Secrets over Steak

choi

Anil Classen, Secrets over Steak. New YOrk Times, Aug 17, 2025, at page 6 of SundayStyles section (in the column "Tiny Love Stories"):

"At 24, I took my father to dinner. As our food arrived, he mumbled, 'Don't tell anyone … it's our secret.” He smiled conspiratorially, slicing into the red meat that, as a Hindu, he wasn't allowed to eat. 'I have to tell you something,' I said slowly. 'I will never marry a woman.' Tears blurred my vision, my sexuality finally open. 'You only have one life,' he replied. 'You don't owe anyone any explanations.' Later, while parting, he kissed my forehead like he did when I was a child. Twenty-four years later, I still touch that spot when I feel lost.