Us Against the World

33. Good News?

"No?!" I nearly shout. "Are you really?"

"Yep!" Riya sounds smug. No doubt, she's proud of her achievement. "I got my Visa application accepted!"

"H-How? I mean, it's not a bad thing, but I thought they kept denying you?"

"They did," she says. "I don't know what changed, but honestly, I could care less about that! I'm coming back to America!"

"Wonderful," I sigh, although secretly, I'm both excited and relieved. It'll be nice to have an extra set of hands again, especially since I'll have to convince Chandini to go to college soon. That'll be a nightmare that I'm not ready for.

"You sound so happy," Riya chides. "Tell the little squirt when you get back, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." I lift my finger up toward Meilin and Ted, indicating that I only need a minute before we begin. After a pause, I put my hand over the receiver. "Hey, can you guys start pulling up the data we have already? And will there be a conference call?"

"Not today," Meilin says. "The date remains on Thursday."

"Alright." I turn back to Riya. "When's your plane coming?"

"Not sure. I haven't booked a flight yet. I've been trying to convince Papa to come with me, but he wants to stay in Chandighar." Riya sucks her teeth like Ashleigh, obviously irritated with her father's stubbornness. Like father so daughter, they say. "Mummy's asking what sweets you want, by the way."

"I'll call her and tell her later," I respond. I want to continue talking to her, but I'm on the clock right now. There's no time for me to chit-chat idly. "Look, I'll call you when I get home, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Bye." Riya hangs up with the last laugh, leaving me to sink in my chair, weighed down with the new burden of her return. It's not like I'm not happy for her to come back, but now my daily routine will have a new addition right when it got used to just two people.

Just my luck. I roll my eyes, and even though I'm slightly agitated, I can't help but smile. Chandini will be happy, though. Riya knows how to handle her antics better than me.

"Um...Meera?"

"Right!" I swirl around in my chair and clap my hands, startling poor Meilin. She blinks furiously and steadies the pile of papers in her hands. "Alright, Mei, Ted, what do we have about Sir Jaq?"

~***~

Work takes up the rest of my week. It eats me up and leaves cracked bones by the weekend. I'm spent running back and forth, trying to balance Ashleigh's temper, Riya's pending arrival in the U.S., and my relationship with Ezra. He and Aceline help me as much as they can with Chandini, who goes back and forth between fevers throughout the week.

"Does Riya have a date that she's coming?" Ezra asks me on Saturday. He's lounging on the couch in sweatpants and a loose shirt, surveying my living room with a critical eye.

"Not yet," I say. "She's still trying to organize everything with her parents."

"What's there to organize?"

"She wants them to come with her," I explain. I hand him a basket full of clothes. "Can you help me fold these? I have to do Chandini's dirty shirts."

"Sure." Ezra takes the basket and begins to neatly fold my pants. "Do they want to come with her?"

"No, they want to stay in India." I brush my fingers over the vomit stain of one of Chandini's clothes; her favorite blouse. I have to see if I can get her another one. "I can't blame them, though. They're happy there, and they have their whole family in Chandighar. If they came here, they'd be leaving their life behind for a place where they'll just continue sitting around the house and watching TV."