He was still in his pajamas—a matched buttoned-up set. Did he dress like this even alone at home? His hair needed to be combed, and his chin needed a shave, but somehow Rohan still managed to exude the air of the powerful corporate executive he was. Hearing his voice, Darcy’s ears perked up and she rushed to him. Because of course she did—the only human Darcy loved as much as Kamila and Dad was Rohan, despite Rohan’s usual indifference to her. Kamila really needed to have a girl-to-girl with her dog about when to ease off if your affections weren’t returned.

Rohan chuckled at the dog while rubbing his fingers over the scruff on his own chin.

Kamila put her hands on her hips. “No snark from you today, mister. Dad needs to eat better. Every weekend he fries eggs in ghee.”

“I’m looking forward to trying something new,” Dad said from behind Rohan on the stairs. “Kamila takes such good care of me. Can I help you, beti?”

Kamila looked carefully at her father’s eyes as he reached the bottom step. They looked a little tired, which was expected for early on a Saturday. But there was a hint of amusement and contentedness there. Good. Kamila spent a great deal of time studying her father’s eyes. It helped that they were so expressive. Some people wore their heart on their sleeve, but Kassim Hussain showed it in his eyes.

“I got it, Dad. Go ahead and sit. I’ll pour your tea.”

He smiled and planted himself at the dining table, then opened his iPad to read the news. “You always take such good care of everyone, Kamila. Rohan, did she tell you she’s in charge of the puppy prom for the animal shelter this year? That’s the last event at Dogapalooza, right, beti?”

“That’s right, Dad.”

The Dogapalooza was an annual fundraiser for the animal shelter where Kamila had volunteered for years. This year, she and her friend Tim were in charge of planning the festival’s final event—the Sunday-night puppy prom.

Rohan looked sideways at Kamila. “Can’t say I’m surprised Kam would volunteer for a party. She’s a consummate host.”

“Did you just compliment me?” she asked playfully as Rohan joined her in the kitchen.

“That’s up for interpretation.” He looked at the spread of dishes Kamila had already prepared. “You know, when I said yesterday that your Uber Eats account might see more action than your Tinder account, I wasn’t hinting for you to cook. Chai and toast are fine.” He swiped a cherry tomato from the colander and ate it. “Are those sweet potatoes? For breakfast?”

“They’re high in potassium to lower Dad’s blood pressure. I got hibiscus tea, too. It’s good for both blood pressure and blood sugar. He’s going to nail his physical.”