Raj hadn’t eaten since the few bites she’d consumed that morning, but she didn’t have the stomach for food. She was about to say so when Khunda bounded around the dining table straight toward Ajay’s mother.

In Raj’s experience, there was a fifty-fifty chance whether or not Indian parents liked pets. Dogs and cats hadn’t been common in India when Ajay’s parents immigrated to the States, so Raj went to intercept as quickly as she could. Khunda dodged her and pounced on Aunty’s foot.

“And this must be Khunda!” She greeted the puppy like a long-lost friend. “My son has sent me a picture of you. I brought you a roti, too, with little oil and no salt. Would you like a roti? Is your mother okay with a roti?”

It took Raj a moment to realize the question was for her. “Auntyji, that is very kind of you to do.”

“Nonsense. Now come. Sit while I make this chai.”

Raj smoothed a hand down her pants as she thought about the best way to approach her current predicament. If there was one person whose judgment could hurt her, it would be this woman. She’d raised an incredible man and her approval would be . . . no. No, Raj thought. She didn’t need anyone’s approval. She just hoped that Ajay would be okay with that, too. She’d hate to be the cause of widening the wedge between him and his family.

“Aunty, can I ask why you’re here?”

The woman pulled out a pot and began filling it with water. “Because I would rather be with you than sitting in a boardroom during Ajay’s meeting. My boy can handle it on his own. His father is with him, anyway.”

“I know.” Raj stepped forward until she could grip the edge of the kitchen island countertop. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

Aunty paused in the act of dropping a tablespoon of masala into the water. “It does if you were listening.”

Well, that put her in her place, didn’t it? Raj mused. She slid onto the barstool and decided that it was best to wait and hear what the woman had to say on her own.

“You know, I read your article—”

And there it was.

“—and I didn’t think you should be alone right now.”

What twilight universe was she living in? Raj picked up Khunda, because obviously her dog was the only thing that made sense right now.

“Aunty, I appreciate your support.”

The woman laughed, the sound lyrical to Raj’s ears. “It’s clear that you aren’t comfortable with me. Maybe it was your mother? I don’t know how other Punjabi mothers are, but I raised three boys and our life was very different from the moment I stepped foot in the US. That is why I’ll tell you what I think.”