***
After cleaning up in his en suite bathroom, Anil loaned Jana some flannel pants and a T-shirt (if Imani woke up, Jana would figure out how to explain she was having a sleepover with Daddy, but she didn’t want to have to explain a naked sleepover). They climbed into Anil’s very comfortable bed, wrapped themselves in his satiny-smooth sheets, and talked. Really talked. She told him all about her conversation with Dr. Lopez, and about the Bridal Brigade charcuterie party.
He laughed. “Those people. I can’t believe KamilalikedNadia’s pictures.”
Jana shrugged. “It contributed to me getting here, though. Kamila even said Nadia seemed nice. It was so…mundane.”
He chuckled. “I’m not entirely used to her being back inmylife. Super odd to have her in yours.”
“Why did you let her back in your life?”
“I wasn’t sure I wanted anything to do with her when she first called me a few months ago. But she wanted a chance to apologize. She’s a different person from before. I hadn’t realized how much her personality was because of trauma from her parents. She’s so much more carefree now.”
“So, all of it was because her parents didn’t approve of her partner?”
Anil nodded. “Apparently, before I met her, they’d even sent her off to some relative overseas who’d basically kept her on house arrest. Nadia didn’t tell me any of this back then. Darren isn’t Muslim. Or Indian. But also, he’s Black. And only a mechanic. Not good enough for their lawyer daughter.”
Jana cringed. Poor Nadia.
“They are happy together now. And she has no contact with her parents or sister. After she apologized and explained everything to me, we kept talking, and we got together a few times. I like Darren a lot.”
“It’s so strange, you two being friends after what she did.”
“You don’t think I should have forgiven her?”
Jana sighed. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I would have.”
Anil raised himself on one elbow to look at her. “It’s not worth holding on to it anymore. Nadia is happy. She’s working through her trauma. And me?” He leaned down and kissed Jana. “I’m happy, too. Yeah, I can wish things were different back then, but now is what matters, right?”
They looked at each other for several long seconds. And Jana realized that as much as she loved this—being alone with him in his bed right now, just talking—they could never really be free of their baggage, their past and their differences. Plus their parents, Kamila and Rohan, their friends, and most importantly, their daughter would always be there, too.
Nothing would be easy. Nothing would be uncomplicated. A life with Anil Malek would always be full of lots and lots of mess.
But none of those people had any say—anyinfluence—on whether Anil and Jana would be happy together. That was only up to the two of them. She pulled him down and kissed him. They may not ever be truly alone, but right now, this was the closest they were going to get. And Jana wasn’t going to waste that.
Chapter 30
Six months later, Disney World, Florida, USA
Daddy, can we have breakfast with the princesses tomorrow?” Imani asked. Jana really hoped Anil would say no this time, but she doubted it. They were all having lunch in the park at Disney World, and Jana had learned that Anil was not capable of saying no to any question that included the wordprincessthat Imani could throw at him. They’d already gone to three princess breakfasts. Jana adored her own daughter, but another roomful of screaming five-year-olds who weren’t hers before she’d had her morning coffee wasn’t her idea of a relaxing holiday.
Then again, no one had promised this vacation would be relaxing. Energetic, entertaining, and loud, but not relaxing. Honestly, not that different from the last vacation this family had taken together.
“Oooh, I have a better idea!” Kamila said, flipping through a brochure. Kamila was still wearing the mouse-ear hat she’d bought earlier that day, and every time Rohan looked at her, he seemed like he was either holding back an eye roll or a laugh. “There’s a safari breakfast in the Animal Kingdom.”
Asha looked at Kamila with one brow raised. “Really? Do you thinkthisgroup in particular would enjoy a fake safari after our real one only a few months ago?”
“It will feel nostalgic,” Kamila said. “But with no delirium from the malaria pills, and we can eat and drink without asking what the ice cubes are made of, or what the fruit was washed in. And no mosquito nets.”
Nicole and Rohan chimed in with their thoughts on a Disneyfied safari. Soon, the discussion turned into an argument, as it often did when traveling with close friends who had strong opinions about everything. Jana sat back on the edge of the discussion as always. Despite her objection to another princess breakfast, she really didn’t care what they decided. She was happy to be on the edge—she belonged here just as much as if she’d been in the middle.
When their small family trip to Disney grew to include Rohan, Kamila, Asha, and Nicole, Jana was surprised at how much she didn’t mind the new plan. Seven people was nowhere near as big as the giant thirty-plus-person group for the wedding. And thankfully, there were no aunties or uncles here. Or bosses, for that matter. But still. Jana would never have imagined that she would willingly travel with a group again so soon after that trip.
But nothing in Jana’s life was what she’d expected lately. Her element had changed so thoroughly she barely remembered what her life was like before Tanzania. Jana was now the director of research and programs at Think Canada, managing the research department and working closely with Sam Lopez to develop new Think projects around the world. She was also about to teach some seminars at the University of Toronto, working with Dr. Zachary Peterson. She loved her new job so much more than she thought she would. She still felt like she was making a difference, but she was doing it by creative planning, as well as by helping to mold young minds so they could have their turn at changing the world. She’d even taken a seat on the Aim High board of directors, happy to be involved with the organization again.
Imani was in kindergarten, and watching her walk into school with her tiny Lion King backpack broke Jana’s heart a tiny bit every day, but Imani was thriving. The #BridalBrigade chat continued, and they still sent each other dik-dik pics, and they also had regular outings, too. The last couple of them were, strangely, playing Dungeons & Dragons in Yuriko’s basement. That was what her secret dungeon had been the whole time—she was apparently a high-demand game master who hosted popular role-playing nights with mostly men players in her home. Jana had never been more social in her life. She’d even kept in touch with Nadia and was planning to get together with her alone when Anil took Jana and Imani to D.C. next summer to see his family. Jana’s life was chaotic, social, and busy. She loved it. Most of the time.
Later that night, they escaped the more outgoing members of their group after dinner. Once Anil and Jana had put their oversugared and overstimulated daughter down to sleep in her own room in their two-bedroom suite, Jana sat on the couch and put her head on Anil’s shoulder.
