Page 181 of Shadowing You

Asher shrugged. “I’m just saying, you’re awesome.”

Roger shifted to look at Brooklynn. “When your painting won that award, I think your dad told everybody in the state.”

“In New England,” Forbes said.

“He showed me the print.” Ethan nodded to where Sam and Eliza had displayed it in the hallway. “He acted like you’d won the Pulitzer.”

Brooklynn’s smile was soft. “He did seem pretty proud.”

Roger turned to include Kenzie. “And even though he worried about you every single day, he thought you were brave and amazing, sailing all over the world.” Roger’s gaze scanned all of them, then landed somewhere out of the group. “He’s incredibly proud of every one of you, thinks he’s got the best kids in the world. Obviously, mine are the best, but it seemed rude to correct him.”

That got a laugh from the crowd, though Ethan wasn’t the only one wiping tears.

“I’m an hour late.” Dad’s voice came from behind, and everybody else looked. Ethan didn’t, but only because twisting hurt too much. “And I came back to a waterworks convention, led by my own brother.”

Roger grinned. “Thought someone should tell them what a softie you are.”

Dad grunted as he stepped into the circle. “If you tell anyone, I’ll have to kill you all.”

Alyssa hugged him. “We already knew.”

And then Mei Lin, who’d been sitting in her chair, quietly wiping tears, shot to her feet.

Of course. If Gavin was here, that meant the surprises had arrived.

CHAPTER FIFTY

For a split second, Mei Lin thought she was seeing things. Somehow, Mama and Bàba were standing on the threshold between the foyer and the living room.

Mama lifted her hand to cover her mouth, and Bàba wrapped his arm around her shoulders. But his eyes were on Mei Lin.

They weren’t a mirage—they were a miracle.

She crossed the space, moving around the crowd of Wrights, and fell into her mother’s embrace.

Mama wrapped her in arms that were too thin but as fierce as ever. This woman who never cried was weeping.

Mei Lin backed up to take her in. She had more wrinkles than Mei Lin remembered, but her eyes were bright.

She turned to Bàba, and he held her face in both hands. The way he was looking at her, it was like he’d never seen her before, or maybe like he never wanted to look away. Then he pulled her in, and she rested her cheek on his chest and held on.

Thank You, Father. Thank You.

When Bàba loosened his grip, Mei Lin stepped back.

And then the fussing started. “So thin.” Mama’s hands moved over her shoulders, down her arms. “What did they feed you? Did they feed you at all?”

“I ate⁠—”

“And your hair.” Her mother lifted one short strand and let it fall, stricken. “Your beautiful hair. What did they do to it?”

Mei Lin ran her hand over it, thankful Brooklynn had arranged for the cut. At least it looked healthy now. “It will grow.”

“To here, it was.” Her mother’s palm dropped to Mei Lin’s lower back, grieving eight inches of hair as though that were the final straw.

“She’s beautiful.” Ethan slipped an arm around her waist. He had no business being on his feet, and she told him so with a glance, which he disregarded entirely. “She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Her mother let go of Mei Lin to take Ethan’s face in her hands. She moved it back and forth, frowning. “You look terrible, so pale. You sit down.”