And she sensed he didn’t wish to talk about it. “How long ago did you leave?”
“Over twenty years.”
“And you never returned?”
He shook his head.
“Do you wish to?”
Another shake. “No. There’s nothing there for me anymore. There hasn’t been in a long time. The place where I grew up has changed so much that I suspect I would find it unrecognizable.”
“And yet you appear so at ease here, among your people. Speaking your native language.”
“I am at ease. I share a bond with these people. We come from the same place, have the same customs, speak the same language, sometimes, have similar life experiences. That creates a sense of familiarity. I’ve learned to adapt to my new homeland, but among my people, I feel… understood. But I’m not looking back. I’ve always lived my life looking forward.”
She leaned forward in her chair, placed her hand over his where it rested on the table. “What are you looking forward to?”
“Right now? I’m looking forward to helping you recover.”
That was a mighty amount of expectation to place upon her.
“What if I don’t?”
His hand turned to embrace hers. “You will. You are.”
“I still have a long way to go,” she said softly.
“And I’ll be there every step of the way.”
His eyes were so earnest. “Why is it so important to you?”
Instead of answering, he replied with a question of his own. “What about you, Esther? What are you looking forward to when you recover?”
Once again, he stole her breath. Not only with the use of her name, but by asking about her hopes and dreams. She hadn’t had any in so long. For years now, her existence had been about survival. Even now, all her focus was on simply getting better. She forgot about dreaming. Forgot about living.
Esther wished she could think of something profound or fun to say. But as silly as it was, the image that came to mind was that of a hot-air balloon soaring. She had seen one as a child, and had been fascinated by the sight, the possibilities. What would it be like to float? To rise over the city and the fields?
“I look forward to riding in a hot-air balloon,” she declared and had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen and his brows rise in surprise. Esther couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. She had surprised, even shocked, the unflappable Wang.
He joined in her laughter, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“I thought you would say something like dancing at a ball. But a hot-air balloon? You are adventuresome.”
“I’ve never been. But after being stuck and confined for so long, without even being able to walk, now I would like to fly.”
“And so you shall, my lady.”
“Esther,” she corrected softly, smiling at him. Now that she had heard her name on his lips, she couldn’t go back to him calling her the impersonal ‘my lady’.
He nodded, smiling back at her. “Kaiwen.”
“Pardon me?”
“My given name is Kaiwen. If I am to call you Esther, you must call me Kai, the way my family used to.”
“Kai,” she repeated. Savoring the name. It was simple and elegant. But also playful and youthful. It evoked a little boy running through a meadow laughing with joy. “It suits you.”
He tilted his head. “How so? Do you know its meaning?”
