Jenna's eyes widen as Eli pulls a yarmulke out of his back pocket, making sure its pinned carefully before they make their way up John's driveway.
"Do I need one of those?" she hisses.
Eli sighs, his patience for her having run out long before the car ride was over. "No, Jenna. Yarmulkes are for men."
Maris' two best friends hadn't always gotten along, but since they were both turning up to her grandfather's shiva to support her, it sort of made sense to make the journey there together.
"Okay, well I didn't know that," she shoots back haughtily. Her teeth sink into her lower lip as they make their way up the front steps. "God, I hate stuff like this."
Eli gives her a wry smile. "Everybody does. Oh shit, take off your shoes!"
Jenna's eyes widen. "What!? These are Michael Kors-"
"Just do it, Jen," he snaps. "It's a shiva thing, I can't explain right now."
"Well somebody better when this is all over," she mumbles, but she does as he asks.
Maris and her father are in the living room and for once, she's not the only one wearing black.
"Why are the chairs all weird?" Jenna whispers as they take their spot in line.
"They're stools," he mutters, not begrudging Jenna her question because he's never really understood the tradition himself. "You have to sit low to the ground. It's a whole thing."
"For three days?"
"For three days," he says solemnly.
"Oh, we're definitely taking her out for a drink after this," Jenna grumbles and Eli can't begrudge her that, either.
When their turn comes, he's unsure what to say. With John and Ramona busy talking to the couple ahead of them, Eli takes a step toward his friend, immediately leaning down for a hug.
And finds himself shocked when Jenna, normally even less affectionate than Maris, does the same.
"Zikhrono livrakha," he says softly as Maris rises from her chair.
She stands as proudly as ever, undoubtedly having heard the same sentiment a thousand times over by now, but something about hearing her best friend say it causes her to swallow hard. She nods, opening her mouth to speak when someone taps her shoulder.
"I'll meet you guys in a bit, okay?" she says, her voice strained.
Eli & Jenna make their way to the relatively empty dining room. Jenna sits on a corner of the kitchen island, taking care to avoid the mountain of dishes piled on top.
"Hey, that sounded pretty," she says, knocking shoulders with him playfully before smoothing out her pencil skirt. "What's it mean?"
"May his memory be a blessing."
She bites her lip again, tilting her head to the side as she takes a moment to reflect on it. "I like that. It's nice."
The sound of heels clicks across the tile floor and Eli looks up to see Ramona heading toward a covered dish. He's used to seeing her as put together as her niece, but he can hardly judge her for having runny mascara and blotchy cheeks on a day like today.
He offers her the same Hebrew sentiment he gave Maris moments before and she brightens ever so slightly when she sees him.
"Well, aren't you as polite and handsome as ever, Eli Rosenthal. How's your mother?" She gasps when she notices Jenna, nearly dropping her plate full of brisket. "Is this your girlfriend? Oh, she's stunning."
"Gross," Jenna mutters before raising her voice. "No, Ms. Forrester, I'm Maris' friend, Jenna, remember? From college."
"Oh, right, right, the scientist. You had red hair then." She turns toward Eli again. "So you're still single? What a shame... I don't know how Maris hasn't found someone either."
Eli finds himself craving a drink when their small talk ends and Ramona finally leaves, but Jenna looks delighted.
"She does realize Maris is a lesbian right?"
"Yup," he says, popping open a beer from the fridge and taking a long sip.
"And that you have a dick?"
"Christ, Jenna," he hisses.
"And that even if you two could date it would be basically incest?"
"Do you just say every thought that stomps through your brain!?"
Jenna shrugs, taking his beer from him to steal a sip of her own. "Pretty much."
Eventually the day winds down. Maris changes her black lace dress to a black sweater and jeans and let's her friends take her out.
She's quieter than usual, but seems to be holding up all things considered. They order a second round, but she doesn't touch it, staring into her glass for a moment before looking up at her friends.
"He left me a house," she murmurs.
Jenna tears her gaze away from a handsome bartender. "What?"
"Pop. He...left me a house."
"I didn't even know he had a house," Eli says incredulously. "He lived with you guys."
"It's in Maine," she says, shaking her head like she can't quite believe it. "What's in Maine?"
"Lobsters and yuppies?" Jenna offers with a snort.
"I can't think of anything," Eli chimes in. "Are you...gonna go see it?"
"I guess I have to."
"When? School starts in like..."
"I'm on hiatus."
It's news to both of Maris' friends but neither of them says anything. They know she needs time to grieve. Eli who sees her far more often, knows she's been phoning it in on the teaching front for what seems like years now because nothing, especially not work has been quite the same since...
The person he knows better than to talk about.
"Wait, don't you hate Maine?" Jenna asks suddenly, proof that she doesn't.
Eli immediately kicks her under the table, remembering a second too late that specific someone is in Maine but its too late. Rory's been indirectly brought up, but Maris is too preoccupied with a different sort of grief. She fishes the cherry out of her whiskey and shrugs.
"I guess I'll have to figure it out."
"Do I need one of those?" she hisses.
Eli sighs, his patience for her having run out long before the car ride was over. "No, Jenna. Yarmulkes are for men."
Maris' two best friends hadn't always gotten along, but since they were both turning up to her grandfather's shiva to support her, it sort of made sense to make the journey there together.
"Okay, well I didn't know that," she shoots back haughtily. Her teeth sink into her lower lip as they make their way up the front steps. "God, I hate stuff like this."
Eli gives her a wry smile. "Everybody does. Oh shit, take off your shoes!"
Jenna's eyes widen. "What!? These are Michael Kors-"
"Just do it, Jen," he snaps. "It's a shiva thing, I can't explain right now."
"Well somebody better when this is all over," she mumbles, but she does as he asks.
Maris and her father are in the living room and for once, she's not the only one wearing black.
"Why are the chairs all weird?" Jenna whispers as they take their spot in line.
"They're stools," he mutters, not begrudging Jenna her question because he's never really understood the tradition himself. "You have to sit low to the ground. It's a whole thing."
"For three days?"
"For three days," he says solemnly.
"Oh, we're definitely taking her out for a drink after this," Jenna grumbles and Eli can't begrudge her that, either.
When their turn comes, he's unsure what to say. With John and Ramona busy talking to the couple ahead of them, Eli takes a step toward his friend, immediately leaning down for a hug.
And finds himself shocked when Jenna, normally even less affectionate than Maris, does the same.
"Zikhrono livrakha," he says softly as Maris rises from her chair.
She stands as proudly as ever, undoubtedly having heard the same sentiment a thousand times over by now, but something about hearing her best friend say it causes her to swallow hard. She nods, opening her mouth to speak when someone taps her shoulder.
"I'll meet you guys in a bit, okay?" she says, her voice strained.
Eli & Jenna make their way to the relatively empty dining room. Jenna sits on a corner of the kitchen island, taking care to avoid the mountain of dishes piled on top.
"Hey, that sounded pretty," she says, knocking shoulders with him playfully before smoothing out her pencil skirt. "What's it mean?"
"May his memory be a blessing."
She bites her lip again, tilting her head to the side as she takes a moment to reflect on it. "I like that. It's nice."
The sound of heels clicks across the tile floor and Eli looks up to see Ramona heading toward a covered dish. He's used to seeing her as put together as her niece, but he can hardly judge her for having runny mascara and blotchy cheeks on a day like today.
He offers her the same Hebrew sentiment he gave Maris moments before and she brightens ever so slightly when she sees him.
"Well, aren't you as polite and handsome as ever, Eli Rosenthal. How's your mother?" She gasps when she notices Jenna, nearly dropping her plate full of brisket. "Is this your girlfriend? Oh, she's stunning."
"Gross," Jenna mutters before raising her voice. "No, Ms. Forrester, I'm Maris' friend, Jenna, remember? From college."
"Oh, right, right, the scientist. You had red hair then." She turns toward Eli again. "So you're still single? What a shame... I don't know how Maris hasn't found someone either."
Eli finds himself craving a drink when their small talk ends and Ramona finally leaves, but Jenna looks delighted.
"She does realize Maris is a lesbian right?"
"Yup," he says, popping open a beer from the fridge and taking a long sip.
"And that you have a dick?"
"Christ, Jenna," he hisses.
"And that even if you two could date it would be basically incest?"
"Do you just say every thought that stomps through your brain!?"
Jenna shrugs, taking his beer from him to steal a sip of her own. "Pretty much."
Eventually the day winds down. Maris changes her black lace dress to a black sweater and jeans and let's her friends take her out.
She's quieter than usual, but seems to be holding up all things considered. They order a second round, but she doesn't touch it, staring into her glass for a moment before looking up at her friends.
"He left me a house," she murmurs.
Jenna tears her gaze away from a handsome bartender. "What?"
"Pop. He...left me a house."
"I didn't even know he had a house," Eli says incredulously. "He lived with you guys."
"It's in Maine," she says, shaking her head like she can't quite believe it. "What's in Maine?"
"Lobsters and yuppies?" Jenna offers with a snort.
"I can't think of anything," Eli chimes in. "Are you...gonna go see it?"
"I guess I have to."
"When? School starts in like..."
"I'm on hiatus."
It's news to both of Maris' friends but neither of them says anything. They know she needs time to grieve. Eli who sees her far more often, knows she's been phoning it in on the teaching front for what seems like years now because nothing, especially not work has been quite the same since...
The person he knows better than to talk about.
"Wait, don't you hate Maine?" Jenna asks suddenly, proof that she doesn't.
Eli immediately kicks her under the table, remembering a second too late that specific someone is in Maine but its too late. Rory's been indirectly brought up, but Maris is too preoccupied with a different sort of grief. She fishes the cherry out of her whiskey and shrugs.
"I guess I'll have to figure it out."