Chapter One #2
Mei grinned. “I love how you and Ali text.”
“Your sister is my sister.”
Mei happily bit into a dumpling. Joey knew Ali would always hold the largest place in her heart.
She and Ali had taken care of each other during their parents’ horrific divorce, their father’s unexpected death, and the years of financial strife that followed—all the events that led Mei to leave Queens and never return. Until she met Joey.
“So what’s Luc’s brother’s name?” Joey asked. “The dude we’re celebrating tomorrow?” Ali and Luc’s barbecue was in honor of Luc’s older brother, who had just moved back to New York after many years away.
“Alexandre.”
“Alexandre,” Joey repeated, enunciating every syllable. “What’s he like? An older, grayer version of Luc?”
Mei laughed. “He’s only forty-two.” She and Joey were both thirty-six. “And he and Luc don’t really look alike.”
That had always surprised Mei. At two years apart, she and Ali were often mistaken for twins.
They were both five-one with long, dark brown hair and big brown eyes.
Luc and Alexandre were both lean and athletic with chestnut hair.
But while Luc was clean-shaven and six feet tall, Alexandre was several inches shorter, had a more wiry build, and sported long hair and a beard.
“I don’t really know what he’s like, either.” Mei swirled a dumpling in chili oil. “From what I remember, he’s quiet. A little intense. And smart. He has a PhD and was doing some kind of biology research at the University of Oregon.”
Joey ate a spoonful of noodles. “I don’t get it. Luc’s your brother from another mother—”
“That is true.” Ali and Luc had been together for sixteen years, since their freshman year at Fordham University. In that time, Luc had become like a sibling to her.
“How do you not know his brother?”
“Alexandre’s always lived in Oregon. He only came home for some holidays, and not in a while.”
“Got it. Guess we’ll get to know him soon enough.”
They finished dinner, then ambled to the subway, savoring the warm evening. Mei rested her head against Joey’s chest as the 7 train trundled through the tunnel between Manhattan and Queens.
At Vernon-Jackson, they exited the subway and walked west toward the water, until they reached their building’s glassy entrance.
Joey greeted Julio, the evening doorman, with a hearty hello, while Mei flashed her warmest smile.
As usual, her megawatt grin didn’t extinguish her discomfort about him being paid to open the door for her.
The elevator whooshed them up ten floors. Once inside their apartment, Mei sighed with contentment at her living room’s creamy white walls and new finishes.
“I never thought I’d live anywhere so beautiful.”
“Me neither,” Joey agreed. “But here we are.”
Mei stood before the large glass picture window, drinking in the view. Manhattan sprawled out before her in all its intoxicating glory.
Joey slipped behind her, his arms encircling her waist. Together, they admired the blazing orange sunset backlighting the city skyline. Mei leaned into Joey, relishing the feel of his strong chest against her back. She tilted her head up. He leaned down to meet her lips. Here we are.
· · ·
The next morning, Mei and Joey hopped into his trusty white Corolla.
As they drove north, Mei settled back in the worn passenger seat and admired how fine her fiancé looked behind the wheel.
Joey’s black hair was neatly slicked back, his eyes intent behind his silver-rimmed glasses as he concentrated on the road.
To their left, the Hudson River glinted in the hazy July sun.
An hour later, they arrived at Ali and Luc’s cozy, low-slung ranch home in the lower Hudson Valley.
Mei rang the bell, then swung open the door before anyone could answer. “We’re here!”
Little footsteps sounded from inside the house. A moment later, Kaia, her niece, came running toward her, jubilant in a violet sundress, her light brown ponytail streaming behind her.
Mei crouched down to hug her. “Who’s my favorite three-year-old?”
Kaia giggled. “I am.”
“You got that right!”
Joey patted Kaia affectionately on the head. “She’s a Li woman. Of course she’s the smartest one in the room.”
“Mei! Joey!” Ali and Luc appeared in the hallway.
Mei embraced her sister tightly. “Nice outfit,” she said with a laugh.
She and Ali were both wearing V-neck sundresses, hers in yellow, Ali’s in teal.
“Hey, Luc!” She gave her brother-in-law a squeeze, while Joey pulled Ali into a bear hug.
Mei grinned at the sight of all her favorite people together.
“Thanks for coming early,” Ali said as she led them through the house. “Can you take Kaia out back?” she asked Luc and Joey. She turned to Mei. “We can plate your pastries.”
Mei smiled. She always loved getting a few minutes alone with her sister.
“How’s the wedding planning?” Ali asked once they reached the kitchen. “Have you made any progress?”
“We just finalized our menu!” In three months, she and Joey were tying the knot at their favorite neighborhood bistro, then celebrating with a family-style lunch.
Initially, Joey had wanted a traditional church wedding, followed by an all-night dance party at a catering hall, while Mei’s preference was to say “I do” at city hall, followed by dim sum with their immediate families.
For some reason, she had no problems giving big presentations at work.
But elaborate celebrations that were all about her made her want to run and hide.
“That’s so exciting!” Ali passed Mei a platter. “Did you schedule your hair and makeup trials?”
“Not yet.” Mei removed egg tarts from their wax-paper bags. “I was hoping to do that this week, but I’ve been so slammed.”
Ali smiled sympathetically. “Is Livin insane, as usual?”
Mei groaned, even as a familiar fiery rush ignited her veins. “Always. But it’s exciting. I’m presenting my three-year brand vision to the leadership team on Wednesday.”
“That’s right! You’ll wow them.” Ali picked up a plate of chips and guacamole. “Seriously, if you need help with wedding stuff, just let me know.”
“I will.” Mei grabbed the platter of Chinese pastries and followed her sister through the sliding glass door. “It looks great out here!”
Ali and Luc had decorated the patio with round paper lanterns in tropical shades of pink, orange, and yellow. Wildflowers in bud vases adorned the tables.
“Shouldn’t there be a ‘Welcome back, Alexandre’ sign?” Mei asked.
“I was going to put one up. But then Alexandre told Luc that if we made this an obvious welcome home party, he would, I quote, ‘hop in my car and drive straight back to Oregon.’ ”
Mei laughed. “I totally get it.”
Guests began arriving. Mei poured herself a glass of rosé. One of Luc’s neighbors chatted with her and Joey about a new breakfast café in town. With the sun shining on her face and a tingly wine buzz going, Mei luxuriated in the feel of Joey’s hand on her back.
She finished her last sip of wine. “I’ll get us a refill.”
On the now-crowded patio, Mei topped off her rosé and found another beer for Joey.
As she turned to rejoin her fiancé, she nearly bumped into Luc’s parents, Clarisse and Jean-Germain Brodeur.
They were retired French history professors, and Mei always thought they looked the part, with their wire-rimmed glasses, earth-toned clothing, and silver hair.
“Are you glad Alexandre’s back?” she asked them.
“We are,” Clarisse said as she and Jean-Germain exchanged rueful smiles. “Though I wish the circumstances were different.”
What did that mean? Before Mei could ask, she spotted her mom and stepfather talking to Joey. She excused herself, then made her way to her parents.
Mei embraced her mom, taking in her cheerful floral blouse and long-layered bob.
She was still thrown, at times, at her mother’s relaxed demeanor.
For most of Mei’s life, her mom had been a stressed-out single mother who toiled long hours to pay rent on their dreary one-bedroom apartment.
But over the years, Vivian had worked her way up from a receptionist to an office manager at a manufacturing company.
After she met Henry, a kind accountant, ten years ago, their joint income finally let her save enough to retire.
“How are you two doing?” Vivian asked.
“We just celebrated the one-year anniversary of the day we met!” Joey slung an arm around Mei and kissed her temple.
Mei turned pink as her parents congratulated them.
“I’m giving a big C-suite presentation on Wednesday.
And I’m leading a major initiative with my best work friend, Ayanna.
We’re refreshing the Livin brand so it’s more inclusive, with language and imagery guidelines for every region.
That way, anyone, anywhere in the world, will see they belong at Livin, no matter their race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, religion, or ability. ”
“That’s a lot,” Vivian said.
“A very worthy project,” Henry added.
Mei knew her parents understood the gravity of her undertaking. They’d both been people of color in the workforce. Mei could only imagine what Henry had faced as a Black man in corporate America.
“I’m excited about it,” she said. “Oh, and we’re going away soon! Joey and I are renting a house on Long Beach Island with Ali, Luc, and Kaia.”
“How nice!” Vivian placed a hand on Joey’s arm. “We took the girls there for a week every summer when they were kids.”
Joey smiled. “My folks took me there, too. The Jersey Shore gets a bad rap, but I love it.”