Professor Astor (Off-Limits)

“Krishan said your date was cut short,” Asha says, her brows raised. I look at her, wide-eyed. Shit. I should’ve known it would get back to her. I take a big bite of the freshly made aloo paratha my mother made, taking my time chewing.

“We just weren’t compatible,” I say eventually.

Asha nods, but the look in her eyes tells me she isn’t taking that for an answer. Krishan must have told her someone interrupted our date. What am I supposed to tell her?

Thankfully, Rohit and Nalini are keeping her busy enough for a while. If I’m lucky, they’ll start acting up after dinner and she’ll have to take them home.

I can’t tell my sister that I’m dating the man that she asked me to work for. Not only would she fire me, she’d be so incredibly disappointed in me for breaking her no-fraternization policy. I can’t quit either, though. Not now that I’ve established a bond with Lucy and Colton. If I quit now and reappear as their father’s girlfriend, it’d be so much harder on us all.

“In other news,” I announce proudly. “I’m almost ready to hand in my dissertation, so I expect to finish my PhD next semester.”

Dad grumbles, his version of acknowledgement, and Mom smiles. “Finally,” she tells me. “You’re not getting any younger, Leia. Once you’re finished with school, we can start finding someone for you.”

I groan, tempted to argue with her, but I leave it be. I get it. Education has always been important to my parents. In their eyes, it’s a way of ensuring that our lives are easier than their own were. Most first-generation immigrants are like that, and I get it. It’s one of the reasons I hid behind it for longer than I should have — as long as I’m studying, my parents don’t feel the need to look into other areas of my life, such as marriage, which is probably their second highest priority.

Despite raising us to be strong and independent women, my parents still think it’s important that we marry into good families that they approve of. Ideally someone that shares our culture and religion. Someone very unlike Adrian. I’m not sure if it’s a relic of their own past, or if it’s another way of ensuring that we’re taken care of without forgetting our roots. I wish they realized that both Asha and I are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves.

I breathe a sigh of relief when dinner wraps up without anyone asking me to go on any dates, and with no further talk of marriage. Just as I was hoping, the kids are tired and cranky, and Asha shoots me a look before taking them home, promising me that her interrogation about my date with Krishan is far from over.

I’m still thinking about a plausible excuse by the time I lay down in bed, my mind blank. With everything Thor said to him and the way he acted… I don’t know. I can’t tell Asha about us without losing my job, but I also can’t keep quiet. Maybe, just maybe, she’ll just let it go. Every once in a while, my sister surprises me by giving me the space I need, knowing I eventually come to her when I need her.

I sigh and turn in bed when my phone buzzes. I unlock it and grin when I realize Thor texted me.

Thor: I’m outside your house, in the same spot I dropped you off at way back. Come see me for a minute.

I sit up in shock. Oh no. This man… he really doesn’t understand how my family works. If one of my neighbors sees him, I’m toast.

I slip out of bed quietly, my steps silent as I throw on a cardigan and slippers before sneaking out of the house. I can’t even remember the last time I did that. I must’ve been a teenager the last time I sneaked out of the house like this.

I find Thor parked around the corner, in the same place he dropped me off at when he gave me the wrong phone number. Seeing him leaning against his car like that feels bittersweet.

“Hey.”

“Princess,” he says, reaching for me.

I jump away instinctively, and he frowns. “Um, how about we go for a drive?” I ask, my voice trembling.

He nods, his mood seemingly sinking further.

“What’s going on?” he asks as he takes a left at the junction near my street. “Why are you acting so… shady?”

I laugh nervously and shake my head. “It’s just… my neighbors are seriously so meddlesome. If they see me with you, my parents will know within an hour that I’m not home and that I was seen with a man no one recognized. It’s… um, well, it’s an Asian thing, I guess. It doesn’t matter where I go, there’s always someone who knows someone who knows my parents. It’s weird, to be honest, and it’s pretty hard to explain, but it’s true.”

He huffs, his expression telling me how displeased he is. I watch as he tightens his grip on the steering wheel, his shoulders tense.

“Thor, it isn’t that I don’t want to be seen with you,” I murmur.

“I know, Ley,” he says. “I know that, but I don’t enjoy sneaking around with you. I can’t wait till the day you and I can just be together, out in the open.”

“It’s just a bit tricky, Thor. My parents are very traditional. My sister never even introduced my brother-in-law to us. We didn’t find out they’d been dating until his parents showed up at our house asking for her hand. That’s how traditional my family is. I get that you don’t understand it, and I know how weird it sounds, but that’s just how my family is, and as much as I can, I want to respect their traditions.”

“You’re right, Princess. I don’t understand it, but I’m willing to learn. I’ve said it before, and I need you to know that I mean it. I’m going to marry you.”

I hesitate and wrap my arms around myself. “My parents might not accept us being together. While I don’t have a problem with it at all, they might not like that you’re divorced and have children.”

I don’t even know how to bring up the fact that they won’t like that he isn’t Indian. Marriage is one of the ways through which we preserve our heritage, and they’ll feel like part of that will be lost when I marry Adrian. Much to my surprise, he nods. “I understand. I know it won’t be easy, but we’ll win them over, Leia. I know we will.”

“Thor, if they do accept us being together, they’ll want us to have a full-blown Indian wedding.”

He chuckles then. “Is that supposed to deter me, because honestly, baby… it sounds like fun.”

I smile then, my heart set at ease. Most men would’ve run at the sound of what I just said, but I should’ve known he’d be different.

“I’m sorry I was moody with you just now,” he says. “It’s just all so new to me, and I really hate sneaking around with you. I want the world to know you’re mine, and right now, that just isn’t an option.”

I nod and grab his hand. “I hate it too, babe.”

He raises our joined hands to his lips and kisses the back of my hand. “I came to see you because you’ve seemed down the last couple of days, and I wanted to come cheer you up and reassure you about Alice visiting. I was planning to go and watch the stars with you and spend a romantic evening together. Instead, I just got into a strop myself.”

I shake my head and grin at him. “Thank you,” I tell him. “I didn’t even think you’d noticed. With how much you’ve been working lately, it wouldn’t surprise me if you hadn’t.”

Thor glances at me and shakes his head. “I notice every single thing about you, Leia. I always have.”

He parks in the same spot he took me two years ago and looks at me. “You and I are going to be fine, Leia,” he tells me. “I know you’re worried about your family and Alice, amongst so many other worries… but I need you to believe in me. Have faith in us, Leia.”

I smile at him. “You brought me to see the stars because you need some perspective?”

He nods. “You remember.”

“I remember everything about you, Thor.”

He leans in and kisses me, setting my restless heart at ease. I do have faith in us. I just hope that faith won’t waver in the next couple of months.