After some time, Ruth quietly excused herself from the lingering conversation inside. She didn’t want the Rabbi to keep the children waiting too long, so she stepped out into the courtyard to find them.

  To her surprise, she spotted them sitting there—Thomas and Shoshana—side by side in the cool afternoon light. They weren’t touching, just near each other, as if even their closeness had been carefully chosen. There was something tender about it. A quiet effort, a mutual stillness.

  She recalled a conversation once shared between the Rabbi and his wife—about sacred space and sacred time. The phrases were often used separately, each with its own layers of meaning. But standing there now, just out of their view, Ruth could almost feel those concepts blend. The way the sunlight caught them, the calm between their breaths—it gave the moment a shimmer. As if, for just a second, she could see them as they might be one day: older, wiser, but still sharing this same gentle reverence. In that light, they radiated something sacred. Something set apart.

  She waited a few more minutes, letting the moment linger unbroken. Then, when they finally noticed her, she stepped forward softly.

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  “Hey, you two,” she said, her voice light. “Go get a little something to eat. It’ll be a while before dinner tonight.”

  Shoshana gave a small nod and walked off toward the dining area, leaving Thomas behind. Ruth laid a hand gently on his arm to keep him from following just yet.

  “Have either of my sons taught you the word kodesh?” she asked.

  Thomas looked thoughtful. “I’ve heard it,” he said. “But I haven’t had enough time to really understand what it means.”

  “It gets translated as ‘sacred’ or ‘holy,’” Ruth said. “But what I want you to remember most is this: kodesh means something set apart. Separated. Not just because it’s different—but because it’s meant for something. It has a purpose.”

  She gave him a moment, watching his face.

  “I bring it up because I think what I saw just now—that moment between you and Shoshana—that was both sacred time and sacred space. You created it together. Whether you meant to or not.”

  Thomas nodded slowly, still a little unsure. “I think I understand the point… I’m just not sure why now.”

  Ruth smiled gently.

  “The why doesn’t matter—not yet. What matters is that you keep it in your heart. I can see you already hold one secret there. Let this be another. That moment you were in—hold on to it. Someday, you may find yourself in a place that feels just like it. And if you do, you’ll recognize it.”

  She released his arm.

  “Now, go grab a quick bite,” she said, her tone warming. “Then we’ll head back to my son’s house.”