18 Complete Family Re-Union

[POV Bai Chang]

It's evening now Hu Qiang didn't give me a call of Wang Wei's arrival. I know he is safe and sound. I know he is taken well care of by his grandparents and his father but there was this restlessness in my heart, I am not sure is it mine or Bai Chang's emotions that is running high but I would like to at least get the confirmation call.

While I was debating with myself to take up the role of an absentee mother or not; to take that first step to make my own family, my internal monologues were pretty twisted enough and entangled, to get me out of my tangled mess of thoughts, brother Li Jie called out to me.

"Young lady, there is someone who wants to meet you"

"Anyone I know or I don't? I asked half-heartedly, "I don't want any more surprises today" I muttered under my breath and followed him to the ground floor living room.

There as I looked around I am surprised to see Hu Qiang and his whole family including Wang Wei.

That indescribable emotion that is at the back of my mind finally settled down. I looked towards Hu Qiang he smiled and nodded at me. I realise he knew I would be worried and unsettled so he got his family to meet me.

It doesn't matter if it happens early or later; as of the current situation, it is the much-needed step. I appreciated his thoughtfulness but I am plagued with other thoughts now.

'How do I approach them this is my biggest question? How do I behave around them?'

I stood there at that last step of the stairs absolutely still, noticing my awkwardness his parent's smile and called me towards them.

I walked to them and sat down on the sofa. The whole family sat around me and took this opportunity to introduce themselves to me all over again.

"Hello Bai Chang, sorry to give you such a scare but we were worried about you and thought to come over and meet you early."

She took over the conversation from there.

There was no 'you remember this/that' nonsense, neither was there any cliché talks like 'you used to be like this or that'; 'you liked this or that'.

It is a huge relief to know that they are at least trying to meet me, as for me, in my own capacity but not as a relic from the past.

My eyes would occasionally roll towards Wang Wei and realised that this baby bundle of joy is wearing his heart on his sleeves, his eyes showed how much he misses his mother and how much he loved to see her.

I am overwhelmed by the pure look of love for me in his eyes. I suddenly opened my arms to this bundle of joy. I felt it as a natural response.

The child seemed overjoyed, he looked at his father to confirm if it's real or not when confirmed that it is as real as it could get. He jumped on my lap and I instinctively caught him in my arms.

'It felt natural'.

'It felt right'.

'I liked it'.

The child in my arms felt soft and smooth and light as feathers.

'I didn't want to part from him' this thought crossed my mind.

I want to be by his side as he grows up and teach him and be his friend. I became jealous of Hu Qiang as he had him for years now, enjoying his process of growth while I was away from the whole scenario.

I looked towards Hu Qiang, I guess he saw through me at that moment, it felt uncanny but so much more.

Towards Wang Wei, I couldn't stop myself from pulling his cheeks and patting his hands as well as rolling my fingers through his hair. My cheeks were wet, I touched them and realise that I am crying.

Some emotional dam broke inside me I found it unexplainable but at the same time appropriate.

"Baby, are you angry towards your mother?" I am scared of his reply, I realised.

"Mother, I miss you and I love you" he hugged me tightly as if afraid that I would disappear.

I hold onto him and throughout the evening we were as closely knitted as Koalas'.

It is a new experience and I felt it is to be right.

After the dinner, Wang Wei fell asleep early as he was through a lot of emotions today. I covered him with a light blanket. I wanted him in within my sights.

I knew that a real conversation would start now.

We sit around the coffee table everyone had their wine glasses in hands except me.

(I still had turmeric milk in my glass like an obedient baby.)

"So, what exactly happened today?" father Hu asked as he opened the conversation.

"I think someone is trying to probe me to see if I am amnesic or not or do I have some other tricks in my bag."

"How are you sure about it? This time mother Hu was puzzled and inquired.

"Mother, Father, when I went to meet him in his office I saw a few people calling encoded numbers. After I woke up from a coma, I am more clear-headed and with much better cognizant power. So as I left the office I tracked these numbers.

This leads me to 'Feling'. I got an overview of his character from the data that I mined on him and from Zhang Wei, so I knew he would make a move against me. I am not sure about the motives yet but I am sure about their steps and actions. So I worked and prepare myself for them but they had to take underhand tactics, they went forward to provoke the emotions of my heart and get a first natural response from me. Next time they would like to come together at me directly and would like to officially meet me, it would happen when I least expect it so I have to plan my future days accordingly."

Both mother and father heaved a big sigh.

"Do not worry child, we are always by your side, remember this at all times that we are a family. You take your own sweet time to get used to us. We will always wait for you just around the corner." Mother Hu said.

I am emotionally choked.

"Thank you mother, father and especially Qiang. Thank you for getting everyone here to meet me."

My eyes were wet with unshed emotions.