I’m about to meet Grams, or maybe my dad? And I’m wearing a weird projected Jamie skin. I know I’m dressed as Jamie, and the plan was to impersonate her for the landmine moment, but that was never going to last for more than a hot second. A minute! Five minutes tops! However long it took to get a hard look at my face! Any parent would realize!

And then I could be me, and spend these next four days learning what it would be like to live in California, and talking to Dad about these past fourteen years. I could pick his brain about what to do with my future!

If I’m Jamie on the outside, I won’t be able to tell them I’m Siri without sounding legitimately insane. I hastily wipe at the tears dribbling down my cheeks as I pass the mouth where security spills into the terminal.

I call Jamie one more time, but it goes straight to voicemail.

How do I not melt down right now? What would Jamie do?

That answer comes immediately: Jamie would take it in stride and make it work for her. She’s so good at that. Any insult I throw her way swings back around to me.

How do I do that with this? Am I supposed to just roll with it?

I guess I can do that. I can definitely do that until Jamie’s plane lands and we figure this out.

Donya would urge me to ground myself in the moment. Take the situation one step at a time. At least that’s the advice she gave about confronting Mom. Ground myself with a classic antianxiety exercise so I can gather my thoughts. Don’t think ahead in what-ifs, just be present.

Jamie will call me when she lands.

Jamie said Grams would be the one picking me up from the airport. Apparently, Dad doesn’t pick people up from anywhere. “It’s part of his charm,” she quipped. I still kind of hope he’s here.

When I get to Jamie’s room, I’m supposed to create a new email account to catfish Dad so we can get him to Vegas in five days. I can do that fine wearing a Jamie projection. In fact, I can do it more easily wearing a Jamie projection.

I’m going to be fine. This is fine. I step onto the escalator descending to ground level. Inhale a slow breath. Blow out a slow breath. Baggage claim rises before me.

I scan the few people waiting, looking for Grams. Jamie said she’d be wearing an ascot. My eyes snag on a beautiful Asian girl smiling at me. She’s dressed in tight bright pink bell-bottom corduroy pants and a tight light pink T-shirt with matching platform sneakers.

Brilliant monochromatic outfit.