Late October
Kai met with Margaret the next day just the two of them, at a coffee shop near her apartment. I stayed home with Maya, both of us pretending to do homework while actually checking our phones every five minutes.
"They've been gone for two hours," Maya said, pacing. "That's either really good or really bad."
"Probably good. They're actually talking instead of avoiding each other."
"What if Kai's still mad? What if he doesn't forgive her?"
"He will. He's already halfway there. He just needs to process out loud."
"How do you know?"
"Because I know Kai. He was scared last night, not angry. Scared can turn into forgiveness. Angry takes longer."
My phone buzzed. Kai: "Headed home. It went well. I'll explain when I get there."
"They're coming back," I told Maya. "He says it went well."
She deflated with relief. "Thank God. I can't handle more family drama. I have midterms next week."
"Your priorities are very clear."
