“Oh, I’m not coming out. Because who I love, and who loves me, should make no fucking difference. If I’m happy, healthy, safe, and treated like a king, then nothing else should matter. And that’s exactly what our relationship is like, from both sides.”
“The way you welcomed me into your home has meant so much to me,” Carey tells my mother, his free hand moving toward her. But she ignores him, keeping her hands locked around that empty ice tea glass.
“I had a feeling,” my father says softly.
My mother fumbles with the glass, knocking it over, the ice cubes scattering.
“I noticed how they looked at each other. How they made each other smile.” Appa’s eyes rise to meet mine, and for the first time in my life, it feels like he’s actually seeing me.
“Why didn’t you say anything to me?” my mother questions.
“Because it was nice to see him happy… For years I watched him walk around with a heaviness weighing him down. We didn’t do right by him, Minjee.” He reaches for my forearm and squeezes it. “We should have been there for you. I should have told you how proud I was.”
I almost crumble at my father’s words.
On my next breath, my throat tightens, and when I cough, a tear rolls down my cheek.
“Proud?’ I tremble as I try to remain composed. “You’ve never…”
“I know. And that’s my failure, not yours.”
"Then you—" My hand leaves Carey's to wipe away another tear. "Then you accept us?"
My father looks at Carey, then to Jin, before ending on my mother.
The cafe continues to clatter around us as an entire conversation takes place within their stare.
Eventually, my mother breaks away, and looks off sternly to the side.
My father takes back his hand. "I want my sons to be happy."
"Omma?"
She turns further away, and I shake my head.
"What bullshit!" Jin jeers. "You're gonna be that stubborn?"
"It's fine," I say, and mean it, because I've already got everything I need. She'll get over it, or she won't, but whatever the outcome, I'm still going to fall asleep every night knowing that Carey is mine.
"Let's go." I smile at Carey and jerk my head towards the exit.
He nods, and makes a point of saying goodbye to my mother, but he gets nothing in return.
"I'll talk to you soon," I tell Eden and Jin, then look at my father a final time. "I know it's coming from a place of love, butJin's an adult. And you need to start treating him like one or you might lose him altogether."
As soon as the cafe door closes behind us, Carey doesn't allow me to take another step before both his arms are wrapping around me.
"I love you so much," he whispers in my ear. "You're my family. You make me complete. You're the exact thing I was searching the whole world for."
First week of March
Iplace my duffle bag into the newly renovated storage compartment under the bed in Tek’s van and push the drawer closed. It makes the most satisfying click as it locks into place. Then I tug down the side of the quilt and smooth it, making sure that everything inside looks just right before shutting the back door.
After checking my surfboard is secure for a final time, I jump into the passenger seat.
Tek leans forward to open the glove compartment in front of me, and asks, “Radio or DJ?”
“I’ll play DJ,” I offer, reaching for the thick wallet of CDs.
