Suet comes into the house anxious of what just happened. She cannot make up her mind of whether she is happy of worried of the kiss she just shared with Phong. What could that possibly mean? Has he realized he always loved her? Did he remember something? How about Hong Dao? She shook her head walking to her room.
Quay and Lan-Yee were sitting in her room talking about her romantic dinner with Phong. Right when they saw her they both ran to her like they were all teens in their giddy years of falling in love.
?So what happened mommy? Did daddy remember anything?? she asked excitedly.
Quay couldn?t resist asking either, ?Did you enjoy the first romantic dinner you shared??
Suet shook her head as she took off her coat to hang it in the closet. Quay and Lan-Yee looked at each other dumbfounded.
?What happened?? Quay asked.
Suet looked at both of them and sighed, ?He kissed me.? She said softly.
?That?s great!? Lan-Yee said. ?That means he remembers you!?
?Oh no.? Quay said realizing what Suet was afraid of.
?He didn?t remember anything.? Suet continued. ?He just kissed me and I freaked.?
?Why?? Lan-Yee asked confused. ?I thought you wanted to be with daddy.?
?I do. I really do but I don?t want him in a tough situation between me and Hong Dao. She has been so nice to all of us.?
Quay nodded. ?Yeah they seem to be a really happy couple.? She said and then noticed Lan-Yee giving her a ?don?t say that look?
Quay then said, ?Oh I mean that they?re happy but that doesn?t mean they?re in love.?
Suet gave them both a shameful stare, ?How could you even say that?? Suet asked.
?Well it?s true!? Quay said pouting as she walked to Suet?s bed. ?Think about it! She was able to let her husband go out to dinner with another woman!?
?Yeah? Lan-Yee added, ?It wasn?t just dinner it was a romantic dinner.?
?That?s because they have a special trust in their relationship.? Suet said trying to justify Hong Dao?s decision.
Quay shook her head. ?I?m a woman and believe me no woman is at ease with her husband going out with another woman. He even bet on you and not Hong Dao.?
?Yeah mom and he bet a lot of money on you also! He seemed anxious that you would have to go out with those other men.?
?You two are being ridiculous.? Suet said as she gathered them up and pushed her out of their room. ?Goodnight. I?m going to sleep.?
?But Mom? Lan-Yee persisted.
?Goodnight!? Suet said sternly once more.
Lan-Yee and Quay gave up and both went to sleep also.
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Phong on the other hand has come back from dinner and is greeted by Hong Dao who has just come out of the kitchen with a midnight snack of cookies and cakes. ?How did the night go?? she asked enthusiastically.
Ho-Ying was walking down the stairs and heard them talking. She was about to greet her parents-in-law when she heard Phong say, ?It was a great night we shared, but I think I did something wrong tonight.?
Ho-Ying thought it was best not to stay and listen to their conversation because she was aware that Phong had just come back from a romantic dinner with Suet.
?What did you do wrong?? Hong Dao asked putting a piece of cake into her mouth.
?I kissed Suet.? Phong said softly.
Ho-Ying stopped walking back to her room when she heard the news. She became curious and stayed at the edge of the stairway listening.
?That?s great!? Hong Dao squirmed. ?You finally found someone to share your life with. Maybe she?s the woman you love but can?t remember.?
Ho-Ying poked her ears she thought she was hearing incorrectly.
?I think I scared her. Why do you think that?? Phong asked,
?Well she seemed alarmed and I don?t know if she?s gotten over Lan-Yee?s father yet. Maybe she still thinks about him.?
Hong Dao took a sip of her tea and thought about it. ?That could be.? She picked up a cookie and handed it to Phong, ?Here have some they?re good.?
Phong took a bite of it while Hong Dao was still talking. ?Or it might not be the case. Could it be that she thinks we?re husband and wife??
But Phong didn?t respond because he had another flashback after biting into the cookie.
*~*~* { Phong?s Flashback } *~*~*
?You?re laughing at my cookies. I can?t believe you. I?d like to see you bake some.? Suet said taking back the plate of cookies in his hands.
?Hey!? he called after her ?Are you really mad at me?? She didn?t turn back.
Then his memory flashed to a scene with Quay, ?Here Buy Suet this purple dress and she?ll forgive you for insulting her baking.?
Phong looked at the dress and replied, ?That doesn?t look like it suits Suet?s taste. I better give her this bracelet.? He said picking up a simple beaded bracelet. ?She?ll like this.? He said walking to the register to pay for it.
*~*~* { End of Flashback } *~*~*
?Phong are you okay? Hong Dao asked as she dropped her snacks onto the plate and waving her hands in front of him which broke his concentration. ?What are you thinking about?? she asked.
?I just realized that I gave Suet the bracelet she was wearing today. She has worn it all these years. Why??
Hong Dao smirked as she replied, ?You mean the funny orange color bracelet with white flowery beads she always wears??
?Yeah that one and I don?t think it?s all that funny looking.?
?If she has worn that bracelet all these years it must be a sign that you?re important to her. Why else would she wear your bracelet especially something as funny looking as that??
?But I?m not sure if she is. What if I remember everything and I find out the woman I love is not Suet. Then what will I do with Suet??
Hong Dao smiled and said. ?Don?t you realize that you have not fallen in love with anyone until you met Suet? All these years you always wanted to remember your past fully before you can accept anything such as love and friendship but now when it comes to Suet your emotions have taken over.?
He gave her a ?Huh? face. She ate another cake and said, ?I mean look how great I am and yet all these years you could have fallen in love with me but you didn?t.? she joked.
He grinned at her comment and she continued. ?You could have even fallen in love with Quay once you remembered everything about her but you didn?t. Instead you fell in love with Suet. You really love her and maybe, just maybe you loved her in the past too.? She said with a wink.
Phong thought about it. ?You might be right but until I can remember for sure I don?t want to alarm Suet anymore than I already did.?
?It?s up to you.? Hong Dao said putting the last cake in her mouth as she picked up the plate to put in the kitchen sink.
Ho-Ying immediately ran back into her room after eaves dropping.
Phong shook himself to stop thinking about everything and tried to go to sleep. He was a 40 year old man thinking about things such as love at an age where he should have almost been a grandfather.
Hong Dao stuck her head out of the kitchen before he disappeared into the stairs and said, ?Oh and if you did love her before, or she loved you before, you might even be Lan-Yee?s father. Think about it.?
Phong paused at the very thought that he might have a daughter. He closed his eyes and thought about it. It would be very nice to actually have a daughter he said to himself as he got ready for bed.
That night he went to sleep and had the same dream again except this time it was a little different. He finally saw the face he?s been trying to see all these years.
*~*~* { Phong?s Dream } *~*~*
Phong heard a girl's laughter . He looked around him to see her. There was darkness everywhere but he could still hear the girl laughing and giggling.
?Come here Phong.? She called out to him. ?Come here, I have something for you.?
Phong ran towards the direction of her voice and saw the back of a girl. Her figure was very familiar to him. She was carrying something in his hands. He came closer to see what she was holding.
Before that girl turned around he felt a tap on his shoulders again. He turned around to see Hong Dao telling him Li-Nam is crying. He needs you as a father. Go help him, he has fallen.
Phong turns back to the girl and she turns to look at him. It was Suet holding a baby girl.
He walks closer to her to ask her about the baby but as he?s walking Li-Nam and Hong Dao drag him away.
*~*~* { End of Phong?s Dream } *~*~*
It was the next day. Hong Dao was sitting in the living room reading a book when he ran past her. ?Where are you running off to?? she asked seeing the expression on his face.
?I need to find out something about my past.?
?Did you remember something?? she asked happily.
?Very blurry, but I remember something and I need to get it cleared or else I?ll probably go crazy.?
Hong Dao nodded and replied, ?Do you want me to go with you? Maybe I can help you.?
Phong thought about it for a second and nodded his head. He would need Hong Dao to help him clear up the fact that he and Hong Dao weren?t really married. Hong Dao put her book down and accompanied him.
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Phong knocks crazily on the Kwok?s door. Lu-Khan opens it and lets them in. Ho-Ying and Li-Nam are sitting in the living room.
?What?s going on dad?? Li-Nam asks. Li-Nam was there because he had taken Ho-Ying there this morning when Ho-Ying dragged him to drive her. Ho-Ying was talking to Lan-Yee in the room.
Phong asks impatiently, ?Where?s Suet and Lan-Yee??
?I don?t know where Aunt Suet is but I do know that Chun-On and Lan-Yee are talking to Ho-Ying upstairs.? He replies. Phong storms up the stairs.
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Meanwhile Ho-Ying was telling Lan-Yee and Chun-On about what she heard Phong and Hong Dao talking about. ?Isn?t that strange that my mother in law wasn?t jealous about her husband kissing another woman??
Chun-On rubs his chin with his hand as if he was in deep thought. ?So what do you think about this?? he asked Lan-Yee.
?You think she might be psychotic?? Ho-Ying asked with a little freight.
?Don?t say such nonsense!? Chun-On reprimanded her.
?We should tell my mom so she wouldn?t have to worry. I don?t care if Madam Li is a psycho or no! I just want my mom and dad together.?
?Who?s your dad?? Ho-Ying asked because they?ve never mentioned Lan-Yee?s father before. But Chun-On had an idea already.
Suddenly the door flew open. Phong was standing there. He heard Lan-Yee?s comment. ?Who is your father?? he asked anxiously.
Lan-Yee was stunned that he was standing there. She didn?t know what to say to him. Her heart raced. The palms of her hands were perspiring. She was more nervous than is she was standing absolutely nude in a public building.
Li-Nam and Hong Dao came up behind him. Phong walked closer to her. He knew she was nervous. He was also as he slowly walked to her. His body was becoming tense. He observes Lan-Yee for a moment. He notices her eyes and lips are like Suet?s. Her face and nose shaped like his.
He gently said, ?I would really like a daughter like you; smart and beautiful like your mother, ambitious and proud like me.?
Lan-Yee cried and ran towards him. ?Daddy!? she cried. Lan-Yee hugs him. She is relieved that he has remembered her. ?You remembered?? she asked with a sigh of relief still hugging him.
He embraced her in his arms with relief also. ?My sweet daughter, you really are my sweet daughter!? he said holding her tightly.
Lan-Yee nodded excitedly.
Ho-Ying walked over to Li-Nam and hugged him. ?So sweet, Lan-Yee reunites with her father.? She said with tears of joy.
Li-Nam was confused. ?Lan-Yee is my dad?s daughter??
?Yeah, she?s Suet and Phong?s daughter.? Chun-On replied.
Li-Nam held Ho-Ying and said, ?Daddy Phong finally has a family.?
?What do you mean?? Ho-Ying asked standing straight up and giving her husband an estrange look.
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