Page 102 of Wish You Faith

The two mothers chatted a bit, and then Mom’s eyes brightened.

“If we get back by Saturday, maybe we could go,” Mom suddenly said.

Rosie was a bit surprised because Mom hadn’t wanted to go anywhere of late. However, Mei seemed to have injected some vigor into her. Perhaps God had used mahjong in a special way to bring Mom out of her cocoon.

Truly, Rosie wanted Mom to enjoy life and not wait for cancer to return.

Her second thought went to their bank account. How much were two last-minute round-trip tickets to Seattle?

Mei must’ve noticed her hesitation.

“It’s my plane so you don’t have to pay for the flight out to Seattle,” Mei said.

“Oh wow.” Mom was impressed.

“You didn’t know that, did you?” Mei asked Rosie.

“Not at all.” Rosie wondered what else Evan hadn’t told her.

“I’ll pay for your flight back on Saturday since you’ll have to fly commercial and this is my invitation.” Mei made it sound like she desperately wanted their company.

“No need. If you’re flying us out there tonight, then we only need to pay for one-way tickets. Let me look and see.”

Half price sounded good to Rosie. If they flew home to Savannah on Saturday, it would be akin to two one-way tickets for the price of one round-trip ticket. On her phone right away, she searched for flight deals, and found a morning flight from Seattle for a couple of hundred dollars per ticket. They would arrive in Savannah in the evening. There would be time to rest before church the next morning.

Mom was elated to hear it. “What timing. Just so happens that Rosie has two days off plus the weekend.”

“Isn’t this what you Christians call divine appointment?” Mei asked.

“Indeed.”

Rosie felt a little bit nervous at the thought that she might see Evan again so soon.

“I need you to do one thing for me.” Mei lifted an index finger in front of Rosie.

Rosie waited.

“Don’t tell Evan you’re coming home with me. I want you to surprise him at work tomorrow morning.” Mei’s eyes looked mischievous. One corner of her lips turned up.

Rosie didn’t recall Evan being tricky like this. One of the reasons she liked Evan was that he was straightforward and no-nonsense with her. He didn’t play pranks on her or use double-speak. He also didn’t purposefully use verbal ironies on her by saying something that was the opposite of what he really meant. Rosie could always expect honesty and respect from him.

But now his own mother had asked Rosie not to tell Evan that she was going to see him on Friday.

“He goes to work at eight in the morning.” Mei calculated with her fingers. “If you pop into the office shortly after that, he would be so stunned and shocked.”

Rosie didn’t know what to say.

“Sometimes you need surprises in a marriage,” Mei added.

“We’re not married yet.”

“You’re engaged. From what I heard through the grapevine, Evan would marry you today if he could.”

“Oh?” Mom and Rosie both said together.

Rosie didn’t want to get into the prerequisites to be married at Riverside Chapel, such as weeks and weeks of premarital counseling.

For now, she had to deal with today’s event.

---