“What do you mean you don’t know?” Jim asked.
Karthik shook his head. “I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t. I’m not even engaged.”
“Engaged?”
“You met her. At Marianne’s party? Except she’s not really my fiancée.”
Jim’s eyes went round. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“That’s the only reason Marianne recommended me for the job. You shouldn’t be interviewing me. I’m a fraud.” Just like his father. Karthik took a deep, ragged breath. Then another. Something heavy pressed on his chest, preventing him from getting enough oxygen to his lungs.
“Karthik, are you…are you okay? If you’re not feeling well, we can reschedule. Or we can take a short break and reconvene…”
Karthik stood up. “I’m sorry. Please excuse me.” He walked out of the conference room, out of the elevator, out of the building, and into a cab. Before he fully knew what he was doing, he was on his way to LaGuardia Airport.
—
A swarm of butterflies rushed through Meghna’s stomach. Tonight was her students’ first (and only) performance, and she was so proud of how hard they had worked to get here. Sure, the costumes were repurposed from last year’s show, and the set did little to disguise the fact that they were performing in the cafeteria, but she was excited. And the students were too. They were taking selfies in their costumes, wishing each other good luck, and buzzing around with that pre-show energy that Meghna loved so much. She hadn’t been backstage before a performance since she was in college, and she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed it.
“Everyone, we have thirty minutes,” she called out. “Time to circle up.”
The students huddled together, forming a ring around her. She walked them through the warm-up exercises they started every rehearsal with: tongue twisters and silly faces and jumping up and down to shake out all the nerves. She gave a modified version of her high school theater teacher’s standard pep talk, then sent them on their way, reminding them to use the restroom now before going to their places.
They scrambled away, and she took a deep breath, peeking out from behind the curtain to look at the audience. It was still early, but some parents and teachers were already out in the crowd. Her parents had promised to come too, but they’d probably get there right before showtime. They always seemed to run about fifteen minutes behind everyone else. Her phone beeped, and she pulled it out, expecting to see an ETA from them. Instead, it was a text from Karthik.
Karthik: Hey, can you come out to the parking lot?
That was strange. What parking lot was he talking about? Did he think she was in New York?
Meghna: ?? Did you mean to send this to me?
Karthik: I’m here. In the middle school parking lot.
He was here? Atherschool?
She checked in with a parent volunteer, who promised to keep an eye on things, then rushed outside. It was getting dark. A silhouette of a man standing a short distance away caught her eye. She walked toward him.
“Karthik, what are you doing here? I can’t believe…” Her voice trailed off when she saw a bouquet of flowers in his hand. “Are those for me?”
He nodded. “Yes. Congratulations on your performance.”
Something gooey and hot melted inside her. “Thanks. That’s so sweet of you.” She took the bouquet from his hands and smelled it. The gesture was kind, but she was still confused about why he was here. They hadn’t talked since they parted ways at the airport. Since all that awkwardness between them.
“What are you doing in Dallas?”
He looked away, his eyes not meeting hers.
She searched his face, but the parking lot was poorly lit. She couldn’t make out much through the shadows. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” he said, but he choked on the word. Almost as if…as if he had held back a sob.
Concern grew within her. “Karthik, what’s going on?”
He shook his head and wiped a hand over his face, but the noises he made were unmistakable. He was crying.
Her chest cracked open. “Karthik,” she said softly, lifting her arms and wrapping them around him. He didn’t move for several seconds, his body stiff. Frozen. But then his arms came around her, gently drawing her closer. The sobs wracked his body. His chest heaved against hers. She tightened her arms around him, silently telling him that it was okay. That she was here. They stood there for several moments, arms entwined around each other, until his cries softened and his breathing became more even.
He dropped his chin onto the top of her head and inhaled deeply. “Thank you,” he said, his voice scratchy and raw.
