“I promised I’d tell him when there’s news, so I have to call him.”

“What’s the news?” I ask.

“You,” she says with a smile. “Plus, I need to ask him something.”

She dials his number and puts him on speakerphone.

“Hey, bro, what are you doing?”

“Writing. How’s everything back home?”

“Good. Great. I won’t keep you long. Just wanted you to say hi to my savior.”

“Don’t tell me the miracle happened? You finally found someone for the café?”

“She came all the way from New York to help me,” says Celine and winks at me.

“Heh,” I say. “Well—”

Celine nudges me forward.

“Maya, say hi.”

The plan is for me to be over-the-top friendly and get him to tell me what I need to know.

“Hi,” I say. “It’s so nice to meet you, Ethan. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Silence.

“Hey, Ethan, are you still there?” asks Celine.

“Yes, sorry, you broke up a bit.”

“Ugh,” she says. “Maya just said hello.”

“H—Hello,” he says.

“For a writer, you sure are bad with words. Say welcome and thank you for helping my chaotic sister.”

“Welcome, and thank you for helping my chaotic sister,” he says, and I can’t tell if he’s serious or joking. Either way, his voice is getting on my nerves already. Not as much his voice as his tone. Like he can’t be bothered. It perfectly matches the face in the photo.

“OK, enough chitchat,” says Celine. “I called because I wanted to know when you’re coming back.”

There’s a crackling noise, and we hear half of a word that I don’t even understand.

“Stop mumbling,” she says and laughs.

“I said this week.”

She looks at me and makes funny faces. “This week? Did Mom and Dad kick you out?”

“Aren’t you the one who has been pestering me to return to California for months?”

Celine laughs. “That must’ve been some other sister. So, when’s your flight?”

“Soon.”

“OK, that sounds vague enough. So it might be this week, but it might be June 17, right?”

She covers the phone with her hand and says to me, “Typical Ethan”, then uncovers it. “Will you let me know in advance? I’ll come to the airport, do a banner and everything.”

“No thanks,” he answers dryly. “I’ll see you soon.”

Thank God. This might work out after all.

Thirty-Five

June 7

The first thing I did when I went to my room last night was to call Alisa.

“Delphy’s coming back from Florida. Don’t exactly know when but sooner than the 17th.”

“I didn’t know he was supposed to come back on the 17th,” she says.

“I didn’t tell you? Sorry. Must’ve had a conversation with you in my mind.”

She chuckled.

“I have good news too. Heard back from one of the girls I asked for the book and she promised she’ll send me one this week. Not a PDF, though, so it’ll come in the mail.”

“Great! Today’s been a good day after all.”