Reading Between the Lines

Chapter 23: Password

Winter Break...

3:30 pm...

New York-

I stretch my legs in my seat as I sit in the front seat of my dad's car, looking out at the familiar buildings that pale in comparison to the massive wonders I've grown so used to. Times Square, who? It's still so cool to look at, but it's nothing compared to the massive egg-shaped building and the ornament elevators in Dallas. And who could forget the frickin' UPSIDE DOWN Mystic Row?

I'm still not used to that, by the way. I tried going again with one of my other friends Ines, but I ended up puking by the end of it. Amazing, right?

"Are you tired, kuttu?" my dad checks in with me while he uses the back of his hand to see the temperature of my skin. My mom was gonna come to pick me up too, but she got called into a last-minute 14-hour surgery. So now, it's just Appa.

"I'm fine, Appa. I forgot how cold it gets here, that's all." I feel myself unintentionally leaning into my dad's hand. He smiles softly before he cups the side of my face gently.

"Oota aitha (did you eat lunch)?" he wonders in Kannada before taking his hand off my face and putting them both on the wheel.

"Nanna oota aithu (I had lunch), Appa." For the people who don't believe I'm South Indian, here you go.

The car ride then goes quiet. The only sound I hear is the sound of the car driving on the pavement and constant honking. I stare at my dad as he keeps driving the car, eventually just using one arm as he keeps the other one in his lap. My dad is normally super laid-back, but something seems off with him. He looks as if his entire life came crashing down, utterly focused at first as he drives intently.

Now that I know so much more about griffins than before, I can't help but re-notice the things that I already knew about my dad. His brownish-black hair just doesn't gray, his skin is so smooth and shiny, he always looks like he's about to walk on the runway, his slightly hooked nose does resemble a beak now, and his hooded dark brown eyes give him that intense stare that eagles tend to have. How did I notice these things before? I thought my dad just looked unique. Now he looks this way because he's half-eagle?

My eyes land on his gold wedding band and engagement ring that gleam in the sunlight. It looks just like my mom's rings, with a perfect combination of different colored diamonds, peridots, and rubies. I've always wondered where they got those rings from; they looked so royal and distinct compared to other wedding rings I've seen. For one, I've never seen rings with peridots and rubies together.

"Did you do anything fun? And how were your finals?" Appa breaks the silence while he stares intently back at me. He wiggles his brows playfully and I roll my eyes at him with a smile. "You're still horrible at being sneaky," he laughs.

"They were pretty okay. I'm kinda scared about the results, but I think the studying paid off. But before I left, I got to watch a symphony with one of my friends."

"Is it one of those friends you stayed with?" he wonders, his eyes boring into me again. It's as if he's trying to figure me out.

"Vani, I told you to-"

"Stay away from them! I am, don't worry. I went with someone else." I'm lying worse than Pinocchio now.

"You could've invited me, right? Oh, yeah. You wouldn't." Oh, no. I know what that tone means.

"Appaaaa," I whine as he starts pouting and keeps on driving. 

"At least when you were here, you used to come home every week. Now we have to wait months! How can you get mad at me for being sad? You're not there anymore!" he cries, giving me his puppy eyes.