Breathe In (Just Breathe, #1)(18)
Jade giggles and then leans over to me and whispers, “Can we get him something red? You know, for good luck.”
I look at Joe first as if I’m considering it. He gives me an inquisitive look indicating that he didn’t hear what Jade said to me, and because there is no way I’m turning down this beautiful little girl, I smile at her, reach into my purse and give her a twenty dollar bill. “You choose. Just don’t go too far,” I instruct.
Jade beams and asks Joe to be let down. She stays within view as she stops over at a cart that is about fifteen feet away. I notice that Joe keeps his attention on her as well. A minute or two later, Jade comes bouncing back with something. She holds out her one hand to give me the change and I tell her to keep it. Her happiness turns into a full ray of sunshine as she shoves the money into her jacket pocket before anyone sees.
Keeping what she bought hidden in her other hand, Jade directs Joe, “I need your wrist, but no peeking.”
Joe gladly obeys and fixes his gaze on me.
“There . . . all done,” Jade exclaims after tying it on. “Do you like it?”
Joe’s attention stays on me for a split second longer before looking down at his wrist. Jade found a beautiful, red beaded bracelet with a gold Chinese coin.
“It’s perfect. Thank you,” he confirms with a full smile directed at Jade. He takes her hand and kisses the back of it. “Ready to go back up?” he asks.
Jade nods, reaches her arms up, and in one fluid movement, she’s back up on his shoulders. For a moment, I can’t take my eyes off of him. When he starts to turn in my direction, I immediately look up at Jade to throw him off before I return my attention to the parade.
As the parade continues on for the next several hours, we all watch in amazement. At one point, I place my arms through the sleeves of Joe’s jacket. I purposefully resist from looking in Joe’s direction other than to look up at Jade only a few times. He’s bouncing up and down as she waves her arms in the air.
Once the parade is finished, Jade and Rey join some other children playing in the street. All of the children are picking up the pieces of paper confetti and then throwing them back up into the air. Maggie announces that she’s going with Henry to bring his parents back to the house. I ask if she wants us to join them, but she refuses my offer. She clearly wants some privacy with Henry. Kim starts to call Rey and Jade to join the family back at the house, but I tell her that I can stay with them so they can play until Maggie and Henry come back this way. Nǎinai grins deviously as she hands me my jacket and I take off Joe’s to return it to him. Everyone else heads to the house except Jared, Sadie, Joe, Rey, Jade and me. I stay near Rey as Jared starts running around with Jade and copies whatever she does. Joe stays within a few feet of me. I’m not sure why. He doesn’t strike up small talk, nor do I. Oddly, the silence isn’t uncomfortable between us. Is he quiet like me, or just doesn’t know what to say?
Suddenly, Jade and Jared are running toward us playfully screaming as they throw confetti at Rey, Sadie, Joe and myself. We grab some that fall to the ground and throw it back at them as Sadie tries to catch them in her mouth.
About fifteen minutes later, Maggie, Henry, and Henry’s parents arrive. Henry makes brief introductions in English after finding out that the rest of the family has gone to the house. Everyone walks quietly except Maggie and Henry who are talking with his parents. Rey is starting to fall asleep in my arms, Jared is to my right, Sadie is on my left and Jade has found her perch on Joe’s shoulders again who is standing on the other side of Sadie.
Back at the house, after more introductions, everyone sits down to start eating. The meal is slow and long, but entertaining. Everyone is speaking to each other in Mandarin during the entire meal but Nǎinai, M?qīn and Mrs. Wú are doing most of the talking with the exception of F?qīn, Henry and Mr. Wú on occasion.
M?qīn and F?qīn find out that they indirectly know Henry’s parents, Lin and Nuo Wú, through mutual acquaintances and share pleasant stories of their friends and the differences between living in China and America. Later into the meal, the conversation eventually steers over to Maggie and Henry and then over to general topics for discussion. Everyone talks from time to time, even Jade and Rey except for Joe and myself. Mr. and Mrs. Wú question how Jared and I became a part of the family and all eyes turn to us.
I know that M?qīn, F?qīn and Nǎinai are being respectful by allowing Jared and I to tell our own stories, especially me since I’m not generally one to speak about myself. If we were all more familiar with the Wú’s, I know that Nǎinai would be adding some of her own points. Jared instinctually knows to take the lead. I add in a sentence or two here and there, showing my respect to the Li family’s guests, though it’s uncomfortable for me. By the look on their faces, Mr. and Mrs. Wú seem impressed with the level of Mandarin both Jared and I speak.
Jared explains that he and I had met on my first day in California and that we became instant friends. His lack of a full explanation as to how I came to California comes up and he only mentions that I had just traveled across the country by train from the East Coast. He left a number of details out which he knows not to disclose. There is still a bit of information Maggie’s parents don’t know about me — I should say, I don’t think they know about me, unless Maggie has filled them in.
Jared goes into describing how I started working with him at the florist shop that is across from the Peking Wok in downtown LA and how we met Maggie. He adds to his story how I was very shy and didn’t speak much. He teases how M?qīn and F?qīn instantly fell in love with me because the first words that I spoke to them were in Mandarin. This creates smiles all around the table and Mr. and Mrs. Wú nod acceptingly of us. Jared jokes how Maggie’s family was a little suspicious of him at first, but when they found out he was gay and not interested in dating Maggie, he was instantly accepted. Jared is not in the closet, but confirms who he is to certain people who may question it as well as to see how receptive they are to his orientation. Mr. and Mrs. Wú seem pleased with Jared’s story telling and don’t pry for more details.