When she’s done, she gives a gracious smile reminiscent of an actress humbly accepting a Golden Globe Award. “I’d like to thank Prozac for bringing me here tonight.” Natasha places a palm over her heart in an exaggerated show of gratitude. “And of course, my family, who has put up with way too much of my shit.”

Her family and friends rush to the stage the second she puts the microphone back.

Vanessa, Suhani’s friend from work, is extending a glass of Prosecco toward Natasha. Suhani always said Vanessa and Natasha reminded her of each other, with their unapologetic defiance of authority.

“Cheers to you, you star!” Vanessa says. She mouths something to a hot Fabio-looking dude in the audience. “My date’s getting a little needy, sorry.”

“Cheers!” Suhani yells, seeming about a thousand times more chill right now than she’s been in the past year.

“You were amazing!” Anuj says.

“Really?” Natasha feels much more self-conscious than she even did onstage.

Anuj smiles. “Really!”

Dad hands her a bouquet of dahlias. “Come, let’s take a family picture. You get in the middle.”

“Dad, this isn’t my high school graduation,” Natasha says as she takes the flowers.

All the other comedians (okay, all the other people in the room) give her a confused look, apparently wondering why this is happening. But Natasha relishes every second of it.

“We are proud of you, beta.” Natasha smells sandalwood when Mom hugs her.

“You are?” Natasha’s in a bit of disbelief at hearing her family express this to her.

She used to worry about sharing her most unfiltered self with her family. She didn’t expect that doing so would help them be more honest with themselves, too.

“Yes.” Mom nods. “You know, some of it was a little inapp—”

“You can just stop at being proud!” Natasha says. “Thank you!”

They all laugh at Mom not even being able to help herself.

“So you’ll be doing more of this in California?” Dad asks as he looks at a man next to them with head-to-toe tattoos and a stud pierced through his nose.

“Yep, this is what I’m going to do after my internship is done every day,” Natasha says as she studies the subtle confusion on Dad’s face.

It’s okay if nobody fully understands or approves of what she’s doing. What matters is that they care enough to try. Plus, not being figured out gives her a bit of an edge, one that satisfies her eternal rebellious urge.

“Hmm.” Dad nods as if he’s listening to some complicated psychiatric patient case. “That sounds like quite an adventure, beta. But we know you’ll do well. You’ve always been able to handle anything that came your way.”