“Well, thank you for everything. It was very kind of you.” She nods.
“Just take care of him. With your business mind, you’ll be able to help him along the way.”
“Are you, um, joining us for the celebration?” What a stupid question! I curse at my own stupidity. It’s hosted by Beate Uhse AG itself! Of course Margaret is attending.
Her eyebrows raise, but she then smiles, nodding her head.
“Of course, I am. Shall we?” As she stands I offer her my arm and we walk out of the office together. Her movements aren’t quick, but I can sense a strength in her body that I am enjoying getting to know. There is a lot more to the woman than meets the eye, I can tell right away. And while I don’t know much about Lady Margaret, I’m sure I’ll get to know her better over time. As we walk down the street toward our destination, she makes me laugh with all the stories she’s telling me about Andries’ family and some of the trials they have had over the years.
It makes me realize, just like with my family, every family has its own issues and sometimes things get difficult. The glue that holds the family together sometimes comes loose, and it takes effort to re-apply it and put it back together.
We walk into the restaurant that has been privatized for the corporate event hosted by Beate Uhse AG and while I scan through the crowd, my eyes are immediately drawn to Andries and his faithful friend standing beside him, Dan.
We make our way through the tables and once I reach him, he turns slightly in my direction as if feeling my presence approaching.
“Hey!” I greet amid the noise of the event.
As we greet each other with a tight hug, he leans to my ear and says, “I’m so proud of you.” His words are enough to make my heart flutter in response. “Congratulations on getting that done.”
Margaret gets a hug as well and his grandson tells her how happy he is to see her. I’m glad to see there’s at least someone in his family who supports him no matter his choices.
Andries then waves a waiter over and the man grabs the bottle of champagne that lies on an ice bucket beside us. It’s a formal affair, and with a sabre he lances off the cap, sending it flying across the room with a loud cheer from many of the patrons around us. As he puts the bottle down, another waiter appears with double the glasses we need.
“Um, Andries…do we really need all those glasses?” I ask him.
He replies with a smirk. “Turn around.”
As I do so, I see my sister, her boyfriend, and what really makes my jaw drop—my own mother standing behind them and she’s actually smiling. I don’t think I’ve seen her smile in close to a decade and certainly not when it comes to greeting me as a celebration. I turn back to Andries, a flush appearing on my face. But it’s not embarrassment, it’s a flush of wonder that he managed to surprise me. And include my family, which he knows means a lot to me.
Mama walks forward and I pause, wondering if she will even allow me to hug her. There is a sudden silence as it seems the whole group stops to wonder what will happen. I’m elated when she opens her arms, and I can give her a proper hug for the first time in years. I can’t even speak because of the thrill that washes through me. Shutting my eyes, I just let myself revel in this simple motherly gesture.
Turning toward Margaret, I manage to stammer out an introduction. “Margaret, I’m so happy you are able to meet my family. This is Yao, my mother, and my sister, Lili and her boyfriend, Robin.” Margaret nods at all of them and especially my mother. Mama hugs Andries, whispering something to him out of gratitude, and even gives him a kiss on the cheek. Accepting the flute of champagne the waiter offers me, I raise it up as we all take hold of one, even my mother.
“Here’s to the future!” It’s simple and straightforward but entirely appropriate. As we all take a sip of our champagne, I feel the bubbles cascade down my throat. It’s impossible not to feel a rush of affection toward my wonderful partner, and I kiss him hard as the others laugh. It is as if a massive weight has been lifted from my shoulder and now we can finally be free to move forward together.
The restaurant is stunning and after we sit at our table, the servers begin with plates of small tasting dishes while one of the executives at Beate Uhse AG stands up to do a speech.
My mother slides into the seat next to me, and, while everyone is quietly listening to the speech, she leans forward to my ear and says, “I must tell you…I’m sorry for the way things happened between us.” I’m almost taken aback by the fact she’s actually apologizing. It seems so out of her character that I’m left speechless. I can also see Lili watching us intently, and I know that she likely had something to do with it. “I’m very proud of you finally selling…that business of yours. And I doappreciate you giving the family the bookstore that we worked so hard to keep alive.” I can’t help but be utterly speechless at her empathetic and humble behavior. “I hope you can forgive me and be willing to give your old mother a second chance?”
I have to respond and turn to her with tears springing to my eyes. “Mama, I never gave up on us. I, um, I hope you know I never meant to bring dishonor to the family, I just wanted a better future for us.” Her lips suddenly tighten but then she nods, her hand resting on mine, giving it a squeeze.
“I know, I know….” She shuts her eyes, trying to get a hold of her emotions. “Well, at least thanks to your former job you met one fine man I must say.”
I have to giggle when Andries looks at the two of us, wondering why Mama is suddenly smiling at him, his lips spreading into a smile filled with pride. Taking her champagne, she sips it gently and swallows, still smiling at the flavors merging together.
Once the speech ends, everyone claps and I do the same, even though I have no idea what the executive was talking about. The food on the table progresses into smaller meals, and it is truly in the presence of a family coming together. I can see Andries wishes that more of his family was involved and wanting to celebrate with us. He takes my hand as a band starts to play and everyone at the table claps when we leave the table and start to sway on the dance floor. My head is spinning from the champagne and also the fact that it is actually over. No more business. Just the future. It’s terrifying, but also so damn thrilling.
“I can’t believe you got my mother here,” I tell him, our bodies pressed against one another. “And that she actually spoke to me and apologized.”
“When I told her you were selling the agency, she seemed quite happy about it,” he says a bit shyly. “But if I’m honest, I think Lili had something to do with your mom’s behavior.”
“Thank you for everything,” I say in a whisper. “Having my mother apologize and be willing to turn the page means the world to me.”
“I understand.” His eyes are twinkling and his lips curve into a small smile. “I wish mine could have been here too.”
I can’t help but feel slightly guilty, and I know that his mother would likely wanted to have come, but maybe there’s more to that situation than I actually know. “Maybe your mom had other impediments?”
He blanches quickly. “I think now that she knows I haven’t been going to business school her opinion of me might have changed a bit—and not for the better.” My heart falls as I watch the disappointment in his gaze. “It doesn’t matter. Everything is going to be great. For us, at least.” He presses his lips against mine and the music comes to a close. But what he just said startles me. I didn’t know he had revealed to his family that he hadn’t gone to business school and instead was studying English.