Page 173 of Shadowing You

Voices woke her.

She came up slowly and found Derrick—the pilot—stepping into the room with a Middle Eastern woman and a small girl toddling free of them both. The girl made for a basket filled with toys.

“Michael’s not here yet, I guess.” Derrick surveyed the room as though his brother might be folded into a corner of it. “Hope it’s okay we stopped by.”

Ethan stood, using the armrest for leverage, and shook his hand. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Derrick always seemed to be smiling, and his smile only widened when he indicated the woman at his side. “This is my wife, Jasmine.” He nodded toward the toddler. “And that’s our daughter, Karima. Kari.”

Ethan nodded to the woman. “Nice to meet you. This is Mei Lin.”

The woman gave them a shy smile.

It seemed Mei Lin wouldn’t be the only non-white person in the family.

Derrick said, “I should warn you—” The front door opened again, and his voice dropped. “My brothers are all coming. Well, except Bryan. He’d be here, but he and his wife live in Munich.”

Another man came through the door, and Mei Lin recognized him—and moved toward him automatically. He’d been a voice on the phone who’d come up with plan after plan. And he’d been part of the reason she and Ethan had come out of those mountains alive. She crossed the room and put her arms around his waist. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him before. She only knew who he was because one of the women in the SUV had pointed him out.

“Thank you,” she said against his chest—he was as tall as her husband. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He shifted, a little embarrassed. “Anytime.”

She stood back. “There will not be another time.” The thought of it stopped her breath.

Derrick was grinning. “This is Michael.”

“Oh.” Ethan stepped forward, hand outstretched. “We wouldn’t have survived without your help.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised you survived even with my help.” Michael wore a smirk that looked permanently installed.

Ethan laughed and pressed a hand to his ribs. “Ow. Low expectations much?”

“Always.” The smirk warmed into a smile as a woman stepped forward. Mei Lin’s first thought was that Jasmine had crossed the room, but this woman wore jeans and a sweater, whereas Jasmine wore a dress. Otherwise, they looked exactly alike.

“This is Leila,” Michael said. “My wife.”

Mei Lin glanced between them, and Leila laughed.

“They didn’t tell you we’re twins.”

“They did not.” Mei Lin took the woman’s hands in both of hers. “Thank you for sharing your husband with us. He saved our lives.”

“That’s his specialty.”

“I’m thankful for both of you.” Mei Lin turned to include Jasmine. “I’m glad there are more normal-sized humans. I was beginning to wonder.”

“We’re normal,” Michael said.

Leila turned a grave face up at him. “You are not normal in any way.”

“You’re right. I’m extraordinary.”

Ethan laughed again and winced again. “Stop doing that.”

Sam came in from the hallway opposite the kitchen. “That’s why I needed the oversized front doors. To fit Michael’s giant head.”

Another man and his wife arrived. He was older than the rest with gray at his temples. His wife had brown hair and the clearest blue eyes Mei Lin had ever seen.