Page 112 of Shadowing You

Ethan squinted against the dim light, uncoiling himself one joint at a time. He pushed up to standing and stretched, then winced and rubbed his neck. His gaze slid past her to Renshu. “There won’t be a next time. She’s stuck with the tree.”

Renshu laughed, the sound filling her with warmth. She missed her brother’s laugh.

Lao Wu backed up the steps. “Five minutes.”

Ethan stepped free, holding himself steady against the wall. Then he held out his hand to Renshu. “You took a risk being here. I appreciate it.”

Renshu shook it. “Protect her.”

“With my life.”

Her brother held the grip a beat longer, then turned to Mei Lin.

His smile was gone. “Mèimei.” Little sister.

“Gēgē.” Older brother. The names they’d called each other when they were children.

He shoved a hand in his pocket. When it came out, it was closed around something. He opened her fingers gently and pressed the small thing into her palm. Then he folded her hand closed and held it in both of his.

She recognized the object without looking. She’d held it a thousand times since Renshu had given it to her when she was nine years old.

Her throat closed, and she tried to swallow the lump there.

“Tell Bàba and Mama that I am well.”

“I will.” Her words came out thick.

“Tell them I think of them.”

“I will.”

He pulled her against his chest and held her for two beats before stepping back.

She tried to memorize the face that was so familiar, yet so changed.

He touched her cheek with the back of his fingers. Then he climbed the steps and closed the hatch.

His footfalls crossed the deck. There was a muffled exchange she couldn’t quite catch, and then he was gone.

Father, keep him. Draw him to Yourself.

The engine rumbled.

“Let’s sit, sweetheart.” Ethan closed the lid of the fish container and urged her down on top of it just as the boat pulled away from the dock.

Soon, they’d be out of Chinese waters. Out of China forever. Would she miss her homeland someday? The warm people from her village. The chaos of thousands of souls pressed together, their voices rising in a beautiful cacophony.

Yes. But she wouldn’t miss the cameras or the government that wanted to harm her. She wouldn’t miss the prison she’d endured for six torturous years or the prison her country had become.

Ethan shifted some nets and tarps and whatever else had been tossed into this storage area, clearing a place to sit. “What did he give you?”

She opened her hand, displaying the little wooden monkey in her palm, its painted smile faded to pink. “He gave this to me when we went to Zhangjiajie. He told me it was my twin.”

Ethan studied the toy, then studied her. “I can see it.”

She smacked his arm playfully, even if she didn’t feel playful at all. “He kept it,” she said. “All these years.”

Ethan pulled the cap off her head and brushed her hair away from her temple. “Are you all right?”