Harris makes his goodbyes, with Nani gushing over him, then I finally manage to get him out.
The door has barely shut behind us and I’ve already started apologising. ‘Oh god, she’s not usually this bad. Thank you. Jesus, I’m really sorry you had to handle that –’
‘It’s fine,’ he says, grinning. ‘It’s okay, don’t worry about it.’
‘I should’ve expected something like this. She’s used to the custom of bringing a fiancé home…’ I squeeze my forehead with one hand. ‘She probably won’t even remember yournametomorrow.’
‘Relax.’ He looks at me. ‘She’s sweet, your nanna. You told me how she is.’
‘It’s the last thing you want to be dealing with after –’
‘Amie, it’s okay.’ He turns to me so we both stop. We’re nearly at the bedsheet-covered car, standing in the humid green shade of the plexiglass carport roof. ‘Y’know, it kinda shocked me outta my own head for a minute, and that’s all right. My head was a pretty stress-filled place when I arrived.’ He puts his hands on my arms. ‘Thank you. For everything. I’m sorry I screwed up and came here. I hope I haven’t put you in a mess with your nanna.’
‘What will you do now?’ I ask softly.
‘I dunno.’ He looks away, back. ‘Go tell Leon, I guess. That’s what he’ll expect me to do. It’s not like I can report it to the cops.’
‘You just did,’ I remind him.
He blinks, shakes his head. ‘Yeah, I forget, sometimes.’
‘That I’m your contact?’
‘That we’re not just hanging out, down by the river and stuff.’
He holds my gaze for a moment. Then his hands move from my arms, one going up to scrub through his changed hair, the other digging in his pants pocket. It takes him a second to realise he’s not wearing the same pants.
‘Ah, shit, have you got the –’
‘ – keys to the Pitbull, yes,’ I say, fishing them out of my own pocket and offering them up.
‘Cheers.’ He makes a pale grin. ‘Are you still gonna invite me for a proper Punjabi dinner?’
That surprises a laugh out of me. ‘I guess I’ll have to, won’t I? Oh god…’
‘Don’t worry about it.’ He’s still smiling as he opens the car door, slips into the driver’s seat. ‘Call me if your dad has a message, after you tell him the news.’
‘For sure. And Harris, please be careful.’
He nods, utterly serious now. ‘Always.’
I squeeze his hand on the window edge, pull the bedsheet off the back of the car as he starts the engine. I watch him back out. Then I return to the house.I have to contact Dad immediately, and I have to do Nani damage-control.
Standing with my hand on the door, I wonder if she’ll lose this memory before Hansa and Beena get home. She’s been losing time a lot more lately. The idea makes me sad.
But it also makes me stressed, the thought of what might happen if Nanidoesremember. Especially if she tells the rest of the family about my handsome trainee-policeman fiancé…
Goddamnit. I’m stuck.
