Laleh yawned and snuggled against my arm.
I could have stayed like that forever.
Mamou hugged me good-bye. She kept kissing me on one cheek and then the other, alternating back and forth until my face was hot enough to boil off the tears she left behind.
She took my cheeks between her palms. “I love you, maman.”
“I love you too. I’ll miss you.”
“Thank you for coming to see us.”
“I loved it,” I said.
And I had. Really. I loved Mamou’s hugs, and her cooking, and her laughter. I loved it when she let me help her with the dishes. I loved it when we sat together and drank tea.
I told myself I was going to call her every week on Skype. I told myself I’d always come say hi whenever Mom called.
But I knew deep down I was going to fail.
Because each time I talked to her, I’d have to say good-bye.
Now that we were part of each other’s lives—our real lives, not our photonic ones—I didn’t know if I could survive that.
I’d finally managed to open up the well inside me.
I didn’t think I could block it again.
Mamou turned to wrap up Laleh in a Level Thirteen Hug.
I couldn’t watch.
I slung my Kellner & Newton Messenger Bag over my shoulder and dragged my suitcase to the door, where Babou waited. The creases around his eyes were seismic in the morning light, but they were turned up.
“Darioush-jan,” he said. “Thank you for coming.”
He took me by the shoulders and kissed me on both cheeks.
“Take care of your dad. He needs you. Okay, baba?”
“Okay.”
No one had ever told me Dad needed me.
But I wondered if maybe it was true.
Maybe Babou saw something I never had.
I wasn’t sure if he really wanted it, but I reached out and hugged him. His face was scratchy against my cheek.
Babou surprised me when he wrapped his arms around me too.
“I love you, Babou.”
“I love you, baba. I will miss you.”
The worst was watching Mom say good-bye to Babou.
They knew they were never going to see each other again.
