Page 79 of Rules for Rule Breaking
“If that’s what you want.”
“Of course it’s what I want! I’ve been telling you that for years!” Winter said, throwing her hands in the air. “You both don’t takeany interest in my education. Nowyou’rethe ones who are alwaysBobby this, Bobby that. The only thing you come to are my orchestra concerts.”
“It’s because we never understand what you’re talking about,” Appa said. “We’re supportive of everything you do, but we don’t understand robotics terms. We come to the concerts because we know what a violin is.”
“We admire your ambition. We always have. But you’re younger than everyone in your grade. We’ve always been concerned you wouldn’t socialize. And with Emmy in another country, can you blame us for wanting you to have friends and maybe even a partner?” Umma asked.
“I guess not, but I can choose my own friends.”
“Maybe you’re right. We’ll try not to interfere.”
“You should probably get some rest,” Appa said as he eyed the clock. “I want you to drop some things off for Halmeoni tomorrow.”
Winter said good night to her parents and ran upstairs, where she slid into her bed. She didn’t trouble herself with changing her clothes or brushing her teeth. She thought about calling Emmy, but she didn’t want to bother her. Instead, she turned on the TV, and within minutes, she was fast asleep.
Bobby Bae
36. WE WILL NOT DISCUSS SERIOUS TOPICS
Bobby threw his bag down in the living room and dove onto the couch. He was way too tired to make it all the way upstairs. His back ached and his neck was stiff from sleeping in the car, and he smelled, but he didn’t care. His eyes only wanted to rest.
Bobby’s parents came down the stairs, tying their robes. He sat up but couldn’t think of anything useful to say. Diana’s sweet face was solemn, betraying only a hint of uncertainty. Robert Sr. was expressionless.
“You shouldn’t have driven all that way in one day, Bobby,” Diana said.
“I know, but I needed to come home,” he replied, folding his hands in his lap.
Robert Sr. didn’t speak, silenced by maybe anger or confusion. Bobby had never been in trouble before. It was new to all three of them, but Diana was the most daring and was at least trying to make an effort at lecturing her son.
“We need to talk to you about something, Bobby,” Diana said, and she and his father took a seat on the couch opposite him. Bobby looked at his parents expectantly. “We know you visited your uncle Eugene. He called us.”
Bobby wrapped his arms around himself. “Are you upset with me?”
“Why didn’t you tell us you wanted to see him?”
“Would you have allowed it?” he asked, and his parents looked at each other. “Exactly. He’s always been a shadow in the back of my mind. But then I met his daughter, and he has all these issues. I’m sorry I stirred the pot, but it’s also not fair that you never told me what happened.”
Robert Sr. looked down at the floor. “Eugene has children?”
“He has a stepdaughter a few years older than I am.”
“He’s married?”
“Widowed.”
Robert Sr. went silent again.
“You were so young when we left New Jersey. We didn’t realize you even remembered Eugene,” Diana said.
Bobby jostled his hair and pushed it back. “It wasn’t Eugene I wanted to see. I wanted to see more of our family in general. You don’t share our culture with me, and I feel like this fraud all the time. I look like a duck, and people expect me to quack like one, but I can’t. I didn’t know how angry that made me until Win— Until a few days ago.”
“We only wanted to protect you.”
“From what? A sad man with a dead wife? Maybe he wouldn’t have ended up that way if you hadn’t abandoned him. Or you could have at least convinced him not to buy back the farmer’s market,” he replied.
“What happened with Eugene is between him and me.”
“And you’re American, Bobby,” Diana offered. “You were born here. Just tell people that.”
