“Oh, Ami.” Sunita flushed, clearly trying and failing to keep her voice firm. “Is that any way to talk to your auntie? Besides, Raj had stopped by to pick up some food. He still doesn’t cook, you know.”
“She is right, Sunita.” Raj’s deep voice boomed from somewhere inside the apartment.
They reached the top and Ami hugged Sunita with both arms. She imitated Raj’s accent, but spoke in a drunken stage whisper. “See? Heishere! Why do you fight him?”
Maya’s mother’s cheeks reddened even as she tightened her lips. “Why don’t you stop at one martini?”
Raj hugged Ami. “Ah,beti, good to have you back. But I am only here to get food, eh? I must be sure to never learn to cook.” He winked at her.
“You must have come for food, as well,” Sunita said to Maya and Ami.
“Of course.” Ami stumbled into her seat at the small kitchen table. This apartment was a bit smaller than Maya’s. There was only the one bedroom, and an eat-in kitchen that opened to the living area. Maya sat down next to Ami and glanced into the living room where Samantha stared at her laptop, earbuds in, face sullen.
Maya caught her mother’s eye, who simply shook her head in an I-have-no-idea gesture. “She helped me make the chutney tonight and she seemed fine.” Her mother furrowed her brow for a moment. “Although it was odd that she didn’t complain or even roll her eyes when I told her to use ‘some’ lemon juice and ‘just a bit’ of salt.”
“You know, Maya.” Ami was momentarily coherent. “You never like when I say this, but this whole thing could’ve been avoided if you had just trusted you-know-who...”
“Okay, Ami. Put food in your mouth. This always happens when you’ve had that third martini.” Maya’s voice was loud and firm as she glared at her friend.
Sunita placed homemade samosa on the table with sweet chutney made from dates, and spicy chutney made from cilantro. “Aww, Auntie! You remembered my favorite!” Ami was loud and slightly teary eyed.
Maya rolled her eyes and shook her head in her mother’s direction. Sunita jumped in. “Beta, it’s been two weeks. Not a lifetime.” She cupped Ami’s chin in her hand and gave her a quick shake. “Eat.”
Ami bit into her samosa and glanced over at Samantha. Maya joined her.
Ami shook her head back and forth and finished chewing. “What’s her problem today?”
“Herproblemis that she knows Sam Hutcherson is her dad!” Samantha burst out with full-on teenage irritation as she stalked into the kitchen and plopped herself down next to Ami.
Maya clenched her jaw as Ami’s mouth dropped open. Sunita brought her hand to her mouth with a loud gasp and Raju-kaka quietly retreated back to the sofa.
Ami broke the silence. “You told her?”
Maya glared at Ami and shook her head while Samantha grinned in victory. “No, Ami-masi, you just told me.” Samantha had always called Ami“masi”because the bond Maya and Ami shared went beyond friendship and into sisterhood.
“Fine.” Maya clasped her hands together. “So you know. So what now? You think he’s going to be a dad to you? He’s a busy man—he’s got his own life—”
“Ami-masi.” Samantha turned away from her mother. “Just answer me this.”
“Samantha!” Maya pulled out her best warning tone.
Samantha spoke quickly, keeping her back to Maya. “Ami-masi, did he know about me? Did he know Mom was pregnant when he left?”
Maya’s heart fell into her stomach. This was too much. She was asking too many questions. Before she could do much more than silently beg her friend to be quiet, Ami answered.
“No, Samantha. He didn’t know anything about you when your mom left him.” Ami’s voice was suddenly quiet. Maya looked away as Ami reached for Samantha’s hand.
“Mom lefthim?” Samantha was clearly surprised by this information. The pit in Maya’s stomach grew, and it had nothing to do with the martinis. She pressed her eyes closed, as if doing so would erase the scene unfolding before her. It did not.
Ami nodded. Samantha sat back, her shoulders drooping, her eyes darting all over the room. A moment or two passed while she seemed to digest this information. Then, her face cleared, and she sat up, a smirk on her face. “Well, no wonder he looks at her like that.”
That was it. Maya slammed her hand on the table. “That’s enough. Time for bed!” She stood and leaned forward on the table to add weight to her words.
Samantha gaped at her, disbelief her shield against Maya’s motherly powers. “You’re not even going to tell me why you left him? While you were pregnant?”
“Bed. Now.” Maya’s heart was beating rapid-fire, and she fought to keep her voice from shaking. This was not supposed to be happening. Her daughter could not be asking these questions. Not yet. Not now. She was still too young. Too impressionable. She’d never understand.
Samantha would never forgive her.
