“I don’t like it.” Lexa looked up at the intense tone in Greg’s voice. His forehead was creased, and he was frowning fiercely, as if facing down an enemy.
“I don’t like that he’s dead either.” Lexa was taken aback by the way he was scowling.
“That’s not what—” He broke off and muttered something under his breath.
“So I finally get to meet your other sister?” Maddie’s voice had a sneer in it.
“Madison.” Greg gave her another look. “Be nice.”
“I am nice.” Maddie pulled the basket of corn chips in front of her and dipped one into the salsa. “But don’t you think it’s weird that they’ve ignored Lexa for all these years and now suddenly her sister is coming to see her?”
“They haven’t ignored me. We keep in touch.” Lexa gritted her teeth, determined not to let Maddie get under her skin.
“But neither of them has made an effort to see you. And I don’t understand why you haven’t wanted to go back to Taiwan. I thought you loved it.” Maddie worked her way through the chips as the waiter placed their margaritas in front of them. Lexa knew her sister would finish the basket and then complain that they let her eat too much.
Lexa could feel Greg staring at her. What is wrong with him?
“I do love Taiwan. It’s just . . . it’s complicated.” Spit it out, Lexa. Why was she finding it so hard to tell them?
“What’s so complicated?” Maddie took a sip of her frozen margarita.
Greg caught Lexa’s eyes. He seemed to be trying to tell her something.
What? she mouthed at him, but his glance skated away, and he changed the subject.
“Looking forward to your birthday dinner next weekend?” Andi was throwing a party for her at her restaurant.
Lexa nodded. “You’re both coming, right?”
“Are Mom and that woman going to be there?” Maddie asked, at the same time Greg said, “Of course we’ll be there.”
“Yes, Mom and Phoenix will be there. If Dad doesn’t mind, why should you?”
Maddie sniffed. “What kind of name is Phoenix anyways? It sounds made-up. I bet her real name is Prudence, or something like that.” Neither Lexa nor Greg replied because Maddie knew as well as they did that Phoenix was her real name.
“You are going to show up at dim sum on Saturday to meet her, right?” Lexa asked.
Maddie narrowed her eyes. “I told you I’m not going.”
Lexa let out a sigh and turned to Greg. “Are you okay with seeing Mom with Phoenix?” She was suddenly worried Greg had only agreed to come for her sake.
“I, um . . .” He shook his head. “It’ll be fine. I want to be there for you.”
“Wait, is your other sister going to be here for your birthday dinner?” Maddie asked.
“No, she doesn’t get in ’til two days after my birthday.”
“I don’t get why she’s coming. What does she want?” Maddie’s eyes lit up. “Hey, maybe your sister is sick and needs a kidney. Or maybe your father left you something and she’s upset and wants to contest the will?”
“Maddie! Really?” Lexa glared at her. “You better be nice to her. I don’t know why you dislike someone you’ve never met.”
“I just don’t like the whole situation, that’s all. Families keep in touch and help each other, yet your Taiwanese family hasn’t seen you in over twenty years.”
“You’re one to talk about family. You haven’t talked to Mom since she told you about Phoenix.”
“I hate that woman. She broke up our family. She’s a home wrecker.”
Greg’s hand slammed down on the table. “Madison Louise Thomas. That’s enough.”
“You always blurt out what you’re feeling without thinking of the consequences first.” Lexa shook her head in disgust at Maddie. “When are you going to learn to control your tongue? It’s going to get you in trouble one of these days.”
Maddie lifted her chin. “I just don’t like that woman. And my last name isn’t Thomas anymore. It’s Brennan.”
“Phoenix didn’t break up our family, Maddie. But you’re doing a damn good job of it yourself.” Greg took a long drink of his margarita. “I told you Susan and I had our problems long before Phoenix even came into the picture.”
“But how can you stand to see them together?”
“Because I still love your mother, as a friend.” He paused and forced a smile, but Lexa could see the effort it was taking him to look cheerful. The lines around his eyes were more pronounced, and his smile didn’t quite reach to the corners of his mouth. “I want her to be happy, and she’s happy with Phoenix. You need to accept that. And you need to accept that Lexa has another family. Whatever her reason for coming to New York, you’re going to welcome her sister.”
Maddie looked down and noticed the chips basket was empty. “I don’t know how you’re so accepting of Lexa’s other family. If it were me, I’d have freaked when Mom’s friend called to tell her Lexa’s father had resurfaced. Weren’t you afraid he’d take Lexa away?”
Lexa looked at Greg. She’d never thought about how he’d felt when her father was found.
Greg let out a breath. “I was happy for Lexa to know her birth father. So let’s be nice to her sister, okay?”
“Whatever,” Maddie muttered. “You can’t make me.”
“You’re acting like a two-year-old,” Lexa said.
Maddie kicked her under the table, making Lexa yelp.
“Girls.” Greg gave a defeated sigh. Lexa caught his eyes and grew still. Had he been afraid that Lexa’s father would try to take her away? And had he been relieved by the estrangement between Lexa and her father? She’d always taken Greg’s love for her for granted, but now she wondered what he’d thought when she’d refused to see her birth father after that last summer. As Maddie continued to argue with their dad, Lexa sat in silence, wondering how to bring the conversation back to tell them the truth. In the end, she decided that night wasn’t the right time. She ignored the voice in her head that was saying, Coward. Just tell them now! She would, before Hsu-Ling got to New York.
11
Her phone rang with a FaceTime request as she was putting the key in her front door. Lexa rushed inside, dumped her bag on the floor, and accepted the call. Zeus pushed his nose into her leg, and she reached down to pet him as Hsu-Ling’s image filled the screen.
“Hi, Hsu-Ling. Everything okay?”
“Yes, everything’s fine. Are you busy?”
“No. I just got home from dinner with my dad and Maddie. What’s up?” Lexa kicked off her sneakers and plopped on her couch, thinking this was the most she’d talked to Hsu-Ling on the phone in almost two decades.
“I met with the lawyer yesterday. Baba and Uncle Pong used the same man.”
“Oh.” Lexa patted the spot next to her, and Zeus jumped up. She leaned against his side, grateful for his company and his loyal presence as her nerves jumped at the mention of lawyers.
“I know I was a bit vague the other day when I talked to you,” Hsu-Ling said. “I’m sorry. I was still in shock.”
“It’s okay.” Lexa scratched Zeus behind his ear, and he panted happily.
“So, Baba left most of his money to Mama. But he left his property to us both equally.”
“What? Really?” Lexa’s hand stilled on Zeus’s fur. “Why would he do that? You’re his real daughter.”
“Don’t say that. You’re his daughter too.”
“I know, but that’s not fair to you.” Lexa ran her hand down Zeus’s back. She was afraid Hsu-Ling was going to accuse her of manipulating their father into leaving her something, just like Maddie had predicted at dinner.
“Chi, stop. It is fair. You deserve half of whatever he had.”
“I bet your mother’s upset . . .” Lexa chewed on her bottom lip.
“She is.�
�� Hsu-Ling stared at her. “How did you know?”
Lexa shrugged.
Hsu-Ling ran a hand through her hair. “Anyways, it’s all kind of complicated.”
“What do you mean?”
“I assumed when the will said his property that it meant the building my family lives in. When our grandfather passed away a few years ago, everyone thought the building went to our father, since he’s the oldest son.”
“It didn’t?”
“Apparently not. The lawyer was being really cryptic about it. He said maybe our father owned it. But that it depended on you.”
“What?” Lexa wrinkled her brow in confusion. What did she have to do with the building her Taiwanese family lived in?
“I don’t know what’s going on.” Hsu-Ling twisted a finger around the bottom of her hair. “And the lawyer said Pong left you a letter that has to be hand delivered to you. He actually left money in his will for someone to fly to New York and personally deliver the letter.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Lexa’s face screwed up as she tried to make sense of what Hsu-Ling was telling her. “Why would Pong leave me a letter that has to be hand delivered? I haven’t seen him since I was fourteen.”
“I know. I was just as confused. But the lawyer was adamant. I told him I was going to New York, and he said I could give it to you. And he said our father’s will depends a lot on what you do about the letter.”
“I don’t understand.” Lexa fell back against the cushions.
“Me either. I asked the lawyer if I could open it and read it to you, and he said no. Pong left specific instructions that only you were to open it.”
“Just open it and read it. I don’t want to wait until you get here.”
Hsu-Ling looked back at her, not blinking. “I want nothing more than to rip it open and see what’s going on. But I can’t. He won’t even give me the letter until right before I leave for New York.”
“This is so stupid.” Hsu-Ling frowned, and Lexa backed off. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not your fault. I can’t imagine what Pong could possibly have to say to me.”
“I know. My whole family is confused. I asked Ah-Ma, but she has no idea what’s going on. If Baba didn’t own the building, then who does? And what does Pong have to do with it?”
Lexa rubbed her head. “This is making my head hurt.”
“Me too. You have no idea.” Hsu-Ling paused, a mix of emotions passing over her face. “Mama is going crazy. I keep catching her ranting and raving about something, but when I ask her what’s going on, she snaps at me that it’s nothing.” Hsu-Ling lowered her voice. “I heard her cursing our father once. She said some bad things about him.”
“That’s terrible.” Lexa really didn’t want to ask, but she had to know. “Did your mother curse me too?”
Hsu-Ling stared at her, indecision on her face. “Um.”
Lexa let out a short laugh. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Why would she do that? She wouldn’t tell me anything. I think she’s losing her mind.”
Lexa sighed. “Your mother hates me, Hsu-Ling.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s a long story. I didn’t realize it until the summer I was twelve.” Lexa rubbed the side of her head.
“What happened that summer?”
Lexa huffed out a breath before speaking, reluctant to bring up the past. “I don’t know. She wasn’t exactly warm toward me on that first trip when I was eight, but she was okay. That second time I visited, when I was twelve, something changed. She did not want me there.”
“Are you sure?”
Lexa nodded. “She said as much, and the way she looked at me . . .”
“I . . . I don’t know what to say.” Conflicting emotions flitted across Hsu-Ling’s face.
Not wanting to alienate her sister before she saw her, Lexa quickly added, “We can talk more when you get here.”
“I wish I was coming earlier.” Hsu-Ling had booked her flight the day before and sent Lexa the itinerary.
“You’ll be here in less than two weeks.”
“I’ve missed you.” Hsu-Ling’s glance skittered away. “You disappeared without a word. I thought you hated me.”
“No! I wrote to you, and you didn’t write back until I was going to college.”
Hsu-Ling’s eyes flew to Lexa’s face. “So you did write,” she said slowly. “I knew it.”
“What?” Lexa cocked her head. “Of course I did. I thought you said you got my letters when you finally wrote me back?”
“My mother,” Hsu-Ling muttered. Then she changed the subject, asking about Lexa’s dinner with her dad and Maddie.
They talked for a few minutes more before Hsu-Ling had to get back to her work as an editor on a Taiwanese TV show. After disconnecting, Lexa stayed on the couch with Zeus, thinking about all the years that had gone by since she’d last seen Hsu-Ling. She wondered what she was like as an adult. She really only knew her half sister from Facebook.
Hsu-Ling loved Facebook and posted often, usually cheerful, self-deprecating posts like, Bet you didn’t think I could balance so well! Lol! with a picture of her on a paddleboard.
From her page, she seemed like a positive, happy person, the exact opposite of Maddie. But who knew what Hsu-Ling was really like after all these years? People tended to post the most flattering photos, boasting of amazing vacations or children for their hundreds of “friends” to like and comment.
Her two sisters would meet for the very first time soon. Lexa could only pray that Maddie would be on her best behavior. She knew Maddie saw Hsu-Ling as competition, but maybe a miracle would happen and they would hit it off. But deep in her gut, she had a feeling it wasn’t going to be that easy.
12
July, Twenty-Four Years Ago
Taichung, Taiwan
I don’t want to practice the piano. I want to make tea eggs with ChiChi and Ah-Ma.” Hsu-Ling stamped her prosthetic leg and crossed her arms over her chest, her face screwed up in a scowl.
Pin-Yen scowled back at her daughter and pointed at Ah-Ma’s piano. “Stop arguing with me and practice.” She refused to back down, directing her laser-focused eyes on Hsu-Ling. She knew what was best for her daughter, and right then, making tea eggs wasn’t it.
“No, no, no, no!” Each “no” out of Hsu-Ling’s mouth got louder and louder until she screamed the final “no.”
Pin-Yen could feel steam coming out of her ears. Why was her daughter acting like this? And in front of her half sister? She stalked over to Hsu-Ling and grabbed her by the upper arm, intending to haul her over to the piano and make her sit. But before she could, a quiet voice stopped her.
“Pin-Yen. You’ve already signed her up for all those buxiban classes all summer. She practices the piano every day even though she hates it. Let her have some fun with her sister, huh?” Ah-Ma’s voice was mild, but Pin-Yen heard the steel beneath the words.
Pin-Yen let go of Hsu-Ling’s arm and turned to confront Ah-Ma. But one look into the older woman’s eyes and Pin-Yen knew she had to back down. She didn’t say anything, just nodded, and Hsu-Ling cheered, rushing to Lexa’s side in the kitchen.
Ah-Ma gave a brief nod in return. “Good,” she said before turning to the two girls.
Pin-Yen dropped down heavily into a dining chair and watched with resentment as Ah-Ma taught her granddaughters how to make tea eggs.
“We need the biggest pot I have so that we can fit two dozen eggs.” Ah-Ma spoke in Mandarin so Lexa could understand. Pin-Yen would never admit it out loud, but she was impressed by how much Mandarin Lexa understood this trip.
Ah-Ma gestured for Lexa and Hsu-Ling to gently place all the eggs into the pot. “Then we fill it with enough cold water to cover the eggs.” With Lexa’s help, Ah-Ma carried the heavy pot onto the stove.
“What kind of tea do you use
?” Lexa picked up the box of tea bags and sniffed it.
“You can use any kind, but I like this black tea.” Ah-Ma handed the tea bags to Hsu-Ling, who was now perched on a high stool next to the stove. “Put fifteen of these into the water.”
Pin-Yen watched her daughter carefully count out fifteen bags. She frowned, tapping one foot impatiently. Hsu-Ling needed to do her homework. How long was this going to take?
“Now we add the star anise, rock sugar, soy sauce, salt, and my secret ingredient.” Ah-Ma pulled out a box of herbs and handed it to Lexa.
“Angelica sinensis.” Lexa sounded out the English spelling.
“Can I stir now?” Hsu-Ling picked up a wooden spoon from the counter.
Pin-Yen made a move to help, because it looked like Hsu-Ling was going to fall off the stool. But Ah-Ma stopped Pin-Yen with a pointed stare, and Pin-Yen sank back into her chair. She hated having to acquiesce to Ah-Ma’s every wish. But Ah-Ma was the real head of the family, and everyone listened to her. Pin-Yen had always bent over backward to please the older woman. Not that it made a difference; she was convinced she’d never get Ah-Ma’s approval.
“Here, let me help you.” Ah-Ma covered Hsu-Ling’s hand with her own, and together, they stirred the mixture in the pot. “We want to mix it up gently before I turn on the heat.”
“And that’s it?” Lexa looked dubiously in the pot.
Ah-Ma laughed and let go of Hsu-Ling’s hand. “No. We’ll let it come to a boil and then turn it down to simmer for an hour. Then we have to take each egg and crack the shell without peeling it and then let it simmer for a few more hours.”
“We break the eggs?” Lexa looked even more unconvinced.
“Just enough so that the tea mixture will get inside the shells and create a marble effect.”
Hsu-Ling paused in her stirring to address Lexa. “It makes the eggs look so pretty, like they have a design on them.”
“So we won’t be able to eat them for a while.” Lexa sounded disappointed, and Pin-Yen had to agree with her. It was a long process just to eat an egg; so much easier to buy them from a cart on the street. But Ah-Ma wanted to teach Lexa as many of their family’s traditions as she could. Pin-Yen crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips, not sure why it bothered her that Ah-Ma was showing so much interest in Lexa.
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