I laughed at that, remembering Yin’s very vocal opinions on Easton’s hotness. I could barely believe that I was so messed up about Easton that I was coming to my own mentee for dating advice, and yet here I was poised to spill my guts again.

“It feels too complicated with Easton’s job. I mean look at what happened with you yesterday, I can’t be with someone who is so connected to the system that allows these things to go unchecked.”

Ari ran a hand over his face as he considered what I’d said. After a long moment he looked at me and asked, “Is Easton okay with the stops?”

The intense “no” that bubbled up in my chest surprised me. “No. He’s not okay with it.”

Ari sighed and I could tell he was trying to figure out how to say what he was thinking. He was always cautious with his words. In part because he was still self-conscious about his English, but also because he wasn’t a careless person. I wondered if he’d always been like this or if the things he’d been through had changed him.

“One of the best things about being with Yin—” I’d been so in my head that his voice startled me, and it took me a moment to digest what he’d said. “—is that he’s taught me that I need to imagine a future that is just for me. My parents sacrificed so much to send me here, I still can’t believe they were able to, honestly. All that time I had to sit in that detention center not knowing if I would be able to stay, or if I’d have to go back.” He shook his head as if still hardly believing he’d managed to get out of there. “All I could think was ‘I need to make all this worth it. If I ever get out of here I will work until I can bring them over, until I can show them I deserved their sacrifice.’”

I was trying to figure out what words to use to convince Ari that of course it had been worth it, when he continued this time, sounding too wise for his years. “Being with Yin, I realized, that aiming for my own happiness made it worth it. We need to have some dreams that are just for us.” He laughed, with his hands up. “I know it is not easy what I am suggesting you do, but don’t cheat yourself out of the happy future you’re fighting for.”

I felt utterly unprepared to really dig into most of what Ari had said, so I went with something to lighten the mood of the conversation. “I don’t think you’re getting much out of this mentoring deal. All you do is give me advice.” Ari grinned knowingly at my attempt to change the subject.