Chapter 41: Setting the Rules Before the Brawl
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Sonya followed Henry downstairs, all the way to the front door. Seeing Simon, apron askew, brandishing a metal spatula, her worry intensified.
Auntie Sterling, seemingly unfazed, chased after them, cradling little Mia.“Simon, get back here as soon as you’re done! I can’t handle everything by myself!”
Sonya took Mia, reassuring Auntie Sterling.
“Jay runs a trucking team,” Auntie Sterling explained, “They all work the same freight yard. Sometimes there’s not enough work, so they fight over jobs. It’s nothing serious, usually.”
This only amplified Sonya’s anxiety.
Auntie Sterling chuckled, “If Simon went alone, I’d be worried. But with Henry, I’m not. He knows his limits; he won’t let things get out of hand.”
Sonya nodded. Mia started fussing in her arms, clearly bored.
“I’ll take Mia for a walk.”
A
customer called for Auntie Sterling. Turning back, she asked, “Is dinner ready?”
“I’ll wait for Henry to eat.”
“Sounds
good.”
Auntie Sterling
rushed off to attend to her customers.
Sonya strolled down the bustling alley with Mia, a vibrant mix of street vendors. At the end of the alley stood New York University. From the iron gate, she could see the university’s soccer field and the distant library, with the medical school building to the west
“Yay!” Mia squealed, excitedly jumping at the sight of students playing soccer.
Sonya lifted the little one higher for a better view. It was lunchtime, and many students were collecting takeout orders.
Olivorddenly, she remembered a roommate who loved the dumplings from “Lucky Duo’s- Dumpling House,” frequently ordering for pickup. Once, her roommate had a dinner date and asked Sonya to pick up her order and eat them.
“Their dumplings are amazing, you should try them,” Sonya thought.
Sonya rarely ate takeout; Julian Jennings disliked it. She’d become a skilled cook, spending hours commuting to their apartment to prepare his meals, grabbing a bite herself. Medical school was already demanding, but she also acted as Julian Jennings’s housekeeper. How she wasn’t exhausted back then, she wondered.
That time, Julian Jennings was out of town, so she agreed to fetch her roommate’s order. She remembered the delivery girl, a short–haired woman with a facial injury.
“Need help with that?” Sonya had asked kindly.
The girl scoffed, “Do you New York students all enjoy feeling superior by pitying others?”
“I don’t,” Sonya replied.
“Humph, whatever.” The girl tossed the container and stormed off.
Sonya was bewildered then, but now, she recalled how delicious those dumplings were–succulent, flavorful, three–fresh pork dumplings. She later ordered them herself, but they
never tasted the same.
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Chapter 41: Setting the Rules Befor…
Children are fickle. One minute Mia was jumping, the next, she was yawning, sleepy
Sonya returned with Mia. Most customers had left; a worker was clearing tables. Auntie Sterling brought a plate of dumplings to a private room, then saw her sleeping son in Sonya’s arms and carried him upstairs.
Soon, Auntie Sterling came down to find Sonya wiping tables. She quickly took over.
“Dr. Ella, this is dirty work, you shouldn’t do it.”
“It’s okay, I do this at home.”
“Henry doesn’t?”
“Oh, he does,” Sonya replied, remembering the past, when she and Julian Jennings were together and she handled all the housework.
“Let me tell you,” Auntie Sterling efficiently wiped the table, leaning close to Sonya,“Men need to be kept in line. Henry’s cooking is fantastic; make him cook.”
“I’ve tried his seafood noodles; they were delicious.”
“Of course! He used to work here as a cook.”
A thought
struck
Sonya, “He
made those
three–fresh
dumplings,
right?”
“They were legendary!” Auntie Sterling recounted Henry’s time studying abroad, how he’d come work at the restaurant during breaks instead of going home. His dumplings were so popular, that when he left, Simon couldn’t replicate the taste, and got yelled at by New York students.
“It really was him,” Sonya marveled at the coincidence.“There was a short–haired girl working here with him, right?”
Auntie Sterling’s face fell.
“You know… Amy Smith?”
“That’s her name! I ordered dumplings once; she delivered them.”
“I see… I thought Henry mentioned her to you.” Auntie Sterling sighed, “She… she passed away.”
Auntie Sterling seemed reluctant to discuss Amy Smith further, so Sonya didn’t press.
Soon, Henry and Simon returned, along with a large, strong man. All three had injuries, but they
smiling. Henry carried something. Seeing Sonya, he rushed over.
were
“I picked some jujubes for you. Olivorper sweet!”
Sonya stepped closer, noticing the jujubes bulging from his shirt pocket–large, red, and juicy.
Simon tossed his spatula aside, laughing and pointing at Henry.“You wouldn’t believe this guy. He beat the hell out of them, then insisted on going home with them to pick jujubes afterwards!”
Henry grinned, “Separate issues. He was pretty welcoming, actually.”
“Where’d
you see that?”
“He smiled.”
“Man, that smile was worse than crying!”
Auntie Sterling brought a basin for the jujubes. Henry proudly showed them to Sonya.
“Let me wash them for you.”
ngi
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Chapter 41: Setting the Rules Befor…
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Sonya stopped him, then straightened his face, examining his injuries.“Let me treat your wounds first.”
“It’s nothing, just scratches.”
“Still needs tending.”
Henry didn’t argue.“Fine, I’ll listen to you.”
The first–aid kit was upstairs. Henry pulled her up with him. While treating his wounds, Sonya was initially bent over, but Henry pulled her onto his lap. Their focus quickly shifted from the injuries.
“Olivorch a shame to even scratch this face,” she murmured, dazed after his kisses.
“You like
my face?”
“I do.”
“Then I’ll warn them next time, to keep their hands off my face.”
Sonya laughed, “Is that negotiable?”
“Yes, let’s set some rules before the next fight, to avoid trouble upstairs,” he winked.
Downstairs, Simon and Jay were already drinking. Henry pulled Sonya over to introduce them. Jay seemed to have some prejudice against her, only giving a cursory greeting. But when Henry mentioned their marriage certificate, Jay abruptly stood, kicked a chair, and stormed off.
