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Back A Show for Two Save as PDF
Chapters (67)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Praise for Counting Down with You
  4. Dedication
  5. Author’s Note
  6. Opening
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. Intermission
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. Closing
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. Five Years Later
  65. Acknowledgments
  66. Excerpt from Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan
  67. Booklist

So for the rest of the weekend, I let myself wallow, listening to sad music, taking a brief hiatus on social media, watching my favorite films, and eating comfort foods.

On Monday morning, I wake up, and take a deep breath.

I am Mina Rahman. I will succeed, no matter what it takes.

Closing

Closing

“Home is where you find love.”

—MINA RAHMAN AND EMMITT RAMOS

(CO-SCREENWRITERS, A SHOW FOR TWO)

34

I greet Rosie with a grin on Monday. “Thank you for the birthday gift. I loved it.”

Rosie brightens in response. “Really?”

I nod. She made a scrapbook with scenes from all the movies we’ve watched together, including ticket stubs and pictures of us. The last picture was a commissioned art piece of the two of us at a red carpet premiere for our own joint film, ten years down the line. “It was lovely,” I say and wrap one arm around her neck, pulling her in for a hug. “Thank you, Rosie.”

She shrugs as if it was no big deal, but the way her eyes are shining tells me otherwise. “What did Emmitt get you?”

I raise a hand to my neck, where a small pendant rests. “This.”

Rosie shifts closer, eyeing with raised eyebrows. “Is that an inscription? What does it say?”

“You are the light.” I brush my thumb over the words, inspired by a quiet rooftop conversation between two kindred souls. The picture inside the pendant is one of my shadow against the pavement, taken while we were at Rockefeller Center.

Rosie exhales a quiet breath. “Maybe he’s not an asshole after all.”

I hold the pendant between my fingers, considering it with a small smile. “Yeah. Maybe not.”

Emmitt is missing from Italian class. I give Grant a curious look when Rosie and I walk in, but he shrugs in response.

Huh.

After class, I check my phone, but there are no texts from Emmitt. I decide to click into the photography contest website instead, sorting through the information until I come across the prompt.

FLIGHT.

Immediately, I know where to go. But Emmitt isn’t here, so it doesn’t really matter.

I pause to send him a quick text: are you running late to school???

Within seconds, I have a response.

EMMITT RAMOS: funny story?

EMMITT RAMOS: my mum flew in for the week without telling me bc she has some business stuff to handle in NYC so she’s staying with me rn and she’s booked my entire day

EMMITT RAMOS: I don’t know why I have to attend this meeting with these film producers but mum doesn’t seem to care about my complaints so...

ME: oh noooo

ME: so ur not coming to school then?

EMMITT RAMOS: afraid not :( soz xxxx

ME: ahhhhh ok ok well I just wanted to say thank you for the gift. I finally opened it and it was A+