The next day, after bidding the kids good-bye, Alex made a mental note to ask about Chou’s absence. She hoped that the little boy had not caught the stomach virus that was making the rounds through the school. Picking up her bag, she left her classroom and stopped to chat with Mrs. Nicholas, the sixth grade math teacher.
The woman’s face had a natural pinched look. “I noticed you came in early this morning. Are the little ones keeping you on your toes?”
Alex smarted a little from the tone of condescension that dripped from Mrs. Nicholas’s mouth. “I was expecting Chou. He was supposed to be helping me with a project, but he was absent. I hope he’s okay.”
Mrs. Nicholas’s eyes widened. “He looked fine in my third period class.”
“Really? Thanks for the info. See you tomorrow.”
Alex turned and marched into the school’s office. She stood at the computer for a couple of minutes before completing her search and copying an address on a small scrap of paper.
Forty minutes later, Alex turned into the tree-lined driveway and stopped to look down at the paper in her hand. “This is it.”
She drove forward to the house. As soon as Alex got out of the car, she caught the scent of flowers and salty sea air. The home was lovely. Wide bay windows and a dark sloping roof seemed to blend with the overhanging trees.
Shaking her head, Alex shut the car door and walked up the stone-lined path to the front door. She could hear the chime echoing from the inside as she pressed the doorbell. She put on a smile as the door opened and an older, petite Asian woman eyed her with suspicion.
Alex bent down slightly, trying not to overshadow the woman. “Good evening. Could I speak with Chou, please?”
The older woman motioned for her to enter the house, then pointed to her feet. Without hesitating, Alex slipped off her sandals, stepped into a pair of red house slippers, and followed her hostess into an adjacent room.
“Please wait here.”
Alex nodded and then turned to study the room. The inside was as lovely as the outside. The floor was made of dark polished wood and the walls were decorated with delicate Chinese picture scrolls. To the left of the foyer was what looked like a formal living room. To her right was a staircase. The sound of voices brought Alex out of her reverie. She turned and saw Chou pale slightly as his eyes met hers.
The man who followed behind the little boy startled Alex. Used to being the same height or taller than most Asian men, Alex had not expected to find herself having to slightly tilt her head up to look at him. She recognized the boy’s resemblance to the man.
She’d never met Chou’s father although she’d had plenty of conversations with his secretary. The man had a habit of canceling teacher conferences. Alex knew she had Mr. Liu’s full attention by the intensity of his stare.
He was wearing black slacks and a white shirt with gold cufflinks. His face could have easily been chiseled from a smooth block of shaded marble. In the space of several breaths, she scanned his face and stored the image in the back of her mind. He had a strong jaw line, nicely cut black hair, and eyes much darker than her own, brown ones. They were hooded and assessing, not open and full of laughter. She guessed his age to be about her own making him seem too young to be a father and a widower.
She addressed Chou first by standing in front of him and bending her knees to force eye contact. “I missed you today.”
His lip quivered and his gaze once again dropped to the floor.
Alex stood up and turned her attention to Chou’s father. “Mr. Liu. Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Alex Thompson and I’m Chou’s literature teacher.”
She saw his confusion and added, “English teacher.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Thompson.” His eyes never left her as he inclined his head. “But may I ask why you have chosen to visit my son?”
Alex inclined her head towards the little boy. “I’ll let Chou answer that question.”
Chou hesitated, then said, “I didn’t go to class.”
“Why did you not go to class?” His father’s question, though softly spoken, demanded a swift response.
By the time Chou finished retelling the events that led up to his absence, she had seen more than enough. Emotions had flitted across Mr. Liu’s face, from anger to denial before settling on guilt and resignation.
“I know that you and Brandon are good kids,” Alex said. “You’re one of my best students and I only want you to succeed and to be honest. I’m disappointed in you for not keeping your word. I chose not to have you suspended and I wasn’t going to make you scrub floors.”
Alex saw the first glimmer of tears in the boy’s eyes.
“I’m sorry.” Chou’s voice was little more than a whisper. “Does this mean you won’t be my teacher anymore?”
She playfully swatted his hair. “Of course not. You can’t get rid of me that easily. Plus, you’ve got to help me organize the classroom.”
Alex stood and held out her hand. “Friends?”
Chou’s hand shot out to give her a high five. She laughed. “Good, glad we got that settled.”
“Ms. Thompson?”
Alex started at the sound of Mr. Liu’s voice, having completely forgotten about the other person in the room. Her surprise was sharper in that she noticed things about him that she shouldn’t have. He was a very handsome man. She noted the way he was dressed in a shirt and tie, the way his skin tone stood out against the whiteness of the shirt.
“Ms. Thompson,” he repeated.
Alex blinked twice, and then brought her attention back to the matters at hand. “Yes?”
“Would you like to stay for dinner?”
Alex shook her head in surprise. “I…” She was trying to politely decline when she felt a tap on her arm.
“Please,” Chou asked. Alex saw the anxiety in his eyes and her heart melted. She had the skills to take down men five times her size, but she couldn’t turn down a boy’s polite request.
“I’d love to.”
Alex followed Chou and his father down a carpeted hallway and turned into the dining room. The table was set with blue and white Chinese porcelain.
“Excuse me, could you show me to the bathroom? I’d like to wash my hands.”
When Alex returned, Chou and his father had just finished setting the food down on the table.
“Please have a seat.”
Alex settled into the chair next to Chou and waited for someone to begin the meal. The meal was family style with numerous platters in the middle of the table. When Mr. Liu removed the lids from the covered dishes, the scent of roasted chicken, vegetables, and rice wafted through the air. Trying to lighten the mood, Alex turned to Chou and whispered, “Do you usually eat in the dining room?”
He shook his head, replying, “Only when we have company.”
“If I mess up, promise not to laugh,” she joked, earning her a smile.
“Please help yourself,” said Mr. Liu.
She looked up to see Chou’s father staring at both of them. When his eyes peered directly into hers, Alex got the impression of steel beneath his dark gaze just before it was replaced with polite curiosity.
“Thank you.”
Alex reached over and placed some of the chicken and steamed vegetables on her plate. Picking up her chopsticks, she began to eat. It wasn’t until after the second bite that she looked up from her plate, suddenly aware that she was being watched. “Is something wrong?” she asked, confused.
“No. It’s just unusual for me to see someone use chopsticks so well. You’re quite proficient.”
She pushed aside her annoyance. “Thank you.”
“I want to apologize for my son’s behavior. I’m partially to blame. I haven’t been spending as much time with Chou as I should. You have my gratitude for bringing this to my attention.”
The rest of the meal seemed to go smoothly. Chou appeared to blossom under the attention from his father. Alex, for her part, observed the interaction between father and son. She occasionally filled in the silence with humorous stories and lavish praise directed towards her student, keeping the conversation focused on light topics. It wasn’t until later as Chou’s father walked her to her car that she gave voice to her concerns.
“Mr. Liu.”
“It’s Xian.” He stopped next to her.
She turned and smiled at him. “Call me Alex.”
He inclined his head. “Now that we are on a first name basis, what is it that you really want to speak to me about?”
Alex arched her eyebrows before leaning against the side of her car. “I may be out of bounds with what I am about to say but I need to get this out into the open.”
“Whatever it is, I’m sure I can handle it.” The corners of Xian’s lips curved into a tight smile.
The richness of this his voice made her want to lean closer toward him. At first glance, Xian wasn’t an overly sexual man, but something about him made her linger close to catch the faint sandalwood of his scent. Overly conscious of how aware she was of him, Alex began. “I didn’t want to say this in front of Chou but I’m worried about him.”
“Worried? Why? My son’s grades have always been excellent. Mrs. Lee hasn’t mentioned anything being amiss.” He sounded offended.
She stood up straighter. “I’m not worried about Chou’s grades. It’s just that I feel as though he’s deliberately withdrawn from class. He doesn’t interact with his peers. I’m not the only teacher who has noticed his behavior.”
She watched his eyes narrow. Under the halo of the outside floodlights, his eyes looked almost black. “Tell me, Alex. Do you take such a personal interest in all your students?”
“Yes and no,” she responded frankly. “I lost my mother when I was eleven.”
A moment passed with nothing but the cool ocean air weaving between them and the sound of the night insects.
Xian nodded briefly. “I’m sorry for your loss, but I can take care of my son.”
“And I can look after my students,” Alex responded smoothly. His expression shifted from arrogance to surprise and she bit her lips to keep from laughing. It seemed that Xian Liu wasn’t used to opposition.
“Is that a challenge I hear?” he questioned.
“No.” Alex shook her head as the corners of her mouth curled upwards. “Just making a statement.”
She watched as Xian took a step back, but if she wanted, she could reach out and touch him with her fingers. Her heart skipped when he smiled.
“My son is a very lucky boy to have you as a teacher.”
Alex nodded and moved to open the driver’s door. “Good night, Xian.”
His name flowed too smoothly off her tongue and her pulse beat too quickly to dismiss the encounter. She frowned as she slid into the seat and closed the door. Attraction had its place, but not in her life, not after Brian. Hoping that her roommate Karen would be home, Alex keyed the ignition, put the car into gear, and drove away.
* * *
Xian stood in the doorway watching as the taillights of Alex’s car disappeared into the night. He closed the door quietly and hesitated at the foot of the stairs. Placing his hand on the banister, he slowly went up the steps towards his son’s room.
For a moment, he leaned in the doorway watching Chou as he bent over his desk writing. Then Xian straightened and stepped through the doorway, but stopped again. He hesitated, feeling the same emotions he had felt when his wife died. Looking down at his hands, he saw that they were sweaty.
He was powerful enough to lead his own company to unprecedented global success, but now he was completely out of his realm. Xian gazed down at the top of Chou’s head and words seemed to stick in his throat. Shay-Lin. A picture of his pregnant wife flashed into his mind.
This was to be our job, he thought. It had never occurred to him that he would be raising their son alone.
Inwardly, Xian sighed and tapped lightly on Chou’s shoulder before taking a seat on the bed. “Can we talk for a minute?”
He watched as Chou slowly put down his pencil and closed the notebook. When his son looked up, Xian could see nothing but sorrow. “Chou, I’m disappointed in myself. I didn’t know that you were having trouble at school. It has been a difficult adjustment for you and I should have been there to help.”
Chou’s gaze held his with an unusually mature shrewdness. “That’s okay, Dad. I know you’re busy. You gotta work a lot.”
Xian was ashamed. “That’s no excuse. You should always be my number one priority,” he emphasized. “I guess I’m getting old and forgetful, but starting today, I’m going to be the father I should have been.”
He held out his arms and gathered his son close. Chou’s arms slid around his neck. Xian couldn’t remember a better feeling. His arms tightened around Chou for a moment before letting him go and placing him on his lap. “Now tell me what’s troubling you.”
He felt the boy’s shivers. When Chou spoke, his words tore Xian’s heart to pieces.
“Why did she have to die?” Chou’s voice was ragged.
Unable to answer, he hugged his son tighter and stroked his hair. He took a deep breath, hoping to speak through the tears that clogged his throat.
“I can’t answer that question. I know if I could, I would take her place. I cannot give you a reason but I can tell you that we all have our time in this world before leaving to join the next. Your mother’s life was short but she gave me a gift so that no matter what happens I’ll never be without her.”
He looked down into his son’s tear-streaked face and his heart turned over. “That gift is you. I love you more than my own life and your mother loved you even more. She will always be with us in spirit.”
* * *
Xian relaxed against the headboard, tilted his head back, and stared at the ceiling. Chou had moved from tears to sleep. Xian focused on Alex Thompson, maybe because her arrival at his home had precipitated the events that brought him to his son’s room.
Alex was unlike any teacher he’d ever met. He closed his eyes and pictured her standing in his foyer. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. The khaki-colored pants and white cotton shirt couldn’t disguise that she was fit and nicely rounded. Her dark hair was pulled back, fully displaying her features. She had an unblemished brown complexion and beautiful eyes. Her round jaw and lush lips were vulnerable and made him think of her in ways that gave new meaning to the standard parent-teacher relationship.
Xian shook his head and gently moved his sleeping son onto the bed. After covering Chou with a light coverlet, he stared down at his son for a moment. The facts were in: he had been a lousy father. And having explicit sexual thoughts about Alex Thompson wasn’t going to improve the situation. Pushing her image to the back of his mind, Xian turned out the light and left the room.