#scarsdale

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"Ap-ple Cake, Ap-ple Cake!" Zara waits ALL YEAR for this!

"No apple cake this year," Her mother says sadly, then she smiles "There are TWO"

"Mama! Tease me not about such things!"

Earl clutches at his heart, "You almost broke her and me."

Mama laughs and gives her daughter a warm hug, "Well, maybe I'm being a WEE bit mean. I missed you both so much, and yes yes, I know you visit plenty but I always enjoy it."

"Pray, forgive. I did not ever intend to settle so far from home..."

Earl speaks up "But I'm always happy to flicker flash."

Her mom tuts playfully, "Maybe I should visit YOU two now and then, if it's no trouble?" Has she even seen the house by the river?

"Tis never trouble. You and Papa always have a space."

Earl nods on that. / Hannah smiles, "Your father will be happy as long as he has enough square footage for a recliner and a newspaper." A bit of humor in her voice, "Now let's set up some plates properly. Would you help me ,dear?"

"Aye, Mama." She flits to her mother's side, a place with decades of practice. Today is 25 years after Miriam was stolen, when a squalling babe was left abandoned in a dust-filled apartment.

And it is all the more special for it. The family is here, most of the men folk sent to other tasks or malingering in a way that will do no harm 😉 but they best snap to it if their services ARE asked for . Aaron presides from a throne of warm comfort, his fond eyes looking not only over the newspaper, but at his family . THe Uncles are.. well, arguing with Miriam , Jakob is playing a hand held game, Tzip is happy to tell anyone how things are gong, and Vashti is tending quietly to placemats and other table cloths

IT would seem that some of the tension in the autumn world has made even the cranks of the family treasure the magic of these moments all the more.

All of Zara's family is here, and it warms even her cold slug heart.

Zara and her mother work side by side, almost like dancers in their coordination. There's a ritual to it, and Zara as a witch knows just how fit that comparison is. Place this here, put that there, prep this and step... what is that if not a ritual as old, nay, older, than many a Masonic attempt at ceremonial magic? This is old, it is ancient, and it is powerful in the threads it both binds and celebrates

Tradiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttiiiooooooooooooon!

One can almost hear the chimerical fiddler on the roof!

Tziporah says "And that's how i ended up getting a bagel from a redcap who I thought was going to shake me down for money. Nice guy actually."

"Redcaps aren't so bad, provided you don't ask them to behave as aught other than what they are. Tis the expectation which leads to outrage, nu?"

"I suppose that's true," Tziporah considers, "Kind of like the tale of the scorpion and the frog."

"Well, I'm still nervous around them," Their Mama says "But they DO appreciate a meal."

"Oh, mistake me not - wariness IS appropriate."

"They are dangerous. And would be recognized as such."

"Kind of disrespectful to NOT treat them as dangerous," Earl agrees, "We got a little girl who came to the farm for classes, and later took lessons from a Hog Butcher. You can bet she would not appreciate being patted on the head... I forget her name? Bramble? No... something like that though."

"Briar, love."

"Briar, thank you," Earl tells her with gratitude/ "Noted, no touching caps on the top of the head," Tziporah grins "NOt sure even I'm that reckless."

"I do think you look best with two hands, aye."

"The new job I had on my nails," She shows her fancy design, "DEFINITELy sell it." / Hannah smiles "That's lovely. Now use those nails to carry this bowl to the table." She hands it over to Tziporah who DID show open hands to mother. Her mistake.

"Mama, you took advantage of my vanity," Tzip protests playfully but starts to do the task, of course./ "I had to," Hannah smiles sweetly, "It's in my nature."

A soft rattle of laughter, and Zara follows with her serving dish.

Indeed, open hands near Hannah get used, and the wise know how to either find a task of their own, or avoid with respect. Tziporah and Zara help set the table, and Tziporah grins at Zara and says in low tones, "She's feeling feisty today, must be as happy as a Kosher clam to have all of us in."

"Aye. All her family, zeeskeit."

Tziporah blushes at that, "Thank you again for sharing yours. I was just a Sheifale in the ashes so to speak." While Vashti has been allowed to add some touches, and with gratitude, many of the things on the table are old, carried from one generation to the next. One day, Zara will get that set of cups, one day, Tziporah might get a certain dish set. May it be a LONG long time off.

G8d willing and the creek don't rise.

Vashti flutters by "May I help in any other way? My clumsy fingers are yours."

"The carafe, aye?"

Vashti nods, and gets to it, wings a delicate slow flutter. Shallimar is chatting in the next room. He seems to have started something by asking WHICH Mets player was the greatest of all time.

For the longest time, the JEster pooka seemed unsure how to fit in here, but he's learned giving the uncles a chance to argue over opinions that vary often fills the time in a way the Uncles at least, enjoy.

Miriam cannot restrain herself from comparing legendary Mets to (ptui!) Yankees.

Well THAT Is not Shallimar's fault, is it? 😇

Earl goes into intercede and deescalate. Well, he'll try.

Fortunately there is one way to put a temporary quiet on all... for when the table is set and the food is ready, Hannah calls out "Dinner is ready."

And even Baseball has to wait for THAT.

Indeed!

And with that, ritual and family reign once more, Zara is positively aglow with the glamour of it, and she is not alone.

(And she gets APPLE CAKE.)

(mmm 🍎 🍰 ! End Scene)