True To You (Taking Chances #2) (12 page)

EIGHT

My luck’s finally run out.

Not that Ben believed in luck. It wasn’t because of luck that he was home the night the highway patrol officer knocked on their door. He would forever be thankful that he, and not his sister, had received the news first about their parents. That news, however, had caused him to doubt God’s plans and purposes for years… until that fateful day at the store. God wouldn’t have brought Melanie into his life for nothing, would He? Then why had their evening turned into such a wreck?

Ben tightened his grip on the handlebars of the motorcycle. He wove in and out of traffic, releasing his adrenaline each time he shifted gears to accelerate. He had rode five blocks before the sting in his eyes woke him up to a sobering fact. He didn’t have his helmet on.

And that helmet happened to be sitting under his chair at Koo’s Kitchen.

The only thing worse than returning to the place of his humiliation was imagining his sister’s teary face if she found out he was riding recklessly. Going against his better judgment, he made a U-turn at the next intersection. He figured he could call Melanie outside the restaurant and ask her to bring his belongings out to him. It would also provide him the chance to follow-up on the damage he had caused.

He approached a yellow light and slowed down, choosing to err on the side of caution. The wail of a siren reached his ears a few seconds before he spotted the ambulance half a mile away. The light changed and he sped up, closing the distance between himself and the emergency vehicle. He tailed the ambulance for another block until it stopped in front of a building with Chinese lettering on the signage.

No, please, no.
Ben parked his bike and hopped off just as two uniformed men ran into Koo’s Kitchen, their medical bags and a stretcher in tow. Through the glass doors he watched as the paramedics took Mrs. Koo’s vitals, then loaded her onto a cot. The family followed the paramedics through the front doors, which Ben had propped open.

Melanie finished detailing her mother’s medical history as the stretcher was loaded onto the ambulance. “My father will ride with you,” Melanie informed the paramedics. “Please hurry.” Turning to her sisters, she gestured for them to follow her. “Let’s go. We’ll take my car.”

“No, you girls come with me. My driver is parked in back. Come.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. We are like family.”

“
M goi
. I appreciate it, Ming.”

Ben’s heart sank when he heard the two voices speaking a mix of Cantonese and English. He leaned around the doorframe from where he stood in the shadows to get a better look. The sight of Melanie leaning on the Hong Kong star’s shoulder confirmed his worst fears.

She had found comfort in a man’s arms, and they weren’t his.

---

“Ben, what are you doing here?”

Ben switched off the spray of the faucet and turned around. He removed a pair of yellow rubber gloves and set them on the edge of the metal sink. Walking over to the kitchen doorway, he reached out to hold Melanie’s hands. “How’s your mom? One of the waitresses, Miss Chan, said you called earlier, but there were no updates.”

“Her blood pressure is back to normal,” she answered with a nod, “but she still has some chest pain. We’re waiting for the results from the blood test and EKG to see if there’s been any damage to her heart.”

“Was it a heart attack?”

“We don’t know for sure yet, but the way she looked,” she paused, knowing she didn’t need to rehash the evening’s events to Ben, “well, you were there. She fainted soon after you left, and that’s when Sam called 911.”

“Shouldn’t you be at the hospital with your family? If you’re worried about the restaurant, everything’s under control. The last table left about fifteen minutes ago and Miss Chan turned on the closed sign already.”

“I know. I just stopped by to check the cash register. My mother is actually more concerned about the money in it than she is about her health. She wanted me to come count it and make sure the total matches the receipts for the day.”

“Counting? That’s right up my alley. I could help if you’d like.”

She noticed the weariness in his face and frowned. “Thanks for offering, but I finished it already. Have you been here the whole evening? Miss Chan didn’t mention you were washing the dishes.”

“I came back for my bike helmet. When I got here, the kitchen crew was starting to get swamped with all the customers showing up. So I thought I’d follow through on your dad’s request.” The smile playing on his lips didn’t reach his weary eyes. “I just finished the last load, so I’ll be heading home. Ashlynn’s waiting for me to eat fruit cake.”

“Ben, you didn’t have to wash dishes. But thank you so much. My family will be grateful to know you were here helping with the restaurant.” In awe of his generosity after everything that had happened that evening, Melanie smiled and hugged him. She immediately found comfort in the warmth of his body and the clean scent of dishwashing soap lingering on his clothes. How she wished she could hide in his embrace and pretend tonight had never happened. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Ben’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at her heartfelt display of affection. Only a couple of workers remained in the kitchen, but he could sense their eyes watching in curiosity. He gave her a gentle squeeze and kissed the top of her head. “You must be exhausted. It’s been a crazy night.”

“Crazy doesn’t even begin to describe it. First, Ming shows up and acts like everything’s normal, even though we haven’t talked in five years. Then my mom has the meltdown of her life. Oh, Ben,” Melanie exclaimed as her dark eyes turned remorseful, “I didn’t mean for your Christmas to turn out this way. And I’m sorry I asked you to leave.”

Ben released her and took a step back. “No, I’m the one to blame. I ruined your whole family’s Christmas. I’m the one who needs to apologize.” He ran a hand through his thick hair and sighed. “If anything had happened to your mom because of what I said… I would never forgive myself. I feel horrible that I caused her to suffer.”

“You didn’t mean it. It was one mispronunciation.”

“A pretty bad mispronunciation.”

“Okay, so it was a bad one,” she admitted with a wince, “but she clearly overreacted. Don’t blame yourself.”

“What’s clear is that your mom doesn’t like me, and she may never accept me after what happened tonight.”

“You don’t know that. I know things don’t look too good right now, but they could change.” Even Melanie couldn’t deny the uncertainty she heard in her own voice.

Ben crossed his arms, unconvinced by her words. “I know you’re trying to be positive for my sake. But even before I made that blunder, I felt like the way she treated me was… distant, actually, make that professional. It’s the same feeling I get from parents during parent-teacher conferences. What she seemed to care about was making sure Billie did well on her math final. She didn’t see me as anything but a teacher.”

“Well, you know Chinese parents,” she jumped in with a sheepish smile. “Grades matter a lot to my mother, especially with Billie applying to college next year.”

“I understand her concerns, but did you know Sam wanted me to tell your mom that I’d let Billie retake her exam for a better grade?”

“She what?” Melanie’s mouth fell open. “Why am I not surprised. If you can believe it, Sam was trying to help you. But it wasn’t right for her to take advantage of your position and ask you to bend the rules. I’ll talk to her.”

“I already told her I couldn’t do that. But,” Ben paused with a frown, “tell me something. Did your mother know who I am, besides the fact that I’m Billie’s teacher?”

“What?” Melanie dropped her gaze to the ground. “What do you mean?”

“Melanie, did you tell her we’re dating?”

“Oh, that. Not exactly,” she confessed as she met his disappointed eyes. “It’s not that I didn’t want to, Ben, but it’s tricky. I thought introducing you first as Billie’s teacher would be to your advantage.”

“You did it to give me an edge?”

“Yes, I wanted my mother to at least give you a chance. Your job puts you in a special position of authority. My mother has to respect you because of that. You saw the way she served you food; she actually smiled with her teeth showing.”

“I take it that was a good thing, but was misleading your mother the only option?”

“I couldn’t just come out and tell her I was dating a white guy who’s a teacher.” She winced as soon as the words left her mouth. “That came out wrong.”

Upon hearing Melanie’s admission, Ben’s shoulders slumped and he released a long breath. “Is that who I am to you? A white guy who’s a teacher?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. But to my mother, that’s what she sees. That’s
all
she sees.”

“But is it all
you
see?”

“Of course not.”

“I’m finding it hard to believe you. Your words don’t match your actions. Tonight, you acted like you were embarrassed to be with me. If you aren’t okay with who I am, how will your mother ever be?”

“Ben, I was scared. I wasn’t sure how she would react. I knew she would be upset, but I didn’t know it would put her health at risk. I never thought things would get so complicated…” Her voice trailed off as she recalled the promise she made at her mother’s hospital bed earlier.

“I am getting old, daughter. My heart cannot handle stress like before.”

“You’re going to be fine, Ma. It’s a good thing I had aspirin in my purse tonight and had you chew it. If you had swallowed it, it would have taken twice as long to get into your system. I’m sure that saved you from having a heart attack.”

“Then why do I still feel pain? It is burning in my chest.”

“Do you have any pain in your arms?” Melanie ran through a mental checklist as she regarded her mother. “How about your back, neck or jaw? In your stomach?”

“No.”

“Any shortness of breath, nausea or lightheadedness?”

“Not yet. But if they do not let me go home soon, I may suffocate. Hospitals always smell like sick people. I don’t know how you stand it.”

“You get used to it.” Just like how she had gotten used to her mother’s critical nature over time. “You’re not sweating, that’s a good sign,” she observed. And she was not fatigued either, considering how talkative she had been since being admitted. “You have no symptoms of a heart attack. Stop worrying and try to rest. Do you need anything?”

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

“What do you need, Ma?”

“I need you to listen to me.” Patting the armrest of the chair next to her bed, she gestured for her to sit down. When Melanie obliged, she shared a feeble smile and continued to speak in a soft voice. “I want to talk about tonight.”

“I know-”

Mrs. Koo held up her hand to silence Melanie, her posture surprisingly firm for someone who had just complained of possible asphyxiation. “You know I want the best for you, don’t you, daughter? And what is best is what we are used to. Familiarity. That’s why we have lived in the same house for over ten years and have attended the same church and owned the same restaurant. Our family believes in consistency.”

“That’s true, but I’m pretty sure our family also believes in change because we moved six thousand miles to live in a new country.”

“Which is all the more reason why familiarity is crucial,” Mrs. Koo replied without skipping a beat. “Without it, our mind and heart, our very being comes under stress. And stress is not good, isn’t that right?”

Melanie nodded, although she was wary of where their conversation was headed.

“This is why I am so grateful your childhood friend Ming is here. We have known him, as well as his family, for many years. Seeing him tonight brought comfort to my heart. He is like the son your father and I never had.” Pausing to place her hand over her heart, she continued, “He is the reason I was saved tonight.”

Melanie almost fell off her chair. If she didn’t know better, she would have asked for a psychological evaluation. But as usual, her mother’s “delusions” were a symptom of what Sam liked to call “Drama Queen Syndrome”. “I’m quite certain it was the aspirin, Ma. It’s a proven medical fact that aspirin reduces blood clots and-”

“I am talking about my peace of mind,” she interjected. “Do you not know I have been so worried about you. Ever since you went to medical school you have been too busy to date. Residency is not much better. I know with your long hours that you must feel lonely. Lonely and desperate enough that you would consider dating a foreigner.” She rushed on before Melanie could speak. “I understand, there’s no need to be ashamed. But you should have told me so I could help you. Even if you did not want to marry Melvin, there are plenty of other Chinese Christian men with well paying jobs in the world. You must know your mother has connections.”

Melanie’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I’m not dating Ben because I’m lonely or desperate! I’m dating him because I like him. He makes me happy. We may be from different backgrounds, but we get along well. He’s a good man.”

“After what happened tonight, you still defend him?” Clutching her hands to her chest, she fell against the pillows behind her. She released a long groan and closed her eyes.

“Ma? Are you okay?”

“Koo Mama, are you in pain?” Ming appeared in the doorway and rushed over to sit on the edge of the bed. “Should I get the doctor?”

Melanie leaned forward to get a better look at her mother at the exact moment she seemed to revive herself. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she spotted a twinkle of delight in those upturned brown eyes which mirrored her own. “Ma, where does it hurt?”

“Ah, I am better now.” Smiling at the man sitting next to her daughter, she gripped his hand and placed it on top of Melanie’s. “You have come at just the right time, Ming. We are all so pleased you are here, aren’t we, Melanie?”

The touch of Ming’s hand on hers triggered several images to flash through her mind. Their awkward first kiss in junior high school. The beautiful song he wrote for her before she moved. The unexpected night of his twenty-first birthday… All these memories taunted her, yet drew her in as well. Pulling her hand away, she finally found the voice to stammer, “It is good to see you.”