6. Miley
I put the final seal on a light ice mango green tea with boba and a Thai iced tea, no boba. As I place the drinks in the designated pickup cubby, I hear the familiar open and close of the shop’s front door.
“Welcome to Tea Time, where it’s always a brew–tea-ful day!” I call out over the sound of the TV that is constantly playing mando-pop or K-pop music videos on repeat.
I hear a familiar chuckle and turn around to see Aunt Sue, my mom’s best friend who owns the nail salon next door.
I flash her my brightest smile and come around the counter to give her a big hug. “It’s so nice to see you, Aunt Sue.” She embraces me in a way that is uncommon in Asians, so I relish every one of her hugs.
“Your puns get worse by the day, Miley.” Aunt Sue chortles. She gives me a quick appraisal and smiles. “I love these wide leg jeans. You always have such great style.”
“I spend so much time in scrubs, it’s nice to be able to get dressed in real clothes,” I reply, secretly pleased by her compliment. I love clothes and makeup but really don’t have much opportunity to indulge that side of me. “I love your nails, the ombre is fun,” I say, inspecting Aunt Sue’s hands.
While Aunt Sue is not an actual blood relative, all Chinese people of an older generation who are friends with my parents are referred to as Aunt and Uncle.
When my parents opened this shop, Aunt Sue was already next door. Right away they were enemies, believing they’d be battling over customers, but soon realized they could be allies in the business game. Now, they hold joint promotions—Manis and Matcha, Pedis and Pearls, plus more—and work together to bring in new, loyal customers. Who doesn’t want to get their nails done while sipping bubble tea?
“How’s my favorite anesthesiologist?” she asks. “You work at the hospital and then come here and work some more! When do you get time off?”
“You know I enjoy working here. It’s relaxing.”
“You’re the only person on earth that finds running a shop relaxing,” Aunt Sue teases.
I do actually find it relaxing. It’s a different pace from anesthesiology, obviously, but I also enjoy helping my parents out. It’s the least I can do for them as they put me through Cornell and then medical school at Columbia. I don’t have any student loans because of them and their successful bubble tea shop business, so I am happy to contribute in any way that I can.
When they first started their business, it was just one shop in Bayside, close to where we lived. They have since expanded Tea Time, and now that I work in Manhattan, I help at the Chinatown location the most. Aunt Sue and her nail salon next door are an added perk.
“I’m not on call this weekend, so I’m happy to be here today,” I say earnestly.
“You are such a good daughter, if only you would marry my son,” she laments.
I roll my eyes. “Andrew is married, to a very handsome man , I might add.”
“I know, I know, and I am very supportive, cool mom and all, but you know I want grandchildren!”
I know there will be unique challenges for Andrew and Carter on their journey to parenthood, but I envy the fact that because they have no ovaries between the two of them, there is no time pressure for having children. Meanwhile, the rest of us will be entering geriatric pregnancies by the time our medical training is done, if that’s even in the cards.
“Your time will come, Auntie. What can I get you?” I ask her, as the front door opens and a driver comes in. Four orders are bagged and ready to go, and he takes them all. “Thank you!” I shout out as he wordlessly retreats from the store in a hurry.
The computer chimes as more orders pour in. Apparently everyone wants bubble tea on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. I can’t blame them. The drinks are quite refreshing.
“I’ll take my usual, but I actually wanted to see when you were gonna stop by for a mani pedi. You’ve been so busy, you haven’t been by,” she calls me out, and she isn’t wrong. It’s been almost a month since I last stopped in. I love getting my nails done, and I always try to make the time.
“Ruby is actually stopping by later to help out as well, so we can take turns coming over if that is okay?” I ask, not wanting to impose on her, even though I know what she will say.
I grab two straws for the next order and place them in the bag with the teas. I give both drinks one last shake before I close up the bag while it waits for its driver.
“You girls know you can come over any time. You are family. I am so happy I will be able to see Ruby too. A big shot doctor and a big shot lawyer, your parents are so proud. Aunt Sue is too,” she says happily.
I am definitely not a big shot anything, but Ruby, my older sister, has some high-profile clients. At least I think she does, she keeps it all very hush-hush, patient confidentiality and all that, or whatever the lawyerly equivalent is.
I move on to make Aunt Sue’s favorite drink, milk black tea with tapioca, the classic. I dump in a large scoop of bubbles, pour in the milk, and place the cup in the Seal-O-Matic 2000; the fun machine that seals the tea so it doesn’t spill.
She grabs a straw from the counter and expertly pierces the top and enjoys her first sip. “Ahh hao he ,” she sighs contentedly.
Aunt Sue always tries to pay, but we never take her money, yet sometimes when I’m doing laundry, I find cash in random pockets, courtesy of her. She has secret ninja money exchange skills, I swear.
“How’s wedding planning going for Ruby?” she asks, as the large screen TV starts the song Seven by Jung Kook, of BTS fame.
“She’s actually at a dress fitting right now,” I explain, bopping to the music.
“She’s going to look so beautiful. I’m going to cry my eyes out and then party like a rock star.” She laughs, and I know she’s not joking. I saw it firsthand at our cousin’s wedding two years ago. Not only did she cry all her makeup off during the ceremony, but out-danced everyone at the reception. I’m not sure how she accomplished it in high heels, but I suspect the open bar had something to do with it. That woman is a force, and I just hope I can keep up with her this time.
“Make sure you come by today! And Ruby too! Thanks for the tea!” Aunt Sue calls out as she exits the shop. She is like a tornado in the best way possible.
An hour later, I am knee deep in walk-in customers who all decided that after lunch was the perfect time to all join forces and get a bubble tea. When the door opens, I am so relieved to see Ruby instead of another customer. She eyes the line halfway out the door, quickly ties on an apron, and starts taking orders. She jumps right in without even saying hello.
I love working next to my sister. Like all siblings, we fought as kids, especially being two sisters with naturally competitive personalities, but as adults, we’ve learned to channel our competitiveness into love. It helps that we are in two completely different fields. It also helped that she went to Cornell Law School, and we overlapped while I did my undergrad there. It was so nice having her around, even though she didn’t know what I was going through in college. Just knowing she was close by was comforting enough sometimes.
When the rush dies down, we make an assortment of teas and egg waffles for the team next door. Then I leave Ruby and go next door to bring the goodies over and get pampered.
Angela, my favorite nail tech is in today, so I know I will walk out with beautiful nails. I haven’t completely let go of the tension from the week, from seeing Annabel, from reliving my own trauma, and from Rohit catching me at a moment of weakness, so I feel I deserve a little me time.
Angela is just finishing up with a customer when I walk in. I hand around bubble teas and waffles and everyone oohs and ahhs because I always bring their favorite flavors. After years of swapping goods, I have mostly memorized everyone’s orders. It’s the least I can do in exchange for free nail care. Like Aunt Sue, I always try to pay, but she’d sooner beat me with a broom than take my money. She allows me to tip though, because she knows if she doesn’t, I’d refuse to come back.
I settle onto the plush seat, already feeling the tension ease in my shoulders. Angela grabs my hands and inspects my nails.
“This chrome french was beautiful. I did good work with the accent nail,” Angela says as she appraises her work.
“I loved the little flowers on my pointer finger,” I agree.
“But it’s too grown out. Try to come every two weeks,” Angela complains.
“I love coming here, you know that. I try to come as often as I can,” I explain. “What are we going to do today? Short and square, okay?”
“Ahhh, you always want short and square. Longer nails look better. You’re such a pretty girl, longer nails are better to catch a boyfriend,” she chides.
“Boys are trouble.” The comment rolls off my tongue faster than I can stop it. I notice Angela narrow her eyes quizzically, but I recover quickly and continue, “You know I need short nails for work, and for piano.”
“Okay, okay, short and square. Bright color for summer?” Angela asks as she applies acetone-soaked cotton balls to my nails and wraps them with tin-foil squares.
“Sounds great, and do something fun for the ring and pinky this time, please,” I request.
Angela applies moisturizer and starts massaging. “Why are you holding so much tension in your hands?” She eyes me suspiciously.
“It’s been a rough week,” I reply.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” I say hesitantly. I can’t share my secrets here. They will get back to my parents before the end of my manicure.
“I know how the gossip goes around here, so I won’t ask. Instead, just let me take care of you,” Angela says brightly, guessing at my hesitation.
“Thank you,” I murmur, letting the stress roll away. After she strips the old gel polish off, I slip on my UV protection gloves. I know that Aunt Sue replaced all the nail stations with the much safer LED lights to cure the polish, but old habits die hard, and I am a doctor after all.
After an hour of pampering, I look down at my nails with a huge smile on my face. My thumb, pointer and middle finger on each hand are a bright coral. The ring and pinky fingers sport a beautiful multicolor swirl design of coral, turquoise, yellow and white that fit the hot summer days. Most importantly, my nails are short and square. I feel ready to take on the world, or at least the challenges of my own life, like returning to the hospital for my next shift tomorrow.