learning about Meiling

As soon as they kids finished their ice cream, they got up begging to run around and play in the park. "Please Meiling! Please!" Emma pleaded. Meiling smiled and said ""It's fine with me, but it's up to your father." She looked at Tom and raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Tom?"

Tom hesitated for a moment, not completely paying attention as he pondered what had happened.

"Tom, can the kids play for awhile?" she asked again.

This time her question penetrated the fog of his brain. "Oh...yeah, sure," he answered.

Meiling turned to Emma. "Go ahead sweetie. Have fun!"

"Yah!!!" she yelled out, running a few steps before coming back to give Meiling a tight hug. Then she ran off again with Josh following. "Watch your sister!" Meiling called after him.

Tom watched their interplay. Meiling seemed even closer to his children than Su-lin had been. Then again, if she had somehow ended up marrying him, she WOULD be very close to his family. There was no denying the love in her eyes when she looked at Emma and Josh though.

Meiling tilted her head as she examined his expression. "Lost in thought?" she finally asked.

Tom shook his head. "Sorry, not sure where my head is at," he apologized. He covered his awkwardness with a bit of honesty. "I was just thinking about you and the kids - I can see how much you love them." He looked into her dark eyes, getting lost for a moment. She was very beautiful. She was even shorter than Sarah - maybe 5'1 or 5'2 - with a petite build that had just the right amount of curves. Her face and body had a youthful timeliness that made it impossible to guess her age at first glance. He figured she could pass anything from 14 to 24 depending on her clothing and makeup - but he figured if she was 'like' Su-lin, she must be 19 or so.

She gave him a sweet smile that had a hint of sadness. "As if they were my own..." she said. She reach out to put her hand on his. "I started with Josh when he was barely one, right? It was my first babysitting job when I turned twelve. So I've cared for him for seven years - and Emma her whole life so far."

His expression remained neutral as he absorbed the conversation, parsing her words for each tidbit of info.

Her smiled dropped and she gently squeezed his hand. "It's not too weird is it? This makes you think of her?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Tom asked in a confused voice.

Meiling sighed and took his other hand as well. "I know the date, Tom. Two years since Sarah died. I've pretty much been a part of this family since then, if I wasn't before. With you having to deal with everything, it was me who cared for the kids almost every night. I remember how broken you were. Your grief ... your clear love for Sarah and the kids is what made me fall in love with you to begin with."

"Two years!" Tom started. "But...." his voice trailed off as he started to put the pieces together. "You were there for me," he said finally.

She smiled again. "Yes, I tried to be. But it took time. Aside from your grief, I don't think you could let yourself even consider me that way at 17. And even once I was 18, it took me months to get you to finally kiss me." She gave a small laugh. "Though I know you were attracted to me for a long time before that. Don't deny it!"

Tom shook his head. "No, I mean I would have never..."

She cut in. "I'm teasing. I remember how you looked at me but you never once said or did anything inappropriate. You were always the perfect gentleman - and loyal to Sarah. That's why it was so hard for you to see me as more than your old babysitter - as a possible girlfriend. I'm surprised you didn't wonder why I never had a boyfriend. Why I always managed to be available when you needed me for the kids. I loved them - and you, even then."

"I guess you didn't have much of a social life?" he asked.

Meiling scoffed. "As if! You know the answer to that." She paused and sighed again. "That reminds me. I'll be busy a couple nights next week. I'm rushing Kappa Phi Lamba."

"Kappa Phi what?" Tom asked. "Is that a sorority?"

"Yes, Tom, it's a sorority" she laughed again and rolled her eyes. "It's as much a service organization as a social one, so it sounds the best of the ones that have tried to recruit me." Her shoulders slumped as her face fell. "It'll make Mom happy anyway to see me join an Asian cultural group like that. Things are still pretty tense with them, you know. Even with you waiting until I was 19 for the wedding, I'm lucky they haven't completely cut me off. Staying in college was one of the dealbreakers I think - and with my scholarships, it would be a waste to not even try, I guess." She leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. "Even though I'd rather have taken this semester off, if not longer, to settle into being a wife and mom. That's more than enough for me right now."

Tom returned the kiss, savoring the soft sensation and sweetness - so different from his kisses with Sarah. Meiling sat back, slipping his arm around her shoulders so she could snuggle against him on the bench. Tom ran his fingers through her long, dark hair and said "I think it's good for to be school. You are a wonderful young woman - wife and mother. But don't give up on your education for me, okay?" A surge of affection for her rose up inside. "You're smart and capable. You deserve to develop yourself into the best YOU, whoever that is. And making new friends, being part of an organization - that stuff is important too. Don't define yourself ONLY as a wife and mother!"

She looked up at his face, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Oh Tom, you are sooo caring and giving. I'm lucky to have you. I love you."

Before Tom could say anything else, Emma came running back, sobbing as tears ran down her face. Meiling immediately turned to enfold her in her arms. "What's wrong Emma?" she asked in a gentle voice. Emma couldn't speak through her sobs but just pointed at her legs. Tom could see a nasty scrap on her knee. It looked shallow but was bleeding.

"She fell off the swings!" Josh called out as he ran up.

"Come on, bunny," Meiling said, sweeping Emma up into her arms. "Let's get you fixed up. We have some bandaids and salve in the car." She motioned at Tom with her head to follow as she walked off.