Dina closed the door, squared her shoulders, and slowly walked up the carpeted steps. What was going to be with Avrumie this morning? Soon the baby would wake up and would need to be fed. She had to deal with him now or never. She wished Ephraim were here to help, but he had to leave early in order to daven before class with his regular minyan. It was just as well. Ever since the Shabbos incident, things had been even more strained between Ephraim and Avrumie.

She gave a light knock on Avrumie’s open door and walked in. He was lying in bed, on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t look at her as she approached him.

“Well, good morning, Avrumie, I’m glad to see you’re up.”

“Yup, I’m up,” he said.

Well, that was good - at least he was speaking to her. He had once given her the silent treatment in protest of her not buying him a certain outrageously expensive brand-name shirt. Was he angry at her now? Was that why he wasn’t getting up?

“What’s going on this morning, Avrumie? What happened to getting up on time today?”

“Oh, Ma, you know how it is,” he said nonchalantly. “Some days you just don’t feel like getting up.”

Perhaps it was his too-casual attitude, or maybe his lame excuse, but Dina gave way to her irritation.

“No, actually, I don’t know how it is,” she said acidly. “I take my responsibilities seriously, and so does everyone else in this family. We all got up this morning even if we didn’t really feel like it. What about you?”

Avrumie didn’t reply. He continued gazing at the ceiling.

“Avraham Chaim Faber, you will please get up out of bed, get dressed, and get to yeshivah. It is already nine o’clock and you should have been there an hour ago. Discussion over.”

She stalked out of his room without a backward glance and went down to the kitchen. Maybe a glass of juice would steady her, she thought as she took a cup from the cabinet. She heard his footsteps creaking upstairs and the washroom door slam shut. He was going to obey her, but he apparently wasn’t going to do it pleasantly.

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