Page 19 of Her Inconvenient Wedding Date (Unexpected Dates #2)
Lily
“Why is a computer so smart? Because it listens to its motherboard.” ~Unknown
Hunter is a saint. Or maybe he hasn’t had enough exposure to my family yet. Either way, I couldn’t be more grateful to have him by my side tonight. Let’s just hope all my mom’s baby talk doesn’t make him hyperventilate.
That’s her talking about babies, not talking like a baby. Although I wouldn’t put it past her to start.
“Don’t you think Auntie Ling’s granddaughter is so precious?” She holds up a photo of a newborn sleeping in a basket with a miniature crown balanced on top of her head. “Doesn’t this picture make you want to have a baby just like this one?”
I shoot an exasperated look at Hunter who just stuffed a bite of rice into his mouth.
He returns a knowing glance and quickly chews his food, all the while giving my leg a pat underneath the table.
Not wanting him to choke, I jump in to give my mom an answer that I hope will satisfy her. “Maybe someday, Ma, but not right now.”
“But I am not getting any younger.” She sighs dramatically as she flips through the album on the dining table.
Yes, she wants grandkids so much, she’s made a whole photo book of other people’s pride and joy.
Shaking her head, she meets my gaze. “How do you expect me to help take care of your children if I am too old?”
My father makes a sympathetic noise. He doesn’t say much since he’s used to being around non-talkative patients all day and also because he values a peaceful home. He’s the OG saint.
The other people at the dinner table are Jasmine and Bruce who have been strangely quiet all evening. I wonder if they’ve had an argument, but it doesn’t seem likely since they keep glancing at each other like they have a secret.
Hunter speaks up, breaking the momentary silence. “Ah yi, that is very kind of you to offer to help with our kids. Lily and I appreciate it, and we will of course take what you said into consideration when we start planning for a family.”
Oh no. My hubby doesn’t know it yet, but he just opened up Mama Lam’s Box. Never mention the word planning unless you want to see my mother wield her multitasking sword.
“What Hunter means is that we haven’t even thought about kids yet, but we will sometime in the future?—”
“You do not need to worry!” my mother cuts me off with a smile that’s a little too eager. “I will help you plan! You know that’s what I’m good at.”
My father makes an agreeable sound this time. Agreeable, both in the sense that he acknowledges my mother’s abilities, and he believes in keeping the peace. He’s so patient, he puts the long in long-suffering.
Jasmine, on the other hand, is not so adept at keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself when it comes to our mother.
She can say and do things that I’d never dream of and get away with them.
I’m pretty sure it’s a God-given, younger-child perk to make up for all the times they get bossed around by older siblings.
As usual, Jasmine is the only person brave enough to tell our mother the truth.
She does it with tact though. “Ma, Jie just got married a few days ago. She and Hunter need time to get used to each other before kids enter the picture. If they’d been dating for a while like me and Bruce, that would be a different story. ”
“But they have been working together for a year,” Ma states, holding up an index finger. “One year. That’s 365 days, 8760 hours, 525,600 minutes, and 31,536,000 seconds. That’s a lot of time!”
Hunter’s jaw drops. “How did she do that?!” he whispers to me. “Your mom’s a human calculator.”
“She memorized the numbers,” I murmur back. “She’s done this spiel before.”
His eyes widen, but he still looks impressed.
I give him about three weeks before the novelty wears off.
That’s about 168% longer than the amount of time that our gift of dried seafood was able to appease my mother.
I stuff a shrimp into my mouth and focus on chewing, which is much more productive than trying to plead our case.
It’s better to let my mother say her piece, so the rest of us can get our peace.
Jasmine, however, isn’t ready to let things go. She sets her chopsticks down onto her rice bowl and clears her throat. “Ma, Ba, and Jie, there’s something I need to say.”
We all stop eating and direct our attention to her. Whatever she wants to announce must be serious because Bruce’s face is as white as the cold tofu appetizer dish.
“Jie,” she addresses me first, “you’ve always been such a good big sister to me, even if you are a little bossy sometimes and you make a stink when I try to borrow your clothes?—”
“Because you never return them,” I pipe up in exasperation, “but go on.”
“I don’t take it for granted that you always want what’s best for me and your clothes,” she adds with a sheepish smile. “I feel like you do so much for me, so I want to do something for you. Please don’t get mad, okay?”
My gut twists. “Okay, but can I be scared?”
“Trust me.”
Great. What person ever trusts someone when they say, “trust me”?
“Ma and Ba,” Jasmine says as she holds up her left hand, “Bruce and I eloped.”
One by one, our mouths fall open. Next to my sister’s engagement ring is a silver wedding band. Bruce sheepishly holds up his hand as well to show off his matching ring.
“Aiya!” our mother yelps as if in shock.
Or I should say in shock. There is no if about this situation.
“Why did you do that? What about the wedding? You already put a deposit on the venue. And I already told my sisters and mahjong friends about the banquet menu. Everyone is looking forward to the big day!”
My father grunts, I believe in agreement. He looks as confused as everyone else.
“Don’t worry, we’ll still have the wedding and the banquet.
” Jasmine’s tone is casual and reassuring, like she’s talking about coupons and not the fact that if she’d eloped sometime during the last two years, I wouldn’t have had to enter a marriage of convenience.
She turns to me with an apologetic frown.
“Thanks, Jie, for trying so hard to help me get married. I don’t know why I didn’t think of doing this earlier.
But now that Bruce and I are hitched, you and Hunter can end your contract marriage.
You don’t have to stay married on account of us. ”
My mother clutches her chest and exclaims, “Contract marriage?!”
Jasmine nods. “Jie and Hunter agreed to stay married until Bruce and I got married. But now they don’t have to.”
“Is this true, Lily?” Ma demands. “You and Hunter do not love each other?”
“Yes…”
Hunter gasps. “Lil?”
“I mean no!” I try again. “It’s true that Hunter and I had an agreement, but things have changed. We do love each other, and we want to stay married.”
Hunter’s expression softens as he grabs my hand. “Oh, thank God. You had me worried for a second.”
I squeeze his hand and mouth the word sorry .
“Wait, you guys love each other?” Jasmine claps her hands. “That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you, Jie! You, too, Hunter!”
My father even chimes in with his own, “Good, good,” and gives Hunter and I two thumbs-up.
The only person who is quiet is my mother.
She seems deep in thought with her brows furrowed.
Or maybe she’s shocked that I did something so unconventional or angry that I had intended to find a way around the rules.
Whatever the reason may be, her silence is deafening.
Or it could be my heartbeat resounding in my ears.
The wait nearly does me in. I’m so antsy, I’m sure I put the suffering in long-suffering.
I chance a glance her way. To my utter disbelief, my mother has a smile on her face. It’s not so much a sign of happiness but maybe pride? She doesn’t say anything to me, though. Instead, she directs her next words at Hunter.
“You be sure to treat our daughter well. She is a you xiu nu er .”
My eyes well up. Hearing my mother refer to me as an excellent daughter makes me think of doing complex integrals in my head.
It seems improbable and it makes your head hurt in the process, but the solution is also satisfying and worth the effort.
I suppose I finally got an A in my mother’s grade book.
Hunter looks at me, then back at my mother, and says, “I will. I promise. Thank you for raising such a you xiu nu er and trusting her with me.”
I almost laugh when I hear the phrase for a second time in a minute. At this rate, Hunter’s going to have to tear down his door to make room for my inflated head. I wave away their compliments with a grin. “Ma, now you can start encouraging Mei and Bruce to make you a grandma.”
“You are right!” My mother’s dark brown eyes sparkle as she looks at her next victims.
“Good one, Lil,” Hunter murmurs in my ear as the attention shifts away from us.
“Although I wouldn’t mind planning for the future with you.
We can call our kids bagel holes or maybe bagel dots?
Did you know you can put cream cheese in the center of them or roll them around in sugar or dried herbs? The food, not the kids…”
My heart is completely full as I listen to Hunter talk. Who knew this dinner would turn out to be pleasant? As my gaze travels around the table, I am in awe of all the grace God has shown to me and my family. There couldn’t be a better happily ever after for this story.
I, Lily Lam, know that I am blessed and loved even though I’m not perfect. And that’s perfectly okay with me.