There's Something About Sweetie(98)

Amma looked at her steadily. “Yes. Because you wanted one. And because I …” She swallowed. “Sweetie, you are my daughter, my mol.”

Sweetie heard what Amma was saying: I love you. You’re everything I care about in this world.

She smiled, her eyes filling with tears. “Then please understand, Amma, that I am happy like this. I’m happy being fat. To me, ‘fat’ isn’t a bad word. It’s other people who’ve made it like that. It’s as much a part of me as being an athlete or Indian American or a girl. I don’t want to change it, and I don’t want to hide it. I’m not ashamed, even if you are.”

“I am not ashamed of you,” Amma said fiercely. “I could never be ashamed of you.”

Sweetie looked at her feet and then back up at Amma. A small toddler girl pushed between them and went running off toward the ice sculpture. “But you didn’t want me to date Ashish Patel. Because I wasn’t thin enough for him.”

Amma sighed. “The Patels are very different from us, Sweetie. When you deal with people like that, you have to be image conscious. Otherwise, the rumors are vicious.”

“But that’s what I’m trying to say. That’s about other people. Sunita auntie wanted me to date Ashish. You were the one who said no. You have to let go of your fear of what other people will say, Amma. At least when it comes to me. Because when you try to hide me, it tells me you’re ashamed of me. That you think I’m not as good as other people’s kids.”

Amma put her hand on Sweetie’s arm. “I have the best daughter. The best. I am not asham—”

“Vidya!”

There was a beat, and Sweetie’s heart swelled with hope. What? What had Amma been about to say?

“Vidya. Hello!”

Reluctantly, they turned to see Tina auntie walking up to them, wearing a turquoise sari.

“Oh, hello, Tina,” Amma said, smiling. “I’m so happy you could come! Where’s Vinod?”

Vinod was Tina auntie’s husband, who appeared to always be in a meeting. “In a meeting,” Tina auntie said, and Sweetie bit her cheek to keep from smiling. “And Sheena couldn’t come. She had another party to go to.” Turning to Sweetie, she said, “Happy birthday, Sweetie.”

“Thank you, Tina aun—”

“Oh.” Tina auntie pursed her lips as she caught sight of something behind Sweetie’s back. “Chocolate fountain?”

Amma smiled. “Yes. Sweetie really wanted one.”

Tina auntie’s lips got even thinner, until they were barely visible at all. “Want or not want, we must give our children what they need,” she said. Sweetie felt her cheeks heat up, half with embarrassment and half with anger. She knew what was coming. Looking Sweetie up and down, Tina auntie added, “Without proper coverage, it’s obvious Sweetie’s weight is—”

Sweetie opened her mouth to excuse herself, but Amma spoke before she could. “Tina, that is enough.”

Sweetie snapped her mouth shut and stared at Amma in shock. Tina auntie mirrored her expression.

“You will not speak to my daughter or me that way,” Amma said, straightening her shoulders. “You are a guest in our home. Please do not overstep your bounds.” Putting an arm around Sweetie, Amma continued. “Come, mol.”

As they walked away, Sweetie shook her head. “Amma … wow. That was … that was …”

“Belated,” Amma said. “I should have been standing up for you a long time ago, Sweetie.” They came to a stop under a shady oak.

Sweetie smiled tearfully. “It’s okay, Amma.” She took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “And, um, I have something to tell you. I was going to save it for later, but …” She swallowed. Looked across the backyard. And saw Ashish watching. She waved him over.

Amma turned to see him and then turned back to Sweetie, her eyes narrowing, her earlier softness evaporating. “Enta ithe?”

“I’ll explain everything,” Sweetie said quietly as Ashish came to stand beside her. “You might want to call Achchan over too.”

Amma looked from Ashish to her, her face hard. “Let us talk in the study.” She turned and strode off without waiting for Sweetie or Ashish.





CHAPTER 33





Seeing Sweetie’s face fall as Vidya auntie strode away was the worst thing. She looked like one of those chocolate Easter bunny GIFs, where someone turns on a blow-dryer and melts its face off. Sweetie’s face practically touched the ground.

“Hey.” He put a hand on her arm. “It’ll be okay.”

She smiled at him, but he could see the effort that she was putting into it. “We were having such a good conversation, you know? We were really connecting. I thought we were, anyway. I thought she was finally seeing things my way.”

“Maybe she still will,” Ashish said. “You know? This ain’t over yet.”

Sweetie snorted. “You sound weird when you say ‘ain’t.’”

“Do I? I can’t pull it off?” he asked as they began to walk inside. “Huh. I always thought I had sort of a Dean Winchester vibe.”

Sweetie laughed. They passed by Anjali and Jason, both of whom were talking to an older Indian couple. Sweetie put her hand on Anjali Chechi’s back. When she turned, Sweetie said, “Study. Now. Please.”