When I regained consciousness, Odessa was sitting by my hospital bed, immersed in her phone with a radiant smile lighting up her face.
“Who was that?” I asked weakly, my voice barely above a whisper.
She looked up, startled, quickly suppressing her smile as though she had just remembered something serious. “It’s good to see you awake. I’m your neighbor. Get well soon.”
Before I could respond, she hurried out of the room. Turning away from the door, I reached for my phone.
“Leah,” I said, addressing my older sister, “about that arranged marriage you mentioned before—I’m ready to go through with it.”
——
My sister was stunned. After confirming I wasn’t joking, her voice brimmed with relief.
There was a long pause on the other end before Leah replied, her voice a mix of surprise and relief. “It’s about time you moved on! A girlfriend who keeps you in the shadows for five years? She was never serious about staying.”
“When can you come back? The family you declined before hasn’t given up hope for the arrangement.”