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FOURTEEN
~ Zane ~
“It wasn’t what it looked like.”
“Dad, I’m not a child anymore. I know exactly what that was.”
After Jian’s humiliating entrance into the room, I had to pull him aside to have a quiet word with him. I left Elina in the kitchen, red-faced, making the coffee. Jian was grinning ear-to-ear, and I knew that I would never live it down.
“What are you doing here anyway?” I asked, “You’re not due back for another month!”
My son laughed, “I was actually coming back to check-up on you. I know last time I left, you were still trying to figure things out with Auntie Elina. Guess that’s all sorted out now.”
I couldn’t help but find humor in the situation. Soon, I joined in with his laughter and placed an arm around his shoulder, pulling him in close.
“A bit of warning next time would be good.”
Jian nodded, “Don’t worry, I have no intention of ever seeing my dad’s ass again. Or any other body bits.”
“And you can stop calling her Auntie Elina now. Elina is just fine.”
“Yeah, it would be a bit awkward to explain how my aunt is banging my dad to my friends. Have you told mom?”
I shook my head, “No, what for? She made her decision long ago not to come back to this family. When was the last time she even bothered to call you?”
Jian looked downtrodden, “A few months ago. Last year, maybe? It’s weird having to explain to my friends that my mom abandoned me.”
I grabbed onto my son’s shoulders, “She didn’t abandon you. She left me. Mei always said how much she loved you, and I know it hurt for her to go. But we did alright without her, didn’t we?”
Jian nodded, “I suppose we did. And I’m happy that now you’re moving on. I’ve always liked auntie… I mean, Elina. I’m not surprised you two ended up together.”
I looked over at him with a raised eyebrow, “Why weren’t you surprised?”
He laughed, “Because you never stopped talking about her. Even when you didn’t see her for months on end, you still wouldn’t stop. It was obvious from the start that you had a thing for her, and it was only grandad’s stupidity that stopped you two being together all this time.”
I smiled. Jian indeed had grown up to be a remarkable man. One that was extraordinarily understanding and incredibly smart. I knew Jian would go far with his art degree because of his passion. I was a very proud father.
“So, what happens now?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, are you two getting married or something? Can I be best man?”
I tousled his hair, “One thing at a time. And if I were getting married, you’d be the first to know.”
We headed back into the kitchen, where Elina had laid out the coffee and was sitting at the counter. I sat next to her before leaning in and giving her a peck on the cheek. Jian smirked, and I had to glare at him to stop. It would take a while for Elina to get used to my son’s sense of humor.
“I propose a toast,” Jian said, raising his cup.
Elina looked at me in surprise, and I shrugged. Jian had a mind of his own, and I just hoped whatever came out of his mouth next was sensible.
“What is it?” I asked.
“To your future. Though both of you have suffered through bad times, may your future be brightly lit.”
I grinned, and we all clinked cups in the middle of the table, sipping our coffee afterward. And you know what?
It really was.
