The dinner had a pleasant start, but it wasn't long before Megan began to fawn over Carlos. "Uncle Carlos, this is popcorn chicken. I helped Tabitha cook it. Give it a try, please."
"Mmm," Carlos said, unwilling to say more with a mouthful of food. The look on his face and the sounds of chewing were enough to gauge how he felt.
"Uncle Carlos, taste the soup. I helped Tabitha flavor it. Does it taste good?" Megan put a bowl of soup on the table, setting it down in front of Carlos.
She acted as if she were the hostess, and anyone who didn't know better might believe that Megan was Carlos' wife.
His face deadpan, Carlos answered "Mmm" again. He was a man of few words, yet those few words usually said enough.
Still, Megan continued to pile food onto his plate, and soon his place was inundated with all sorts of tasty dishes.
Debbie, on the other hand, grew angry when she saw this. As any woman would be. Tabitha kept putting food onto Debbie's plate, ignoring the gal's rage. Debbie had to take a deep breath to suppress her anger, so she wouldn't snap at the wrong person.
She lowered her head and ate her food quietly. Suddenly, a piece of fish was put onto her plate and the man finally spoke, his mouth finally forming words that were not just sounds. "I boned the fish."
Debbie paused for a moment. If Tabitha were not here, she would mock him, "So you finally remember your own wife, huh?"
She put on a fake smile and said icily, "Thank you."
Before long, he put a piece of raw lobster onto her plate. "I remember you like seafood. Mom made a couple of dishes just for you. Here..."
Tabitha smiled at Debbie, "This lobster was flown in from Australia earlier today. It was very fresh, so I just sliced it. You'll love it."
"I really appreciate it, Mom!" Debbie gave Tabitha a sweet smile, and ate the lobster. She always loved lobster, ever since she was a little girl. Even when she was too young to properly shell it, her dad had always made sure to give her some. It was a nearly lifelong love affair with the dish. Carlos now paid all his attention to his wife. When Debbie was about to pick up a piece of lobster again, he was one step ahead of her and picked it up himself.
Debbie stared at Carlos in confusion. He dipped the lobster into the sauce before putting it onto Debbie's plate. Then he picked up another piece of lobster with shell and began to shell it.
Debbie's jaw dropped. She approached Carlos and whispered in his ear, "Put it down. Mom and Megan haven't touched the lobster yet."
He answered with a shrug, "They're not fond of lobster."
"Don't worry about us, Debbie. I'm allergic to it, and Megan hates seafood." But that didn't echo her thoughts. What Tabitha was really thinking was, 'My ungrateful son forgot his mother after he got married.
Look, how considerate he is. He boned the fish and shelled the lobster for his wife, but he didn't dish up anything for me.' Despite her thoughts Tabitha was glad that Carlos and Debbie loved each other.
"Allergic? Are you okay now? You sliced the lobster." Worry was obvious in Debbie's eyes.
Tabitha shook her head. "Don't worry. As long as I don't eat it, I'm good."
"Er... Mom, have some of this." Debbie placed the almond curd in syrup in front of Tabitha.
"Thank you, Debbie." Tabitha scooped it onto her plate.
"How about you? Are you allergic to seafood? Or just don't like it?" Debbie asked Carlos.
He shook his head.
'Come on! Can't he say something? He's acting like a mime!' Debbie rolled her eyes secretly. 'They say silence is golden, but this is ridiculous!'
Megan was the first one to finish. Then Tabitha, and finally, Carlos. He had eaten slowly on purpose, because he knew Debbie had a good appetite and she would feel embarrassed if she was left eating alone. Besides, he liked to take his time, and not much would make him rush. Even if the house were on fire, he might simply walk out of the door, calmly and elegantly.
Debbie was still eating, while Tabitha and Megan ate some fruit as a dessert and chatted with each other.
Debbie felt a little embarrassed. 'This is the first meal that I've had with my mother-in-law. Will she freak when she sees me eating so much?'
Carlos noticed that Debbie was distracted. He put a piece of bamboo shoot onto her plate and said, "Here, have some more!" It was his quiet way of telling her to focus on her meal.
Debbie came back to her senses.
Megan was amazed by Debbie's good appetite and exclaimed, "Aunt Debbie, you've eaten so much! How do you even keep that wonderful figure? I really admire you."
Debbie couldn't tell whether she was praising her or mocking her. She gave Megan a smile and continued eating.
As a thoughtful woman, Tabitha chimed in, "Debbie, a good appetite is a blessing. Take your time."
Debbie was almost moved to tears. How lucky she was to have such a good husband and a caring mother-in-law! "I will, Mom."
After the dinner, Carlos asked the housemaid to make a fruit platter for Debbie. Looking at more than a dozen fruits on the platter, Debbie gulped them all down. She loved fruit, and after taking so much time to eat, there was some room left in her stomach.
Megan stayed at the villa until 9 in the evening. As a result, Tabitha invited her to stay overnight.
Debbie shrugged. 'Whatever! Carlos will be sleeping with me. Megan won't have a chance.'
All was quiet in the dead of night.
Tabitha knocked on the door of the study, and after Carlos gave his assent, she entered. Carlos was working on his laptop. Tabitha closed the door behind her and sat opposite him. "You busy now?"
"I always have time for you. What do you need?" Carlos asked in reply.
"You and Debbie..." She paused, not knowing how to say it. "You know, your father..."
Carlos remained silent.
Tabitha continued, "He thinks the eldest daughter of the Li family..."
"Mom!" Carlos interrupted her. "Debbie and I are married. Tell him to not interfere in my affairs when you get back home." Determination was written all over his face.
Thinking of her husband stubbornness, Tabitha flashed an embarrassed smile. Carlos folded his laptop and said in a soft voice, "Mom, I will tell him about myself. Don't worry about it."
"No! I know how you are. If you spoke to him yourself, you'd just end up in a big fight. I'll talk to him." said Tabitha. Carlos and James Huo, his father, always had fight with each other over decisions about the company. They gave no quarter, and there was no reason to think they'd be any different.
After a short pause, Carlos said, "Actually, it was Grandpa who asked me to marry Debbie. But now, I've fallen in love with her. It doesn't matter what dad thinks, I'm with her for a long haul."
"Your grandpa?"
"Yeah. Grandpa felt indebted to Debbie's grandma." Debbie's grandmother and Douglas Huo, Carlos' grandfather, were not only classmates, but also each other's first love. Because of the unrest in the country dozens of years ago, they were forced to separate. It took more than a dozen years for them to find each other again.
But when they finally reunited, they both were married--to other people!
Debbie's grandmother had waited for Douglas Huo for more than ten years before she had gotten married. The last time they had met each other, she was on her deathbed.
Douglas Huo felt guilty and indebted to her when he knew that she had waited for him for so many years.
Back then, she pointed at Debbie who was washing some towels, and said, "I'm only worried about my granddaughter. Her mother left her when she was born. She's had a hard life. Could you please do me a favour? If you know a nice boy, send him her way. She needs a good man..."
Douglas Huo agreed without any hesitation and kept that in mind.
Not long after Debbie's grandmother's death, Douglas Huo also fell deathly ill. When he got over his illness and went to visit the Nian family again, Artie, Debbie's father was already in bad health.