Julie.

"Hi, guys!" Julie exclaimed, waving excitedly at the group as she walked through the entrance of the hotel.

The thirteen women turned to greet her with gasps and squeals as she walked up to them.

"I see you got my... I mean, Iris' gifts!" Julie smiled, exchanging cheek kisses with the group. "You girls are figures of feminine elegance in your cheongsam!"

The women thanked Julie for her compliment in mix of English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

"You're welcome!" Julie smiled as she examined each of the dresses. "These fit you perfectly!"

"Thank you!" Iris beamed as she stepped back to show off her red gown. "This is the same one I wore to my wedding!"

"You fit in it! Impressive!" Julie smiled. "I wish I could still fit in mine!"

"How did you get our measurements?" Zoe blurted out.

"I'm a journalist, remember?" Julie winked at the young software engineer with a knowing smile. "That and my husband pulled some strings with people at NASA to get the measurements of your flight suits."

"Why did you... I mean, auntie Iris give us cheongsam?" Natalie asked.

"When I found out from my producer that the entire crew of the Priapus Program would be all Chinese-Americans I felt very proud," Julie answered, signalling everyone to sit down on the sofas. "Despite all of our professional accomplishments, speak fluent English without a lick of an accent, and have Anglo names we are still considered outsiders. I had to work doubly hard to stand out from my white peers."

Some of the girls nodded, understanding similar professional situations they had faced themselves.

Julie paused to look around to see who was within earshot before she continued. "When I was a young reporter working at an Ohio TV station the news director told me that I would never make it as a top news anchor if I didn’t alter my appearance. He told me to my face that the shape of my monolid eyes often made me look 'disinterested' and that I would never make it as an anchor because I'm Chinese -- our audience couldn't relate to me because I'm not like them. So I had cosmetic surgery to give me double eyelids..."

Some of the girls gasped.

"Why?" Zoe asked.

"I was twenty-five and new to the industry. I wasn't going to say no to the news director. He didn't put a gun to my head but told me the cold, hard truth of the business," Julie replied with a sigh. "I was raised to believe in myself based on what I could do with my brain, not my looks. That's why initially I was surprised to hear the news director recommend the surgery. I felt naive. After much thought and discussing it with my parents, I made the decision to do it.

"I didn’t feel unattractive before I got it done. I wasn’t a beauty queen, but I wasn’t a horror show either. I got the surgery not to look better, but to look more interested and engaged when I’m interviewing someone on TV. The benefit was that I did look better, at least by societal standards.

"I have no regrets getting the blepharoplasty, even after some family members told me that I was denying my heritage by making myself look 'less Asian.' They had double eyelids themselves!" Julie shook her head. "I had no shame revealing that I had the surgery on my talk show and I got a lot of support from the Asian community after that."

She paused to wipe a tear from her eyes, avoiding to smear her mascara, and smiled at the group. "I'm proud of you as Americans participating in the Priapus Program but I'm very proud of you all as Chinese-Americans for all the hard work you had to accomplish to get into the program."

Iris gave Julie a much welcomed hug.

"Will you be joining us for dinner?" Iris wondered.

"No," Julie shook her head. "Again, I want one of your last meals before you embark on your project to be with each other."

"So what brings you to the hotel?" Iris asked.

"My son wanted to meet your son before he left," Julie answered as she stepped to the side to reveal the shy teenager standing behind her. "Say hi to everyone, Charlie."

"Hi," the boy smiled nervously, stealing glances at the dozen beautiful women in skintight dresses.

"This is your son?" Iris smiled, pinching Charlie's cheek. "He's so big and handsome!"

"Yes," Julie nodded, smiling at her son while patting him on the head. "Hopefully as big and handsome like Jon!"

"Is it true that you're a Navy SEAL?" Charlie wondered.

"Yes, I am," Jonathan nodded humbly, "but also a doctor and astronaut."

"Have you ever killed anyone?" the boy asked, staring up at Jonathan with eyes wide open.

Jonathan paused to look at Julie and his mother before answering. "Anyone can take a life but it's harder to save one. I try to save lives now. What would you like to be when you grow up?"

"I dunno?" the boy shrugged as he looked at his mother.

"He still has a few more years before we even think about which university to apply to!" Julie smiled.

"Well, whatever you decide you want to be," Jonathan said, glancing at Julie before looking at Charlie directly, "you should do it to make you happy."

"I love video games!" Charlie blurted out with excitement.

"Me too!" Zoe chirped. "Learn to program and you can make your own video games!"

Charlie nodded excitedly.

"Thank you, Jon," Julie smiled. "I know as a teenager he's going to go through an identity crisis -- right now he hasn't expressed interest in his Chinese heritage but I hope by meeting the thirteen of you he would one day be proud of his ancestry."

"You're welcome," he nodded. "Do you want a group photo?"

"Yes, of course!" Julie cheered and took her phone out of her purse.

Iris waved at one of the front desk clerks to come over to take Julie's phone while the women arranged themselves to like beauty pageant contestants. Charlie stood in front of his mother while Jonathan stood behind his.

"Ready?" the front desk clerk asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Say cheese!"

"Cheese!"

"Thank you, miss," Julie said, "but do you mind taking photos of me with everyone individually?"

"I don't mind at all, Ms. Chen," the young woman smiled and graciously snapped photos of Julie with each member of the crew and Iris. The clerk handed the phone back to Julie as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Don't worry the restaurant bill," Julie said after giving everyone one last hug. "Order whatever you want from the menu. It's on my husband's credit card!"

"Thank you, Julie!" everyone cheered.

"It's the least I can do!" she smiled as she escorted them to the limo waiting outside for them.