Mean's POV

I made a call to P'Plan on Friday evening. I braced myself for a torrent of protests the moment that I would announce to him that I wouldn't be able to see him this weekend because my father was coming over to Taiwan and needed me here with him.

I tried calling again when he did not pick up. I was starting to get upset when I was routed to his voicemail once more.

On the third unsuccessful attempt to get through to him, I gave  up, not bothering to leave any messages in his voicemail.

Just what was going on??? Was he with P'Chao again??? I swear I'm gonna kill them both if I find out that they were seeing each other behind my back!!!

I alternated between feeling depressed and feeling angry. And then I started to feel anxious. What if P'Chao was able to convince P'Plan that he was the better guy, that he could love him more than I could, that he could make him happier more than I ever could???

My pillows started to get soaked by my tears.

I fell asleep out of mental and physical exhaustion.

I was awakened by a banging on my door. It was the company driver. He said we were running late in picking up my dad at the airport.

Shit! I took a really hurried shower and got dressed as quickly as I could. I had no time to look at myself closely in the mirror. I hoped that my dad would not notice my puffy red eyes and the dark circles around them.

We arrived just in time to see passengers from Thai Airways coming out into the arrival lobby.

I saw my dad and started walking towards him. Then I stopped dead in my tracks. I rubbed my eyes once, twice, thrice. 

Was I still asleep and just dreaming? Because there was P'Plan walking right behind my Dad lagging a small suitcase, looking at me with a happy smile.

I forgot all about my dad. I ran past Dad and hugged P'Plan like I would never let him go.

In my intense relief that he wasn't with P'Chao, and in my overwhelming happiness that he was here with me, I took off the ring I was wearing and knelt down in front of him.

"P'Plan, will you please marry me?" I asked in all seriousness, handing my ring over to him.

P'Plan could not say a word but kept nodding happily.

"Are you sure about this?" My dad spoke up.

"Of course I am, Dad," I replied, but then I realized that Dad was not looking at me. He was asking his question to P'Plan instead of me!

Again, P'Plan just kept nodding happily as I pushed my ring into his left ring finger.

"The reason I am asking if you're sure about it, young man, is because you might not be aware that my son can be a difficult person to live with," my dad said, looking at P'Plan very seriously.

"Dad!" I protested, feeling very offended, "why are you trying to discourage P'Plan from marrying me?"

"I'm not trying to discourage him, son," my dad said gently and patiently, ""I'm just making sure that he knows what he's getting into but if in spite of that he still wants to marry you, that means he really loves you and is willing and able to live with you the way you are."

"I love you, Mean," P'Plan finally found his voice.

That made me burst into happy tears and right in front of my dad and a surprised crowd of airport onlookers, I grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him until we were both breathless.

I did not hear my dad muttering under his breath, "I knew he was the one for you that day that he first appeared at our doorstep."

THE END   THE END   THE END