I looked cute. Turning sideways, I checked myself out in the mirror one last time. My outfit of ass-hugging skinny jeans, a shimmery royal blue sweater with a white tank underneath, and knee-high boots said, “I’m festive, yet not trying too hard”...or at least I hoped it did.

I rarely got nervous, but this was one of those rare occasions. A very small part of my nervousness was about meeting Yo’s family, but I was pretty good with new people. I could turn on the charm when needed. Plus, if they were anything like him, they’d be easy to get along with.

Mostly, the butterflies were due to Yo. They’d woken up the second I got a good look at him and they’d been flapping around wildly ever since. I didn’t normally react this way with men (mostly because I had so little patience for them).

But I’d found Yo didn’t require patience. He was interesting and funny and so damn handsome.

When I stepped out onto the landing, he was there waiting for me. My breath caught in my throat as he smiled. I knew my cheeks had to be flaming—they had an annoying tendency to do that at the most inopportune times.

“Hey, ready to go?” he asked.

“Should I bring something? I feel bad going over there empty-handed.”

He held up a six-pack of beer. “Got us covered. Plus we’re buying the pizza, so I think we’re good.”

Once we were in the car, Yo turned to me. “I read your paper.”

My stomach lurched. “Huh? Really?”

He nodded, a smile playing at his lips. “Yes, really. I found it fascinating. I’d never considered the ethical implications of genetic testing in combination with religion.”

The paper I’d given Yo to read was only twenty pages long, but I was surprised he’d actually gotten through it. It had been the beginning of my interest in genetics and ethics, so sharing it with him revealed a vital layer of myself.

I spent the drive to his cousin’s house answering his surprisingly insightful questions. I shouldn’t have been so surprised though. I already knew Yo was intelligent with a naturally curious personality. I just hadn’t known he’d be curious about the same things I was and that left me kind of in awe.

Could I really fall for a man I’d met three days ago? Given the way I felt right now, it seemed I could.

When we stood on the stoop of a narrow rowhome, Yo threw his arm loosely over my shoulder. “Don’t be nervous.”

I looked up at him and my stomach swooped at the gentle look in his eyes. “I’m actually okay right now.”

The door opened and light flooded out. A very tall man who looked so much like Yo it was startling stood just inside with a squirmy baby in his arms.

“Come in, please.” Even in those few words, I picked up his Israeli accent.

When we stepped inside, Yo hugged his cousin and kissed the baby before turning to me.

“Larissa, this is my cousin Avi. Avi, this is my neighbor Larissa.”

He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Nice to meet you. I’m glad you could join us.”

“Thank you so much for having me. Happy Hanukkah!”

Avi set down the baby, who toddled down the hall at lightning speed, yelling “Mamamamama!”

After we hung up our coats and took off our shoes, we followed Avi into the house.

A tiny blonde woman sat on the floor with the baby, trying to get him to stack blocks. She smiled and hopped up when we came in the room, heading to me first.

“Hi, Larissa, I’m Laurel!” She pulled me in for a tight hug. “I’ve heard so much about you!”

I glanced at Yo, then back to her. “You have?”

“I have! Yo called me this afternoon to brag about his hot, genius new neighbor.”

I looked at Yo, frowning. “We have another new neighbor?”

He burst out laughing. “Never confide in Laurel. She doesn’t keep shit to herself.”

Laurel held her hand up. “He’s right, I don’t. Not when I think it needs to be said. Anyway, come in, make yourself at home. We’ll light the candles in a little bit.”

Yo held up the six-pack he’d brought. “Beer, anyone?”

Everyone except Laurel took one, and we sat around the bright orange living room, watching the baby repeatedly knock over the stacks of blocks Avi built for him. I’d just met them, but I could already tell they were an adorable family.

“Yo told me to ask who you named Logan after,” I said.

Avi looked at his wife. “You should answer this.”

Laurel smiled sheepishly. “Well, I’m an X-Men fan—”

I gasped. “Did you name him after Wolverine?”

She laughed. “Why, yes we did! I mean, we were looking for an ‘L’ name since we were also naming him after Avi’s great-uncle Liev, so it was fate. How could I not name him Logan? Also, I’m impressed you knew the reference.”

“I can’t say I’m a name-my-child-after-a-character level fan, but I’ve binge-watched the movies a time or two. Plus, my sister married a total comic book nerd. Their basement is full of thousands of issues of Marvel comics. And I lived with them for three months, so I was a captive audience.”

She laughed. “I forced Avi to watch X-Men with me when we first met, so I feel him.”

Avi squeezed her foot. “There was no forcing, lovely.”

He held onto her foot with one hand as he continued to play on the floor with Logan, who was the perfect combination of his parents.

“I like your socks,” Yo said softly to me.

I looked down at my feet. My socks had a latke with stick arms and legs who was screaming “Ahhhhhhh!”. “They’re from my favorite Hanukkah book,” I said.

He winked and my heart jumped in my chest. “I know,” he said.

“You know Lemony Snicket?”

“I know The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming.”

I shook my head slowly, taking all of him in. “You keep surprising me.”

He clinked his beer bottle against mine. “Don’t be surprised. I read anything and everything I can get my hands on. Even children’s books.”

“I wish I could read more for fun.”

He brushed an errant hair off my forehead. It was a hair I hadn’t felt. A hair I wasn’t sure existed or if he’d just been touching me to touch me.

“I’ll read to you,” he said.

“Oh. My. God. Could you two be any cuter?” Laurel exclaimed.

I hadn’t even realized I’d been leaning closer and closer to Yo until the spell between us was broken.

“Don’t embarrass her, lovely. Her cheeks are so pink,” Avi said.

I covered my face. “Am I invisible yet?”

Yo pulled my fingers apart. “Sorry, I still see you.”

“I’m sorry, Larissa. My mouth likes to run away from me. How about we light the candles now?”

It was the fourth night, so we were halfway done with Hanukkah. I felt a twinge of sadness, which was silly since eight nights was a long time to celebrate anything. But still, as flighty as it sounded—and I would never say this out loud—there was something about this time of year that felt magical. Maybe it was all the memories of childhood coming back so strong with that first whiff of hot oil on the stove that it almost felt like I was back at my parents’ house, knee high and jumping around with impatience to open that night’s present. Or maybe it was because it created an excuse to spend eight nights straight with special people in my life. Whatever it was, I wasn’t looking forward to Hanukkah ending this year.

Avi lit the candles tonight while Laurel held little Logan in her arms. His tiny, chubby fingers reached for the flames immediately, and he didn’t like it when he was told no. I decided he and my niece Vivi would get along just fine—though it was probably better they never met, because I had no doubt that together they could take over the world.

Why would they meet? Ugh, stop thinking such fanciful thoughts! Weirdo.

My inner voice could sometimes be quite the asshole.

While the candles burned, we sat down for pizza. Logan was in a high chair, happily gnawing on crust, giving his parents a break for a few minutes.

“What’s it like having a kid?” I asked.

Laurel made eye contact with Avi and they both sighed. “It’s kind of perfect yet equally hellacious, if that makes sense,” she said.

Avi eyed his wife reverently. “She makes it look easy, though.”

She laid a hand on her stomach. “That’s how I convinced him to do it again so soon. Smoke and mirrors, baby.”

My hand flew up to my mouth. “You’re not…”

She smiled and nodded. “Yep. Two under two, here we come!”

I looked over at Yo and he frowned. “What?” he asked.

Laurel and I giggled and Avi laid a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “You’re going to be an uncle again,” he said.

Yo’s eyes bugged out. “Holy fuck. You expect me to babysit two of your spawn at the same time?”

“Yes, I do,” said Avi.

Yo nodded. “When I have a kid, it’s going to be the worst-behaved child on the planet. And I’m going to let it mingle with your children and teach them lots of bad words and how to use a slingshot.”

I elbowed him. “Your kid is going to be Dennis the Menace?”

Avi raised a shoulder. “Like father, like son.”

Yo slapped the table. “I was a good fuckin’ kid. It was when I was a teenager that things got iffy.”

“What was Yo like back then?” I asked.

Avi’s eyes filled with mischief as he told me about some of Yo’s misspent youth, a lot of which revolved around banging as many girls as possible. He sounded like he’d been the type of douche I’d assumed he was when we first met.

Laurel leaned over and said quietly, “Yo is reformed. He’s not like that anymore.”

“Have you known him long?”

“Just about two years. But he’s always around, so in a way, it feels much, much longer.”

“Hey!” Yo said, looking affronted. “I’m not always around. Just most of the time. You guys have to stop being so fun to be with; then I won’t come over so much.”

Laurel held her hands up. “Sorry, can’t help it.”

Right on time, Logan suddenly threw his slimy crust to the floor. He looked up and yelled: “Yo!”

The room fell silent as we all looked at each other.

“Did he just say…?”

“Oh my God, he said…”

“Did my fucking kid just say your name as his first word?”

Yo looked really pleased with himself. “Good job, Logan! He knows who gives him the Yogurt Melts his mean parents won’t let him have.”

The baby held his arms up and yelled with more vigor, “Yoooooooo!”

Yo laughed and picked him up out of his high chair, snuggling him close to his chest. “I knew you were a genius. Did I ever tell you that you’re my favorite person in the world?”

Logan giggled and smacked him right in the face. Then he laid his head on Yo’s shoulder, looking like he felt the exact same way.

Avi leaned close to his son and whispered, “Traitor,” making him giggle again.

The ache in my cheeks alerted me to the fact that I hadn’t stopped smiling all evening. The muscles in my face were probably wondering what the hell was going on. They’d gotten pretty lazy from their lack of use over the years.

We hung out for a little while longer, until it was time for baby Logan to go to bed, and then we said our goodbyes.

As Yo drove us home through the dark and quiet streets of Baltimore, I relaxed down in my seat, feeling more content than I was used to.

“You good over there?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “I really am. It’s like a Hanukkah miracle or something, but I haven’t felt as...I don’t know, peaceful, as I have in the last few days in a long time. I’m not thinking about the future or the loads of work I have to do or anything else. I’m just here, enjoying it all, and it’s pretty amazing.”

“I’m glad you came tonight. Man, I can’t believe they’re already having another kid. Crazy.”

I twisted in my seat so I could face his profile. “My nephew would say cray cray.”

He let out a short laugh. “Cray cray indeed.”

“They seem like a good couple, though. I’m sure they’ll make it work.”

“Yeah, they will, for sure.” Yo pulled into his reserved parking spot and turned the car off, and suddenly we were cocooned in complete silence and darkness. The cold started to drift in immediately, but I was still cozy, bundled in my coat and scarf.

“I’m glad I came tonight too,” I said, keeping my voice low to not break the bubble that we were in together.

He turned in his seat as much as his long legs would allow, his eyes tracing over my face. “Are you having a good Hanukkah, Larissa?”

I hummed to myself. “I am. Probably the best I’ve had in years.”

I saw in the way his eyes flitted toward my mouth that a kiss was a distinct possibility.

“Good.” His voice had dropped, sounding almost gravelly.

We were both drifting closer, a breath at a time.

“And you? Are you having a happy Hanukkah?” I asked.

This time, he didn’t even pretend to be brushing my hair off my face. He reached out, caressing my cheek with his fingertips.

“The happiest,” he replied.

I rubbed my lips together. I wondered what Yo’s kiss would be like. Would it be soft and dry or wet and hard? Or maybe both?

He was so close that I could feel his breath on my lips. There was no question in my mind where this was leading. So that’s why I was so confused when he sat back in his seat.

“We should go in. It’s getting cold in here,” he said.

I let my head fall back on my seat. “Okay.”

Well, that was...deflating.

I kept my lips tightly clamped together as we walked up the stairs, for fear of saying something either awkward or biting. It would have been along the lines of “Why don’t you like me?” or “What the fuck’s the matter with you for leading me on?”, neither of which would have been conducive to friendly, neighborly relations.

With my back turned, I unlocked my door. “Thank you for a lovely evening. Good night.”

“Good night, Larissa.”

I hurried inside without looking at him. I was a little bit embarrassed and a lot bit confused. What had just happened in that car and why was I home, not knowing what Yo’s mouth tasted like?