"Dear father-in-law," I said, looking Asher in the eye, "you know Zara is a treasure. My treasure. And she will be cherished as such."
"Dad, Mom," Zara interjected, gently letting go of my hand to look at her parents. "You can rest assured. I'll be here with my family: Julian and Alina."
"Dad, Mom," I added, "I'm taking this opportunity to let you know that we're also moving back to New York."
"So soon, son?" my mother asked, frowning.
"Yes, Mom. I have work matters to attend to, Alina has school... and Zara will be busy too, because she'll be returning to her medical residency soon."
"I'm glad, Julian, that you can support my daughter's dreams," Asher exclaimed, and for the first time, I noticed something akin to pride in his eyes.
“Asher,” I replied without even thinking, “Za
