“I’ll get that for you,” Yung said. With reluctance, she let go and followed him to the door. He turned back and winked at Lexa before he pushed it open with his hip.
She didn’t move for a moment, stunned with happiness that he’d winked at her, but then her chattering teeth made her rush out. Yung handed her a fresh pastry bag. “Fill this, and then you can start on this cake.”
She spent the next hour helping Yung while Uncle Pong went back to his office. She ran to the front to ring up sales when she heard the bell but spent most of her time with Yung. They didn’t talk much, but he complimented her work, and once they’d finished decorating all the cakes, he stood and stretched.
“Want some ice cream? I think we earned it.”
“Sure.” She followed him to the front of the store and pointed at the vanilla soft serve when he asked what she wanted. She watched as he made a perfect cone, and ate it while he made himself a cone of the vanilla and chocolate swirled together.
He hopped onto the counter and sat there, grinning down at her as she licked her ice-cream cone. She’d had sex ed at school and her mom had talked to her, so she had a general understanding of how sex worked. But she’d never even kissed a boy, and something about the way Yung was staring at her made her self-conscious. She was focused on the creamy texture of the ice cream when Yung reached over and touched her nose.
“You got some ice cream on your nose,” he said.
“Oh. Xie xie.” She thanked him, her face turning hot, and wiped her nose with a napkin.
“No problem.” He withdrew his hand and took a bite of his ice cream. “You know, you’re pretty cool. For a kid.”
The smile she aimed at him dimmed when he said the last part. She was trying to come up with a clever comeback to show him she was older than she looked when Uncle Pong called from the back.
“ChiChi, your baba’s on the phone. He says it’s important.”
Lexa pushed away from the counter and turned to go into the back, but not before she caught the way Yung was smiling at her, as if he knew she had a crush on him. Her face flaming, she walked away. Years later, when she thought back to that moment, she’d always remember the taste of the vanilla ice cream in her mouth and the burning humiliation at the back of her throat that the older boy she liked thought she was only a cute kid.
* * *
• • •
“Want some pineapple ice?” Hsu-Ling asked. She was sprawled on the floor of the living room with a pot of ice that her mother had made. Hsu-Ling scraped her spoon across the top, scooping up chunks of pineapple-flavored ice along with bits of pineapple. She held it out to Lexa, who leaned in and took the mouthful. It tasted like Italian ice, only with more texture.
“That’s good,” Lexa said, even though her stomach was still in knots from the way her father had sounded on the phone. He’d asked her to come home right away. Something had happened, and he needed to speak to her. His voice was wrong, as if he was talking to a stranger. The ice cream Lexa had eaten soured in her stomach at his tone. Now, she glanced at him, searching for a clue as to what was wrong, but his face remained closed and blank. She’d never seen him look so stern before.
Pin-Yen took the pot out of Hsu-Ling’s hands. “Go to Ah-Ma’s. You need to practice the piano. Your teacher said you were horrible last week.”
“No.” Hsu-Ling glared at her mother. “I hate the piano. I’m so bad at it.”
It was true. Pin-Yen had made Hsu-Ling play for Lexa and her mom on their first day there. They’d sat in Ah-Ma and Ah-Gong’s living room, where the piano was, and suffered through ten minutes of wrong notes and chords clashing before their father had shut down the impromptu performance.
“Don’t argue with me.” Pin-Yen pointed at the door. “You wouldn’t be bad if you practiced every day. You need to be well rounded to get into Taiwan University.”
“Why?” Hsu-Ling wailed. “I’m only ten and a half! And ChiChi just got home.”
“You’ve already missed buxiban all week because of her. Go! Practice, practice, practice.” Pin-Yen clapped her hands with each word.
Hsu-Ling scowled but crawled out of the apartment. When Pin-Yen shut the door with a loud click, Lexa’s heart jumped.
“What’s going on?” she asked, sitting on the couch. “What happened?”
Pin-Yen crossed her arms over her chest. “Hsu-Ling’s necklace is missing. Ah-Ma came to get it this afternoon and Hsu-Ling couldn’t find it.”
“Oh, no,” Lexa said. “Maybe it fell on the floor?”
“No. We looked everywhere.” Her baba shook his head. “Do you know where it is, Chi?”
“I haven’t seen it since Ah-Ma showed us yesterday.”
Her baba ran a hand through his hair. “Chi, you can tell me the truth. It’s okay.”
“I am telling you the truth.” Lexa stared at him, wondering what he was talking about.
“Pin-Yen said she saw you playing with it last night, after we came back from the park.”
Lexa shook her head. “No, I didn’t.” She looked at Hsu-Ling’s mother. Why would she say Lexa had been playing with it when she hadn’t been anywhere near it? “I swear.”
Her baba came and sat next to her on the couch. “Did you take it, maybe to keep it safe, and then you were going to give it back to Hsu-Ling? Maybe you forgot?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lexa had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, like she felt right before a test she hadn’t studied for.
Jing Tao looked at Pin-Yen, a helpless look on his face. Pin-Yen stepped forward. “I think you took it. I think you’re jealous of Hsu-Ling and took her necklace.”
Lexa’s mouth dropped open, and she thought for a moment maybe her Mandarin wasn’t good enough to understand properly. Was Pin-Yen accusing her of stealing the necklace? “No! I’m not jealous of Hsu-Ling. Why would I be? Ah-Ma said she was getting one for me. Why would I take Hsu-Ling’s?”
“Prove it.” Pin-Yen loomed over her, her mouth set in a hard line, and Lexa felt the beginnings of anger.
“I can prove it. I don’t have it. You can search my stuff if you want.” She stood, not wanting Pin-Yen to have the advantage over her. She walked into her room and over to her suitcase, which still held her clothes, as there was no closet in that room. “See for yourself. I don’t have it.”
Her baba walked to her side. “It’s okay, Chi. If you say you didn’t take it, I believe you.”
Pin-Yen pushed him out of the way and crouched over the suitcase. She pushed Lexa’s clothes aside and held up a red jewelry bag. “What’s this?”
Lexa stared at it. “I have no idea.”
Pin-Yen opened it and spilled Hsu-Ling’s necklace into her hand. “I told you she took it.” Her voice was triumphant.
Lexa turned to her baba, speaking in English. She couldn’t think fast enough in Mandarin. “I didn’t take it, I swear. I don’t know how that got in my suitcase.”
He looked at her, disappointment on his face. Then something in the suitcase caught his eyes, and he reached down. “What’s this?”
He picked up a few photos, and Lexa watched as his face changed from puzzlement to disbelief, and then to sorrow.
“What is that?” Lexa asked. “That’s not mine.”
Her baba looked at her. “Did you do this, Chi? Why?”
She looked at the photos in his hands and slowly took them from him. They were pictures of her and Hsu-Ling with their baba between them, taken on the first day she was here. But Hsu-Ling’s face had been x-ed out with a black marker, and one of the pictures had been slashed with a knife right over Hsu-Ling’s face and torso.
Lexa looked up in shock. “Who did this? Why are they in my suitcase?”
Her baba sat on the bed heavily. “Chi, is it true? You’re jealous of Hsu-Ling?”
“No! I’m n
ot. I didn’t do this. Someone put them in my suitcase.”
“Who would do such a thing?” Her baba looked at her, his eyes beseeching. “I’ve done everything I can to make you feel welcome. To let you know I love you as much as Hsu-Ling, that you are my daughter too. Why would you do this? Why would you want to hurt Hsu-Ling?”
“I didn’t, Baba. I’d never hurt Hsu-Ling. She’s my little sister.” Lexa’s heart was pounding so hard she could feel every heartbeat in her fingers.
“I saw you trip her last night at the park.” Pin-Yen crossed her arms over her chest. “When she got that nasty scrape.”
Lexa whipped around to face Pin-Yen. “What are you talking about? Hsu-Ling tripped. I didn’t make her fall.”
“That’s what Hsu-Ling said, but I saw with my own eyes. You deliberately stuck your foot out as Hsu-Ling ran by.”
“Baba, she’s lying. I’d never do that.” Lexa pressed her fingers to her eyes. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Why was Pin-Yen lying about her?
“Jing Tao, there’s more.” Lexa looked up at the hiss in Pin-Yen’s voice. The older woman had a self-righteous, almost smug look on her face. “She’s been flaunting her body, throwing herself at the men.”
“What?” Lexa cried. “I haven’t.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “Why are you saying this?”
Pin-Yen locked eyes with Lexa. “He told me. He told me about your little crush.”
25
I thought she was talking about Yung,” Lexa said, her voice low.
Maddie put her hands on her hips. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with flirting with an older boy. It’s not like you did anything.” She stopped and looked at Lexa. “Did you?”
“Of course not!” Lexa was aghast. “I’d never even kissed a boy at that point.”
“There’s nothing wrong with flirting,” Maddie said again.
Lexa glanced at Hsu-Ling, who hadn’t said a word. “Pin-Yen wasn’t talking about Yung.”
Maddie shot Lexa a look. “Who else were you flirting with?”
“No one.” Lexa tried to catch Hsu-Ling’s eyes, but her sister was looking the other way. “Hsu-Ling?”
At the sound of her name, Hsu-Ling turned toward Lexa. She didn’t say anything, but her eyes were full of sorrow.
“Do you want me to stop?” Lexa couldn’t tell how Hsu-Ling was feeling. Was she upset with Lexa, thinking she was exaggerating and telling lies like their father had? Or did she believe Lexa that her mother had lied?
“No.” Hsu-Ling’s voice was firm. “Tell me the rest. I need to know why my mother tore our family apart.”
26
July, Twenty-Two Years Ago
Tokyo, Japan
At first, all Susan heard was static. Kiko had said the call was for her, and she’d picked up, expecting to hear Lexa’s voice.
“Hello?”
Nothing, and then she heard a catch of breath.
“Lexa? Is that you?”
“Mom . . .” The sound of sobbing filled the phone. It tore at Susan’s heart.
“What’s the matter, baby?” Susan asked, alarms going off throughout her body. “Take a deep breath. Whatever it is, we’ll fix it.”
She heard Lexa’s breath shudder out as she tried to control her breathing. “Mom . . . I want to go home. Please. Come get me. Please . . .” And she started crying again. Her plea was so sad and heart-wrenching that Susan felt as if someone had reached into her chest and ripped out her heart.
“Lexa, calm down. Tell me what happened.” But she couldn’t get a coherent answer. Finally, she said, “Put your father on the phone.”
“Wei,” Jing Tao said when he picked up.
“What’s going on? Why’s she crying like that?” Susan’s voice was fierce, and she felt the adrenaline running through her body.
“We have problem. You should come back to Taiwan.” His voice was stiff, no trace of the warmth that was usually present when he spoke with her.
“Put her back on the phone.” Susan matched his tone with her own curt response.
“Mom.” Lexa’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“What happened? Tell me.” Susan softened her voice.
“Can you come? Please, Mommy. I just want to go home.”
Lexa only called her Mommy when she thought she was in trouble. Susan was instantly on alert. “Yes. I’ll get on the first flight. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Taichung, Taiwan
“What did you do to my daughter?” Susan’s voice trembled with anger. “Why is she crying like this?” She stood on one side of Jing Tao’s living room in front of the intricately carved lacquer chairs inlaid with mother-of-pearl dragons, her arm around Lexa. Jing Tao stood on the other side of the room, next to Pin-Yen and Pong.
“You should ask Lexa what she did to my daughter.” Pin-Yen’s voice was high-pitched, and she spoke in a mix of Mandarin and English. “Lexa is a danger to Hsu-Ling, and I won’t have her living under my roof.”
“Pin-Yen.” Jing Tao spoke her name like a warning, his voice low but commanding. He placed a hand on her arm. “This is my house too, and my daughters, both of them, are welcome.”
Pin-Yen flicked him a disdainful look. “If you let that mei guo ren”—she waved a hand in Lexa’s direction when she said “American”—“stay here, I’m taking our daughter away.”
Jing Tao lowered his voice even more and spoke directly to his wife. Susan strained to catch his words even though he spoke in Mandarin. She looked at Pong, who only stared back at her.
Jing Tao turned to Susan and switched to English. “We think Lexa might have accidently hurt Hsu-Ling.” His eyes pleaded with Susan to understand, and in that moment, she couldn’t see why she’d ever thought he was attractive.
Susan crossed her own arms over her chest. “No way. Lexa would never hurt Hsu-Ling. What exactly do you think she did?”
Pong spoke up and told Susan in English about the necklace and the photos while Lexa clung to her mother’s side. When Pong got to the part about tripping Hsu-Ling, Lexa spoke.
“I would never hurt Hsu-Ling! I didn’t do any of that. They’re lying.” Her eyes reddened, and Susan tightened her grip on her.
“I know my daughter, and she would never steal a necklace or slash Hsu-Ling’s picture, let alone harm her. Lexa adores Hsu-Ling. Something’s going on, and I intend to get to the bottom of it.” Susan looked directly at Jing Tao, wondering if he was buying into his wife’s act. Susan knew the woman was lying.
Jing Tao crossed the room and stood in front of Lexa. “Maybe you make mistake? You didn’t mean to hurt Hsu-Ling? If you just apologize to Hsu-Ling and Pin-Yen, we can forget this.” He took Lexa’s arms in his hands, and she flinched. His eyes widened in surprise, and he dropped his hands to his sides.
Lexa lifted her chin and looked her father in the eyes. “I can’t apologize because I didn’t do it. I would never hurt Hsu-Ling. And why would I steal her necklace when Ah-Ma told me she was buying one for me?”
“Because you’re a greedy little half-breed who’s trying to worm your way into our lives and take what is rightfully Hsu-Ling’s.” Pin-Yen spat the hateful words in a mixture of English and Mandarin, but Susan got the gist of it. Susan shoved Lexa behind her and jabbed a finger in Pin-Yen’s face.
“You better step back, or I swear I’m going to punch you. Do not speak of my daughter like that. Lexa is a kind, sweet girl, and all she wants is to get to know her father and her Taiwanese heritage.” Susan put up both hands, and when Pin-Yen kept advancing, Susan shoved her.
Jing Tao and Pong both sprang forward when Pin-Yen screeched and let loose a string of rapid Mandarin, her arms flailing. Jing Tao grabbed Pin-Yen around the waist and hauled her away from Susan, while Pong held Susan back by placing his hands on her shoulders. Susan shook off Pong and put her arms around her daught
er. Lexa’s face was drained of all color, and she was shaking violently, as if she’d been caught in a blizzard without a coat.
Pong held up his hands. “Please. Everyone, calm down.”
“Calm down?!” Pin-Yen shouted from behind Jing Tao. She turned to her husband and said something to him in Mandarin, her arms gesturing and pointing to Susan.
Susan looked at Pong. “What did she say?” But he stared at her, at a loss for words.
Pin-Yen looked right at Susan and said in English, “I said, I want your American whore to take her bastard child out of our home, now.”
“Mommy! She called us bad words.”
Susan looked at her daughter, her mouth open in shock. But then she found her voice. It trembled with anger when she addressed Jing Tao. “I know this is your house, but I will not allow your wife to say these things about my daughter. I don’t know what’s going on, why your wife is so jealous of an innocent little girl that she has to invent lies, but I will not stand for it.”
Before Jing Tao could respond, Pin-Yen pushed him out of the way and sneered at Susan, “Innocent? Ha!” She turned to Pong. “Tell them what Lexa did to you.”
Pong’s mouth opened and closed, and he looked helplessly at Pin-Yen. “I . . . Pin-Yen. Please.” His eyes pleaded with Pin-Yen, and Susan could sense his reluctance.
“Tell them, Pong,” Pin-Yen said, her voice as hard as nails. “Or I will.”
27
Maddie spied the bottle of Johnnie Walker on the desk in Hsu-Ling’s hotel room and poured a shot into a plastic cup. “I need a drink.” She leaned a hip against the desk. “This is like a soap opera.”
“No. Just my life,” Lexa joked from her spot on the bed, but neither Maddie nor Hsu-Ling laughed.
Hsu-Ling stood at the end of the bed. “What did Pong say?”
Lexa put down her cup on the night table and rubbed her face with both hands. “He told them that I’d come on to him. That I tried to get him to kiss me and that I rubbed my ‘nubile’ body all over him every time I hugged him.” Lexa buried her face in her hands. “It was disgusting.”
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