Page 96 of Wish You Faith

Mei seemed to be taken aback. “How could my son be the wrong man?”

Then a slow smile crept up Mei’s lips. She pointed a finger at Rosie. “I like you.”

Already?

“But my question remains. Why did you choose Evan?”

“Why not Evan?” Rosie asked back. “Does he not deserve his own happiness? Life is shorter than most of us think. Blink, and your kids are out of diapers. Blink, and they’re married with kids. Blink, and they’re crying as their parents die in some hospital.”

Rosie stopped talking. Had she spoken too much?

“Hmm. So that’s the kind of woman you are,” Mei said.

At least she had been upgraded from girl to woman. “What kind do you mean?”

“The carpe diem type of woman.”

“I would disagree,” Rosie replied. “Carpe diem implies that one lives in the moment. I think about the future all the time.”

Especially Mom’s future and one without her in it.

All that would inevitably come.

“The good news is that God is already in the future, ahead of us. So we don’t need to be worried or stressed out.” Rosie had brought up God. She couldn’t reel back her words now, even as she remembered what Evan said. His parents were not Christians.

“God again. I’ve heard enough about God from my sons. Not you too.” Mei rolled her eyes.

“We can only be true to ourselves and who we are,” Rosie explained. “I’m a Christian, so I will talk about God. If I hide who I am, then I’m being dishonest with you. You do want me to speak the truth, don’t you?”

Mei stared at her. “Then tell me what’s going on. Evan says he fell in love with you at first sight. How was that possible?”

Rosie couldn’t help smiling. She recalled the first day she’d met Evan. She was lying down on the floor in the greenhouse. “You know, he stared at me the same way you stared at me earlier.”

“Your eyes. He fell in love with your eyes.” Mei sounded like she was trying to understand her son.

Rosie shrugged. “We hit it off right away and became friends that first day and it went from there.”

“My husband and I didn’t fall in love right away. It was a slow burn through college.” Mei tapped the table. She only wore a couple of rings, and one of them was a set. The diamond was huge on her small ring finger, and the wedding band was broad.

“How did you know he’s the one?” Mei asked.

“I think he knew I was the one first and then I followed.”

“He was sure. I offered him all sorts of things, but he didn’t want any of them. He only wanted you.” Mei sighed. “So I flew here to see you for myself.”

“How did you know I was sitting out here?” Rosie asked.

“I didn’t. I was taking a short break before going upstairs to Rusty’s condo. But I saw you and I knew it had to be you.”

“You mean Evan showed you photos?”

“We’re not that close…” Mei’s voice cracked. “I wish we were close. I love him so much. He’s my baby. But I think he hates me. I wish his older brother would talk some sense into him.”

What she said seemed to be in line with what Evan had told Rosie, but she was doubtful about one thing. “I don’t think Evan hates you, Mei. I think he loves you more than you know.”

Mei’s eyes widened. She straightened up. “Really?”

“I don’t know what the problem is. Maybe it’s communication, but it might be deeper than that. What do you think is the underlying issue?”

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