Pretending with the Doctor

Anjali Mehta survived her first year of oncology fellowship. She did not survive her grandmother's eightieth-birthday planning call. One gathering, one enormous South Asian family, one freshly engaged ex — and Anjali needs a date who can keep his mouth shut. Dr. Theo Vasquez needs the exact same thing. His mother is matchmaking with a spreadsheet, and Anjali is the only person who won't laugh at him. Two events, two months, no kissing. Simple. Then the aunties start calling him directly. Then he waits outside her shifts without being asked. Then a patient dies, and he holds the stairwell door open like it's the only thing he knows how to do. When his fellowship offer arrives, Anjali has to decide whether to keep pretending — or say out loud what she wants.