Chapter 36
“It’s the cowboy!” my cousin Harish shouts, shoving his head into the frame before Dhruvi Anand—my grandmother, who I most often call Nani—bats him away.
Ever since I visited Chandigarh, my mother’s home city in India, and met my massive family on the other side of the world, a good portion of them took to calling me “the cowboy” on account of my Southern American accent. I know the term is one of endearment, so I don’t mind.
“My home is full of loudmouths and hungry bellies today,” my grandmother says with pinched lips and sparkling eyes.
Nani loves it that way and welcomed me eagerly when I visited.
She wanted me to stay for more than the handful of months my travel visa allowed. But despite the beauty of northern India and the boisterous family that accepted me with joy and fascination, Chandigarh never felt like home. Not like Green Valley.
I know my choice to leave probably felt a lot like when my mother had opted to stay in the States with my father, but Nani let me go with only a few complaints and sneaky matchmaking attempts.
Now, I know why those dates she sent me on never came to anything.
My soulmate was here all along.
“And your father,” my grandma asks, “how is he?”
There was a time when I think my grandmother resented Dad, but she must have gotten over it at some point because she always makes sure to ask about him. I give her the rundown of him and my job and throw in things like the Jam Session—though not what occurred immediately after in my car under the moonlight.
She doesn’t need to know about that.
But, as if my thoughts conjured her, I hear the shuffling of feet behind me and watch as my grandmother’s eyes narrow.
“There’s someone in your house. Do you know that there is someone in your house?”
I glance over my shoulder to find Robin in front of the fridge, standing on her tiptoes as she reaches for the cereal boxes I lined up on the top. Her hand comes down with the Honey Nut Cheerios, and she already has her hand shoved in the box when she turns and freezes like a raccoon in the porch light. She must not have heard my grandmother’s comment. I spy the small white earbud in her right ear.
“This is Robin Dunn,” I explain and wait for her to pause whatever she’s listening to before I finish the greeting. “Robin, this is my grandmother, Dhruvi Anand.”
“Robin?” Nani repeats in confusion. “Daren’s girlfriend, Robin?”
I try not to grind my teeth at the descriptor. My grandmother has an almost-encyclopedic knowledge of family members, constantly giving me updates on the many people on my mom’s side. It’s not a surprise that she would recall the basic level of details I’ve given her about the relatives over here.
I’ve just neglected to update her on the state of Robin and Daren.
And I’ve definitely told her nothing about Robin and me.
Because there’s nothing to tell.
She’s utilizing me for revenge, then plans to move on.
“We were dating,” Robin says, approaching the camera to get a better view of my grandmother. “But the relationship ended a while back.”
Has it been a while? I guess it has.
A few months ago.
“I’m living with Arthur now,” Robin adds.
Nani gasps, and I’m on a slight delay when I realize how my grandmother took those words. I’m too late to correct her.
“Living together! That’s wonderful. When’s the wedding?”
The kitchen goes dead silent.
I slowly turn my head to face Robin and see her eyes have gone overly wide.
Yeah, not great.
“It’s not like that, Nani.” Not for Robin anyway.
If it were up to me, I’d be on my way to Merryville to buy her a ring right now.
Although I don’t think mechanics are supposed to wear rings for safety. Something about the metal conducting electricity. I’ve seen silicone wedding bands before though. Maybe Robin would like one of those and then a nicer ring to wear when we go out to Genie’s or to a nice dinner at The Front Porch...
Shit. There goes my imagination.
There will be no buying rings for Robin, silicone or otherwise.
“What do you mean?” Nani looks ready to do battle. “You two are already living together. Marriage is the next step.” She claps her hands together, as if the matter is settled, then turns a bright smile on my fake girlfriend. “Hello, Robin. I’m glad to meet you. You work on airplanes, correct?”
“I-I do. Work on airplanes, that is. But . . .” Robin sets her cereal box down out of the camera frame.
Then, she sits on my lap.
Fuck. Holy fuck. She’s on my lap, and I love her, and my grandmother will see, and two hearts will break when Robin leaves my life. Three if we add Dad into the equation.
“Arthur let me move in after Daren and I broke up,” Robin explains, oblivious to my inner torment. “Even though your grandson is very easy to fall in love with, I’m going to need some time before I can hop into anything serious again. It was...a bad break.” In the tiny screen that shows our faces, I see Robin’s apologetic smile. “Sorry to get your hopes up.”
“Oh no. You take your time. You let my Arthur take care of you. Such a good boy, that one. Cooks better than anyone in the family. Except for me, of course. You’ll need to come with him on his next visit.” Her shrewd eyes turn to mine. “And that will be . . .”
The end of her question is ominous, as in I’d better give a relatively solid answer or risk her wrath.
“Spring,” I say, deciding then that I do want to see all of them. It would be nice to be around family that doesn’t hate my guts. “April or May. I’ll look at flights.”
Working at the post office might not be as lucrative as being the finance manager of Farm Mountain Marriages, but I’m smart with my money and I don’t have any pricey hobbies, which means I can swing a round-trip ticket to Chandigarh.
Not first class though, and my long legs and broad shoulders curse me for the injustice.
“Good.” My grandmother wears a triumphant smirk. “I’ll let the family know. You and Robin will have a room here.”
“Nani—”
“I wish you happiness!” She logs off, as if her not hearing that Robin won’t come means that she must.
“Sorry ’bout that,” I grumble, and then my breath quickens as I fully acknowledge the fact that Robin is still on my lap.
She shrugs and offers me a grin. “Don’t be. I’m flattered. And going to India would be so cool. Especially since your family could show us around.”
“Us?” I breathe the single word.
Robin stands from my lap and reclaims her snack. “Sure. Let me know when you’re going and if you want some company. I’ll see if I can swing it.” She meets my eyes then. “Going somewhere new sounds really appealing at the moment.”
She saunters out of the kitchen, unaware of how her words just gutted me.
Because I can’t help thinking her eyes are on a more permanent road out of Green Valley.