He finally looked at me. “I didn’t tell you I was sick, even after you already knew, because I haven’t been able to truly face it myself.” He placed his hand on the table, angled toward mine but not touching. “I don’t want you to feel like you can’t tell me things, okay? And I’ll try to be more open with you.”

I nodded, attempting to hold the oncoming wave of emotions in check. “You know vitamins and acupuncture don’t do anything, right?” I joked, and he laughed.

“Maybe you can come with me to my next doctor’s appointment,” he said, then added, “So you can tell Dr. Lin that.”

I smiled. “I would love that.”

We didn’t hug or cry or say I love you; we simply dug into our food. But for us, this was monumental. I tried to force my mother out of my mind so I could focus on how my father and I had just taken a long-overdue step forward. Together.

Chloe CHAPTER 68 VALENTINE’S DAY

February 14

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend the day with your parents?” Drew asked the following afternoon as we journeyed our way to San Francisco in the back seat of a so-far private UberPool. I was flying out of the San Francisco airport later today, and I’d asked him if he wanted to come with me and make a day of it. I only had a backpack, so luggage wasn’t a problem.

I poked his side. “It’s Valentine’s Day.”

“Every day feels like Valentine’s Day with you, not just the rando day some Catholic priest died.”

I smiled, but the moment was laced with poignancy. “I wish it had gone differently yesterday. But I’m not surprised? Maybe I’m even a little relieved it didn’t go worse?”

“I would not have guessed your dad would handle it better than your mom.”

I chuckled. “They’re both roller coasters. Different ones, both unpredictable.” I rested my hand in the middle seat, and he reached over to clutch it. “My dad told me to give my mom some space. I think he might need some too, just to process. But… I’ll email him in a few days. Ask for a health update. I think it’ll be okay with him.”

Drew nodded in support and agreement. “I’m sorry I didn’t prepare more for today,” he said with a sad smile. “I would’ve made you something! I assume you feel differently about origami roses than real ones?”

I beamed. “Maybe we can find a pack of paper somewhere and you can teach me.”

We spent the day laughing, half talking in our own language made up of inside jokes, and gallivanting around a beautiful city I’d never really spent time in despite living adjacent to it my whole life.