“What about you?” her mother asked.
“I’m making my coffee.”
Her mother carried a brown grocery bag that Annika knew was filled with homemade food. “I brought sometepla. Go ahead and take it out. We’ll have some with chai.”
Her father had not really said anything. He looked around, and Annika went to tend to the chai for something to do. She added the chai masala and the loose tea to the heating water. She peeked in the bag, and right on top was some fresh mint from her parents’ plant. She took a few leaves and tossed them into the tea. While she waited for it to boil, she put a K-Cup into her Keurig, shut it with a satisfying snap and waited for her coffee to brew. A little voice in her head reminded her that there was bourbon somewhere here, and that she might want some in her coffee right about now.
“Where is Naya?” her father asked, looking around as if Naya might materialize from thin air.
“Sleeping.” The chai mixture had come to a boil, filling the apartment with the comforting aroma of cardamom, cinnamon and mint. She inhaled the scents of her childhood, allowing herself a brief moment of calm. Her coffee slurped as the mug filled, and she gladly turned her attention back to adding milk to the chai, and creamer to her coffee. Her mother had busied herself with taking out the homemade spicy flatbread she had brought along to have with the tea. She set the small table while Annika finished making the chai and brought the three steaming mugs of hot liquid to the table. Whatever her parents had come over to say, they didn’t seem to be in a great hurry.
The three of them sat down together, and Annika took a much-needed first sip of her coffee and relished the warmth and sweetness of the liquid. She smiled to herself. Daniel had found it rather amusing that she valued coffee even more than food.
“Why are you smiling?”
She flinched again, as if her father could read her thoughts. “Coffee, Papa. You know how I love coffee.”
Her father sipped his chai and broke off a piece of tepla. He chewed and swallowed before turning to her. “Your mother and I have been thinking that you have been teaching for a couple of years, and that is great.” He saidgreatlike it wasn’t really. “But now we think you should consider a career in which you can make a proper living.”
“Is this because of what you saw at school the other day?”
“Annika—”
“Because that is part of my job. Dealing with children and their parents. It’s what I’m trained to do. Sometimes we have bad days.”
“That is fine. But you need to make some solid decisions about your future. I’m sure Hopkins will readmit you and—” he paused “—we have spoken with Sajan’s parents, and I think Sajan is still interested.”
“You what?” Annika slammed down her precious elixir, nearly spilling it in her complete surprise. “You talked to Sajan’s parents? What am I? Twenty-one years old, fifty years ago?”
“We didn’t think you would mind. You seem to like him,” her mother chimed in.
“Sure, he’s a nice guy, but that doesn’t mean I want to marry him.”
“Why not? Love can grow, just as it did for me and your mother.” Her father shifted so he faced her. “And besides, we let you try it your way—and it didn’t work out.”
Did everyone need to remind her what a poor choice Steven had been? Didn’t people get to make mistakes?
“I’m not going to medical school.” She sat up and pressed her lips together. “I’m not marrying Sajan.” She was with Daniel. It was about time they knew. “Listen, I have to tell you something.”
Their eyes widened as if in wonder at what more she could say.
Her belly was overrun with butterflies, and she was starting to sweat profusely, but there was no way she was letting the idea of marrying Sajan go further. She took a deep breath and thought of the comfort she felt in Daniel’s arms. “I’ve been seeing someone.”
They stared at her in complete silence, with almost no reaction.
“Like, dating someone,” she clarified, in case they didn’t understand. Before she could say any more, there was a knock at the door. Her parents still sat in complete silence. Another knock. She didn’t move.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Her mother seemed to find her voice.
Annika stood and went to the door. Maybe it was Ravi, here for Naya.
She opened the door and was met with the fragrance of roses, followed by lips on hers that momentarily made her melt. Daniel wrapped his arms around her in the doorway and thoroughly kissed her good morning, weakening her body so she momentarily forgot where she was.
He walked her into the apartment, still kissing her, when the aroma of mint masala chai brought her back to her senses. She pushed away from him. He looked slightly hurt and confused until she tilted her head toward her parents, who had just watched him kiss her like he’d just returned from war. His lips were slightly swollen and wet, but to his credit, he simply pressed them together rather than draw attention by wiping his mouth.
His eyes filled with alarm, and Annika broke away from his gaze and turned to face her quite ashen parents. “Mummy, Papa. As I was saying—” she glanced at Daniel with a small smile “—I’m seeing someone. And that someone is Daniel. Nilay’s mentor.” She made a small movement with her hand to indicate the man standing next to her, as if there were anyone else in the room. Like he hadn’t just kissed her. In front of them.
Her father had his jaw clenched, and a vein was popping at his temple, whereas her mother’s mouth went from gaping to tight-lipped. Neither one of them could tear their gaze away from Daniel.
