When Drew woke me in the early afternoon with a shower of kisses on my head, face, and arms, I felt so light I could’ve floated right up out of bed even without antigravity boots. The reality that he would be flying back to California the next morning hung over us, but I also had so much clarity I couldn’t stop grinning at him with all my teeth on display—the way my mother hated, since “classy girls only show six teeth.” That same smile always made Drew’s eyes light up, which they did now.

“Hey,” he said, matching my giant grin.

“Hey.”

My cheeks hurt.

“If you’re okay with it,” I said, “I want to tell my parents about us. About everything. Next week. When I come home for Chinese New Year.” I was flying into Palo Alto next Friday evening, Chinese New Year’s Day.

His eyes widened. “Yeah?”

I nodded.

“I’m ready whenever you are,” he said, tapping my knee with a finger. “Are you okay with the fact that they will definitely be upset?”

I sighed. “I’m going to lose them one day with or without you. It’s inevitable. My relationship with them is already cracked, and it’s been waiting to fully break for a long time. At some point I’m going to have to be myself with them. I’m ready now, with you.”

His eyes glistened. “Yeah?”

I nodded. “Because you’re my kind of fish ball.”

He chuckled through his tears, then laced his fingers through mine and brought my hand up to kiss it. “Infinite mooncake points to House of Chloe. And… you’re my kind of fish ball too. A meatball. Wait, I didn’t mean it that way—”

“I know,” I said with a laugh. “This isn’t my first interaction with you.”

When his lips met mine, I somehow managed to hit pause in my brain, putting off the storm on the horizon and focusing on the positives of the huge decision we’d just made. I was trying. Moving forward. The end result might not be what I wanted, but I was fighting.

He gently sucked my lower lip, then broke away to nibble his way from my neck to my earlobe. And I forgot not only what was coming but my own name.

Voicemail from Chloe’s mother

February 6

Jing-Jing, you can’t ignore me forever! If you keep this up, I really will fly out there! Tomorrow! Surprise you at your dorm! And as punishment, I will bring you three pairs of those underwear you hate! [laugh]

Call me back. I… I just want to talk to you. I’m… thinking of you is all. Okay?

Chloe CHAPTER 65 COLD

February 7

I started to get cold feet about telling my parents once Drew left Chicago and my previously warm bed turned cold. And my mother’s voicemails weren’t helping.