She lifted her cup to his and focused those honey eyes on him. “Well...?”
He put his cup down and sat back, legs outstretched, and leaned back on his arms. He loved telling this story. “My mom is Indian, from Gujarat. My dad is not Indian,” he explained. “My mom had come to the States for college, which is where they met.” Sam paused as he imagined his father as a young man, smitten. The image always made him happy. “My dad insists it was love at first sight. So he learned a few lines of Gujarati before he even attempted to speak to her.” He turned to face Maya, pride in his voice. “The first words he ever said to her were in Gujarati.”
“Well?” Maya nearly squeaked with suspense. “What did he say?”
“He asked if he could walk her to class. She was so taken aback, she said yes.” Sam chuckled. His parents had their moments, like any other couple, but no one could deny they loved each other. Sam only wished to be so lucky. “They fell in love and she never looked back. Sudhir-mama joined her in America a few years later, also to go to college. He met my aunt, Monica-mamithere. The rest is history.” Sam looked at Maya, who seemed charmed by this true-life love story. Maybe his wish was coming true.
Sam checked his watch. “Speaking of mamas, we’re getting close to your curfew,” he said. “And as you have already promised me a next time, let’s not mess that up.”
When they arrived at her uncle’s house, Maya invited Sam to sit with her on the porch steps. “I’m early,” she said.
Sam glanced toward the door, half expecting her uncle to be standing there, a sentry guarding his niece’s virtue. The door was shut.
Maya showed him her watch. “Ten ’til midnight. Plus, technically, I’m home.”
He didn’t even bother to try to hide his pleasure, eager to be in her presence, excited to prolong their evening.
Maya turned her head up to the night sky and sighed. “What a perfect summer night.” Sam loved how her neck and jaw were exposed when she tilted her head and her hair fell away. She had no idea how beautiful she was. He had to hold himself back from reaching over to trace her jawline. Unwillingly, he tore his eyes away from her to follow her gaze.
Itwasthe perfect summer night, but it had less to do with the warmth of the night and the clear sky displaying the stars than with the fact that he was sitting beside a girl whose company he knew he would crave when he didn’t have it. After a moment, he felt her eyes on him, and he turned to face her. She did not look away. “Ben and Niki look like you. Except Ben’s eyes. He has his mom’s eyes.” She bit her bottom lip. “You’re really good with them.”
Sam puffed his chest out. “Ah, well. It comes naturally.” He laughed at himself. “They’re amazing kids. It’s easy to love them.” His voice softened as he leaned toward her, resting his elbows on his knees. “They’re as close to siblings as I have now.”
Maya nodded. “They did tell me that you were their only big brother—now.”
Sam tensed and flicked his gaze to her. “Did they?”
Maya’s words tumbled out quickly, as if trying to erase what she had just said. “They did, but I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s really none of my business. It’s just you pulled out that coin, and I got the feeling it was...”
Sam remained silent. Maya was watching him, waiting patiently for his answer. What was it about her that made him want to tell her about something he hadn’t spoken of in years? He nodded, then gazed back up at the stars. “You’re right. It’s from my older brother. He was killed in a DUI, ten years ago. I was thirteen.”
Sam continued looking at the heavens, lost for a moment in the memory of his brother, when he felt Maya’s hand on his. Her skin was soft and smooth, her hand strong. She gently squeezed his hand but stayed silent.
“My parents took it pretty hard.” He almost whispered his words. “To this day, my mother doesn’t even say his name.” Maya’s body was nearly touching his. It was...comforting. “I think it’s easier for her that way.”
Sam felt Maya study his face for a moment, and when he didn’t offer anything more on the topic, she turned back to the stars. They listened to the crickets in comfortable silence.
“Well, okay then.” Sam broke the silence. “Your turn. What’s your story? Any siblings? I mean, besides the cousin you have here, who is probably the giggliest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Maya laughed. “Oh, Sejal. And you’re right, cousins are like siblings. She does that in front of—” Maya paused “—in front of really handsome boys.” She left her gaze on the stars, but Sam once again enjoyed the flush on her cheeks.
“I don’t have any ‘real’ siblings.” She turned to face him, chagrin on her face. “Myparents,” she said the words with some sarcasm, “met in India. My mum was working in the cafeteria of the college my father attended. They met—” she tilted her head and Sam was distracted, again, this time by the curve of her face “—and fell in love. However, their parents did not approve. Not having an arranged marriage was unheard of, not to mention they were from different parts of India. So, having seen one too many Bollywood movies, they decided to run away. They married in secret and left India for London.”
Maya gazed off into the distance at something Sam couldn’t see. “Things were fine for a bit, but when my father heard his parents had become ill, he went back to care for them. He never returned.” She paused. “I was eight.” Maya sat back and shrugged her shoulders, as if she didn’t care. But the rest of her body language screamed that she did. “My mum was alone with a child, so she came to the States to stay with her brother until she got on her feet.”
“Your Deepak-mama?” Sam had never seen her this vulnerable, and for a brief instant, the Maya before him was an eight-year-old girl. The hurt her father had caused when he’d abandoned her seemed to flicker behind her shrug. Something vile boiled up inside Sam. What kind of man abandoned his family like that?
“Yes.” Maya smiled. “We stayed with him for a bit, but my mother became fiercely independent and refused to stay with him indefinitely. Baking and cooking came naturally to her, so she taught herself how to run a business. She ended up opening a bakery in Queens. And that’s where we live now.” She leaned back onto her hands on the step. “I’ve been busy with school, so I haven’t had a chance to visit my cousin in a while, so I came for the summer.” The pain left her eyes, replaced with their natural warmth.
“Excellent for me.” Sam leaned back so he was level with Maya. “How come your mom didn’t just go back to her parents?”
Maya sat up and turned her gaze away from him. “She was from a small village. You know how it can be.” She turned back to him, a small fire in her eyes. “Marrying outside what was considered acceptable was not tolerated.” She paused and the fire cooled. “My uncle doesn’t believe in those old notions. He supported my mother when she was at her lowest. He helped her become the force of nature she is today.” She chuckled. “And now he’s afraid of her!”
“So how does she feel about you dating?”
Maya pressed her lips together before responding. “She is not a fan. She’s convinced that she will arrange my marriage when the ‘time comes.’”
Sam’s heart dropped. “What did you tell her about us?”
