[ððððððð ðððððð-ððððð: ðððð ððððð]
" ððð'ð ðð ðððð ð ððððð, ððððð. "
â¯â¯â¯
ðððððð ððð ððð'ð ð ðððð ðððð ðððð in almost a week. When she got home at around 4pm yesterday no one was home. Her father was obviously still at work and Liena left a note saying she was catching up with an old friend and wouldn't be home until late.
So, she changed into her pajamas, sat down on the couch and watched Netflix in the empty house. That's also where she fell asleep and woke up the next morning.
She wasn't surprised to find the house just as quiet and dead as it was last night. Unlike Bethany's penthouse, which roamed with maids even when no one was home, Mei's mansion sat cold yet pristine as if no one lived there. Except her, of course.
She also wasn't surprised to find her sister walking into the kitchen with her short hair curled looking as if she had gotten all 9 hours of sleep last night. She was perfect. Perfect Liena Chen. Everyone's favorite.
"What time did you come home last night?" Mei drearily asked. Liena looked up from what she was doing as if she hadn't even seen her sister on the couch.
"What time did you come home last night?"
Mei rolled her eyes, "Right after my photoshoot. Why are you always expecting the worst of me?"
"If you must know I think you go clubbing every night and always hook up with guys, so..." She shot back making Mei scoff.
"Wow... if you must know, I was staying at Ezra's house. Avoiding this exact conversation, and... I don't sleep with guys unless I know and trust them." Mei looked her sister up and down, "But of course only the people closest to me know that."
"Don't be such a bitch, Meili."
"I try not to, but prior to contrary beliefs if actually hard not having your family around. Every day for almost three years I've had to come home to an empty house. It starts to get lonely once you run out of fun things to do."
"BÃ is never home?" (father)
Meili shook her head no. He never was.
"And what is the real reason you're home from college, jiê jie." Mei asked quietly. (older sister)
"BÃ can't know, Mei." She sighed, "But... I'm taking the semester off. There is no chemical explosion on campus."
"What! I knew it!" A smile spread across Mei's face, "Harvard doesn't have chemical explosions! They're Harvard."
Liena gave her a look, "Harvard isn't perfect."
"Sure it isn't." Mei exaggerated the 'sure', "You just say that because you're a quitter."
"I am not!"
"But you quit."
"Did not- okay I guess that's fair." Liena frowned, "It was just all too much for me. Medical school is harder than you think. I've seen so many dead bodies... so many." Her face twisted in disgust.
"Still a quitter."
"Shut up, Meili!" She laughed playfully, "I really wish I had a pillow to throw at you right now."
Both the girls froze as they heard the front door opening and closing. Their eyes both shot toward the entrance where their father was hanging his suit jacket on a hanger. It was a shock. He was never home before 6pm.
"Bà ?" Mei stood up quickly from the couch, a wide smile spreading across her face. "NÇ zhème zÇo huÃláile!" (You're home so early!)
Both girls moved to give their father a hug.
"NÇ jiÄjiÄ dà xué bìyèle." He replied, "WÇ yÇwéi wÇ kÄyÇ huà jiÄ kà n kà n nÇmen liÇng gè."
(You're sister's home from college. I thought I could would home and see you both.)
"Really?" Mei asked as her eyes started to fill with tears. She was very emotional lately, and honestly... it really scared her. She had built walls because no one understood. Now... she was starting to think the world wasn't as bad as she had previously thought.
"ZhÄn de. WÇmen yÄ«qÇ chÅ«qù ba! BÄ«ngqÃlÃn?" He pulled back from the hug and gave them both a warm smile. (Really. Let's go out together! Ice cream?)
While he may have never been around Mei knew he loved both his daughters with all his heart. He spent time with them whenever he could, but... she always got his feeling deep inside her that maybe he loved his other daughter just a little bit more.
The two girls got dressed and headed out with their father. Together they drove down the highway toward Manhattan where their favorite ice cream shop was. It wasn't a fancy luxury one where ice cream was 200 dollars and where the seats were made of spotless leather and gold, but it was a small and average shop which held many of their best family memories.
Their mother was born in China, but grew up in America before moving back to her home country. She used to come here with her family when she was a kid and during one of Mei and Liena's first visits to America she took them there. It used to make Mei sad to come back her because all it reminded her of was her mother, but now, as she sat in that booth taking a bit of her vanilla ice cream and laughing with her father and sister, it only reminded her of bittersweet memories of her past... and she felt again. She felt all the feelings she had felt before, but now...
She was ready to let them all go.