).
“Heyyy!” Ari looked up to see Brielle walking toward them, a bright smile on her face, sunlight glinting off her glossy blond highlights. “You made it.” She exchanged air kisses with Liana and ruffled Ollie’s hair. “And is that Arielle Becker? Wow, I haven’t seen you in forever!” She pulled Ari into a hug she had no choice but to reciprocate. “That’s right! I forgot you two live together. So excited you came!”
“Sorry she made me crash,” Ari said wanly. “Your house is gorgeous. This whole yard looks amazing. I’ve never actually been to a Lag Ba’Omer party before.”
“Please, the more the merrier.” Brielle treated her to a huge smile. “And just wait for the actual best part.” She clapped her hands together, showing off multiple dazzling diamond rings. “I got Judah Klein to perform!”
