Her mother’s head snapped up. “Of course. But—”
“Okay.” Riya squeezed her mother’s hand. She’d explain her career choices another day.
“We should have been home that night,” her mother blurted out, eyes wide, bottom lip quivering.
“What? Mom, you were.”
“No, we were out when the fire started. Remember?” Her mother’s voice shook. Maybe this hadn’t been the best idea right now.
“You were there when we got outside.” Riya kept her voice even. She had been so happy to see them, she had almost forgotten that they had been out.
“We had just gotten there. We were late. We were supposed to have been home an hour before, but we were with our friends, you and Samir were grown, so we thoughtwhat could happen?” Her eyes filled with tears. “If we had been home...” She shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks.
“Mom, no. You know you can’t do thewhat-ifthing. It’s not your fault.” She squeezed her mother’s hand. “There’s no way to predict what exactly will happen in a fire.”
Her mother swallowed and sniffled and looked at her, her voice stronger now. “Your father tells me your boss says you are doing well.”
A small smile crept onto Riya’s face. “Yes. That’s true. But I’m new, and I’m a woman, so I have to prove myself.”
Her mother nodded. “What about getting married?”
“Mom.” The switch in topics was completely normal for her mother. Job and marriage. The final duties of a parent in getting their children to the promised land of Settled.
“You told Varsha Masi you’d think about it.” Her mother’s eyes were wide and alert. Clearly, she was excited at the prospect.
What the hell? Dhillon had made it abundantly clear he wasn’t interested in anything further with her. Her new job wasn’t helping that. And it would give her mother something to focus on while she recovered. “Yeah. Okay. Set it up. I’ll meet someone.”
eighteen
DHILLON
“Riya’s going on a date,” Hetal reported as she grabbed the bag of soccer balls from the trunk of the car.
Dhillon snatched up the fluorescent orange cones from the trunk as the news settled into his heart like a rock.
“Did you hear me, Bhaiya?”
“I heard you,” he grumbled.
They carried the equipment onto the field. Dhillon had coached Hetal’s soccer team since she started playing as a child. His dad would have done it, had he been alive, and Dhillon missed playing soccer, so he had volunteered. He wanted his sister to have everything she would have had if their father had been alive.
Hetal was busy with college and working at the clinic, but she still loved it, and she volunteered as a coach, too, for twelve-and thirteen-year-old girls. Now Dhillon was her assistant coach.
“Well, don’t you think you should ask her out?” Hetal dropped the bag of balls on the edge of the field. Dhillon started placing the cones out for the drills they were going to run that day.
“Why would I do that?” When she was clearly not interested in anything long-term with him.
“Oh my God, Bhaiya!” Hetal stopped him. “If you don’t, she’s going to meet someone and fall in love and get married and you’ll still be stuck alone!”
“I’m notstuckalone. It’s a choice.” Sure it was.
“The point is, you need a life.” She had her hands on her hips, and the look she was giving him could rival any auntie they knew. “You’ll never get Riya if you don’t try.”
“I tried.” He sounded more despondent than he’d planned on.
“You what?” Her eyes widened at this news.
He looked at his little sister, who wasn’t anything close to a baby anymore, and repeated himself. “I tried. She’s not interested. End of story.” He knew it was true, but it didn’t hurt any less no matter how many times he said it.
