Summary

Dani writes about a childhood memory in which a family friend, Mrs. Kushner, marvels at her blonde hair and blue eyes, implying that she does not look Jewish. Dani feels like she was being told both "You're one of us" and "You're not one of us" (66). Her whole life she has bristled against the frequent comments that she does not look Jewish or cannot possibly be Jewish, though being Jewish and raised Orthodox was always a large part of her identity. Now, she asks herself how come she never suspected that her parentage might not be what she believed it to be, even after her mother "let slip the method of [her] conception" (71).

Dani is still in shock and reeling from her discovery as she continues with her planned day, all the while refreshing her email, impatiently waiting for a response...