Page 149 - In Five Years

doing their damage. But I am hopeful, of course I am. I’m breathing.
I’m reading over the IPO offering for Yahtzee. Aldridge has already been to
California to meet with them. If I choose to, I’ll leave in three weeks. It’s the
dream case. Young female entrepreneurs, a managing partner overseeing,

complete access to the deal.
“Of course, you should do it,” David tells me over a glass of wine and Greek

salad takeout.
“I would be in LA for a month,” I say. “What about the wedding? And what
about Bella?” What about missing her doctors’ appointments, not being here?
“Bella is doing well,” David says, reaching over the question. “She’d want

you to go.”
“Doesn’t mean I should.”

David picks up his glass, drinks. The wine is a red we bought at a tasting on
Long Island last fall. It was David’s favorite. I remember liking it fine, which is
the way I feel about it tonight. Wine is wine.

“You have to make choices sometimes for yourself. It doesn’t make you a bad
friend, it just means you put yourself first, which you should.”
What I don’t tell him, because I suspect, I know, that a lecture would follow,

is that I don’t put myself first. I never have. Not when it comes to Bella.
“Nate said that we should go with the tiger’s lily and that no one does roses
anymore,” I say, skating to the next subject.

“That’s insane,” David says. “It’s a wedding.”
I shrug. “I don’t care,” I say. “Do you?”
David takes another sip. He appears to be really considering. “No,” he says.

We sit in silence for a few moments.
“What do you want to do for your birthday?” he asks me.
My birthday. Next week. October 21. Thirty-three. “Your magic year,” Bella

told me. “Your year of miracles. Same year Jesus died, and was resurrected.”
“Nothing,” I say. “It’s fine.”
“I’ll make a reservation,” David says. He gets up with his plate and goes to

the counter, refilling on tzatziki and roasted eggplant. It’s a shame neither one of
us cooks. We love to eat so very much.
“Who should we get to marry us?” David asks, and in the same breath: “I’ll

ask my parents for Rabbi Shultz’s information.”