Shestood up and ignored the feeling of gratitude threatening to strangle her heart. Knowing that, despite her absence, someoneshe used to love and respect cared for her family warmed her in a way she was not ready to examine. It would only highlight how awful she had been as a sister and daughter. How selfish she had been in the single-minded pursuit of her dreams.
It twisted something inside her.
Jake had always been family before she left.
He’d clearly never stopped playing the role.
Gia scooped up Tuy?t Mai and cradled her on her hip as she walked around the restaurant. It looked much the same as it had in her childhood. The scent of fried food and warm spices remained the same, as did the slightly scuffed walls, but they had replaced the old cash box with a modern computer system.
It still felt like home.
Her stomach grumbled at the scent of egg rolls wafting in from the kitchen, where her parents were. Until now, Gia had done nearly anything to avoid seeing them. Truthfully, she was nervous about the inevitable encounter.
Minh worked as a waitress and cashier. In the past, Gia used to run food back and forth from the kitchen, pretending she was a model strutting a runway, balancing bowls like a pro.
She wasn’t that girl anymore.
Tuy?t Mai tugged at her hair before reaching for Minh. Her happy squeals did weird things to Gia’s heart. She handed the toddler off and watched the way her sister smiled at her daughter.
Would she ever look at someone like that? Ever have a family of her own?
Minh broke through her thoughts with a question. “I’m going to change her diaper. Can you help for a bit?”
Grateful for the excuse, Gia nodded.
She slid behind the counter, checked her phone, and typed a quick response to Alex.
Gia
Can’t. Out of town.
Hopefully, it would appease him for now.
A young couple seated by the window flagged her down. Gia took their order without a notepad, as if it were second nature to her. She smiled politely and walked the order back to the kitchen.
Dad was frying egg rolls. Mom chopped vegetables. A familiar scene from her past. The nostalgia bit at her, seeing how much things had changed.From her vantage point, she could see how much the past decade had aged her parents. What used to be dark hair on both of them was now riddled with silver. Their postures seemed more stooped, while the lines etched on their faces belied their ages.
They hadn’t noticed her until she cleared her throat. Mom looked up first, eyes widening in recognition. Her hands halted briefly before resuming their task. She yelled over her shoulder to get Dad’s attention, who paused in tossing the egg rolls in his wok. As they gaped at her, she offered a weak wave as anxiety gripped her. She hadn’t been ready for the encounter.
She was about to turn on her heel when Mom’s expression changed, lips pressed together into a thin line. With a tip of her chin, she nodded sharply. “What they want?”
Gia stammered, reverting to her native language to relay the order. Mom nodded, and Gia took it as permission to swiftly exit the kitchen.
There had been no fuss. No fanfare. Just like old times. It was oddly comforting and slightly shocking that she could slide back to the old version of herself so seamlessly.
Could it really be so easy?
She headed back to the front. Strode determinedly past Jake, ignoring the heat of his stare as he trailed her movements. The kitchen bell chimed, indicating an order was ready to be served. Gia glanced behind her to see Minh was now seated at the table, juggling a giggling Tuy?t Mai. She smiled at the endearing image of the happy family.
Gia rushed to the back and grabbed the next order, balancing a tray of steaming hot soup with side plates of bean sprouts andmint in her hands. It felt so natural for her to revert to her waitress days. She hurried out of the kitchen and served it to the young couple with a smile plastered expertly on her face. It all came back to her. The motions, the rhythm, the routine.
Another bell.
This time, Dad said the food was for the kids and Jake. She groaned inwardly at having to serve Jake. She was hoping to get by without having to talk to him again. Every time she walked past him, his eyes tracked her like a predator. It made her skin feel hot and itchy.
Part awareness. Part arousal. Jake was much too perceptive, and she hadn’t missed the way he’d tensed at the table when he looked over her face. No doubt he saw the bruises she was trying to hide. It’s none of his business, though.
He lost that privilege a long time ago.
