She felt Sajan’s hand on her shoulder, but she couldn’t face him. Facing Sajan was different from facing a bunch of gossiping aunties. She stepped aside from him and made for the door. She couldn’t imagine how the aunties had found out—her family would never discuss this as gossip. That she had been engaged to Steven was common knowledge, but her pregnancy and miscarriage were supposed to have been a well-kept secret.

She heard Naya behind her as she grabbed her shoes and headed out the door. It was November, but she hadn’t brought a coat, so she shivered in the moonlight. All of her bravado was gone, and the reality that she had lost her baby hollowed out her body so her baby’s absence was a physical thing. She thought she was over it, but here she was, crying about it for the second time in a few weeks. She felt for the hospital band in her purse. Would it ever stop hurting? And now humiliation was added to the fire. She turned to Naya.

“How? How did they find out?” A sob escaped Annika as Naya wrapped her arms around her. She didn’t give a rat’s ass about the gossip, but she knew her parents cared. She knew one thing the aunties had said was true: if her parents wanted her to marry inside the community, it would be hard if the truth was out. They would be mortified, knowing that everyone knew their daughter had been pregnant before she got married.

“I don’t know, honey. But the community is small, and it just takes one candy striper to have seen you in the hospital to figure it all out.”

“They’re right, you know,” Annika cried into Naya’s shoulder. “I made a colossal mess of my life, trying to follow my dreams and be this independent woman. I’m better off without Steven, but I never would have seen that if it weren’t for...”

“Stop that talk right now.” Naya grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back so she could look into her eyes. “You would have seen through Steven sooner or later—and miscarriages are losses that you have to grieve, not punishments for bad judgment. You did nothing wrong—you deserve to be happy just like everybody else. Those aunties could use a punishment of sorts, though.”

“Now everybody knows.” Annika’s shoulders sagged in defeat.

“So what? The people who care about you don’t care.”

“My mom and dad care.” More tears threatened at the thought of her parents finding out people were gossiping about her.

“You can’t be worrying about all that.” Naya was steadfast.

“I can’t be worrying about failing my parents on every front?”

Naya rolled her eyes. “You aren’t failing your parents. You made your choices. Some of them didn’t work out. But some did. You’re a fabulous teacher.”