Something in Between

In this exclusive sneak peek at Melissa de la Cruz’s new novel, star student Jasmine’s good news ends up ripping open a family secret and tearing apart her identity.

- Melissa de la Cruz's

Dad opens the envelope slowly. Mom leans over his shoulder. They are completely silent as they read the letter from the United States National Scholars Program, holding the future I worked so hard for in their hands. I expected my father to jump up from the table and hug me and my mother to scream and start calling all my aunties back in the Philippines to brag about me. But neither of them says anything.

In fact, they look like they just received the worst kind of news instead of the best news ever.

Okay.

Maybe they’re so happy they’re shocked into silence?

“Isn’t it amazing?” I reach over and pull the acceptance form from the envelope. “Don’t worry, I can fill everything out myself, but I need a copy of my green card so they know I’m accepting the scholarship and going to D.C. for the reception.”

They look at each other with concern. I’m so confused by their silence. Isn’t this the moment they’ve been waiting for my whole life?

What is it? Are they worried about the plane fare to D.C.? Maybe they don’t want me to go to there alone? Is that it?

Mom pushes the dinner dishes to the side of the table, not meeting my gaze. “We have something to tell you, neneng, and you have to believe us when we say we’ve always wanted the best for you,” she says. “We’ve tried to do everything right.”