July 18, 20X2 (Sat.u.r.day)
The Hospital
"You have to stay here..." Zhao Yang said, softly lowering his voice. Mother Zhao was on the side trying to make Mei Lin see reason.
"No! I have to come!" Mei Lin shouted, scaring the three terrors on the side. Their mother"s hysteria and panic made them cry out. The Zhao Grandparents immediately took two kids as one was in the arms of the Xue Grandmother being rocked back to sleep.
"Hear me out..." Yang begged Mei Lin to listen. He knew that his wonderful wife was full of hormones and was still so full of adrenaline, especially since she had just only rested for only hours as the triplets took more time to feed since there were three of them.
"No, I will not hear you out!" Mei Lin sneered as she added, "They"re my babies! You will not and cannot stop me from helping find them! Every person"s help matters! What more, I am their mother!"
Yang sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, showing his annoyed state. He was starting to grow angry at his wife. He was their father too! She wasn"t the only one worried about their kids! Trying to appease the beast within him from rearing its ugly head at his wife, Yang decided to calmly reply, "...you are not in a good state to help search for them."
Mei Lin, in her worry and anxiousness, failed to see how weak she was after labor. Not a day had pa.s.sed since her intense labor, and she had to deliver three babies! The mother within Mei Lin was strong, so she insisted even if she really shouldn"t have, "You can"t stop me! I am going!"
"SHUT UP!" Yang snapped, making Mei Lin jump in her bed, scared. She had never heard Yang shout at her like this. Quietly, Mei Lin lowered her head. She must have crossed a line that she had not realized existed.
The rest of the people around the room was just as shocked if not more shocked than Mei Lin. Mei Lin had always been the only exemption to Yang"s temper, and it was weird for them to see it. Jerome wanted to punch Zhao Yang in the face for shouting at his daughter, but at the same time, Jerome agreed with him. Mei Lin was not trained enough to partic.i.p.ate in a real death match. The fact that she was so weak now was also her biggest downfall.
"LISTEN TO ME, you foolish woman! Do you think you can stand up from that bed without help? SHOW ME that you can, and I will let you come with me! If you can"t, you will just become a liability! I can"t focus on rescuing our children while thinking of protecting you too!" Yang"s voice rarely raised in volume in front of Mei Lin. In fact, this was the first time that Mei Lin experienced Yang"s loud reprimand. Because of that, Mei Lin knew she had been being unfair and irrational. It was alright and expected for her to be worried, but it"s not right for her to add more problems to her husband"s shoulders.
With all the emotions she had in her heart, Mei Lin"s tears flowed down like a waterfall as she cried, "I"m sorry. I"m so sorry!"
As if being snapped from an auto mode state, Yang realized what he had done. He was horrified to himself. If Aunt Qinyang was awake and heard him yell at her favorite niece, Yang knew he would have already been buried six feet under. Ignoring the thoughts of his aunt, Yang hurried to Mei Lin"s side and wiped the tears off of her. Hugging his wide tightly after, Yang apologized, "No, I shouldn"t have shouted." "I deserve it. I was being irrational. You had a very good point." Mei Lin sobbed. Her heart was still heavy from all the events that she has heard.
"No, you don"t deserve to be shouted out. I will do better. This is not the kind of husband I want to be..." Yang muttered. His arms tightened around Mei Lin as if she was the only lifeline he had to his sanity.
Mei Lin"s arms began to wrap around Yang"s waist as they both hugged each other, seeking comfort in each other as they should have been doing first as against to fighting and shouting at each other. Yang"s hands caressed Mei Lin"s tangled hair as he said, "I will be going to help Alexandre, and Hao Chen monitor the docks where Uncle Wu and Hao Ren traced the terrorists are... I do not know when I will be back. I will come back with Ling Ling and Chang in my arms to deliver to you, so you have to be brave and be strong for our three newborns. Take care of them and take care of yourself too..."
"Don"t talk as if you aren"t coming back," Mei Lin cried. Her mind was still muddled from all the events, she could not take her husband being gone too.
"I will," Yang comforted Mei Lin, but they knew the possibility of death was high.
Before Yang left, Mei Lin was handed keys to all his bank vaults making the new mother wail again. She did not like having the keys in her possession. It felt as if Zhao Yang was saying goodbye to her! Kissing her on the lips for the last time, Yang murmured to his wife after, "You are still as beautiful as the day I saw you in Paris."
Mei Lin cursed her husband. His words were not words of comfort at all.
Staring at Yang"s disappearing back, Mei Lin missed him already.