“Any text is sinister if there’s no follow-up or further replies! Especially if it turns out that it came from a burner phone.”
Naveen put his arm around Mira’s shoulders. He was a lawyer by trade, and he had a slow, deliberate way of speaking, like he was always ready to negotiate with someone. “We tried to have one of our friends trace you, to no avail. We flew to Vegas because we figured that if you contacted Mira, you might come here or try to reach Sunil.”
“I’m sorry. I had no idea you’d uproot everything and comerunning because of that text.” Mira had put herself out for her sister.Again. God, such a mess you are, Sejal.
As if to agree, the baby let out a piercing shriek and started kicking, hitting her mother’s stomach. Mira winced and readjusted her daughter. “Sorry. Let me get her nanny. Isha?” she called out.
“You have a nanny?”
Mira shot her sister a narrow glance. “Yes, I have a nanny.”
“I didn’t mean anything judgy by it. Good for you.” Her sister had come a long way from their childhood if she had regular help.
“You know what they say, if you don’t have a village, you have to hire one.”
Mira had turned away, which was good, because it took a moment for Sejal to compose her face. Aunts were supposed to be the village, but even if they lived near each other and were on great terms, Sejal didn’t know the first thing about kids. It was right that Mira had outsourced this.
Talking to her sister was like a land mine, and they hadn’t even broached the subject of their father.
“We brought Isha with us because we didn’t know what we’d find here, and Ananya’s too young to be away from us. Isha hasn’t been with us long, but my old college roommate’s friend recommended her highly, and she’s been a godsend lately.”
Oh, the college roommate. Christine had been in that dorm room when Sejal had come busting in all those years ago. Sejal had seen her again when she’d lurked at Mira’s wedding. It had been apparent both times that Christine was Mira’s actual, chosen sister. She’d radiated love and protectiveness for Mira.
A land mine indeed.
A pretty, fresh-faced South Asian woman walked into the living room, her long hair in a low ponytail. She wore comfortablesweats and sneakers. She could have been nineteen or twenty-nine, Sejal wasn’t sure.
“This is Isha. Isha, this is my sister, Sejal, and her, um, friend, Krish?”
Friendwasn’t the right word for her relationship with Krish, but not much else fit social norms, so it would do.
Isha smiled at Sejal. Her teeth were very white. “Hello. How nice to meet you. Mira, I didn’t even know you had a sister.” Isha’s Indian accent was lyrical and sweet, but didn’t blunt the pain of the words.
Sister only by blood.“I haven’t been around much,” Sejal said.
Mira cleared her throat. “Can you take Ananya for a walk in her stroller?”
“Happily. You two have fun visiting.”
Sunil looked at Krish as Isha gathered the baby and the diaper bag from Naveen. “What did you say your name was again, young man?”
Krish took a step forward. “Krish Anand.”
Isha walked past Sejal. Ananya leaned out of her nanny’s arms and gave Sejal a gummy smile. She gave a tentative wave back and was rewarded with spit bubbles that faded as the door closed behind them.
Sejal turned back to the group to find Mira watching her, and she stuffed her hands into her pockets. Her sister had a good poker face. Sejal couldn’t decipher what she was thinking.
“Krish...” Sunil squinted at him. “And what are you doing here with our Sejal?”
“I’m—”
Sejal grabbed his hand and squeezed. He looked at her, eyebrows raised, and she wasn’t sure if he was surprised by hertouching him or that she’d silenced him. “Krish is with me because—” Sejal hesitated. If she told her father’s old friend that Krish was an FBI agent who had planned on using her to lure her aunt out of hiding, well... she would be able to walk out the door right now and rest assured that she’d never see Krish again. Sunil could easily make sure Krish couldn’t follow her. In addition to being a successful businessman, Sunil Uncle was an excellent forger and had connections everywhere.
Except now Krish was helping her, and she found she didn’t want to ditch him at the moment. At all? She wasn’t sure. She needed to think about it, but she wouldn’t get a chance to think if she revealed his FBI connections and sent everyone into hysterics. Her uncle had a soft spot for his late friend’s sister and less respect for law enforcement than she did. Sunil probably only barely tolerated Naveen’s law license, and her brother-in-law mostly did wills and real estate. “Krish is just a friend.”
Sunil gave her a sideways glance. “The Sejal I knew didn’t have many friends.”
Fair.She’d never longed for close friendships, but part of her even envied how easily Mira had been able to hand her baby over to the nanny.
