“I want mine with ice cream,” young Augustine said.
“Augie, you will eat them exactly as I instruct you to!” Eddie barked at his son.
Catherine exchanged glances with Alix, who simply rolled her eyes and shook her head.
As the family began tucking into the first round of crepes, Astrid entered the dining room with Adam, Piya, and Professor Oon.
“What are you doing here?” Eddie said, startled by his cousin’s sudden appearance at the house. He thought she had been ordered to stay away by her parents since the India engagement scandal.
“I’m having crepes, just like you,” Astrid replied breezily.
“Well, I suppose some of us don’t have any sh
ame,” Eddie muttered under his breath.
Astrid chose to ignore her cousin and went over to greet her aunties with pecks on their cheeks. Victoria stiffened visibly as Astrid kissed her and asked, “How is your mother? I hear she’s been bedridden for the past two days.” Implicit in her disapproving tone was that Astrid was the one responsible for making her mother sick.
“Considering the fact that she managed to play bridge for five hours yesterday with Mrs. Lee Yong Chien, Diana Yu, and Rosemary Yeh, I think she’s doing just fine,” Astrid replied.
Alix wondered what the doctor was doing at their breakfast table, but ever well mannered, she smiled graciously at her old classmate and said, “Francis, how good of you to join us.”
“Er, Astrid insisted I try some of Ah Ching’s famous pancakes.”
“You’ve been upstairs already?” Eddie said in alarm, wondering if she had told Ah Ma that Nicky was in town.
Astrid looked him straight in the eye. “Yes, I’ve spent a little time with Ah Ma. She wanted to see photos of my engagement, since she helped to plan it. Such a wonderful stroke of luck that there was someone there to capture the occasion.”
Eddie looked at her openmouthed.
“Congratulations on your engagement, Astrid,” Fiona said.
“Yes, congratulations,” Catherine and Alix both chimed merrily.
Victoria was the only aunt not to offer any wishes, turning instead to Professor Oon. “How is my mother faring this morning?”
“Well, I haven’t had the chance to look in on her yet, as Nicholas is with her at the moment.”
“WHAAAAT? Are you telling me that Nicky is upstairs with my grandmother?” Eddie exclaimed loudly.
“Calm down, Eddie,” Fiona chided.
Astrid smiled sweetly at her cousin. “Precisely what is your issue with Nicky seeing Ah Ma? When did you become her bouncer?”
“He’s been banned from the house!” Eddie said.
“Who banned him, exactly? Because if you ask me, Ah Ma was certainly quite overjoyed to see him a few minutes ago,” Astrid said, calmly pouring some of the chocolate golden syrup onto her crepe.
“Are you sure about that?” Victoria said indignantly.
“Yes, I was in the room when Ah Ma specifically requested to see him.”
Eddie shook his head angrily, bolting up from his chair. “If nobody is going to do anything about this, I am! Nicky’s going to give her another heart attack!”
“Give who a heart attack?”
Eddie spun around to see his grandmother sitting in a wheelchair as Nick pushed her into the breakfast room. Trailing them were her oxygen tank and several other medical devices, dutifully being guided along by her Thai lady’s maids. Behind them followed a cluster of nurses and the on-duty associate cardiologist.
“Mummy! What are you doing down here?” Victoria shrieked.