Chapter 41 #3
The beach welcomed them with brilliant sunlight and soft, warm sand.
After Orma putting immense sunblock, Liam immediately ran toward the water.
Orm followed closely behind.
"Liam, don't go too far!"
"I won't mommy!"
Lingling walked beside them.
"I've got him."
Orm looked at her.
"I know, thank you Lingling."
Those two words were simple.
But somehow, they meant more than they should have.
I know.
I trust you.
I'm letting you in.
I'm allowing you to be part of this.
Lingling smiled.
And then Liam suddenly stopped.
"Wingwing!"
"Yes, champ?"
"You're an engineer, right?"
Lingling nodded.
"Yes."
Liam's eyes widened.
"Then you can build things!"
"I suppose I can."
"Build me the strongest castle pwease!"
Lingling laughed.
"A sand castle?"
"The strongest one!"
"How strong?"
"Very, very strong."
Orm covered her mouth to hide her laughter.
Lingling crouched beside Liam.
"Then we're going to need a plan."
Liam's eyes sparkled.
"Mommy can help!"
Orm pointed at herself.
"Me?"
Liam nodded.
"You're an architect but today we need an assistant."
Orm laughed.
"Of course I am."
And so the great construction project began.
Liam gathered shells.
Lingling dug trenches.
Orm brought water.
Liam became the official architect, despite having absolutely no idea what an architect did.
"No, Wingwing!"
Lingling paused.
"What?"
"That waw is too smaw."
"Too small?"
"Yes."
"What do you suggest?"
Liam pointed dramatically toward the sand.
"Bigger."
Lingling nodded seriously.
"Excellent engineering advice."
Orm burst out laughing.
"Don't encourage him."
"I have to respect the architect."
Liam grinned.
The three of them worked together.
Lingling shaped the towers.
Orm decorated the walls.
Liam placed shells along the edges.
Every few minutes, he would step back and inspect their work.
Then he would point at something.
"Wingwing, fix that pwease."
Lingling would obediently fix it.
"Here?"
"No."
"Here?"
"No."
"Where?"
"There!"
Lingling stared at the tiny patch of sand.
"That?"
"Yes."
Orm laughed so hard she nearly dropped the shell in her hand.
"You two are ridiculous."
Liam smiled proudly.
"We're engineers mommy."
"You're four."
"I'm a four-year-owd engineer."
Lingling nodded.
"Exactly."
Orm shook her head.
"You're both impossible."
But she couldn't stop smiling.
She took pictures.
Hundreds of them.
Liam running through the sand.
Lingling carrying him.
Liam sitting on Lingling's shoulders.
The three of them laughing.
Liam clinging to Lingling's arm.
Lingling pretending to be tired from chasing Liam in the shore while secretly enjoying every second.
Orm took pictures because she wanted to remember.
Every single moment.
The sunlight.
The sea.
The laughter.
The way Liam's little fingers wrapped around Lingling's hand.
The way Lingling looked at him.
The way Lingling looked at her.
She wanted proof that this day had happened.
Because some moments were too precious to trust only to memory.
-
Several hours passed.
The sun climbed higher.
Eventually, Orm stood.
"I'm going to get some coconut juice."
Liam immediately looked up.
"For me?"
"And Lingling."
"Mine should be cowd mommy!"
Orm laughed.
"Yes, sir."
She kissed his forehead.
"Stay with Lingling."
"I wiw."
Orm looked at Lingling.
"Take care of him please and forbids him from chasing a frog."
Lingling laughed and nodded.
"Always."
Orm smiled before walking toward the nearby store.
Lingling and Liam returned to their sand castle.
By now, the castle was enormous by four-year-old standards.
It had towers.
Walls.
Shell decorations.
Small rocks arranged like pathways.
Liam sat beside Lingling, carefully placing tiny stones around one of the towers.
He was quiet.
Unusually quiet.
Lingling noticed.
"What's going on in that little head?"
Liam continued working.
Then he looked up.
"Wingwing?"
Lingling stopped decorating.
"Yes, champ?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
Liam looked at her seriously.
"You're the woman in Mommy's photo awbum, right?"
Lingling froze.
Her fingers stopped moving.
"The one she always talked about at night?"
Lingling's throat tightened.
Liam continued.
"The one she kept saying sorry to..."
He looked down at the sand.
"And 'I wove you.'"
Lingling couldn't breathe for a moment.
"Oh."
It was the only word she could find.
Liam looked at her.
"Is Mommy going to stop crying now that you're finawy here?"
Lingling's eyes immediately filled with tears.
She looked away.
But Liam noticed.
He always noticed.
"I see Mommy cry sometimes."
His voice became quieter.
"She says she's okay."
Lingling swallowed.
"But she's not reawy okay, right?"
A tear slipped down Lingling's cheek.
Liam sat in front of her.
"Pwease stay with us, Wingwing."
Lingling looked at him.
Liam's eyes were already becoming wet.
"I don't want Mommy to cry anymore."
His tiny voice trembled.
"She misses you."
Lingling's heart shattered.
"I know baby."
"She talks about you even in her sweeps."
"I know."
"Sometimes she wooks at your pictures and cries siwentwy."
Lingling closed her eyes.
Liam wiped his own cheek.
"Pwease stay."
Lingling couldn't hold herself together anymore.
She sat down fully in the sand.
Liam stood in front of her.
"I promise I'll be a good boy."
His lower lip trembled.
"I'll eat more vegetables."
Lingling laughed through her tears.
"I'll cwean my toys after pwaying."
Another sob.
"I'll help Mommy in the house."
Liam's tears began falling.
"Please stay, Wingwing."
Lingling covered her mouth.
"Pwease."
She reached for him.
Liam immediately climbed into her arms.
Lingling held him tightly.
And then she cried.
She cried with him.
The little boy clung to her neck.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Lingling pulled back.
"Why are you sorry?"
"Because maybe I was bad."
"No."
She shook her head immediately.
"You were never bad."
"I just want Mommy happy."
"You don't have to fix Mommy's sadness."
Liam sniffled.
"But I want her to smile."
Lingling wiped his tears.
"She will."
"Because you're here?"
Lingling's voice broke.
"Because we're all going to try."
Liam looked at her.
"Wingwing?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you wove my Mommy before?"
Lingling smiled through her tears.
"I did, so much."
"Are you going to wove her again?"
Lingling's heart squeezed.
She looked toward the direction where Orm had disappeared.
Then back at Liam.
"Do you want me to?"
Liam nodded immediately.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because Mommy woves you."
He paused.
"And you make her happy."
Lingling closed her eyes.
A tear slipped down.
"And because..."
Liam hugged her again.
"I want you to stay."
Lingling held him tightly.
"Then I'll love her harder now. And this time my love will be given to you too if you want."
Liam pulled back.
"Reawy?"
"Really."
"You will wove me too? Promise?"
Lingling smiled.
"I promise baby."
Liam nodded.
Then he hugged her again.
And Lingling whispered into his hair,
"Thank you for letting me be part of your world, champ."
Liam smiled.
"You're awready famiwy."
Lingling's eyes closed.
Those words nearly destroyed her.
Family.
She had spent four years believing she had lost the chance to have one with Orm.
And now this little boy was offering her a place in his.
"What's happening here?"
Orm's voice made them both freeze.
Lingling immediately looked at Liam.
Their eyes met.
Bro code.
Liam sniffled.
Lingling raised an eyebrow.
Liam nodded.
Nothing happened.
Absolutely nothing.
Orm walked closer.
"Why are you crying?"
Liam quickly wiped his face.
"Sand."
Orm frowned.
"Sand?"
"Sand went into my eyes mommy when the wind blew."
Orm immediately crouched.
"Oh, baby."
She carefully examined his eyes.
"Let Mommy see."
Liam obediently leaned closer.
Orm gently blew near his eyes.
"Does it hurt?"
Liam shook his head.
"No."
Orm kissed his forehead.
"Better?"
"Yes."
Then she kissed both his cheeks.
"Good."
Lingling watched quietly.
She understood.
Their secret was safe.
At least for now.
Orm looked at Lingling.
"Why are you crying?"
Lingling quickly smiled.
"Sand."
Orm narrowed her eyes.
"You too?"
"Apparently, this is an emotional beach."
Orm laughed.
"You're both weird."
Liam looked at Lingling.
Lingling looked at him.
They said nothing.
Their secret remained between them.
For now.
-
They had lunch at the seafood restaurant owned by Jingjing.
The moment Jingjing saw them walk in together-with Liam holding Lingling's hand-her face lit up.
"Oh my God."
She looked at Orm.
Then Lingling.
Then Liam.
Then back at the two women.
"Finally."
Orm laughed.
"Don't start."
"I'm not starting anything."
Jingjing grinned.
"I'm celebrating."
Lingling smiled.
"Good to see you, Jingjing."
"Good to see you too."
Liam immediately waved.
"Hi miss beautifuw!"
Jingjing crouched.
"Hello, handsome."
Liam smiled proudly.
"Wingwing is handsome too."
Jingjing laughed.
"I know."
Lingling rolled her eyes.
"Don't encourage him."
"He has excellent taste."
Orm laughed.
During lunch, Liam ate happily.
He kept talking about the sand castle.
He described every tower as though it were an architectural masterpiece.
Lingling listened seriously.
Orm took more pictures.
And when Lingling eventually stood to accompany Liam to the bathroom, Jingjing took the opportunity to sit beside Orm.
"So..."
Orm smiled.
"So."
Jingjing leaned closer.
"You two talked?"
Orm nodded.
"We did."
"And?"
Orm looked across the restaurant toward the hallway where Lingling had disappeared with Liam.
"We're not officially back together."
Jingjing nodded.
"I figured."
"We're taking it slowly."
"Good."
Orm smiled.
"One step at a time."
Jingjing reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
"I'm proud of you."
Orm's eyes softened.
"Thank you."
"For being brave enough to talk."
Orm swallowed.
"It wasn't easy."