by Liwen Y. Ho
“What a blessing,” Melanie commented. “Do you mind me asking how you met?”
“At the doorstep of my parents’ home. He was a salesman selling knives door to door. This was long before you could order things on the Internet. He was funny and sweet and honest. We talked for half an hour before I realized I was late for school. Even though I didn’t buy anything from him, he came back the next day and asked me out. The rest is history.”
Melanie blinked in surprise. “Your parents didn’t mind you going out with a foreigner?”
“Oh, of course they did. They had a million reasons why he was not the right one for me. My mother thought for sure Ted’s mom had eaten too much hot sauce when she was pregnant and that his red hair meant he had a bad temper. My father couldn’t get over the fact that Ted always took the last helping of food”— she smirked —“even though he offered it to him.”
“Aiya,” Melanie murmured, “but he thought he was being polite by accepting it.”
“Yes, but my father couldn’t understand that. Poor Teddy was always so unsure of how to act in front of my parents. He managed to always do the opposite of what my parents thought he should do. But the worst part was when we went out to eat at a restaurant for my twentieth birthday. Ted had planned to pay for the meal, but then my father took the bill from the server—”
“And he expected Ted to fight him for it,” Melanie interjected.
“Right. So when he left my father standing there with the check in his hand, that was it. My mother claimed he was stingy and rude. She told me I needed to stop seeing him,” Julie relayed with a loud sigh, “or I had to move out of their house.”
“Oh! What did you do?”
“We went to Vegas and eloped.”
Melanie’s eyes widened. “Did you get married by Elvis?”
“In fact, we did. We chose the Elvis with a white jumpsuit. We just renewed our vows this weekend with him. Well, not with the same Elvis,” she added. “We heard that one got a job singing on a cruise ship. This one was a much younger, slimmer version.”
“That’s … amazing.” Melanie’s tone wavered between admiration and disbelief. “So what happened between you and your parents?”
“After we got married, I called them every day and tried to visit them once a week. I told them I still cared for them and that they hadn’t lost a daughter, but had gained a son. I admit I ate plenty of bitterness in those days, but not once did I regret my decision to marry Ted.”
“Not once?”
“Not once. We may not be able to choose the family we are born into, but we can choose the family we create. When you pick a spouse, it’s important that you”— she paused for emphasis —“make a choice you will not regret.”
Melanie’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You’ve figured out why I’ve been so curious about your story,” she surmised.
“I had a feeling you weren’t trying to make polite conversation,” Julie admitted, her brown eyes sparkling with playfulness. She gestured to the green T-shirt Melanie wore. “So, do you have someone special waiting for you at school?”
Pointing to the red block letters and the image of a redwood tree on her chest, Melanie shook her head. “I’m not at Stanford anymore; I graduated a couple of years ago. But yes, there is someone back home who means a lot to me.”
“He’s someone you have chosen?”
“Yes … and no. He’s not someone I would have chosen to fall in love with, but I am choosing to be with him.” Speaking the words seemed to solidify her decision even more. This was the first time she had expressed her feelings out loud for Ben. Now if only she could admit them to him in person. “It’s time I told him how I feel.”
“Good for you. I wish you luck.”
Melanie thanked Julie for her well wishes, but she understood she had more than luck on her side. As Ben had reminded her before, something greater had made their paths cross. And it was time she started trusting God with her love life.
The rest of the flight passed in a daze of anticipation and nerves. After the plane touched down in San Jose, Melanie picked up the family van from the long-term parking lot. She drove to Ben’s house, stopping briefly at her own place to pick up a gift bag.
When she finally stood on Ben’s doorstep, she said a quick prayer and rang the doorbell.
A bright smile and a sole dimple met Melanie at the door. “Melanie!”
“Ashlynn, hi. I hope it’s not too late. Is Ben home?”
“Oh please, you can come over anytime,” she gushed. “Ben will feel so much better when he sees you. He’s been sick all day.”
“He’s sick?”
“Yup, with a pretty bad stomachache. I offered to get him some medicine, but he insisted on going himself. He just left for the supermarket. Do you want to come inside and wait for him?”
“Sure, thanks,” she replied as she took a step inside, then stopped abruptly. The idea of sitting around seemed almost silly considering the leap of faith she had taken to come back early. Her heart rate picked up at the thought of seeing Ben, and the sooner she did, the better. “Actually, I’ll go look for him. I haven’t seen him in over a week, I’d rather not wait. I’ll see you later, Ashlynn.”
“Hold on, do you know which store he went to?”
Waving over her shoulder, Melanie called back, “I have an idea, but I’ll give him a call to confirm.” She entered her car and took her phone out of her purse. Just as she was about to dial Ben’s number, the screen lit up with an incoming call. “Hello?”
“Ga Je, are you back in California?”
“Sam, yes, I am,” Melanie answered as she turned on the speakerphone and drove down the street. “I landed not too long ago. Is the concert over already? It sounds so quiet.”
“We didn’t make it—” Sam began, only to have her words cut off by a voice yelling in Cantonese. “Why does she have to be so dramatic! You’re lucky you left before all the craziness started.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Everything’s fine now, but earlier,” Sam grumbled, “Ma had another one of her episodes when I told her you left Vegas.”
“An episode? Ma had a heart attack? Is she okay?”
“Heart attack, my foot! She had heartburn,” she corrected. “The chest pain she had tonight—and at Christmas dinner—was from eating tomatoes!”
“Are you sure? How do you know? Did she get evaluated at the hospital?”
“Ming’s personal doctor checked her out. We’re in his dressing room right now, which is more like the size of a small apartment,” she marveled, “but anyhow, the doctor asked Ma what she had eaten for dinner, gave her two antacids, and voilà—she was as good as new.”
“That’s it? Antacids? No aspirin? That’s what worked last time.”
“He’s one hundred and fifty percent sure it was heartburn. He said Ming gets it all the time, so he recognized the symptoms right away.”
A chuckle escaped Melanie’s lips as she recalled the pastel tablets Ming had taken during her confrontation. “I can’t believe it. Heartburn? Why didn’t I diagnose that? All this time I’ve been thinking I caused Ma’s heart attack by bringing Ben to dinner, but it was the tomato beef!”
“And the tomato sauce on the steak tonight,” Sam added. Lowering her voice, she continued in a murmur, “I gotta say though, tomatoes are my new favorite veggie. They have the power to sideline Ma from her feisty ways. You should see her. She’s acting all frail and helpless and trying to milk her faux illness for all its worth. The doc said stress contributed to her heartburn, so she’s getting her feet massaged as we speak. Can you believe Ming has a personal masseuse? I hope he pays her extra for putting up with Ma’s orders.”
Melanie rolled her eyes. “Let her enjoy it. Maybe the pampering will loosen her up a bit.”
“It’s fine with me as long as she brings the relaxation back home. But I wouldn’t get your hopes up. You know what they say, What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
“Uh, I wouldn’t count on that happening any time soon. She was not a happy camper when she heard you chose Ben over Ming. But the fact that you’re saving us money on the airport parking fee calmed her down a little. I have a feeling she’s going to push me at Ming now.” Sam groaned. “First, Melvin and now, Ming? This really gives the term hand-me-down a new meaning.”
“Sorry, but I know you’ll have no problems standing up for what you want, just like I’m learning to stand up for what I want.”
“That, you are. Hey, it’s my turn next!” Sam called out. “Gotta go, Ga Je! Say bonjour to Ben for me!”
“I will.”
“Oh, and Ma says to come half an hour after our plane lands so you don’t waste gas circling the airport while we get our luggage.”
“Of course, I was already planning on doing that. Tell her not to worry.”
“Okay! See you tomorrow!”
Melanie smiled as she hung up the phone. She could always count on some things in her life, like her family, to stay the same. The thought brought comfort to her, but some fear as well, knowing that she was about to shake things up. But just as she had learned to accept her family and their way of doing things, she held out hope that they would someday accept hers.
Because it was time to start living courageously.
She walked past a display of New Year party supplies, then quickened her pace as she approached the personal care aisle. There she spotted a man dressed in jeans and a green hooded sweatshirt perusing the over-the-counter medicines. His head of sandy brown hair looked more tousled than usual, but she would recognize it anywhere.
She marveled at the thought that not too long ago, she had been in this exact place and had made a decision that changed her life. Here she was about to make another decision of the same, if not greater, magnitude. Like a patient about to get her heart jump-started and a second chance at life, she felt a tremendous amount of gratitude.
All thanks to the man standing before her.
She took a step toward him and cleared her throat. “Excuse me. It looks like you could use some help,” she offered in a playful tone.
Ben turned, his jaw dropped. “Mel, you’re a sight for sore eyes. Are you here to rescue me again?”
The bloodshot hazel eyes looking back at her caused her to gasp. “Aiya, Ben, what happened to you? You look terrible!”
“Well, if I had known you were coming, I would have dressed up more,” he joked as he rubbed the dark stubble on his chin. “As it is, I’m less nerd and more caveman today.”
How someone could look as sick as he did and still make her smile was beyond her. But that was Ben, positive and endearing, even when he was feeling his worst. Why had she ever doubted him? He really was the whole package. “I don’t care what you look like, Ben. It’s your heart that I love.” The words slipped off her tongue before she had a chance to think about them.
Surprise registered on Ben’s face as he reiterated, “Did you say the L word?”
“I did, didn’t I?” she admitted with raised eyebrows. “It feels a little foreign to me, but I’m sure I’ll get used to saying it.”
“I know I’ll never get tired of hearing it, especially if it’s about me.”
Encouraged by the warmth in his eyes, she said, “Then let me practice some more. There’s so much I want to tell you.” Taking a deep breath, she continued, “I love that you’re a numbers guy and how dedicated you are to teaching your students. I love how you have a bucket list and even included your fears on it. I love how much hope you have even though you’ve been through some really hard times. I love how much you value family, that you care for your sister and how you worked so hard to get to know mine. I love how different we are and how much I’ve grown from having you in my life. I love everything about you.”
“Everything?”
“Well, I’m sure there will be things that annoy us about each other that we haven’t found out about yet, but for all the important things, yes. I choose you, Ben. I hope you feel the same.”
“You know I do.” Ben reassured her with a smile that barely brightened his sallow complexion. “I love you, too, Mel. I’ve missed you so much. And I’d love to wrap my arms around you right now if I wasn’t feeling so sick.”
Reaching up, she placed a hand on his forehead and exclaimed, “You’re burning up! Have you checked your temperature? How long have you had a fever?”
“Slow down, Dr. Koo. I’ve got the solution right here.” He picked up a bright pink box from the shelf and held it up. “Peppermint or cherry flavor?”
“Ben, I need to evaluate you first. What symptoms do you have?”
“The stomachache started before lunch. Last time I checked, my temperature was one hundred and one. I had some vomiting this afternoon.”
“Any diarrhea?”
“No, nothing out that end, thankfully.”
“What did you eat today?”
“Just scrambled eggs and cereal with milk this morning. Nothing else all day. I haven’t had an appetite.” Wincing in obvious pain, he moaned. “Any idea what it might be? The stomach flu? Food poisoning?”
“I need to rule out some other things before I can be sure.” She gestured to where his arm cradled his abdomen and asked, “Can I take a look? I’ll be gentle.”
He lifted the edge of his sweatshirt and grimaced as Melanie’s fingers applied pressure around his navel. “Oh, that hurts.”
“Did the pain start near your belly button, then travel down?”
“Yes, it’s here now,” he said, pointing to his lower right side near his hipbone.
“Aiya.”
“I know what aiya means. What is it?”
“Okay, do you want the good news or the bad news first?”
“The bad?”
“We need to go to the ER,” Melanie urged. “Right now.
His eyes opened wide. “Can’t I just take some Pepto?”
She took the box from him and placed it back on the shelf. “Not when you have appendicitis. The only remedy is to get your appendix removed before it bursts.”
“Are you talking about surgery?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. But the good news is,” she added, “you’ll get to face one of your fears and get closer to crossing off one more thing on your bucket list.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re going to get your blood drawn. Think of it as practice for donating blood one day.”
If Ben could have turned paler than he already was, he did so in that moment. “What was the good news again?”
“It’ll be quick, just one vial, maybe two. The doctors need to check your white blood cell count to confirm you have an infection. I’ll be with you the whole time, I promise—Ben?” Melanie’s voice rose in alarm as she watched him grab onto the shelf before him, his body buckled over in pain. “Ben!”
“I’m ready to be poked with sharp objects,” he moaned, “if it means no … more … pain.”
Spotting a store clerk at the end of the aisle, Melanie cried out for help, “Call 911! We need an ambulance! Please hurry!” She eased Ben’s shaking body to the ground. Kneeling beside him, she cradled his head in her lap. “Hold on, Ben, you’re going to be okay,” she stated as much for her own sake as his. “You’re going to be okay.”
Feeling helpless, she prayed harder than she had ever prayed, holding onto a sliver of hope that her words would not disappoint. The only comfort she found, however, was in the wail of an approaching siren as it drowned out the sound of her pounding heart.
Chapter 11
“Hey, Dr. Koo. It looks like I survived.”
&nb
sp; Melanie turned away from the window and rushed over to the hospital bed. “Ben, you’re awake. And yes, you survived.” She sat on the edge and lifted his hand to her lips, placing a soft kiss on his palm. “How are you feeling?”
“My stomach is sore, but other than that, I’m good.” He gave her hand a light squeeze. “Did Ash go home?”
“She left an hour ago to get ready for class, but she said she’ll be back in the afternoon.”
Ben nodded. “Thanks for staying with me. It was one long, crazy night. I couldn’t have made it without you.”
“You’re exaggerating. I only held your hand. You did all the work.”
“Including throwing up during the blood draw. That part I could have done without.”
“I’m sure it was caused by nausea, not nerves.”
“At least I got to change into my new favorite T-shirt. Thank you for the awesome Christmas gift. I’m glad you had it in your car.”
“I had no idea you already owned this shirt when I ordered it,” she stated as she pointed to the image of a redwood tree on her chest. “When you let me borrow your white one at Christmas dinner, I thought about giving you something else. At least this one is in green.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. This way, we can match.”
“I thought you might like that.” The smile on her lips failed to reach her eyes, which were welling up. She quickly blinked back the tears and cleared her throat.
He squeezed her hand and asked, “Mel, what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine,” she started to say, then thought better of it. She no longer wanted to hide her feelings from Ben. “Actually, I’m not. I’ve been thinking about how I almost lost you last night. You were so sick. A few more hours and your appendix would have ruptured and the infection would have spread and you could have had sepsis and multiple organ failure—”
“Whoa, slow down.” Ben found the bed’s remote control and pressed the button to bring himself to a sitting position. Drawing her close, he reassured her, “The only thing lost was an appendix, which I’m happy to be without. I’m okay, Mel. Thanks to you, I got to the hospital just in time. I’m fine.”