Chapter Four
Evening approached and Kaia showed no signs of fatigue. Alexandre watched as she walked up Luc’s legs and flipped over, nonstop.
“Hey, Kaia, want to give your dad a break? I can flip you,” Alexandre offered.
Kaia looked at him hesitantly, still gripping Luc’s hand. Alexandre held out his arms. Inside, he berated himself. No wonder Kaia’s timid around you. You only saw her once before moving back and only because you happened to be on the East Coast for a zebrafish conference.
Finally, Kaia took his hands. Alexandre grinned as Kaia walked up his legs and flipped over.
“I think it’s time to get this one home,” Ali said.
Alexandre reddened upon seeing Ali and Mei watching him. “Mei, can I give you a ride to the train?”
A look of surprise crossed her face. She glanced at Ali, then shrugged. “Sure, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. It’s on my way.” Alexandre wasn’t sure where the train station was, but he’d enjoyed chatting with Mei and wanted to be helpful.
They walked to his car, the compact blue SUV that had hauled his gear on countless camping and skiing trips and had ferried him from Oregon to New York. Alexandre opened the door for Mei, then went around to the driver’s side.
“This was a nice break from the city,” she said as they pulled out of the parking lot.
Something about her words made Alexandre think of Joey. He hadn’t come up once in their conversation.
“Where’s Joey today?” he asked.
“Driving to Virginia. He’s taking a certification exam there. It’s an IT thing.”
Maybe Alexandre was imagining it, but he heard a hint of worry in Mei’s breezy tone. “How did you two meet?”
Mei chuckled. “When I was out to dinner by myself one night, Joey sat down next to me and said, ‘Are you on a date? Well, you are now!’ ”
“Wow.” Alexandre grimaced. “Kudos to Joey for pulling that off.” A goofy guy like Joey could get away with a line like that. “If I ever said that, I’d sound like a sociopath.”
“Right? Before Joey, all the guys I met were so polished with their fancy upbringings and finance careers. Joey’s dad was a mechanic. His mom was a kindergarten assistant. Joey went to public school in Queens, just like me.”
“I grew up in the Bronx and went to public school, too.” Alexandre hadn’t lived there since he was a teenager, but he was still proud of his NYC roots.
“You did?”
Alexandre caught the interest in Mei’s voice. “Yup. My parents mostly taught at Fordham Rose Hill, so we lived nearby. They moved to Westchester with Luc when I went to college.”
“So you know what it’s like to be a New York City kid.”
“Sure do.” A laugh escaped his nose. “Believe it or not, my first word was ‘bagel.’ ”
“Stop! Are you serious?”
“Swear to god, that’s what my parents said.”
“That’s some real New York cred there! So what was your usual bagel order?”
“Cinnamon raisin with cream cheese. Though, this might be sacrilege, my absolute favorite was”—Alexandre dropped his voice to a hush—“a bialy.”
Mei burst into giggles. “No way! Mine too. You hardly ever meet someone else on Team Bialy. What about pizza? Did you have a favorite slice shop?”
“Of course. Tony’s, just around the corner from my apartment. I ate there at least once a week when I was growing up.” Alexandre could practically smell the rich tomato sauce. “I always got a baked ziti slice and a side of garlic knots.”
“Yes! The garlickier, the better!”
They grinned at each other.
“I haven’t thought about any of that in ages.
” Talk about being shortsighted. Alexandre had been so busy mourning the West Coast, he hadn’t even considered everything awaiting him back in New York.
Now he pictured himself checking out the latest museum exhibits, getting lost in the stacks of his favorite used bookstores, and going for long runs in Central Park.
“Now all I want to do is rediscover New York.”
A content smile appeared on Mei’s face. “I felt the same way when I met Joey. I hadn’t been to Queens in years, but he reminded me of everything I was missing.”
The mention of Joey knocked Alexandre out of his nostalgia. “That’s great you found someone who gets where you came from.”
“I know. I feel really lucky.”
Alexandre drove in silence. Was dating in New York going to be miserable? He wouldn’t be in the city, but he’d read all those news stories about how the Hudson Valley was the new Brooklyn. For years, New Yorkers had relocated upstate or purchased weekend homes there.
Alexandre frowned. He’d never wanted for anything growing up.
But as he got older, he realized how prudently his parents had raised him, and how modestly he still lived.
From sealing drafty windows to patching sweaters, Alexandre knew how to fix nearly everything around the house.
He made all of his lunches from leftover dinners.
He gladly accepted hand-me-down gifts, like Luc and Ali’s sofa.
A flash of panic seized Alexandre. What would dates think when they learned he’d purchased most of his clothing years ago? And all his furniture was secondhand? Alexandre’s eyes darted toward Mei. What would she think?
His worry must have shown on his face, because Mei looked at him with concern. “You okay?”
“Just thinking about dating again.”
“Are you planning to?”
“At some point.”
“You sound thrilled.”
“I’m dying to download the latest app.”
Mei laughed, making Alexandre’s lips curve up.
“I never liked dating, either,” she said. “I just wanted to meet the right person.”
“Same.” Alexandre pulled into a spot at the train station. “So I guess I’ll see you…”
“In two weeks! At the beach house.”
“That’s right!” Alexandre was ready for a week at the beach. He was also glad he’d be seeing Mei again, a thought he didn’t know what to do with as he leaned over and gave her a light hug.
· · ·
The next morning, Alexandre strolled across the SUNY New Paltz campus, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. The summer term was in session. He passed groups of chatty students sipping large iced coffees.
As he walked, Alexandre attempted to silence the critical voice in his head.
SUNY New Paltz was a third the size of the University of Oregon but felt much smaller.
Though well-kept, the buildings appeared a bit worn.
The blocky Brutalist architecture felt as heavy as his spirit.
Even the craggy Shawangunk Mountains, visible in the distance from anywhere on campus, failed to lift Alexandre’s mood.
He tried not to think of the beautiful trees he walked by daily on UO’s campus: fragrant pines and firs, towering cedars, a massive redwood.
He willed himself not to picture Hayward Field, the world-class track-and-field stadium with flags from dozens of countries waving around the perimeter.
Alexandre wasn’t a big team sports guy, but SUNY New Paltz’s provincial vibe had him missing the fervent school spirit around UO’s Division I football and basketball teams: the yellow O’s adorning dorm windows, the sound of the marching band warming up before games, and even the Duck, UO’s mascot, whose likeness was everywhere on campus, from bronze statues to hoodies.
Alexandre stared at the student union’s triangular glass atrium at the heart of the campus. Its sleek elegance only made the concrete buildings around it look shabbier.
What have I done? Alexandre lowered himself onto a bench. The summer sun beat down on his back. A few students shuffled by, oblivious to his plight.
He forced himself to take deep breaths.
I made the right decision.
I’ll be passing on my hard-won knowledge to the next generation.
I’m carving out a new path for myself.
The words shook Alexandre out of his spiral. Where had he heard them?
Oh right. From Mei. At the beer garden.
Alexandre replayed in his mind how Mei had shrugged as if it was no big deal to make such a major life change.
He squinted up at the Shawangunk Mountains. The low ridge had a stark beauty. Even with the summer greenery in full bloom, Alexandre could make out the horizontal striations of gray and brown rock.
He inhaled through his nose and resumed the short walk to the science building, repeating his new mantra: I’m carving out a new path. I’m carving out a new path.
· · ·
At noon, Alexandre met with Dr. Andrea Johnson, his new boss and the head of the biology department. At a nearby Moroccan restaurant, they exchanged pleasantries about his cross-country move and placed their orders: vegetarian couscous for her, a merguez platter for him.
Dr. Johnson had a regal presence with perfect posture and graceful movements.
As Alexandre watched her hand her menu to the waiter, he realized he couldn’t think of a single other Black woman leading a university’s biology department.
Mei popped into his head again, her brown eyes flashing with determination when she spoke about being a woman-of-color leader in a company where there were few.
Alexandre snuck another glance at his new boss.
Clearly, the academic world suffered from the same lack of diversity.
“I can’t tell you how happy we are to have you,” Dr. Johnson said.
Alexandre snapped to attention.
“We had more applicants than ever, but you stood out,” she continued.
Wow, praise. It had been so long, Alexandre had forgotten what it sounded like. “Thank you. I’m glad to be here.”
“Your teaching philosophy is right in line with where I’m moving our department.
I’m striving to create an inclusive environment where every student can thrive, no matter their background or career goal.
Here at New Paltz, my department is focused on grounding lessons in practical applications and bringing in the latest research findings.
” A waiter arrived with their food. “You’ll find complementary teaching styles among your colleagues.
My more recent hires also spent years in research, though not as many as you. ”
Is that a good or bad thing? Alexandre wondered as he ate a piece of merguez.
“SUNY New Paltz may not be a research university, but we give our students the knowledge and confidence to shape their scientific futures, whether in healthcare, industry, or research. I hope you’ll take some creative liberties in this position.”
“I’m planning to.” Alexandre told Dr. Johnson about his favorite interactive teaching methods, like having students make TikTok-style videos about a topic, holding real-time quizzes (that he ran in the style of bar trivia, though he omitted that detail), and hosting “Yes, and” improv sessions where he’d name a scientific concept and ask each student to build upon it with a new piece of information.
“I’ll also ask students for ongoing, anonymous feedback,” he added. “I’m still growing as a teacher. I want to know how I can improve so students get the most out of every class.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Alexandre realized he meant them.
Dr. Johnson didn’t bother tamping down her smile. “You’ll be a great addition here, Alexandre. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do.”