Chapter 60
CHAPTER
SIXTY
“Show us one of Elijah’s games, chiki,” Deepti calls to us, sliding into Adhira’s usual seat on the sofa.
My cheeks heat at the idea of being here while they watch me play a sport that is so ingrained into my very being. It feels too intimate, but I’ll welcome it over the hours of tension we’ve endured so far.
“They’re called matches in rugby, Mummy, and you don’t even like sports,” Adhira says, grabbing the remote and flicking the telly on.
“If your mother wants to watch sports, we will watch sports,” Shaurya says with a nod, plopping down beside Deepti.
Adhira nods towards the kitchen, and I follow after her, leaning against the counter as she does the same. It’s nothing really, but this silent communication settles deep in my chest.
“Would you be uncomfortable with us watching one of your matches?” she asks in a hushed tone meant only for me. Her gentle care feels like a warm blanket, and I’m desperate to crawl beneath it.
“I have thousands of people watching my matches at any given time. What’s two more?” I tease, rewarded with an eyeroll and a small, pretty smile.
“You say that as if your face wasn’t as red as a tomato just moments ago.
” She repositions herself so her front is pressed against mine.
My body coils at the contact, desire flooding me with the simple touch, but my confusion wears off as she reaches over to turn the knob on the stove, removing the kettle that was seconds from screaming.
Taking a step back, she adds, “It’s okay if you’re uncomfortable with it. ”
“Are you uncomfortable with it?” I ask, brows raised.
She shakes her head. “Not at all.”
“Then their wish is my command.”
We spend the next few minutes making tea, passing around the colourful artisan mugs Adhira purchased at a market we stumbled upon, and I intend to teach her how to make them herself.
Once everyone has a steaming mug in hand, I unfold a few blankets and lay them out for Adhira, lowering myself to the ground and stretching my legs out in front of me.
She takes her seat with a knowing smile painted on her lips, her shoulders still drawn back, spine straight, though her posture has relaxed with every passing hour since the big conversation.
It might not have gone perfectly, but it could have been far worse, and I’m just grateful that those who need to know now do.
Adhira reaches for the remote, flipping through old, recorded games, and picks out a match I remember all too well. I have it to thank for Coach Auclair’s interest in me, after all.
“National Conference League? I thought Elijah was in the pros?” Shaurya asks.
Adhira peers up at me, her eyes remaining on me the entire time she answers. “He does, but this is the match that brought him to me.”
To say my heart soars would be the understatement of the bloody century. My blood hums with electricity, chest constricting as warmth washes over me. I avert my gaze, ducking my chin, and praying my face cools before anyone but Adhira notices.
“Isn’t that the sweetest?” Deepti coos.
Shaurya and Deepti lean into each other, speaking in hushed tones.
Gujarati or Hindi, I’m not sure which, flows between them as Adhira turns back to the telly, starting the recording.
She shuffles closer, pressing her side to mine and lifts her legs, settling them over my knees.
The more she touches me, the more I realise just how touch-deprived I’ve been.
I wrap my hands around her calves, kneading her slight muscles.
Her parents ask questions throughout, and I explain it all in what Adhira might consider excruciating detail, but she doesn’t complain, smirking when I go too far down a rabbit hole.
At one point, she even curls her pinkie around mine, squeezing when we get to the final play that changed the entire trajectory of my life in ways I wouldn’t have thought possible.
My phone rings just as we finish cleaning up, folding the blankets and resetting the living room. I scramble to answer it, sliding the green button on the screen, and I’m greeted by three wide smiles.
“Hello, Mum, little ladies,” I say, moving towards my room. I cover the speaker and direct my attention to Adhira’s parents. “Sorry, I didn’t realise how late it’s gotten. I’ve got my bedtime call with my mum and sisters,” I explain.
“Oh! Let us meet them!” Deepti insists.
“Oh my goodness, are Adhira’s parents there, love? Brain fog, I swear it. I’d meant to text earlier to make sure they landed safely,” Mum says. Lyla and Ellie chatter something nonsensical between the two of them, and Deepti pats the seat beside her for me to take.
I catch Adhira leaning a hip against the kitchen counter, her arms crossed and a lopsided smirk on her face. She seems pleased about this turn of events.
Deepti takes my phone, introducing herself, waving it around. I’m not even sure she has the camera facing the right way, but her expression is so much brighter than it’s been since she arrived that I have no plans to stop her.
“Beta, come here,” Deepti says, and since there’s no room left, Adhira takes a seat on my thigh, her knees wobbling with the effort of avoiding putting her full weight on me.
I lean into her, whispering against her ear, “Just sit, sweetheart. You won’t hurt me; I’m a big boy.”
She releases a relieved breath, lowering herself onto my lap and resting her back against my chest. “Thank God, because my legs were killing me.” I chuckle, and her parents ignore us until the introductions are done and my sisters have chatted their heads off.
“Eleanor, how do you feel about a wedding in India?” Deepti asks. My eyes grow wide, and Adhira is already shaking her head, groaning.
“Mummy.” Adhira tsks. “Don’t make him feel weird.”
“If you’re not planning on marriage, then why are you living together?” Shaurya asks, further egging Deepti on.
“That depends—what month, Elijah, love?” Mum says, calling for me. I pop my head into the frame, reaching out to switch on the front camera so Mum and the girls aren’t just staring at the living room. “Is there something you and Adhira need to tell me?”
“Uh, not that I know of,” I answer, scratching the back of my neck.
“He might not now, but they’re so good together. Eleanor, have you seen it? The way he takes care of her? How gentle she is with him?” she gushes. Mum’s eyes turn glassy. “They could be a love match.”
“Not in person, but I hope to someday soon,” Mum agrees.
“They're really so good together,” she says, and my heart turns to mush. If only that were true in the way she meant it. Someday, I hope it will be. I just have to give Adhira time before we broach a new subject. It’s taken months to reach this point, and I’m not doing anything to mess it up.
“That’s enough of that,” I chide, trying to end the conversation, but Ellie snatches the phone from Mum, pressing her nose to the camera and smearing the lens.
“It’s story time, Lijah,” Ellie whines, and I have never been so happy for the interruption.
“Ellie, baby, don’t be rude,” Mum chides.
Shaurya raises his arms overhead, yawning.
“I think we should be off to bed. See you in the morning,” he says, standing.
We say our goodnights, making sure Adhira’s parents are comfortable before she joins me on the air mattress in my room, helping me tell my sisters a story about a princess stuck in a tower who learns, with the help of a few friends and a charming prince who is absolutely pathetic for her, that she’s never alone, and the truth will set her free.