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.
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
With all the stress and anxiety masking it, Chang had not realized how much her hunger had built up all day. Before she realized it, she had scraped her plate clean that had been full of food only the moment before. As soon as she had scraped the last bit off, Jian made another small pile on it. Looking at the mountain he had put on her plate again, Chang blushed, feeling like a total glutton. Not only had she been hungrier than she had realized, but he had also ordered some of her favorite foods. Sweet and sour pork ribs, moo goo gai pan, lo bak go, he had even poured a bowl of egg drop soup for both her mother and herself, although hers still sat untouched.
'How did he know that I love the food from this place? Where did he even get these dishes from, and how did he even get the food and the dishes in? I didn't know you could bring outside food into a hospital, how did he get this in..? Hmm, should I even still be surprised by the things this man does?' Raising an eyebrow, Chang chewed on the end of her chopsticks as she got lost in her thoughts.
"Xiao Xi, don't chew on your chopsticks! You have to eat, you've grown so skinny, how will you fulfill your mama's wish if you're so thin!" LiHua's admonishment brought Chang out of her thoughts. She was confused at her mother's words and wondered what she meant before remembering what she meant. It was the topic from earlier coming around to haunt her again. Her mother was such a spoon sometimes, she just loved to stir up trouble. It was one of her mother's fortes.
"Hmm I concur, you should eat more, I like it when you have more to hold onto." Jian leaned over and whispered the second half into her ear, causing them to turn red.
Slapping her chopsticks onto her plate, Chang stared at the two of them, fuming. The two of them continued to eat nonchalantly as if they had not been teasing her only a moment before. Unable to maintain her composure, Chang got up and stalked into the private adjoining bathroom and slammed the door shut.
"Such a child still in so many ways." LiHua snorted and laughed seeing her daughter's flustered reaction.
"Mm." Liang JianAmal replied with a low grunt, his eyes twinkling while his lips were curled into a satisfied smile.
LiHua brightened seeing his reaction, 'I'm glad she found such a caring man like her father, good job Chang!'
----
In the bathroom, Chang ran cold water to splash on her face and neck. Eventually, her face stopped burning and she only had a hint of rosiness on her cheeks. As she did so, she was careful not to displace her makeup as best she could. Even though she could only feel the bruise on her cheek when she pressed on it, it would do her no good to have her mother see it. Looking in the mirror, Chang could tell there was a hint of swelling in the area in her cheek as well as her lower lip and hoped her mother would not notice.
'Ah, I guess this is as good as it gets.'
Drying her hands, Chang exited the bathroom swiftly her dress swirling around her knees with her quick motion. She sat down back in her chair to eat more, as dammit she was still hungry and would just have to brave through their wicked ways! As she sat down, her mother was nibbling at a lo bak go cake. As she nibbled LiHua looked up at her daughter and dropped the food from her chopsticks onto her plate. She stared in wide-eyed shock at what she saw.
Chang was confused as to her mom's reaction but followed the line of sight to her neck, where she'd unbuttoned her collar a couple buttons while she splashed water on her neck.
'Wait, my neck!' Chang instantly slapped a hand over the area her mother was staring at and glared at Jian. 'This is your fault!' Silently she accused him with blazing eyes.
LiHua coughed lightly and eventually tore her eyes off the marks on her daughter's neck with difficulty. "It appears I need not say anymore, I had no idea my daughter was so good to her old mother. I will be patient and await good news soon."
"Hmm look forward to it." Liang JianAmal replied quickly while smirking at Chang. Needing a change of topic quickly, Chang cleared her throat and quickly interjected before either of them could say more.
"So mom how come you're here? You didn't hit your head on a cabinet or anything did you?"
1 Moo goo gai pan- in short nummy nummy an americanized version of a cantonese dish that has mushrooms, chicken, snow peas, bamboo shoots, horse chestnut, and usually carrots.
2 Lo Bak Go shredded Chinese radish and rice flour baked into a cake, usually served as a dim sum type of food, again nummy nummy.
3 Egg Drop Soup made of boiled chicken broth and wispy beaten eggs, usually has tofu and scallions in it too
Uh and now I'm super hungry, never write about food when you're hungry..
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