Page 151 of Summer with the Single Dad

“Thank you for sharing so much with me today, Emerson. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you and Aya, and I look forward to getting to know you both even better.”

“Thank you … wài zumu,” Emme said, enunciating the word slowly.

Justine’s mother stood up and approached Justine. “Is there somewhere we can speak in private, please?”

Aya emerged from the bathroom. “What’s going on?”

“Wài zumu and Justine are just going to chat a little one-on-one right now, but I’ll be back and you can show me all your sketches after. Okay?” Justine’s mother said.

Aya nodded.

Okay, this was officially messed up.

Justine led her mother into the bedroom she now shared with Bennett.

After the wedding that wasn’t, she stayed in the trailer for the remainder of her reservation, then she rented a different trailer until just shy of Halloween. After that, she, Bennett, and the girls decided enough time had passed that moving in together was an okay plan. Nobody—well, Justine and Bennett—wanted to rush things. The girls wanted her to move in immediately. But they knew that for this to work, they needed to take their time. And so far, things were going great.

She and her mother sat on the bed, their knees touching.

“I know I wasn’t overly warm,” her mother started. “Neither was my mother. In a lot of ways, I put my career ahead of my family. I never wanted to be one of those women who couldn’t have it all—a thriving medical career and a family.”

It’d been a while since Justine had seen her mother and, as she studied the woman, she noticed more lines around her eyes and mouth. Her hands were bonier than she remembered and there were faint dark smudges beneath her eyes. Justine had always viewed her mother as this invincible powerhouse. Hui Ying Brazeau never got sick. She woke up early, rowed on her rowing machine for exactly one hour, ate her overnight oats, took her vitamins, and never had more than one cup of coffee. She didn’t drink alcohol, never smoked. She was the epitome of health and power. Of brilliance and grace. But she was getting older. Nobody escaped time, not even those that, to their children, seemed invincible.

“I was hard on you and your sisters. Maybe more so on you. Because I see so much of myself in you. I was the middle child too. I was the peacekeeper. But I was also the one with the most heart. And of the three of you, you have the biggest heart, xingan.”

It’d been ages since her mother called her that. Which meant “darling.”

“My brothers and my parents fought all the time. I kept the peace. So I was determined not to live in a house with non-stop fighting. Perhaps I overcompensated in the other direction because we became a family of people who did not speak. Of people who were afraid to speak. Of people who were afraid to let their feelings be known or express their opinions.” She swallowed hard and reached for Justine’s hand, holding it tight in her grasp. “The fact that you could not come to your father and I and tell us what happened with Tad. What happened with your patient … or that you were in crises over your career. My heart hurt for you, xingan, when I read your text and I wanted to call you, but your father told me to give you the space you asked for. But it wasn’t easy.” Her bottom lip wobbled. “I am sorry we did not create a safe space for you to do that. I am so, so sorry. I never want you to feel that you can’t come to us.”

“Mama,” was all Justine could get out through her tight throat and sniffles.

Her mother squeezed her hand tighter and tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m sorry my initial reaction to you leaving surgery was a negative one. It just came as a shock. But I see now how happy you are over here. How at peace you seem. That perhaps leaving surgery was actually the best choice for your heart. And I support you.” With her free hand she touched Justine’s chest, right above her heart. “But don’t ever be afraid to share your hopes, joys, and fears with us, xingan.”

“Mama,” Justine sobbed, the tears now spilling down her cheeks as she lunged to bring her mother’s tiny frame into her arms.

They hugged and cried, wrapped up in each other’s arms for a very long time. When they finally came apart, they had red eyes and tear-stained cheeks, but they were smiling.

Her mother laughed and mopped daintily at her eyes with the hem of her cashmere sweater. “You have absolutely wonderful little girls. I am enchanted with them.”

“I have to admit, I didn’t recognize the woman in there with them. Wài zumu.”

Her mother chuckled. “Grandmas don’t run the risk of messing the kids up. They’re all about fun. And these girls are fun. Your father and I will be back more often now that we know what’s waiting over here for us.” Then she cupped Justine’s cheek. “And I mean you, too.”

Fresh tears sprung to Justine’s eyes. “I wasn’t expecting this. I actually started to freak out because I hadn’t vacuumed under this bed and I was worried you’d look.”

Her mother made to hang her head under and check, but Justine stopped her and they had a good laugh.

“I suppose we should go rescue Bennett from your father. He’s probably explained an entire prostate removal surgery to the man by now and traumatized him.”

Justine sobbed and laughed at the same time, blotting her eyes with the hem of her shirt again. They stood up from the bed and linked arms, meeting Aya and Emme in the hallway.

“You look like you’ve been crying,” Aya said, her eyes full of concern.

“Good crying.” Justine ran her hand over the back of the little girl’s head. “Good crying, sweetheart.”

They all headed back downstairs where, sure enough, Justine’s father was regaling Bennett with a story from one of his grittier surgeries. Luckily, Bennett didn’t seem fussed about it.

He noticed Justine’s red-eyes and sprung up from his seat, meeting her next to the glowing Christmas tree between the dining room and living room. “Everything okay?”

She blinked at him and smiled as new tears came. Happy tears. “Everything is wonderful. My mom and I had a really great talk.”

Understanding and joy filled his eyes. “That’s so great. Your dad has been telling me how he removed a man’s left testicle using nothing but a pair of safety scissors and a toothpick.”

“It was a scalpel and a cautery gun. But we had no anesthetic,” her dad called out, causing everyone in the house to laugh. It even appeared as though Justine’s sisters were starting to loosen up and smile.

The McEvoys had a gift for bringing the joy into people’s lives. All of them.

Bennett looped his arms around her waist and tipped his head up. She looked up too. They were under mistletoe. “How’s your first island Christmas so far? Need to use the safe word?”

Her forearms rested on his shoulders and she leaned in. “Only in the bedroom. Merry Christmas, Mr. Serious. Now kiss me.”