“Hey, don’t beat yourself up so much,” Zack says. “Rejections are part of the process, right?”

“Yeah, that is what they say. I just didn’t think they’d hurt so much.”

“Of course.”

“And I’ve been feeling so shitty lately. It’s getting old. Heavy.”

“Is it just the comedy or also because of the Karan stuff?” Zack asks, even though he’s secretly happy it didn’t work out with them. He always found Karan a little uptight and, frankly, kind of boring, like the guy you dread having to make small talk with at office parties. Of course, he never told anyone that. Part of being a good son-in-law was knowing when to keep your mouth shut.

Natasha shakes her head. “I don’t think that’s all of it. I’m just, I don’t know, maybe a little lost.”

“Well, you’re figuring things out and that takes time,” Zack says. “What do you think about getting out of the apartment more? I know that’s not a big thing, but maybe you’ll feel a little better if you’re not cooped up here all day.”

“I could do that. It’s been harder to feel motivated to do anything, even take small steps like that.”

Zack reaches for his own Reese’s cup. “Have you considered talking to anyone in your family about how you’re doing? Your dad and sister do specialize in feelings.”

“There hasn’t really been a chance for that,” Natasha says.

“Don’t your parents call you every day?”

“Um, technically, yes.” Natasha flashes him a guilty smile. “But why ruin perfectly nice conversations, right?”

Zack snickers. He knows no one would consider Mom’s judgment and Dad’s softer questions about how Natasha’s filling her days to qualify as perfectly nice conversations.

“Don’t tell anyone, okay? I’m really fine and there’s no need to bother them.” Natasha gulps down her sparkling water.

It’s a request she’s given Zack many times. Don’t tell anyone, okay? And he never does. He gets what it feels like to be an outsider in your own family. His mom and sisters often told him he was too sensitive, too reactive to things. They never understood how he was molded differently by his dad than they were.

Natasha throws the blanket off her. “Let me clean up these candy wrappers before Miss Queen of Order gets home.”

“Good idea,” Zack says.

“Has she seemed stressed to you?” Natasha asks as the wrappers make a crinkling sound in her hands. “Like, more than usual?”

“Let me think.” Zack pretends to contemplate and then blurts, “Yes. A lot more!”

“She really is, right?” Natasha asks. “I’m glad I wasn’t just imagining it.”