Page 63 of The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties

Someone pushes through the crowd. Rochelle. She places a gentle hand on Kristofer’s back. “If it makes you feel better, Ah Gong, Ah Ma never held it against you.”

He blinks at her. “How do you know?”

“She told me,” Rochelle says with a shrug. “I was her favorite grandkid, didn’t you know? She told me all sorts of stuff. She said you always have a special place in your heart for your first love, and she knew, but didn’t mind because you were faithful. She said she would’ve probably gotten along really well with Julia Child.”

I glance at Julia Child, who’s smirking a little. “Sounds like I would’ve gotten along with your Ah Ma, kiddo.”

“All this time,” Kristofer whispers, “I was mistaken.”

“Tch, you cannot say that,” Big Aunt thunders. “No regretting. Look at everything you build.” She gestures at the massive mansion behind us, the rolling grounds around us, and the crowds watching us. “You have beautiful family, big business, maybe all this not happen if you have gone down different path.”

Kristofer nods. “I don’t regret any of it. I regret other things—not being a better husband, not treating you well in the past, but I don’t regret marrying Marjie.”

“And I don’t regret not marrying you,” Julia Child says simply.

A flash of hurt crosses Kristofer’s face, and a corner of Julia Child’s mouth quirks. She adds, “I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant... if I had married you, we wouldn’t have grown as people. Your wife was a force of good in your life, and I’ve grown too. I built an empire all on my own, no husband needed. You learned how to soften, how to bend, and I learned how to stand firm. And if we’d ended up together as teens, I don’t think either of us would’ve grown into the people we are now.”

Big Aunt nods sagely. “I think you two will make even better match now.”

“Oh yes,” Ma chirps happily. “I can see in your face, you still love each other, ya? Is all in the eye. The way you look at each other, wah, such fire. I see in Meddy and Nathan, you see how they look at each other?”

“Like they’re always undressing each other mentally,” Fourth Aunt mutters. “It’s really quite disturbing.”

“What?” I squawk, dropping my gaze from Nathan immediately. “I do not look at Nathan like that.” To deflect, I add, “You mean the way Second Aunt and Om Abi look at each other, maybe.”

And it’s true. Abi and Second Aunt are smiling at each other, everyone else forgotten for the moment. It very definitely looks like they’re mentally undressing each other, which is somewhat unnerving to watch. “You come to rescue me,” she’s saying. “I thought you say you outnumbered?”

“I would throw everything I have at him, even if it means utter defeat, if there’s even a slightest chance of rescuing you, my love.”

My skin crawls at the melodramatic profession of love, but I can’t stop staring at them. I’ve never seen Second Aunt like this before, and it’s kind of a treat.

“Ah, I’m a Denzel in distress and you are my knight in shiny armor,” Second Aunt murmurs.

“Oh god, please get a room, you two,” Fourth Aunt snaps. “Nobody wants to see that.”

Kristofer and Julia Child are now standing face-to-face, looking at each other. I don’t quite know how to describe their expressions. It’s a bit shy, and very uncertain, but also hopeful. Slowly, carefully, Kristofer holds out his hand, palm up. I’m close enough to see that his fingers are slightly trembling, and this time, when I look at his face, I see the years stripped awayfrom it, the cynicism and bitterness torn away, revealing the innocent, hopeful core of him.

Kristofer is the first to speak, his voice coming out soft and gravelly, hoarse with emotion. “I’m sorry.”

The hint of a smile tugs on Julia Child’s mouth. “Hmm.”

“I was an insecure fool. But that was my problem, not yours. I shouldn’t have let my insecurities come in between us.”

Julia Child smiles, and it’s a real smile this time, not a knowing smirk or a sarcastic twist of the mouth but a true expression of joy. “I’ve waited years to hear you say that.”

There’s a hush, then Julia Child lifts her hand gracefully and places it on top of his. Our breath collectively releases as one, as though the earth resumed its exhalation. And somehow, I know that Marjie is smiling down at them, maybe even snorting a little. I can see her shaking her head at their stubbornness.

Someone hoots, and suddenly, everyone is cheering and clapping. It feels like the atmosphere has lightened, the weight of a storm breaking and sunlight finally streaming down on us. The heaviness on my chest releases, and I can finally take in a deep breath. I feel as free as a bird.

Kristofer and Julia Child look around with sheepish, embarrassed grins, still holding hands. “Let’s go back inside,” Kristofer calls out. “Let the feast continue!”

I close the distance between me and Nathan and fling myself onto him. His strong arms close around me, and his familiar scent envelops me. I squeeze my eyes shut, gratitude and relief flooding my senses as I hold my husband tight in my arms. Twice now, in the past two days, I thought I’d lost him. I’m never letting him go again.

“You did it, Meddy.”

A laugh, wobbly with tears, bubbles out of me. “You make it sound like I did everything, but it wasn’t all down to me, you know.”

Nathan grins and presses his lips to my forehead. “Most of it was. The rest was down to Ma and the aunts. All I had to do was sit back and let you guys handle everything.”

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