Until he added the last word.
“Esme.” Everything softened inside of him. “I love Esme.”
That felt good. That felt right.
He hoped he wasn’t too late.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The minute hand on the clock ticked onto the six. Ten thirty A.M. and still no Kh?i.
Esme hugged her hands over her stomach and stared at her reflection again. The bride in the mirror looked sophisticated and beautiful—a ten-thousand-dollar Vera Wang dress would do that to anyone—and pale as death.
Kh?i wasn’t going to stop the wedding. She had to marry his brother.
She’d told herself a thousand times he wouldn’t come, and yet, the reality of it still crushed her like a mountain. Tears threatened to spill and ruin her makeup, and she quickly blinked them away. She told herself to be happy. Any other girl back home would say this was a dream come true. Handsome husband, designer gown, city hall, extravagant floral bouquets, tons of guests, and on top of all that, she and her family would be able to stay. They’d have that new shiny life they’d hardly dared to hope for. She could follow her dreams and be a proper role model for her daughter.
But it was the wrong handsome husband. Quân was great, but he wasn’t Kh?i. He hadn’t rushed to see her at the doctor’s office or carried her to the car afterward. He hadn’t kissed her like she was everything. He didn’t reserve his best smiles for her only.
Without Kh?i, this wedding felt like a farce, but she was going to go through with it anyway. She’d told Quân everything, laid her secrets and flaws bare, and he still wanted her to have this opportunity. The government didn’t care about her, the schools didn’t, the scholarship organizations didn’t, but this one person did, and sometimes one person could make a world of difference. She was going to do everything in her power to make sure he didn’t regret helping her. She was going to make a difference to this world.
She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, feeling determination burn deep within. She wasn’t impressive in any way you could see or measure, but she had that fire. She felt it. That was her worth. That was her value. She would fight for her loved ones. And she would fight for herself. Because she mattered. The fire inside of her mattered. It could achieve and accomplish. People might look down on her, but she was making her way with as much integrity as she could with limited options. The woman in the mirror wore a wedding gown and high heels, but her eyes shone with the confidence and drive of a warrior.
If that wasn’t classy, she didn’t know what was.
“Má.”
Esme turned away from the mirror just as a small body launched itself at her. Little arms wrapped around her waist, and her heart burst with incandescence. She hefted her girl up and hugged her tight, pressing their cheeks together like she always did, and that enormous love bloomed inside of her. Baby smell, baby-soft skin, little body—well, not as little now.
“Here my girl is.”
A little face snuggled close, and over her girl’s shoulder, Esme saw her mom and grandma walk into the room.
They’d just arrived from Vi?t Nam yesterday and had to be exhausted and jet-lagged, but they’d both dressed in their fanciest áo dài and were grinning from ear to ear with excitement. Her mom even wore makeup. Esme had never seen her so beautiful, and suddenly, she was glad Quân had decided to have such an extravagant wedding. Weddings were as much for families as they were for the bride and groom, maybe more.
“Already, let your mom go. You’ll ruin her dress,” her mom said as she urged Jade to climb down. Then she hugged Esme tight, and Esme couldn’t help catching the light smell of fish sauce from her mother’s clothes and hair and grinning. Esme had to be half Americanized now if she detected that scent. She didn’t mind it, though.
Her mom pulled away and sighed with maternal pride as she looked at Esme in her gown. “Girl is sublimely beautiful.”
“Truly beautiful.” Her grandma hugged her briefly, an extraordinary display of affection since older generations didn’t generally hug, and Esme caught the smell of more fish sauce. Instead of worrying about venting out the room, she breathed the smell deep into her lungs. It reminded her of home. She was a country girl, after all. Her origins didn’t define her, but they were a part of her. She refused to be ashamed of them.
“Má looks like a fairy,” Jade said in awe before her forehead wrinkled. “Will C?u Quân be my dad after this?”
Esme sighed and brushed her fingers over her girl’s soft cheek. “I don’t know. Maybe. But don’t get your hopes up, okay? C?u Quân is just marrying me to help us. It’s not a real marriage. Do you understand?”
Jade’s expression turned solemn. “I understand.”
“This place is too nice for it not to be a real marriage,” her mom insisted, looking at the fancy crown molding and furniture. “So clean, so big, air conditioning. He has good intentions, M? à.”
Esme didn’t have the energy to explain, so she sighed and lifted her shoulders. The four of them settled onto the couches, Jade right next to her mommy, and caught up on the gossip from home as the minutes ticked by on the clock.
Esme grew antsier with each passing second until finally she hugged Jade close and shut her eyes, too distracted to concentrate on the talking.
A knock sounded, and Quân
cracked the door open, walked inside, and shut the door behind him. He nodded at her grandma and mom and winked at Jade before focusing on Esme, looking dangerously handsome in his suit and tattoos. Maybe he appeared a little dazed, too. Esme had never looked so stunning, and she knew it.
Recovering, he said, “It’s time.” He shrugged his shoulders to adjust his suit coat. “He’s not here, so let’s do this.”