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“Ah Mawas strict,” Cecelia said, referring to her father’s mother. “Way stricter thanNgoi Poh.” That was Willow, Jane’s mother. “I couldn’t go anywhere without an escort unless it was with friendsshesigned off on. I had to be friends with Jenny Cheung and Delilah Lim because they were the granddaughters and nieces ofAh Ma’sbest friends. We hated each other! Jenny always called me fat, and Delilah used to lie about popular boys liking me so she could laugh when I went to talk to them.”
“So, what did you do back to them? Don’t tell me you just took that.”
Cecelia giggled. “I once put a cockroach in Jenny’s bag.”
“No bloody way! You touched one to do that?”
Nodding, Jane’s niece grinned to tell the tall tale. “You should have heard her scream! I think she peed herself a little!”
“Hmph. Serves her right. What good is it calling a girl your age fat? You’re like… fifteen. You don’t even know what fat is yet.”
Cecelia set aside her drink and took a bite of her BLT. “Now thatAh Mais dead,” she said with food in her mouth, “I’ve got some more freedom.” She swallowed. “Dad’s always working and Mom is… yeah. She’s busy.”
“Your mom is like a flitting filly who doesn’t know what she wants until it’s right in front of her face. I say that with love, so don’t think I’m insulting her.” Jane would save that for later when she had a better relationship with her niece.
“I was in front of her face for years.”
Jane immediately detected the dejection in Cecelia’s voice and decided to change the subject. “So, what do you think of your school? Your schedule looked interesting. I didn’t know you could take a whole course on marine biology. Of course, when I went to boarding school, it was focused on the humanities. Looks like this Winchester Academy wants a more liberal arts type education.”
Cecelia shrugged. “I thought it was weird they tried to put me in Mandarin class. I already know Mandarin.”
“Yes, that was strange, but at least there was still room in the French class during the same period. Your mom will be thrilled to know you are taking French.”
“Why do I have to take another language? I already know four.”
“Four? What’s the fourth?”
“Hokkien.”
“Really?”
“Lots of Hokkien speakers in my classes. You pick it up.”
“If you want into an Ivy League, knowing a fifth language will help. These days I am only fluent in three, and even my Mandarin can fizzle out if I do not practice enough.Aiya…” Jane switched to Mandarin while containing her laughter. “Maybe I should practice on you.”
“You sound so gruff when you speak Mandarin.”
“Do I? Probably because all of my Chinese girlfriends spoke it as their baby tongue when I was dating. Women like it when I speak a certain way.”
It wasn’t until she put down her coffee that she realized what she had said in front of her young niece. While Cecelia stared at her, Jane had an epiphany. Because while Cecelia knew that Jane was married to a woman – and in a relationship with another one – it probably wasn’t freely talked about in the Lam household. Or Wong abode of White Fir, for that matter.”
“Don’t look at me like that. Hey, if there is anything you want to ask, now is the time. I am serious. I have an American wife and an equally American partner. I do not want you saying something embarrassing to them and making them uncomfortable. They have done alotto let you come live with us so you can have this opportunity.”God, I sound like my mom!Scolding a teen girl because it was easier than being more open like a good book. “Rebecca gave up her room so you can have some privacy to get a full night’s sleep and be… a teenager, I guess.” Jane remembered what that entailed, but she’d rather not dwell on it.Hormones. So many hormones.“So, if you have inappropriate questions, you ask me, your sillyAa Ji.”
She shook her head. “Nope. Mom filled me in on everything.”
“Oh, did she? What did she say?”
“She said that you’re married to Caitlyn, which I already knew, and that Rebecca is also someone very special to you two.”
“That’s one way to put it.”
“Although I thought that you had divorced Aunt Caitlyn, but it doesn’t matter.”
“We did divorce. We recently remarried due to a visa issue I was having. See? This is a good example of a question you can ask your stupid aunt.”
“How is that an inappropriate question?”
“Well… you shouldn’t catch my partners off guard. Also, Caitlyn speaks Cantonese and a good bit of Mandarin, so don’t think you can get away talking shit around her.”
