Chapter 31: Belated Reunion
After several dragging hours the plane touched down on the tarmac in San Francisco. As they had gotten closer and closer, Chang's feelings threatened to overwhelm her. As if sensing that, Jian had kept constant contact with her throughout the flight, trying to help assure her.
Walking outside to a light drizzle, a private car was waiting for them to shuttle them right to the hospital where Chang's mother was admitted. Although it was only the afternoon, the gray fog that encased everything made it seem far later than it was. Looking up at the hospital building, Chang felt it looked somber and imposing with its dark swirling cloak. Tightening her grip around Jian's hand, she let him lead her inside to the receptionist nurse's desk.
Behind the desk sat a kindly-looking plump middle-aged woman. The woman wore the look of someone who had been awake for far too long and had already become deadened to the world around her. When she saw Chang's ashen face and huge wet eyes, her glassy eyes softened a little.
"Hello, how can I help you? Are you in need of medical attention?" Looking at the two of them the woman spoke in a kindly tone.
"No. We are here to visit Mrs. Dumont, a one Li Hua." Holding Chang's hand tightly, Liang JianAmal answered for her.
The nurse quickly shuffled through her files on the computer before finding the correct one.
"Are you her immediate family? With the patient's condition, we are only permitting immediate family members to visit at the moment."
"What's wrong with my mom?" Chang's voice broke while asking, the more time went on, the more serious this seemed.
At her question, the nurse looked at her incredulously. "The patient's ongoing condition just flared up. For patient confidentiality, even though you are family, I cannot reveal more. You will have to talk to her yourself only then can we release that information. You will find her in room c-42. It will be on the fourth floor, second door on your right past the elevator." While speaking, the nurse gave Chang a pitying look as Jian and her headed to the elevator.
After receiving her mother's whereabouts, Chang wanted to immediately rush to her mother's room, but she had to be slow and cautious in the busy hospital. Every step she took seemed like a mile, but the corridor to the elevator seemed to stretch on to eternity.
Eventually, they came to c-42, a private room with the door shut. Looking at the shut door, Chang reached out a nervous, shaking hand to the doorknob, her pulse pounding in her ears. She tried to swallow the dryness in her mouth but it stayed chalky.
'What is on the other side of the door? What kind of condition will my mom be in? Do I have the courage to see this? What if this is just like dad all over again?' Her guts twisting into knots, Chang tried not to think about her mom being cold and lifeless. It had not even been that long she he had been gone, how could her mom leave so suddenly as well?
"I am here." Beside her Jian spoke, breaking her from her thoughts. Even though the words were very simple, they touched and reassured her.
'I need to be here for my mom, like she always has been for me.' Giving him a smile, Chang steeled herself and grabbed the knob firmly, letting them into what awaited. 'I will face whatever awaits with Jian.'
Alone in a private room Li Hua lay in her bed sleeping with a peaceful smile on her face. The years had been kind to her and had only made her graceful beauty more pronounced. One hand was curled on her lap, while the other lay beside her side with a slow IV drip constantly feeding into the needle in her inner arm. Her glossy jet black hair was neatly braided and lay over her shoulder in her usual style. Except for being a little pale, she appeared exactly as she had last to Chang.
Tears of relief instantly sprang to Chang's eyes to see her mother whole. When she had first heard her mother was in the hospital, Chang had started feared the worst. Touching her mother's warm hand, Chang smiled through her tears. 'Mom's alright, everything is ok, Jian was right.'
Standing beside her, Liang JianAmal felt his heart twist seeing her smile of relief. He pulled them both a couple of chairs from the corner of the room to Li Hua's bedside, to wait for her to wake up.
"This might be a while before she awakens, you have not eaten today, what would you like?"
"Mm nothing, I don't feel hungry right now." Liang Jian Amal pursed his lips in disapproval at her answer and whipped out his phone.
Chang's attention was on her mother waiting for her to wake up, she was so nervous but so excited. From the rollercoaster of emotions she had just been through, Chang felt exhausted and layed her head down, nestling it in her arms on her mother's bedside.
Liang Jian Amal smiled tenderly seeing her so obviously relieved, she always so openly showed everything she felt. She radiated with a beautiful glow in her joy. Slipping off his jacket, he put it around Chang's shoulders so she would not get chilled as she rested.
Gripping it with her other hand, Chang gave him a small gratified smile before turning her eyes back to her mother. It had been past time for her to reunite with her mother. Liang JianAmal was glad he could do this for both of them.
Especially now.
Chapter 32: Belated Reunion (II)
Liang Jian Amal kept watch over the two women sleeping peacefully together. Chang's breathing became more light and even as she fell into a deep sleep. As soon as she had Li Hua's eyes flickered open, revealing her large black crystal eyes. Li Hua looked to her left to see her daughter sleeping on her bedside and the handsome man standing behind her. Tears welled up in her eyes as a smile crept onto her face.
"Thank you for keeping your promise Jian." Taking her hand from Chang's, LiHua stroked her daughter's head.
"Of course mother." Nodding his head, Liang JianAmal nonchalantly accepted her gratitude.
"You are a good man in every sense of the word. I'm relieved to know my Xiao Xi will be well taken care of in the future, even without her parents." Li Hua's hand paused for a moment in its motions. "Have you told her yet?"
"I have not yet. I only just managed to find her the other day." The younger man's smile quickly fell from his face as he answered seriously.
"Where was she all this time?"
"I do not know if she has been there the entire time, but I found her in Los Angeles."
"Hah, she didn't go very far from home at all. Still in the same state of the same country. My silly girl, so close yet so far away, you should have just come home." One of the tears rolled down her cheeks, and Li Hua swiftly brushed it away with one of her long, slender fingers. "I am glad that I got to see her, before...Thank you, Jian. Now that you've fulfilled one of this old lady's heartfelt wishes, now how about the other?"
Liang JianAmal chuckled hearing Li Hua's request. "You should be talking to your daughter about that. Are you ready to take me up on my offer now, mother?"
"Mm, yes. There are things I still need to see and do, like play with some grandbabies!"
----
In a beautiful dream world Chang sat on a grassy knoll, dotted with wild clover, beside her a small crystal clear stream burbled happily as it made its way along. The sunshine warmed her back brightening her spirits.
She was around 7 years old again, wearing what had been her favorite white sundress, making flower jewelry out of the clover blossoms. The breeze would rustle her hair comfortingly every now and then, even though she was alone in the wide field of her dream; she felt no loneliness. Soon an enticing smell wafted into her nose, causing her to salivate and her tummy to rumble. Pressingher little hand to her tummy to quiet it., she heard a familiar voice that she had not heard in a long while rang out in her dream.
"Chhaaang! Where are you sweetie? Time for luuuunch!" Her dad's rich sonorous voice called for her on the other side of a hill behind her, out of sight.
"Daddy!!" Chang rushed to the sound and the smell desperately on short legs. "Daddy!!" The closer she got, the further and further his voice sounded until she could not even hear it anymore. Running as fast as her little legs could carry her, she tried to catch the vanishing voice. Running as fast as she was, Chang tripped and fell. As her face hit the soft grass, Chang awoke with a start to her face on the hospital sheets.
Slowly she gathered herself, recollecting where she was. The dream had been so vivid it was disorienting. The tempting smell was still here though, confusing Chang as sat up slowly.
"Good you're awake, dinner is here." She heard Jian's voice from beside her, he was setting up a lap tray for Li Hua to eat in bed. The delicious smell was coming from a bag sitting on the chair next to her.
"Hi baby." She heard the voice in front of her and looked up to see her mother beaming at her. She looked like nothing so much as like an angel, her crystal eyes shining and dancing. Faint smiles lines danced around her mother's eyes as they shone full of love. When she smiled, Chang could see why her father had given up everything to be with her.
"Hi Mom, I'm sorry... I'm sorry I'm late."
"You're here now Xiao Xi, that's all that matters." Her mother patted her on her hands reassuringly. Chang smiled down at their hands.
'Wait how do I explain Jian?!' Just as Chang was brooding on how to broach the topic her mother spoke again.
"Xiao Xi, how come you never told me that you got married in the first pace? He's such a good man, and so caring, he's been taking care of me this past year while you were away. Why would you not tell me, especially since you found yourself a good husband?"
Chang was surprised hearing that he had been taking care of her mother this past year. Her heart felt like it was squeezed soft by the thought.
"You caught yourself a keeper Xiao Xi, now hurry up and give me some cute babies to play with!"
Chang choked on her own spit hearing her mother's demand and started coughing madly. Jian came over and patted her back until she thankfully gasped in air.
"Are you alright?" As he patted her back Jian whispered in her ear. Chang could feel herself turning bright red at his close proximity, especially right after her mother's words.
"Yes, fine, fine!" She tried to hurriedly wave him away to mask her embarrassment.
Li Hua and Liang Jian Amal shared a knowing, conspiratorial look over her head. Liang Jian Amal set up a small folding table for the two of them and started pulling out the dishes. She recognized them all as her favorites from a small restaurant near her Mom's house. Her family had used to eat there whenever they went out to celebrate something. The last time had been her college graduation ceremony, right before her dad had passed.
'He cares so much, how did I come to be so blessed?' Chang was beyond incredibly touched seeing this display. Smelling the comforting food Chang gratefully dug into the food he put on her plate, just enjoying the moment and atmosphere, as Jian doted on her and her mother.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Kayalicia
Kayalicia
Heh while I was re-editing this chapter as I read the last sentence all of a sudden the song 'Some hearts' by Carrie underwood burrowed into my ear as an ear worm.
For the last couple hours now I just keep hearing the bridge of "some hearts just get lucky, sometimes," over and over
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