Ben was singing Chanukah hymns with a light heart as he prepared latkes for their traditional Chanukah meal. As he grated the potatoes, he couldn’t keep from thinking about the pretty girl he had just met as he was leaving campus. With long, curly auburn hair past her shoulders and green eyes that flashed with irritation at her current car troubles, Ben had been captivated and more than happy to lend his assistance.

She had left an interior light on that had drained her car’s battery. Ben gave her car a jump and made sure he got her name before she left. ­Susie Minnet. Her name rolled around in his head as he pulled eggs out of the refrigerator and started breaking them into a bowl.

He remembered with satisfaction how she had lingered for a few minutes even after she had her car started, asking him about his jacket with the zoo logo on it. That jacket was far too lightweight for the sudden cold wind, but he would have stood out with her until he was frozen solid just to look into those eyes.