CHAPTER
forty-five 
WITH SCOTT IN custody, things had started to settle down by Friday and I was looking forward to a brighter occasion. I’d taken the day off to prepare myself for Ma and Dad’s recommitment ceremony. Good thing, too, because I got an emergency text from my sister at seven that morning.
Fashion disaster, she’d texted, adding multiple exclamation points. Turns out that she’d just discovered tiny holes in the dress she’d been planning to wear.
I spirited away to Roosevelt Elementary with a collection of potential outfits for Alice. Even the traffic seemed to cooperate with my mission, and I arrived at the school in record time.
On campus, I spotted Richard raising the flags on their poles. I passed by the lawn, and he said, “Miss, visitors need to check in with the front office.”
He hadn’t mistaken me for my sister this time around.
“Mimi Lee,” I said, extending my hand.
He shook it with a firm grip. “Oh, that’s right. I met you at the science lab.”
I scrutinized him from head to toe. He’d gotten rid of his puffy down jacket and wore a short-sleeve shirt with jeans. “You look different,” I said.
“I feel great, younger even.” Under the brim of his Dodgers cap, he stared at me with deep intensity. His eyes looked as clear as water, not cloudy blue like before. “I got my cataracts taken care of,” he said.
“I’m so glad you can see better,” I said, my voice pitching higher out of genuine enthusiasm.
He tilted his head at me. “Has anyone ever told you that you and Alice have similar voices?”
“Well, she is my baby sis.”
“And a great teacher,” he said. “Everyone loves her at the school.”
“That’s so nice to hear,” I said. “I’ll let you get back to work then. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure to sign in at the front office.”
I practically danced over there. Based on the janitor’s remarks, Alice had gotten back into everyone’s good graces.
As I stepped through the door, I could smell the aroma of cooked bacon wafting in the air. The receptionist chewed and swallowed before speaking to me. “Sorry,” she said. “Trying to fit in breakfast before the parents stampede inside. I’m so glad the microwave is working.”
A text pinged on my phone. Alice said she was running late to meet up with me.
Before I could sit down, Principal Lewis came out of the staff room with a huge grin on his face. He held a steaming mug in his hands, and the fragrance of fresh coffee drifted my way.
Both the microwave and the coffeemaker seemed to be working well. The cataract surgery must have gone splendidly for Richard since he seemed to have started fixing things around the campus.
The principal came over and set his mug on the counter. He stood in front of me and said, “Mimi, are you here to visit your sister?”
I swung the bag in my hands. “Dropping off something.”
“Well, it’s great to see you.” He cleared his throat and said his next words in a halting manner. “So, uh, would you like me to greet you with a wave? A handshake? Or a verbal hello?”
“I’m okay with a hug.”
He proceeded to give me a gentle grandfatherly hug. Stepping back, he said, “It’s always good to ask for permission.”
“A wise rule,” I said.
He puffed his chest out. “Let it be known that Roosevelt Elementary is an excellent place to get educated—even for the principal.”
“And everything is fine at the school, now that the investigation’s all wrapped up?”
The principal retrieved his mug and sipped his coffee. “Right as rain, Mimi. All the hullabaloo is gone, and our reputation has been restored. Plus, the sub is going to become a permanent teacher, so we’ll be fully staffed again.”
“That’s excellent,” I said.
Principal Lewis nodded to me and shuffled off to his office. Soon after, Alice arrived on the scene.
“Sorry,” she said, her cheeks flushed from speeding down the school hallway to meet me. “I got caught up with some of the other teachers. We’re trying to plan a Happy Hour for next week.”
“Okay, Miss Popular,” I said. “Ready to try on some clothes?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Thanks for bailing me out.”
I think she meant it in more ways than one. Handing Alice the bag, I said, “I’ll always be here for you.” Whether that meant rescuing her from the fashion—or the regular—police.
All of us guests faced the latticed gazebo in anticipation. I smoothed down my flower-embroidered shirt for the umpteenth time since my arrival. Thank goodness the kebaya had sheer sleeves, which kept me cool. My nervousness had ratcheted up my body heat. Josh, sitting beside me and wearing a sleek suit, squeezed my hand.
From my other side, Marshmallow clawed at a cat collar with an affixed bow tie. Pixie had pulled some strings to allow a pet on the illustrious country club grounds. But she could snag an invite for only one cat—although Nimbus seemed pretty busy anyway, what with adjusting to and getting pampered by her new owner, Detective Brown.
Marshmallow grumbled. “When does fashionably late turn into unforgivably tardy? And why did humans invent clocks in the first place if they never bother to check them?”
I stroked Marshmallow’s back to calm him (and me) down. Then as the sky was clothing itself in majestic purple, Ma and Dad arrived on the grounds. They came strolling in from the direction of the parking lot, arm in arm. Ma didn’t notice our group because she only had eyes for Dad, who’d spruced up for the occasion by wearing a black-and-white penguin tuxedo. Ma also wore an elegant ensemble, a silver blouse and black skirt combo.
Besides us family, Dad had invited a group of Ma’s friends, including the mah jong ladies and those in the general Malaysian Chinese community. He’d also asked his accounting buddies and golfing friends to come. As Ma and Dad approached, we erupted in a cacophony of applause, cheers, and even a few wolf whistles. Ma finally noticed everyone seated in rows on the lawn, and her mouth dropped open.
She unhooked her arm from Dad and swatted him. “You say lunch, not a pai dui.”
“Yes, it is a kind of party. And we’ll still eat some food, Winnie,” he said, gesturing at the nearby canopy tent.
Then Dad beckoned to someone in the crowd. An older gentleman stood up. The paper in his hands shook as he took slow steps toward the gazebo.
Ma squinted at the old man. “Is that—”
Dad grinned. “Yes, it’s the very same driver from the Malaysia tour bus. But today he’ll serve as an informal celebrant for our vow renewal.”
After he and Ma stood near the gazebo and faced each other, the officiant began the ceremony. Their old bus driver issued the standard vows for Ma to repeat, which she complied with, her eyes misting up.
When it came to Dad’s turn, he turned his head toward us and said, “I’m amending the first line of the usual vow, but the rest will be standard.”
Dad cleared his throat. “Winnie”—he looked deep into Ma’s eyes—“I take you to be my lawful wedded wife, to have piping hot rotis together and to hold anniversary celebrations . . .”
The ceremony then proceeded along, the officiant saying the rest of the lines and my dad parroting back the words. At the end of the vow renewal, my parents gave each other a tender kiss.
I caught Alice’s eye from two seats over. She wiped away a tear. Even Marshmallow gave an approving purr.
Josh touched my shoulder, and I turned to him. “All these years and still in love,” he said, his eyes glittering like promises of a sparkling future.
Up in front, Ma clapped her hands. “Sihk fan lah,” she said. “Time to eat. Smells shiok!”
We all headed for the food tent. My parents had first dibs on the dishes, but I’d made it pretty quickly to the buffet, too. Rows of roti and sauces lined the table, and I stood a few people away from Ma and Dad.
Dad’s golf buddy, Walt, stood behind him in line. He leaned into Dad and said, “Thanks for helping me compose that note. I sure wish my marriage was as rock solid as yours.”
I suppressed a groan. All that stress I’d suffered from the scribbled note. It’d all been because Dad had been ghostwriting for Walt.
Walt mumbled, “My soon-to-be ex is getting paranoid. She’s now inventing calls from new women—even blocked one of my ‘flings.’”
Ack. That must have been me she’d hung up on and blacklisted.
Dad clapped his friend on the back. “Too bad, Walt. But we can’t all have winners like my Winnie.”
Ma blushed at the compliment. Dad smiled and turned to place some roti on both of their plates.
I couldn’t wait to dive into the food when it came my turn. My plate ended up with a mountain of roti and sauces. I kept on adding items as I moved down the table. At the very end, I noticed a stack of pamphlets advertising Roti Palace. They lay next to a gorgeous floral centerpiece made with red peonies.
We then returned to our seats to eat. But only moments after taking my first bite of roti, I saw Ma dash into the tent again. She came rushing back out with the floral centerpiece in her hands.
“Need toss flower,” she announced.
Alice and I grimaced at each other. Ma managed to wrangle every single unmarried woman in sight. In the end, about half a dozen of us stood in a small circle near the gazebo.
“Ready?” Ma asked. She glanced over her shoulder to pinpoint my position. Then she turned her back to us and tossed the bouquet.
With ferocious force, the bundle of red flowers looked like they would smash into my face. I ducked. At the same instant, Alice’s hand flew out—probably to protect me—and caught the bunch.
Ma turned around. Seeing the results, she said, “Alice ah?”
She marched over with determined steps to my sister and grabbed her arm. “Many friends here. Lots single adult sons.”
Ma has her mojo back, I thought.
Alice gave me a helpless look as she got dragged away, while I returned to Josh and Marshmallow.
“Too bad you didn’t catch the prize,” Josh said in a teasing tone.
“Well, I still feel like a winner being here with my two valentines.” As Marshmallow climbed onto my lap and started purring, I leaned my head on Josh’s shoulder and basked in the joyous moment.