Tell Me Again, My Love

The pa.s.senger side door opened, revealing a pair of long legs. She squinted her eyes, trying to see the person clearly but the sun was already out and she made use of the light from her house to help her tr.i.m.m.i.n.g her hibiscus.

"Catherine?" her mother choked out.

"Mother," Ryn greeted politely and went to hug her mother tightly. She closed her eyes as she tightened the embrace. She missed her mother so much. It had been months for her to meet her mother face-to-face.

"Jeremy?" her mother choked out when she noticed another person approaching her.

"h.e.l.lo, aunty," Jeremy greeted politely, holding the basket of fruits.

"What… what are you two doing here?" her mother seemed to be still surprised with the appearance of these two right in front of her. Why were they here?

"Of course I have to come after you told me dad is sick. Where is he, by the way?" Ryn looked around but could not see her father.

"And I told you that you don"t have to come," her mother sighed heavily. She looked at Jeremy who was waiting patiently at the side. "And what about you? Did my daughter ask you to accompany her?"

Jeremy looked at Ryn with a smile on his face. He was about to answer her mother when Ryn gave him a warning glare.

"He has a business appointment over here so he gave me a ride," Ryn answered quickly. She wrapped her arm around her mother"s arm and pulled her mother toward the house, leaving Jeremy shaking his head in bemused.

Why would Ryn lie to her mother? She could just tell the truth. There was nothing wrong in saying he wanted to accompany her visiting her parents. It was not even a crime.

Or was she shy?

He grinned at the thought.

He followed the mother-daughter duo into the house, still holding the basket.

He greeted her father and handed the basket to him. When her father who was still confused with the sudden arrival looked at him inquiring, Jeremy just shrugged and nodded at Ryn. It was better for their daughter to explain.

*~*~*~*

It was early in the morning when Jeremy walked into the kitchen. He grinned when he saw his love being nagged by her mother. It must be because Ryn forgot that she was not supposed to eat eggs and meats in front of her parents and due to her grogginess, she forgot and went to buy them at the stall nearby.

"Good morning, aunty, Ryn," he greeted and without asking took the plate of fried tofu and something weirdly looking to the dining table.

"Uncle," he greeted at the elder man sitting at the dining table.

"Jeremy." Her father murmured but his focus was on the food Jeremy just placed on the table.

"What time are you going to the hospital?" he asked, looking at the elder man. There was no such thing as feeling awkward with her family when he already considered himself a part of the family.

"What hospital?" her father acted dumb.

Last night Ryn already explained why she returned home even though she just arrived from abroad. Of course, her parents refused to agree with her, even telling her off for returning without their knowledge. Even her mother declared she did not call her to make her worry but just to inform her of their latest news.

Jeremy looked at the elder man with his twinkled eyes. He had no doubt his love would start her nag once she knew about this. He, on the other hand, was just the driver. His time was fully foe her and she could do anything to him and with him.

He hid a grin at his thought. She would get mad if she knew what he just thought.

"It"s not that I think you"re wasting your money, sweetheart, but you do know how just a small piece of meat is from a healthy adult cow and the eggs… they are chicks. Don"t you feel ashamed for separating mama and papa chickens from their children and baby cow with its papa and mama?"

Ryn did not answer. She simply sat on one of the chair, coincidentally beside Jeremy, and pulled the plate she was protecting closer to her.

Jeremy did not make any movement to take her food. He simply gave his bowl at his future mother-in-law with a smile on his face.

"See how good Jeremy here. He eats what"s given to him without any argument," her mother pointed out after she scooped the tofu congee into Jeremy"s bowl and watched as the young man eating the food she cooked since early this morning without any flinch on his face.

"He"s too used eating everything he"s given to," Ryn replied. She was still protecting her meagre food while eating, not wanting her mother to suddenly took the plate away and gave her those weird foods.

"Catherine, is it fun eating living things when you"re supposed to enjoy what G.o.d gives around you?" her father suddenly asked.

"Dad, please," Ryn groaned. His father never nagged before but today… well, last night, she was being nagged not only by her mother but her father joined in as well.

Jeremy just ate his food silently while listening to the three of them bickering while having their breakfast. It was fun watching her so fl.u.s.tered with the attacks from both her parents.

An hour later, Jeremy was waiting outside on the bench while Ryn was working hard to pull her stubborn father to the hospital.

"Why do I have to go? I"ve gone two days ago," her father grumbled, holding a box of his favourite tea.

"Dad, I want to hear what the doctor said about your condition. I can"t rest well if I don"t hear from him personally. And I know you and mom keep something from me," Ryn cried, still refusing to let go of his arm.

Jeremy looked inside and saw the duo were standing almost at the kitchen, still "arguing". He shook his head and continued looking at the small "garden". Ryn"s mother planted a lot of vegetables. Some he recognized from the garden his mother planted at the mansion but some he did not. He frowned at the blue purplish flowers. Ryn"s mother would not plan anything just for decoration but for consumption.

He moved to another plant near the outer side of the house when he heard her calling his name. He straightened and looked at her, smiling.

"Are we going now?" he asked, taking out the car key from the pocket of his pants.

"Of course," she replied with her arm still around her father.

"Do I have to get into that car? Why don"t we just take a bus?" her father grumbled, trying his hardest to get away from this.

"Stop with the excuses. I think I"m going to have high blood pressure today," she groaned, signalling Jeremy with her eyes to open the door for her father.

Jeremy obeyed. He was after all the perfect husband for Ryn so whatever she wanted, he would gladly do.

Once she was sure her father was "locked" with the safety belt, she told Jeremy to start moving. Last night she already discussed which hospital to go and she did not mind how much it cost just to have her father"s complete check-up. She basically wanted to know his health so she won"t get worried when working.

Jeremy already put the address into the GPS so he had no problem when driving. He did glance a few times, watching how his father-in-law was doing.

He was crossing his arms and pouting.

Jeremy chuckled at the childish posture. Now he knew where Ryn inherited the cute and adorable pose whenever she was sulking.

Ryn did not look at her father anymore. She looked outside the window instead, enjoying the scenery. So refres.h.i.+ng than seeing buildings like where she was living. Of course, another reason why she was not unhappy when she had to stay at the Long mansion because the mansion was surrounded with trees and flowers.

She loved nature but her work required her to live in the city to make it easy for her to move around, especially to and fro the airport.

It was half an hour before they arrived in front of the private hospital. Based on the reviews online, although it was on the pricey side despite being at the countryside, the doctors and the equipment were tip-top and the best in the area.

Jeremy stopped at the entrant and watched as Ryn pulled her sulking father into the building.

"I don"t want to go in," he was still unhappy with the decision his only daughter made. Shouldn"t, as the daughter, she obeyed him, as her father?

She never let him go even when she was registering him for the full check-up. The women at the counter were giving her a weird look but she just maintained her model smile and focussed on filling the form.