Jovi Dufren and Yara Zaya have not been front and center on this season of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?
That makes sense.
Angela Deem is screaming, Big Ed Brown is terrorizing yet another fiancee, and Bilal Hazziez is … being himself.
Jovi and Yara are one of the couples who are on this season to balance out the nightmares.
They, and especially Yara, are fan-favorites. But they still have real issues in their marriage.
Right now, Yara’s heart is torn. She loves and misses her family, but she loves her life in the US.
Jovi’s job gives her unique options when it comes to where she might live.
Will she return to New Orleans after visiting her mom, or stay in Prague for a while?
Jovi, Yara, and Mylah are visiting Yara’s mom
It is wonderful that Mylah is getting to spend time with her maternal grandmother. In this sneak peek ahead of Season 3, Episode 9, the family gets together in Prague. Yara is from Ukraine, which is now and was when this was filmed under a brutal invasion by Russian forces, but her mother is safe. But the war has only escalated Yara’s anxieties about missing her family.
It’s so nice
Obviously, Yara loves seeing her mom. But it’s also great to see her mom eager to spend time with Mylah. This is their first time meeting in person — Yara could not travel internationally between arriving on the K-1 visa and obtaining her Green Card. Now, her mother is not only bonding with Mylah, but willing to look after her.
That is a relief
Remember, Yara gave birth to Mylah during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jovi could not return home, because he had been away for work. While Gwen Eymard, Jovi’s mom, helped Yara a lot, she is not a full-time nanny for her or anyone. And Yara and Jovi now live hours away from Gwen. While that takes them away from the noise and chaos of the New Orleans night life, it can also be isolating.
Yara’s mom is bonding with Mylah
Yara admits in the confessional that, though it’s awkward to say out loud, her mom is showing the enthusiasm that she might have liked from Mrs. Gwen. Yara and Gwen are friends, but that doesn’t mean that Gwen wants to provide full-time childcare. Yes, many grandparents in the US do this, but not everyone does — and not everyone can.
Jovi also likes how quickly Mylah is taking to her maternal grandmother
Of course, having just recently finished weeks of work, he is also thinking of spending time with his beautiful wife.
Would she like to babysit Mylah?
Jovi is likely thinking of spending time out in Prague with Yara — going on dates and enjoying their time as a couple. But there’s a bigger picture, and his MIL could become a part of that.
Babysitter secured
Jovi and his mother-in-law do not speak the same language, but they both recognize some words in each other’s speech. She cracks up at “babysitter” because she recognizes it. For much of the conversation, Yara acts as translator.
Jovi also has a larger idea
Eager to see his MIL out of harm’s way, his daughter to have more family around, and his wife happy, Jovi suggests that Yara’s mother could apply for refugee status — given the horrors of the war in Ukraine — and come to the United States. Of course, it’s not just about safety or proximity. He’d love for her to be Mylah’s nanny, especially while he’s away for work.
She’s not sure if she’ll go for it
Yara’s mom notes that she would not be able to return for ten years if she takes a refugee visa. Right now, she likes being in Europe, even if she cannot safely return home to Ukraine. She asks about being a nanny for Mylah here in Prague.
Which leads to her next question
How is Yara feeling? Is she going to head back to New Orleans, or would she rather stay in Prague for a good long while?
Yara is admittedly on the fence
She admits to her mother that she is not sure. And her mother asks about Jovi’s opinion, but of course is still speaking to Yara. Jovi cannot understand.
He hears his name
Like a dog who just heard their name but didn’t hear anything exciting like “walk” or “food” or anything scary like “vet” or “bath,” Jovi perks up. They’re talking about him, but what are they saying? Yara jokes that she is praising him as a husband, but he set her up to make the joke. It’s actually cute to see the way that they are playful with each other. Compared to some of the couples on this season, it’s downright refreshing.
This is a big issue
Yara confesses, only half-jokingly this time, that she is happy that Jovi cannot follow their conversation. Because it’s a contentious topic.
Yara doesn’t know what she’s going to do
Being with her mom, being in Prague, makes her want to keep family around her. So many of them are refugees right now, and she hasn’t been with them in years. But she loves her life with Jovi and Mylah in the United States, and she has real friends there. This is not an easy choice.