; CW: You’ve really had the day from hell.
ALT: Not compared to your kids. I’m sorry they had to go through this. Seeing their mother in that state…
CW: They’ve seen it before. It’s just never been this bad.
ALT: I wanted to hug them. I wanted to get them out of there and fly them back to you myself but it was total chaos with everything happening all at once.
CW: YOU need a hug.
ALT: Mmm…would be so nice.
CW: I don’t know how you put up with me and all the shit that keeps happening.
ALT: I could say the same myself.
CW: Your shit ain’t half as crazy as mine.
ALT: Just you wait. With Ah Ma in the condition she’s in, I don’t know what’s going to happen anymore. There’s going to be a family invasion this week, and it’s not going to be pretty.
CW: Is it going to be like “Modern Family”?
ALT: More like “Game of Thrones.” The Red Wedding scene.
CW: Oh boy. Speaking of weddings, does anyone know about our plans?
ALT: Not yet. But I think this might be the perfect opportunity to start prepping my family…letting some of my closer relatives know that I’m divorcing Michael, and there’s a new man in my life…
CW: Is there a new man in your life?
ALT: Yes, his name is Jon Snow.
CW: Hate to break it to you, but Jon Snow is dead.*2
ALT: No he’s not. You’ll see. :-)
CW: Seriously, I’m here if you need me. Do you want me to come down?
ALT: No, it’s fine. Chloe and Delphine need you.
CW: I need you. I can send the plane anytime.
ALT: Let’s see how this week goes with my family and then we can really begin making some plans…
CW: I’ll be counting the minutes…
ALT: Me too…xoxoxo
* * *
*1 Yes, you can be sure Min Jiang’s legendary wood-fired Beijing duck—with a first serving of crispy duck skin dipped in fine granulated sugar, wrapped in homemade pancakes with sweet sauce, shredded leeks, and cucumbers, followed by a second serving of the sliced duck in fried noodles—was part of the impromptu ICU buffet organized by Felicity Leong.
*2 In 2015, the world was most preoccupied about figuring out if the economy would continue to recover, how to keep the Ebola outbreak in Africa from becoming a global pandemic, where ISIS terrorists would strike next after the horrendous Paris attacks, how to help Nepal after its devastating earthquakes, who would be the front-runners in the next U.S. presidential campaign, and whether Jon Snow, Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and one of the heroes in George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones television series, really died in the season finale.
CHAPTER FIVE
RUE BOISSY D’ANGLAS, PARIS