AFTER SCHOOL BUT before her shift at Phil’s, Annika went to see her brother at the hospital. Naya was sitting beside a drugged and sleeping Nilay. She and Naya had not spoken much since that dinner. It had been only ten days, but it seemed longer. Annika had reached out to her cousin, knowing that Naya would be hurting from her breakup with Ravi, but Naya had remained distant until Nilay’s accident. Annika couldn’t imagine her life without Naya and knew the feeling was mutual.

Annika walked in. “Hey.”

Naya turned and smiled at her, but the smile did not reach her eyes. She had dark circles and her cheeks seemed sunken. Naya got up and hugged her. “Can you ever forgive me for being such a terrible best friend and sister?”

Annika hugged her tight and felt tears prickle at her nose. “It’s forgotten—and anyway, you were a little bit right.” She pulled back and tried to stem her tears. “He broke up with me, right in the waiting room. What is it with me and hospitals?” She tried to joke.

“What? That little fucker.” Naya shook her head.

“Jeez, Naya. I did love him.” Still do...

“Sorry, reflex. What happened? I was just starting to like him.”

Annika raised an eyebrow at her cousin.

“Well,” Naya continued, “I was trying to like him, anyway.”

Annika shrugged. “There’s not much to say. He has to deal with losing Sara. Right now, he deals by shutting down.” She thought about Daniel’s family. “And shutting everyone out.” Including her. She swallowed hard. “That’s what makes it so difficult. I have no doubt that he loves me. I actually think he feels like he’s doing right by me. What is wrong with men?”

“By deciding for you that having children was more important than him?”

Annika sighed. She should probably be angrier about that, but she really couldn’t muster the energy to be angry at someone who was hurting so much. Especially someone she loved with such ferocity.

“Give it a rest, Naya. Either way, he has to come to terms with his loss before he can—” Be with someone again. And she knew it wouldn’t be her. When—if—he healed, he’d be a different person with different needs. Who knew if he’d still love her? She certainly couldn’t wait around to just be disappointed. Boy, she really could pick them, couldn’t she?

“You’re too good for him.” Naya grinned.

Annika rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She chuckled as she squeezed her cousin’s hand. “How are you?”

Naya shrugged, but Annika caught the tears in her sunken eyes.

“Hey.” Annika turned Naya’s face toward her own. “Is it possible you’re being stubborn and not seeing the big picture?”

“What’s that?”

“That you and Ravi love each other and should be able to live your own lives.”

“That’s not—”