Cam

One of the central characters in Family Meal is Cam, a young Black man who has recently returned to his hometown of Houston, Texas. When Cam was a child, his parents died in a car accident; soon afterwards, the family of one of his close friends, TJ, took him in. Cam became close with TJ’s parents, Mae and Jin, who own a bakery. Cam “picked up everything instantly” (189) and soon became “a reliable baker” (189). During their teenage years, Cam and TJ had a brief romantic relationship.

After graduating from school in New York, Cam moved to Los Angeles, where he met his boyfriend, Kai. Kai sometimes asked about Cam’s relationship with TJ and commented that their bond resembled “love” (11). Kai and Cam lived together for several years in Los Angeles; they also traveled to Japan together, where Kai worked as a translator. One night, a policeman...