Two Little Bears

Illustrations: Menachem Weinreb

Dave and Buster’s was our sixth date. There were two other dating couples there, and I remember giving them knowing looks, trying to guess what number date they were on and how likely they were to get engaged. This, of course, was with the smug assurance that I was dating my bashert, and our impending engagement was only a matter of time. Ari was everything I’d been looking for, plus he won everything he played. I tried gamely to get a ring around the sticks, while Ari managed to rack up enough points to actually buy a prize — a pair of small teddy bears.

Cute, I thought, pocketing the little bear he offered me. We’ll put these on display in our apartment someday.

The date meandered from Dave and Buster’s to a café, and we made our way home an hour or two later than planned. I floated into the house, still smiling.

And then, shockingly, it was over. There were phone calls and confusion and deliberation and questions, so many questions, back and forth and ask the shadchan, but I don’t understand, it was going so well!