Chapter 31 #3
Before this trip, he’d only cooked for Mei Lin a handful of times, back when she came to visit him in Seattle. She always stayed at his friend’s apartment, but she’d come over in the mornings, and he’d attempt to fix her breakfast.
He whisked the batter. “I’ve improved my cooking skills. I’m no longer a danger to myself or others.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“It’s hard to ruin eggs.”
“You used to manage it.”
He looked up. “I thought you liked my eggs.”
“I was protecting your ego.”
“Wow. Am I that delicate?”
“No comment.”
He chuckled. When the skillet was hot, he poured the first pancake and watched the surface bubble.
“Tell me about your job.”
Facing the stove, his back was to Mei Lin, but he glanced at her over his shoulder. Her chin was propped on her hand as she watched him.
“I’m an ER resident. I think I told you that. I like the people, mostly. Dr. Donohue, my attending, is tough, but he’s fair.”
“Why emergency medicine?”
“It keeps me on my toes. I never know what I’m going to be faced with. I’ve seen everything from acute pancreatitis to gunshot wounds.”
When Mei Lin didn’t say anything, he peeked at her again. Her head was tilted to the side like she was attempting to figure him out. “Is it the challenge or the variety that you like?”
“Both, I guess.” Mostly, working in the ER had kept his mind engaged, meaning he’d had less time to think about his life and losses.
“Gavin told me you were worried about your position, that coming to China might have put your job at risk.”
“I already left my attending a message.”
“What will you tell him?”
“The truth.” Ethan scattered a handful of blueberries onto the second pancake. “He’s a good man. I don’t think anybody could fault me for going in search of my wife.”
“Do you think it’ll be okay?”
He shrugged, thankful that Mei Lin couldn’t see his face. “I didn’t expect to be gone so long.” He should’ve called from his burner phone. He had no excuse except that, at the time, nothing had mattered but saving Mei Lin.
“What if he doesn’t understand?”
Ethan cracked four more eggs and whisked them. “I like my job, but I love you.”
She didn’t reply, and after a few moments, he turned to see her.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Hey.” He set the whisk down and came around the island. “Sweetheart. It’s okay. It’s just a job. I’ll get another one.”
She shook her head and swiped at her cheek. “It is not that.”
“What, then?”
“You risked so much to come for me.” Her voice was barely a thread.
“Of course I did.” He cupped her face, and his thumb caught a tear. “You’re worth it.”
She pressed into his hand and closed her eyes.
He leaned in, remembering just in time that he was supposed to be giving her space. He stepped back and let his hand fall. “Sorry. Still working on the giving you space thing.”
“Don’t apologize for being kind.” Her expression was shy. “I will pray about your job.”
“Thank you.” He returned to the stove. He needed the distance, or their new arrangement wasn’t going to make it past the pancakes.
He’d burned the first one. He flipped it into the trash, then shifted the second onto a plate and poured more batter.
The view outside had brightened a shade, like the sun was thinking about breaking through, but flurries still drifted past the window.
“Ethan?”
“Mm?”
“How does Holly know my parents?”
He poured the eggs into the pan and pushed them around with the spatula. “She knows them from the hospital. I introduced them when we started dating. Your parents…approved. She’s a doctor.” He flipped the third pancake and poured a fourth.
“I’m confused. What do you mean, from the hospital?”
After glancing at Mei Lin over his shoulder, he tended the eggs.
“There’s so much I have to tell you. Your mom works in the billing department at the hospital where I’m a resident.
Your dad started in custodial, but about six months in, his supervisor figured out he had more under the hood than they were paying for.
He talked to HR, and they moved him to IT.
He’s got a knack for hardware. He fixes servers and laptops and… computer stuff.”
“My father works at your hospital…in IT?” She said the words slowly, processing.
Mr. Chen had been a farmer back in China, but he’d apparently been his village’s resident fix-it guy. “He’s good at it.”
“You got them the jobs?”
He shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
He slid the eggs off the heat and plated them beside the pancakes, then carried both plates around the island and settled in beside her.
She was crying again.
“Hey.” He rubbed her back. “Does it make you sad to think of your parents and me together? I know it doesn’t mean much, but you were never far from our minds.”
“I’m sorry.” She swiped at her cheek. “I’m just so tired.”
“And sick. Don’t forget sick.”
He didn’t quite coax a smile, but it was close. She drew a shaking breath. “You took care of them. You didn’t just bring them to America and…and give them your house, but you got them jobs.”
“They’re family.” He gave her shoulder a small squeeze. “These days, I’m closer to them than I am to my own parents.”
“Really? How’s your mother?”
“She’s great, just busy with the boys.” Ethan’s stepfather adored his mother, and he was happy for her and her new family. It wasn’t their fault that Ethan felt like an outsider when he visited. “We talk once a week, but I don’t see her very often.”
“You seem close to your father.”
He thought about everything Gavin had done for him—and was still doing.
“Gavin’s been incredible since you called. I never expected…” He shrugged, not wanting to voice the hope he’d carried since he was nine years old—that he might someday have a seat at his father’s table.
She buttered her pancakes, then added syrup. Her first bite was followed by a second before she swallowed and put her fork down. “These are very good.”
He couldn’t help the surge of pride over boxed pancake mix. He was tempted to tell her to eat the eggs first. She needed the protein, but he kept his mouth shut.
If she wanted to, she could have pancakes and syrup for breakfast every day for the rest of her life. She could have anything she wanted, as long as she still wanted him.