The doctor nodded. “Yeah, those he did not tell me about. We’ve given him something to calm him, so he’s pretty relaxed now. I’d like to keep him overnight so I can see the test results. He didn’t have a heart episode today, but his heart is stressed. We’re getting him moved to a room. Then you can go in to see him for a little while, but let’s see if he can get some sleep after that. I’ll tell the nurse to let you know when he’s been moved. And…” The doctor smiled. “He’ll be fine. I’m being extra cautious here. You have a lovely father. He reminds me of my own…and now I want to call him.”

Kamila’s eyes welled with tears, overcome with emotions. Worry, fear. Relief. She took in a shaky breath and felt Jana squeeze her hand again.

“He’s okay, Kamila,” Jana said.

Kamila nodded and pulled her phone out. “I guess I have calls to make.”

She headed back to the waiting room and phoned her sister first, telling her everything the doctor had said. Shelina was relieved and told Kamila to let her know when she could call Dad. Kamila texted Rohan next.

Kamila: It wasn’t his heart—he had bad heartburn from Rashida’s desi taco experiment.

Kamila frowned. Saying it like that kind of diminished the issue here.

Rohan: Oh thank god it’s nothing. I’ll pick you and him up.

Kamila: It’s not nothing. The chest pains triggered a panic attack, which has put stress on his heart. His blood pressure is very high. They are running a bunch of tests and gave him a sedative. They want to keep him overnight. Jana can bring me home.

Rohan: I only had two glasses of wine, and that was hours ago. I’m coming.

She didn’t want him coming to get her. She wasn’t over their argument and felt this fragile support she was getting from Jana would shatter if she brought anyone else into their fold. Especially Rohan.

Kamila: It’s fine. We’ll see Dad for five minutes, and then she’ll drive me home. I’ll talk to you later.

Dad was almost asleep when Kamila and Jana were finally allowed to see him. He mumbled twice about missing his cooking show, called Jana Shelina, then fell asleep. But he looked well. Alive. Kamila kissed his forehead before they left.

The ride home with Jana was understandably pretty quiet. They’d never been friends, but Kamila liked to think they’d reached some sort of truce tonight. She didn’t expect it to last—in fact, she fully expected Jana would do something so nauseatingly perfect or condescending tomorrow that it would bring her right back to her previously held spot as secret nemesis in Kamila’s life. Only not really a secret anymore.