Chapter 6
757words
The unopened suit gift still sat in my living room. I put it away again.
A few days later, my parents returned from their overseas trip and immediately summoned Danny and me for dinner.
In our sprawling villa, my mother held court at the head of the table while my father, wearing an apron, bustled around the kitchen island.
I imagined this was how life with Henry would be—me bringing home the bacon while he cooked dinner.
I glanced at Danny, who was charming my mother without sparing me a glance.
A saying popped into my head.
In families, no matter how badly you fight, you still have to sit together at holiday dinners.
Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.
"The steamed crabs are ready. Little Wang loves them—give him extra."
My mother directed my father, who smiled as he placed a heaping plate before Danny before removing his apron and sitting down.
Mom swirled her wine glass and launched into the epic tale of how she'd pursued Dad—a classic dinner tradition in our house.
Dad sat with his usual shy expression, elegantly sipping soup in small spoonfuls, saying nothing.
"When I was chasing your father, I noticed his wide hips were perfect for childbearing. Sure enough, we had a chubby baby girl within our first year of marriage."
?
"Where did you two vacation this time?"
"Rural Australia."
Great, so they went to play farmer.
My mom leaned forward earnestly. "Daughter, when choosing a man, avoid those who look good but are useless—pretty flowers who can't take care of anyone once you marry them."
I nodded solemnly.
Mom glanced meaningfully at Danny Lawrence. "Little Danny is quite the catch. He's grown up in our home, helps your father with chores. All those delicate clothes you can't machine wash? Danny hand-washes them for you."
"By the way, Danny, what kind of girl do you prefer?"
Danny stabbed his fork into a crab. "One who doesn't lie."
The hair on my neck stood up.
Mom patted my shoulder. "Is it really that simple?"
Danny smirked and returned to his crab.
For some reason, this sparked my mother's interest, and she launched into an old story.
"There's something I've never told you kids. Now that you're grown, it's time you heard it..."
My typically quiet father finally spoke. "Dear, that's ancient history. Why bring it up now?"
Mom slapped the table. "I'm in a good mood today. Can't I share a little wisdom with the children? Pour me more wine."
I leaned forward eagerly while Danny feigned disinterest, still picking at his crab.
"Back then, your father was quite the troublemaker at school."
"What?" I blurted.
Dad waved dismissively, embarrassed, as Danny Lawrence's head snapped up.
"Terrible grades, fighting constantly—nothing going for him except his handsome face and athletic build."
"Back then, I couldn't stand Little Wang's mother—all soft and delicate. I forced her to run the 800-meter dash with me after school every day."
"Your father finally confronted me, demanding to know why I was bullying his mother. I pulled out a wad of cash and threw it in his face, telling him to mind his own business."
"Your dad and I became sworn enemies, constantly at each other's throats. But over time, I noticed your dad liked cooking shirtless, would 'accidentally' show off his chest when returning my shoelaces, and would call me 'miss' in this breathy voice when he'd been drinking..."
A flirtatious tease?
"After that, your father changed his ways. To win me over, he studied hard, became top of our class, and followed me to university. As you know, after we married, I took over your grandmother's company while your father managed our home."
Wait, that didn't sound right.
"Didn't you say Dad was poor?"
Dad shifted uncomfortably. "Your grandfather's family were farmers. I was on scholarship."
I pressed on. "You said he was resilient and pure-hearted."
Dad's face reddened further. "Your mother was my first."
Good student, virtuous, from humble beginnings, who persistently pursued my mother.
It sounded right on the surface, but something was very wrong.
Was this the typical hero-heroine setup? But why did Danny Lawrence's mom sound more like the heroine!
I hesitated. "Then uncle..."
Mom looked embarrassed for once. "Well, Danny Lawrence's mother had her eye on me back then. As you know, I'm quite dashing... Her husband got jealous and started copying my behavior, turning himself into a school bully too."
Mystery solved—my mom was the hero of the story.
