Daniel, to his credit, did not try to brush off the fact that he had just been making out with their daughter. Instead, he stepped away from her as he brought his hands together and bowed his head slightly in the namaste greeting.
Her parents returned the greeting like robots, out of habit. It was clear they had no idea that they were even doing that. Annika swore she could see steam coming out her dad’s ears.
“Thisis why you won’t consider Sajan? This?” Her father spoke not only as if Daniel weren’t there but as if he were nothing better than something stuck to his shoe. “He’s a nurse, Annika. And he’s divorced!” He said these things as if they were contagious incurable diseases.
Annika hazarded a glance at Daniel and found that he was looking at her. But if he was at all insulted by her father, he didn’t show it. Concern for her settled onto his face, and it was in that moment, in the middle of all that chaos, with her father yelling at them,insulting him, her mother’s disapproval mounting, that she knew she loved him. She had been falling for him all this time. For this man who, in the midst of this storm around them, was calm and supporting and oblivious of everything but her. There was no other man for her. Emboldened, she turned to her parents and said the first thing she thought of.
“Papa, his grandmother is Indian. And he’s a nurse practitioner.”
Anil seemed to swell up with anger. “Is that what you think? That I care if he isIndian? There areplentyof Indian idiots out there.” His hands were flailing about as he tried to emphasize his point. “No! What I care about is that he did not have the ambition to become a doctor and instead chose to be a nurse. As a result, he has to moonlight on the helicopter to make ends meet. What kind of life is that? And being divorced shows lack of commitment.”
Annika felt Daniel tense, and she risked another glance at him. His lips were pressed tight, jaw clenched, but he met her gaze with warning. He gave the slightest shake of his head.I’m not worth it.
He was wrong. Annika stepped in front of Daniel and faced her father. “You don’t even know him.”
“I know enough. Sajan is in a position to support you while you go to medical school.” He said it like it was a done deal.
“I’mnotgoing to medical school!”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m good at teaching. No, I’mgreatat teaching—and I love those children.”
“But Sajan...” her mother started.
“I already told you.”
Daniel leaned toward her ever so slightly, his chest pressed against her back. “I love those kids. I love what I do, and I love—Daniel. I love Daniel.” She stared straight ahead, meeting her father’s eyes, even as she felt Daniel tense behind her.
Her father gaped at her for a moment before he brushed past them. “Think about what you are doing, Annika. What do you know about love? We only want what is best for you.”
Her mother hesitated before joining her father at the door. “Beta, think about what we said. Every once in a while, we have a good idea.” She glanced at Daniel with what Annika could have sworn was a trace of sadness. And with that, her parents opened the door and left.
Annika sagged right into Daniel as if she had just run a marathon. His arms were around her in an instant, providing the strength and comfort she needed right now. He led her to the sofa, and she curled up in his lap.
“So, um...good morning to you, too,” Daniel chuckled.
“It’s not funny.”
“No, I suppose making out in front of your parents is not really comedy, or the best way to tell them about us.” He pulled back to look at her. “You were telling them about us?”
“Well, yeah, before you came in and kissed me like I was the last woman on earth.”
“Youarethe last woman on earth, for me.”
“They’re really trying to get me to marry Sajan. Besides, they should know about you.”
“Not really the best way for them to find out.”
She giggled despite the hollowness in her stomach. She felt his chuckle vibrate through her and decided it was the most amazing thing she’d ever felt. Well, almost.
“They don’t like me.” He was matter-of-fact.
She squeezed his hand. “They don’t know you.”
“They don’t want to know me.”
Annika sat up so she could look at him. “That’s their loss. Listen, it’s not easy. If you can’t handle it, bail now.” Better to find out now that he wouldn’t be sticking around.
