“Don’t be sad, Darioush.”
“I’ll try,” I said.
I was Sohrab’s best friend.
I almost smiled.
Almost.
I didn’t have to say it out loud.
Sohrab had to know he was my best friend too.
Star TrekTime was becoming a regular thing again, now that our nights weren’t so busy. Now that our days had slowed down.
Now that being in Yazd didn’t feel so different from being at home.
It had become a regular thing, except that Laleh was there.
And I wasn’t.
Despite what Sohrab said, it was hard not to think about her taking my place when she and Dad snuggled up on the living room couch to watch “Captain’s Holiday,” which is one of thebest episodes ofThe Next Generation’s third season. It’s about The Picard racing against time-traveling aliens to solve an ancient mystery.
Even though I hate time travel, I love that episode.
It’s terrific.
It’s also notorious for Captain Picard’s vacation attire: extremely short silver swim trunks that only a Frenchman could pull off.
Laleh found them ridiculous.
“What is he wearing?” she asked, so loud that I could hear her from the kitchen, where I sat drinking tea and readingThe Lord of the Rings.
Dad shushed Laleh. “Captain’s Holiday” was one of his favorite episodes too.
I almost went and joined them.
Almost.
But then Laleh started talking again, making fun of the special effects.
So I drank my tea and I read my book, and I did my best to ignore the sound of Dad and Laleh laughing.
“Darius?”
I looked up from my book. The ending credits music was playing in the living room.
“Yeah?”
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Want me to grab your medicine?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
I poured a glass of water while Dad pulled down our bottles. He handed me mine and then shook out his own pills.
