10 OXYGEN TANK

Alyssa freshened up and changed into a long pajama. She was famished. Like the typical foodie, she headed into the kitchen and began her hunt. She never gains weight, having Lucas is evidence enough. She doesn't even look like a mother. She was what they call a 'Yummy Mummy.'

She took some bread and placed it in the toaster oven while she fried eggs, a few slices of ham, and charred the sliced onions. She was careful not to use the hand with the stitches, although that was her dominant hand. She was drilled to use both of her hands.

Lexi's growling stomach woke her, and she lazily walked down the stairs to get something to munch on until morning. It surprised her to see Ally in the kitchen too.

"Can't sleep?" She asked, sniffing the smell in the kitchen.

It startled Ally, and she almost dropped the bread on the floor. She relaxed and answered, "No, just a bit hungry."

"Me too. I could usually tolerate it until morning but not tonight."

"I'm making a sandwich. Would you like one?"

"I was going to settle for some snacks, but smelling that I can't refuse, thanks," Lexi replied with a silly smile.

"Okay. Can you help me slice the tomatoes?" Ally asked and raised her hands to show the bandages. Although it wasn't a problem, two more hands were better and faster than one.

"That was delicious, thank you," Lexi said as they sat at the kitchen island.

Ally smiled and said, "You're welcome."

"Maybe we should open a cafe. You'll be the chef and I'll be the barista," Lexi said with a wink and click of her tongue.

Ally smiled and said, "Deal."

"Grandpa would file for abandonment," Lexi said giggling. She picked up her phone and sent a text, 'Hon, thanks for tucking me in. Night.'

Her mobile immediately rang after, but her hands were loaded with the dishes she picked up from the table, so she asked Ally to answer and set it on speaker.

Ally practically had to walk beside her cousin with the phone in her bandage hand so she could talk.

"Babe, why are you up?" Toby's thick voice came through the phone.

"I was hungry and Ally made me a delicious sandwich with warm milk. Do you know she warms milk in a pot instead of the microwave? It was the best milk I've ever drunk, honestly." Lexi said like a fascinated child.

"Okay. Are you full now?" Toby asked with a light chuckle.

"Yes, I am! I'm so full, I look like a pregnant woman," she said and then dropped the wares in the sink a little too rough.

"That would be good," he said and the line got silent.

"Are you home?" She asked changing the topic.

He replied, "I'm not home yet. I'm dropping Ethan off at the hotel."

"Is Frozo still gloomy?" She inquired and rolled her eyes.

"I can hear you," a magnetic voice came through the speaker.

Ally jumped and nearly dropped Lexi's expensive phone. It didn't surprise Lexi, she's done this countless times. Every time Toby is driving, he would use his car's Bluetooth and whoever is in the car would hear the conversation, not that there were so many.

"You see! You startled Ally and now she's biting her lips to blood." Lexi said teasingly.

She observed Ethan's actions earlier and found that her cousin was the first person he showed an interest in since that girl. This was her only opportunity to taunt that haughty man.

Ally's face turned cerise, and she shook her head in denial. 'Such a mischievous little brat. Oh, wait she's older than me..nevermind she's still a child,' She mused. Then she mouthed, "I'm going to get Lucas, Goodnight." She arranged the phone on the counter next to Lexi and hurried off. She didn't know why she reacted like that but all she felt was her heart going 230 mph on the race track upon hearing Ethan's voice.

"What the hell is up with me," she muttered, walking away.

Lexi continued with her fun, "See, she even rushes off to Lucas."

"Baby, go to sleep. I love you," Toby said with a laugh.

"Who is Lucas?" Ethan interject.

Lexi giggled, "..."

"Night, my love," She made a kissy sound before she hung up.

*********

The Pegasus Hotel is owned by Phoenix International. It was one of the grandest hotels in the world. It comprised 600 luxurious rooms, a Casino, a Museum, an Aquarium, a Nightclub, a Waterpark, 2 acres of Pool, a personal beach for guests, and a Bamboo forest. This was the ideal tourist hotel for all generations.

This hotel was a vision of Ethan's and Toby's late grandfather Walter Li. He was an architect who designed and constructed a lot of famous places around the world. When he married his wife Elaine, she was an elegant princess to her family. She had beauty and brains. She was on par with him although she had never finished school. They build an empire from the money they had together and later went into other industries like Real estate, Engineering, Production, Technology, Hospitality, and Transportation.

During this time they had a harmonious relationship. They were like Shoes and socks that strolled through hardship and success together. This hotel was the last thing he designed but never lived to see the finished work. Their children and grandchildren fulfilled this dream for them.

Ethan and his father, Dane Li, overlooked the construction of this magnificent hotel. Elaine and her daughters did the interior. They traveled around the world for inspiration and gathered the best interior designer to guide them. Toby's mother, Rose Wang, married an Antiquarian/Archeologist and comes from a family of Historians and the Mining Industry. He suggested the museum in the hotel. The best attraction was the Bamboo Forest. This was Walter's very own pride. He wanted to create a place for nature lovers like his wife.

"I still can't get over this place. Eh..." Toby said as he drove the car through the long entrance of the hotel.

"Hmm, indeed," Ethan said gruffly.

Toby got a text from Lexi and dialed her number. She was on speaker and they both could hear the conversation. When Lexi teased Ally, Ethan felt a little satisfaction trotted through his body. It amused him to get a reaction out of her. 

Toby hung up the phone, upon approaching the valet. Ethan got out of the car and so did Toby.

Ethan asked, "Are you staying here tonight?"

"Yea, I'm too tired to drive home."

As they walked through the magnificent entrance of the Pegasus hotel, the employees greeted them politely. Although it was 2 am, the lobby was still busy with guests checking in or heading back to their rooms from clubbing or exploring the city's nightlife.

They proceeded to the private elevator ignoring all the come-hither gazes they received from the ladies. With Won, Ethan's private bodyguard in tow none of them dared to approach the bachelor.

"Who is Lucas?" Ethan inquired in the elevator up.

"Why? If you're not seriously interested in Ally then don't ask such personal questions," Toby retorted and smirked 'You want to pendulate between your past and future, well I will give you a push,' he deliberated.

"You know I can find out on my own," Ethan said annoyed as they reached their floor.

"Okay," Toby said with raised brows. He highly doubts any information will show up because he had already investigated Ally before she landed in Country X. Why? Because he loves to solve puzzles and Lexi asked him to find out more about her cousin. Eventually, they came up empty-handed, and her information was completely inaccessible, even her social media were bogus.

Ethan's eyes narrowed and said solemnly, "Old man."

Toby bit his lips to stifle his laugh and said, "Lucas is Ally's lungs. She can't breathe without him. The strongest opponent you'll ever have to face if you decide to pursue her. Maybe he'll allow you to be her Oxygen tank."

Ethan felt a spasm in his chest. He closed the door and walked into his room. 'If she already has someone, why would I go after her?'

When Toby saw Ethan left him standing there, he hurried into his room bursting with laughter. 'If you're smart enough, he can also become a partner in your mission."

**********

The next day Alyssa woke up when the sun was already on her face. She was always an early riser, but her body was a little overworked from yesterday's activities. She looked at the bedside crib and panicked when she didn't see Lucas. She got up quickly and then realized the nanny perhaps took him. She has always co-sleep since giving birth to the little guy.  

Ally washed up and changed into a floral print summer dress and a messy bun on her head. She walked to the stairs and spotted another hallway and moved toward it slowly admiring the family portraits on the walls. There were old black and white photos of two little boys in matching outfits, a petite, beautiful Chinese woman with a short bob and smiling eyes. The woman looks exactly like her father and uncle, 'This must be the infamous Adele or should I say, Grandma,' she thought. There were others with the woman and Senior Chen. There were many with her grandfather and his sons playing the piano, riding bikes, doing science experiments, and even gardening.

On the other side of the wall, there were colored photos. There was a photo of Senior Chen, Damian, and Gabriel cutting a red ribbon with wide smiles. Ally felt her chest and throat constricted looking at the picture. She proceeded to walk, and she saw images of the young teenagers, Alex and Lexi looking ever so loving. One of the photos looked especially touching because Alex was trying to smile but teardrops were visible on his cheeks. There was another photo of Lexi sitting by a window and her head tied with a headscarf.

She continued along the aisle and spotted a Christmas Portrait of her family. She remembered they took this on Christmas morning and they were wearing matching pajamas. 'How did they get this?' she wondered. Ally gasped at the next photo. It was her sitting in front of a white grand piano, wearing a pink dress and her hair in a Fishtail braid reaching the tail bone.

She brushed her finger over the picture and muttered, "He was truly there."

"It looks like you didn't believe me," Senior Chen said, disturbing her thoughts.

Senior Chen was just about to head down when he saw his granddaughter admiring the Gallery walls. He observed her reaction to each photo. Her expressions were so adorable with every picture she looked at. 

Ally glanced back, startled. "Oh, I didn't mean…"

"It's okay, I know what you mean." Senior Chen laughed. 

"Um..this photo.." she pointed to the Christmas photo.

Emotion flashed across his face, and then he smiled. "Your mother sent me that, along with the postcard."

"Oh," she mumbled.

He strode to the console table at the end of the passageway and picked up a double-sided glass frame. "Come here, Ally," he said and passed it to her.

"The card she sent," he added.

Ally gasped with her hand on her mouth. She stood statue with her fingers running over the card in the glass frame. It was the handcrafted Christmas card that she and her brother Callum made for Senior Chen when they were 8 and 13 years old. There was no word she could utter at that moment and all the memory rushed back.

The two were sitting on the floor of their mother's office surrounded by glitters, cotton balls, and other craft supplies as they admired their masterpiece.

"Brother, do you think Grandpa will like it?" Little Ally asked.

"Of course he will. Our Little Cavalli is so amazing," Callum said as he wiped the glitters off of her face.

Little Ally said with a playful smile, "Of course I am."

Callum just chuckled and continued to clean the mess they made. Then Ally's two tiny hands grabbed his face and said, "You are brilliant too, brother."

Ally looked doleful at the memento and handed it back to her Senior Chen. "Thank you for conserving this."

"Of course. I'm a sentimental old man. I was really happy upon receiving this."

Ally smiled and said, "I'm glad you liked our card."

"Your mother was courageous enough to reach out to me. Such an exceptional woman I misjudged," Senior Chen said with a rueful smile.

"Are you hungry, Grandpa? They say when one is hungry they tend to feel sad and irritated."

"Are you saying I'm sad and irritated?" Senior Chen said in a mocked serious tone.

Alyssa giggled and mused, 'Old people are touchy.'

"I'm saying, I'm sad and irritated, Grandpa. But, if the shoes fit, what can I do?" She said and Senior cracked up.

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