didn’t seem to know Sadie was coming, and this woman who Sadie suspected might also be a relation didn’t seem the least bit excited to meet them. Did that reflect Ji’s feelings as well?
“Ma’am?”
Sadie turned back to the register where the girl was holding out the paper-wrapped jewelry box. She continued to avoid eye contact with Sadie, obviously uncomfortable.
“Thank you,” Sadie said as she took the box.
“Don’t forget your fortune cookie. Thank you for coming to Choy’s.” She gave a little bow.
The old men who had been seated when Sadie and Pete arrived came up behind them at the register, so Sadie and Pete took their fortune cookies from the bowl and stepped aside, waiting for the waitress to return. The men said something to the girl in Chinese, and she responded with something that made the men laugh. They said something else, and she shook her head, trying to hide a smile. Her interaction with them made Sadie feel like even more of an outsider. She didn’t belong here. Why had she come?
The kitchen door swished open, and the waitress came toward them again. She held out her closed hand as though she were going to give Sadie something. When Sadie extended her free hand, the waitress dropped a key ring with two keys into her open palm. Sadie knew instantly what they were: keys to Wendy’s apartment.
“The larger key is for the building, the smaller one for the apartment,” the woman said. “The complex is on the corner of Mission and 22nd Street. Wendy’s apartment is number five on the third floor. Ji will join you there this afternoon after he has finished the lunch rush. He said that he is sorry not to meet you now and hopes that you understand.”
“I understand,” Sadie said with a conciliatory smile. “Tell him I look forward to meeting him. I’m Sadie, by the way. This is my fiancé, Pete. Are you by chance Ji’s wife?”
“Lin Yang,” she said with a slight nod of her head at both of them. “I am pleased to meet you.”
Sadie wasn’t sure she believed her, but maybe it was a cultural disconnect that gave that impression. She hoped that’s all it was.
“And is this your daughter?” Pete asked, waving toward the girl who looked at them quickly before turning her attention back to the register.
“Min,” Lin Yang said. “Our oldest.”
“Wonderful to meet you,” Pete said to Min. The girl glanced at him quickly and then nodded, her head still down.
The front door opened, and Lin Yang looked past them toward whoever had entered. “Three?” she said in that clipped way she had. She stepped forward, silently dismissing Pete and Sadie as she did so.
The four lady tourists began scooting away from their table, which meant the tiny front corner by the register was about to get crowded.
“We better go,” Sadie said. Pete nodded and held the door for her. Once on the loud and busy sidewalk, Sadie opened her hand and looked at the keys that would take her further into Wendy’s world. Butterflies erupted all over again.
“You have a deep appreciation for art and music.”
Sadie turned to look at Pete. “What?”
He held up a strip of paper. “My fortune—I apparently have a deep appreciation for art and music.” He smiled. “Since I have neither, I’m guessing this is a bum batch of cookies.” He popped the cookie into his mouth and waved to the cookie in Sadie’s other hand. She put the keys in her pocket and opened the plastic package, broke her cookie in half, and pulled out the paper.
It is time to get moving.
Sadie read it out loud, and Pete lifted his eyebrows while he continued chewing. She looked at the fortune again and felt a strange tingly sensation, not that she believed that fortunes meant anything at all. Still, she could use the extra motivation.
“I guess there’s no sense in waiting,” she said, tucking the fortune into the front pocket of her purse. Despite the lack of warmth she’d felt when meeting Lin Yang and Ji’s daughter
“Ma’am?”
Sadie turned back to the register where the girl was holding out the paper-wrapped jewelry box. She continued to avoid eye contact with Sadie, obviously uncomfortable.
“Thank you,” Sadie said as she took the box.
“Don’t forget your fortune cookie. Thank you for coming to Choy’s.” She gave a little bow.
The old men who had been seated when Sadie and Pete arrived came up behind them at the register, so Sadie and Pete took their fortune cookies from the bowl and stepped aside, waiting for the waitress to return. The men said something to the girl in Chinese, and she responded with something that made the men laugh. They said something else, and she shook her head, trying to hide a smile. Her interaction with them made Sadie feel like even more of an outsider. She didn’t belong here. Why had she come?
The kitchen door swished open, and the waitress came toward them again. She held out her closed hand as though she were going to give Sadie something. When Sadie extended her free hand, the waitress dropped a key ring with two keys into her open palm. Sadie knew instantly what they were: keys to Wendy’s apartment.
“The larger key is for the building, the smaller one for the apartment,” the woman said. “The complex is on the corner of Mission and 22nd Street. Wendy’s apartment is number five on the third floor. Ji will join you there this afternoon after he has finished the lunch rush. He said that he is sorry not to meet you now and hopes that you understand.”
“I understand,” Sadie said with a conciliatory smile. “Tell him I look forward to meeting him. I’m Sadie, by the way. This is my fiancé, Pete. Are you by chance Ji’s wife?”
“Lin Yang,” she said with a slight nod of her head at both of them. “I am pleased to meet you.”
Sadie wasn’t sure she believed her, but maybe it was a cultural disconnect that gave that impression. She hoped that’s all it was.
“And is this your daughter?” Pete asked, waving toward the girl who looked at them quickly before turning her attention back to the register.
“Min,” Lin Yang said. “Our oldest.”
“Wonderful to meet you,” Pete said to Min. The girl glanced at him quickly and then nodded, her head still down.
The front door opened, and Lin Yang looked past them toward whoever had entered. “Three?” she said in that clipped way she had. She stepped forward, silently dismissing Pete and Sadie as she did so.
The four lady tourists began scooting away from their table, which meant the tiny front corner by the register was about to get crowded.
“We better go,” Sadie said. Pete nodded and held the door for her. Once on the loud and busy sidewalk, Sadie opened her hand and looked at the keys that would take her further into Wendy’s world. Butterflies erupted all over again.
“You have a deep appreciation for art and music.”
Sadie turned to look at Pete. “What?”
He held up a strip of paper. “My fortune—I apparently have a deep appreciation for art and music.” He smiled. “Since I have neither, I’m guessing this is a bum batch of cookies.” He popped the cookie into his mouth and waved to the cookie in Sadie’s other hand. She put the keys in her pocket and opened the plastic package, broke her cookie in half, and pulled out the paper.
It is time to get moving.
Sadie read it out loud, and Pete lifted his eyebrows while he continued chewing. She looked at the fortune again and felt a strange tingly sensation, not that she believed that fortunes meant anything at all. Still, she could use the extra motivation.
“I guess there’s no sense in waiting,” she said, tucking the fortune into the front pocket of her purse. Despite the lack of warmth she’d felt when meeting Lin Yang and Ji’s daughter
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