“Ma, I know, I’m in a relationship with someone now. Yes, yes. It’s too early for marriage, it’s only been a few weeks. No, really, please, dar— I mean Ma.” Not thinking, Ten’s endearments, now easily slipping from a practiced tongue, slipped too into Linlin’s diplomatic vocabulary. She could only blame it on one too many late nights fretting and tasting the word in her mouth, trying to accustom herself to its bulky presence.

She’d never mixed up her masks before, and now was hardly the time to start.

“No, seriously Ma, I’ll talk to my partner about it. Yes. I know it’s important, that’s why we have to talk this through carefully. Uh-huh. I promise I’ll call you back later. ‘Kay, see you.”