“Well, for the record, the guy sounds like a total jerk.” Zack’s voice softens as he looks at the ceiling, then back at Suhani. “In a weird way, I’m not even surprised you didn’t tell me how serious you guys were. I’ve always felt like you keep this barrier that I can’t cross. And, yeah, I get that when we first started dating, we had to make a lot of adjustments with us being from different cultures and all. But you’ve never really let me in.”

“Of course I’ve let you in,” Suhani says. “You’re my husband.”

Zack shakes his head. “Sure, I’m your husband, but you didn’t tell me anything about the hardest part of your life. I can’t believe you went through something so difficult, something that’s still affecting you, and I haven’t been able to be there for you.”

Suhani hears Natasha’s words from a few weeks ago: You should be honest with Zack about everything. She used to tell Natasha that she was sometimes too open. But now she wonders if her sister had a point.

“You are there for me.” A tear slides down Suhani’s cheek. “You have no idea how much being with you has helped me move on from that time in my life.”

“You said there’s a lot that went on with him that you haven’t been able to talk about?” Zack asks. “What did you mean by that?”

Suhani grips the edge of the bar. Another tear dribbles to her chin.

“You know,” Zack says. “You always say there’s all this stuff I don’t get about you, whether it’s being a woman of color or things with your parents, but sometimes I almost wonder if you want to have some distance from me.”

“Of course I don’t want distance from you!” Suhani says. “It’s just not that simple.”

“Well, that’s just great, Suhani.” Zack shakes his head with disbelief. “You know what? Maybe I’m the one who needs distance right now.” The legs of his chair make a scraping sound as he pushes away from the bar.

“Zack, don’t do that.”

Zack’s never the one to react in the heat of emotion. She tries to put her hand over his, but Zack shoves his wallet into his back pocket, grabs his blazer, and leaves.

Fifteen

Bina

You were right about Rajat Bhai’s toupee!” Mira raises a triumphant fist into the air. “It almost fell off at the temple yesterday. I saw him catch it before it plopped into the moong dal.”

“Ha! I told you!” Kavita says.

“I know someone else who has one,” Mona chimes in. “You’ll never gu—”

“HELLO!” Bina interrupts. “I think it’s important for us to focus on why we’re here today.”