Chapter 50
CHAPTER FIFTY
For a split second, Mei Lin thought she was seeing things. Somehow, Mama and Bàba were standing on the threshold between the foyer and the living room.
Mama lifted her hand to cover her mouth, and Bàba wrapped his arm around her shoulders. But his eyes were on Mei Lin.
They weren’t a mirage—they were a miracle.
She crossed the space, moving around the crowd of Wrights, and fell into her mother’s embrace.
Mama wrapped her in arms that were too thin but as fierce as ever. This woman who never cried was weeping.
Mei Lin backed up to take her in. She had more wrinkles than Mei Lin remembered, but her eyes were bright.
She turned to Bàba, and he held her face in both hands. The way he was looking at her, it was like he’d never seen her before, or maybe like he never wanted to look away. Then he pulled her in, and she rested her cheek on his chest and held on.
Thank You, Father. Thank You.
When Bàba loosened his grip, Mei Lin stepped back.
And then the fussing started. “So thin.” Mama’s hands moved over her shoulders, down her arms. “What did they feed you? Did they feed you at all?”
“I ate—”
“And your hair.” Her mother lifted one short strand and let it fall, stricken. “Your beautiful hair. What did they do to it?”
Mei Lin ran her hand over it, thankful Brooklynn had arranged for the cut. At least it looked healthy now. “It will grow.”
“To here, it was.” Her mother’s palm dropped to Mei Lin’s lower back, grieving eight inches of hair as though that were the final straw.
“She’s beautiful.” Ethan slipped an arm around her waist. He had no business being on his feet, and she told him so with a glance, which he disregarded entirely. “She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Her mother let go of Mei Lin to take Ethan’s face in her hands. She moved it back and forth, frowning. “You look terrible, so pale. You sit down.”
“I don’t need another mommy.”
Mama stifled a smile, and Mei Lin had the feeling the two of them had had this conversation before. “Well, of course my daughter is beautiful.” Her mother’s words were harsh even as she smoothed Ethan’s collar as if he were her own boy. “She is more beautiful than anyone in the world.”
“See?” Ethan said. “We agree.” He looked at Mei Lin and rolled his eyes. “Your mother is impossible.”
Mei Lin giggled, then covered her mouth.
This was so…weird.
For six years, while Mei Lin had been trapped in that horrible place, this man had become a true son to her parents. He’d taken care of them. She’d known it, but she hadn’t realized how very full their relationship had grown.
Ethan led her parents to a couple of armchairs near the fire, got them settled, and found a footstool for Bàba. Wrights—sisters, cousins, and their partners—came over to introduce themselves.
Somehow, Mei Lin’s parents folded into this houseful of people who’d known her and Ethan for less than a week.
There were no words.
The sound of the door closing had her turning, and she saw that three more people had walked in.
A man, a woman, and a little girl with blond curls who was already running toward the other children.
The woman was tall and slender and comfortable in her own skin.
Mei Lin made her way to greet them. “Are you Delaney?” It was a guess, though not a wild one. The woman carried herself like a Wright.
She smiled, and it was as if someone had turned up the lights. “I am.” She reached out and took Mei Lin’s hands. “I’m so glad to meet you.”
“You came from Virginia?” Mei Lin was pretty sure Ethan had said they lived there.
“We flew up with your parents. This is my husband, Noah.” Delaney smiled at a broad-shouldered man. “You might have met his brother, Jaz. He’s the one dating Kenzie.”
Mei Lin had met Jaz earlier. He was around here somewhere, all grin and motion. “He was in the woods that night, I think. One of the men who came to help us.”
“Sounds like Jasper,” Noah said.
Delaney nodded toward the little girl they’d come with. “That’s Charlotte. She’s five.”
“She’s adorable.”
Ethan stepped beside Mei Lin. “I didn’t know…” He cleared his throat, sounding nervous, and started over. “Delaney. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… I should’ve found a way to tell you the truth.”
“You couldn’t have.” She let go of Mei Lin’s hand to take his. “It took me a little while to get over it, but I was more mad at my dad than you. I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your texts. It just felt so…” She seemed to give up explaining, instead stepping in for a hug.
Delaney must’ve been warned about his injuries because she seemed to hold him carefully.
“For what it’s worth,” Noah said behind her, “I owe you an apology too.”
Ethan stepped back and looked at him. “For what?”
“I was pretty sure you were stalking my wife.”
Ethan laughed, then pressed a hand to his side. “Ow. Am I really that creepy?”
Noah tipped his head one way, then the other, considering it longer than strictly necessary.
Mei Lin decided she liked these two.
A spoon rang against glass. Eliza stood at the front of the room, Sam beside her, and the noise dropped by degrees until even the children were quiet.
“Dinner’s ready,” Eliza said. “Who wants to pray?”
Roger lifted his hand, but Gavin spoke first. “I’ll do it.”
There was a murmur of surprise, and he rolled his eyes. “I can pray, you know.”
Gavin bowed his head, and the whole sprawling family bowed with him—the sons and the daughters and the ones who’d married in, the cousins, the babies. Mei Lin’s own mother and father.
“Lord, You’re just…amazing, and I’m so thankful.” Gavin sniffed and muttered, “I should’ve let Roger do this.”
Chuckles sounded among the crowd.
“Thank You, Lord, for bringing Ethan here and bringing Mei Lin home.”
Ethan squeezed her hand.
“Thank You for every single person in this room,” Gavin continued. “We owe…everything to You. So…thank You. Oh, and for the food. Amen.”
A chorus of amens joined Gavin’s, along with a few laughs.
When Gavin looked up, his eyes went wide, and Mei Lin looked to see what had surprised him.
Standing in the foyer was a tall elegant woman with silvery-blond hair. She must’ve noticed people looking because she waved. “I hope I’m still invited.”
Eliza seemed to get over her shock first. “Of course.” She hurried to greet the newcomer. “Come in.”
The woman smiled at her, then scanned the crowd. “You’re Mei Lin?”
“I am.”
“I’m Evelyn Wright.” She held out her hand, and Mei Lin shook it, trying to catch up. Who was Evelyn? She didn’t remember this one.
Beside her, something wafted off Ethan… Fear, Mei Lin guessed.
But the woman smiled at him. “I’m so glad to finally meet you. I wanted to apologize for that day in the restaurant—”
“Don’t bother,” Kenzie called.
Brooklynn added, “He’s over it.”
Evelyn didn’t take her eyes off him.
“You don’t owe me an apology.” Ethan stepped forward. “I uh… I should say I’m sorry that happened, but…” His gaze scanned the room. “I’m kind of…not. So maybe I should say I’m sorry that I’m not sorry?”
“I appreciate your honesty.” She held out her hand. “I hope we can be friends.”
He shook it. “I’d like that very much.”
People started moving toward the buffet table. Cici and Asher were already leading Mama and Bàba that direction. The noise and chaos rose again as if nothing had happened.
But this was…this was more than Mei Lin could comprehend.
Evelyn joined Gavin on the far side of the room. Ethan’s father looked like he was about to burst with happiness.
Ethan took Mei Lin’s hand and pulled her into the hallway on the opposite side of the living room, away from the crowd.
“Are you okay?”
It took him a moment to gather his words. “I feel so…I don’t even know. Overwhelmed. I never thought this could…” He sighed. “I just wanted to ground myself, and I need you to do that. Thank you for being here with me.”
“Always.” Mei Lin stood beside him, looking toward this crazy family in this amazing home where they somehow belonged.
But she thought of the train, the hard seat, and the view of a country that wanted her gone.
She thought of how long she’d stared at her phone, afraid to call the man who’d vowed to love her forever.
She hadn’t been sure if he would help her, much less come for her.
But she’d made the call, and this man had come. He’d risked everything for her.
“There’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be.” She faced him. “With your people and my people.” She squeezed Ethan’s hand. “With my husband, my family.”
Ethan drew her close and kissed her, slow and sure.
Mei Lin leaned into Ethan and let the chatter and laughter of the people behind them fade. She was a long way from where they would live, but she was home.
The End…