Gideon's cheeks fairly ached; each of his various aunts had exclaimed over his size, "such a big boy now," and squeezed his cheeks to the point that he grimaced at seeing yet another approach. The old house had been festooned with decorations throughout but even if it had not been, the mood would have been festive. Mutti, Deborah, and his aunts had been baking and cooking for days beforehand in readiness for Gideon's bar mitzvah that morning and the whole building smelt of cinnamon and assorted delicious spices.

Creeping around looking for delicious treats, particularly his favourite sufganiyot, jam filled donuts, Gideon's mother had eyes in the back of her head. "This boy!" she exclaimed. "Here, Malachi take him off my hands before he scoffs the lot." Good naturedly, for he was in a party mood himself, Gideon's father led his son out of the living room. "Got to leave the women folk alone, my boy," he explained. "I know it all looks vunderlekh, but the last thing they need is you eating everything. In any case it's time you and I got dressed."

The crowd yelled out "Mazeltov!" and then all cheered at the happy occasion. All of Gideon's hard labour had come to fruition and they welcomed him to his adulthood. Later it was fun to stretch up to almost touch his uncle Mordechai's shoulder as the men danced, the whole line swaying back and forth in time with the music, faster and faster and faster until they all collapsed in a sweaty heap while the women looked on. Gideon was pulled out and into Deborah's lap. "Having a good time?" she asked stroking his head. Gideon nodded his mouth opening to speak but his voice drowned out by the singing in the background. "Not time for bed yet?" He shook his head, vehemently. "No, I suppose not little brother. You don't want to miss out on any of the fun, do you. And after all you're a grown up now, can't expect a man to miss out on all the fun." Regardless of his protestations, not half an hour later Deborah spied him sound asleep on the sofa, his yarmulke askew across his eyebrows.

"You're sure you're alright with this?" Marilla said the morning of Josephine's baptism.

"Not having second thoughts, are you?" Gideon said fondly, stroking the baby's head.

"Not at all, but I know my lot aren't always…" she struggled for the right words, "fair to yours."

"No, well you have a point there. But this is a Christian community and you yourself are Christian. It wouldn't be fair to make her an outcast."

Softly but firmly enough that he knew her intent, Marilla said, "you'll never be outcast in this house." Gideon smiled and kissed her gently. "Not here, naturally, but the wider world is not as forgiving.

"It was once in mine," he paused, sniffed and wiped his nose before continuing, "until it wasn't."

"You don't say much about your life before. I'd love to know more."

"One day, but we have enough to do today already, ketzele."

"True, very true. I want to give her a bath before we get her dressed."

"Let me heat some water."

"Mind it doesn't get too hot."

Laughing, for how often had she warned him Gideon fetched some water and set up the baby bath. "Let me," he said. "I have little enough of a role today."

"Will you come?"

Smiling across at her, he simply said, "yes."

Marilla had Josephine in the bath so was unable to do much, but her face broke into a wide smile, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. "Oh, thank God."

He strode over. "It means that much to you?"

Unable to lean into him with the wet baby in her arms she merely looked up, her eyes misty, she answered simply, "it does."

"Well come along then, we don't want to be late, and we still have to get this little girl dressed for her important day."

"At least," Marilla said a few minutes later after Josephine had been manouevered into her christening gown, "we don't have to worry about her hair."

Wrapping her up warmly against the cold outside Marilla handed Josephine over to Matthew before climbing into the wagon.

"Don't you look beautiful," Matthew said to his little niece. "We all ready?" At the nods from the other two adults present he slapped the reins and they set off.

"Mighty fine of you to come along, Gideon," Matthew said by way of conversation after not much had been said for a spell; his sister and her husband lost in their thoughts.

"What? Oh yes, I um. Well, it's an important event."

"Do you celebrate anything like it in the Jewish faith?" Matthew enquired.

"Well, let me see, we celebrate our bar mitzvah," Gideon replied. "Though that's much later, when we turn thirteen."

"Oh?" replied Matthew having never heard of it.

"Yes, it's our entry into adulthood. Very important day for young Jews. Women celebrate their Bat Mitzvah."

"You don't say," Matthew said.

"I'll tell you all about it sometime," Gideon said a tad nervously for the church was coming into view.

Marilla smiled and patted him on his hand, comfortingly. "All right?" Gideon smiled and took a deep breath.

Josephine loved nothing more than being in her mother's arms. She just felt right there, safe and loved. Her father came a close second, her uncle Matthew third. Naturally she did not have words for these people, but she knew they were different in their own way. They smelled different, held her with differing firmness, but she understood in an innate way how they each loved her.

Church was one of the places she had been other than home. The building was cold and echoey and the people not always happy to be there. A man overlooked them and everyone, even her mama listened to what he had to say. Today the man took her in his arms. She stiffened in shock, for she was not accustomed to being held by someone outside her family, but she could hear her Mama's voice nearby and settled soon enough. The man spoke and the crowd spoke, and the man spoke some more. And then, horror of horrors he dribbled water; cold, cold water over her head. Josephine did not like that and let her displeasure be known to the whole crowd. How, how dare he, how dare he wet her like that. It was not like her bath. Her bath was warm, she had not enjoyed it at first either but now it was normal. But this, this, this was horrid and mean. She wanted everyone to know how, how, horrible it was.

"Got a good set of pipes on her for such a wee one," the minister said handing her back to Marilla. Marilla grimaced and took her back in her arms hugging the baby in an attempt to placate her. Josephine was having none of it. She was mightily aggrieved, and every-one needed to know. "Hush, hush little one," Marilla soothed. "Shh, sh." Nothing worked, Josephine wailed, her head red with rage. Eventually, Fiona McDougal who was sat behind Marilla leant over and said, "nurse her, Marilla. Maybe that will help."

The effect was if not completely instantaneous, pretty close. After a few deep breaths against Marilla's chest the baby took the nipple in her mouth and suckled. The congregation took a collective sigh of relief. A few minutes later she had fallen quiet, the combination of indignation, exertion, and milk sending her straight to sleep.

Standing outside afterwards Marilla was apologetic. "Welcome to motherhood, my dear," Fiona said encouragingly. "Where mortification will be your chief emotion."

The rest of the congregation was equally forgiving. "It's never easy for them, poor things."

Curious, Gideon had tested the font's water and was surprised to find it was stone cold. "Ach, you'd think he could warm it just a little, Marilla. No wonder she was upset."

"It's strange." Marilla said that evening in bed after the baby had been fed and put down for the night.

"Hm?" Gideon replied drowsily, tired after their long day.

"Don't know what put it into my mind but I was thinking of how I'd have liked to have known younger you. You know Rachel and Thomas grew up together; their respective mothers practically reared them. There's not much they don't know about each other. But you and I, there's still so much to learn, so many mysteries yet to uncover."

"Well, I don't know, I think I prefer it our way. Keeps a little spice in our life, don't you think," Gideon said rousing himself sufficiently to lightly smack her bottom. Marilla rolled practically on top of him and smiled as he caressed her breast. "I suppose ss." Further conversation was curtailed for the time being as Gideon captured her lips on his own.