Page 19 of The Other Side of Apart

Johnny nods, knowing exactly who I’m asking about. “Yeah. Been by to see him a few times. He’ll be okay.”

“Will you check on him every now and then? Just text me and let me know he’s okay? I can’t talk to him for so many reasons, but just wanna know.”

Johnny squeezes my shoulder. “Easy. You got it.”

“I owe you.”

“Uhh, yeah, you do. But we can figure all that out later, ’cause right now, you’re getting married.” Our focus shifts to the path where Guo shuffles toward us. I rush over and take her arm in mine to help her the rest of the way.

She pats my arm and chuckles. “I mentioned I am a love hunter, right? I forgot to mention I am a very good one. Probably the best.”

Before I can respond, my eyes catch the shimmer of Mei and Lin skipping toward us through the tree tunnel. Lin is humming an off-key wedding song, and Mei is laughing, the sound ringing all around us. She’s wearing a traditional white Chinese dress like the ones in Guo’s shop, the golden embroidery reflecting through the tree limbs. But her smile lights the whole backyard, and mine stretches toward it, my hand over my heart as I blink against tears and light and another perfect still shot.

Lin and Mei slow, ducking under branches, and Mei hugs Lin, who goes and stands beside Johnny, Jerry, and Wen on the grass. Mei approaches me, biting her lip, and I lean down to kiss her, but Guo slaps my chest before our lips connect.

“Oh, no you don’t,” she scolds while Lin and Johnny laugh. “Plenty of time for that later. For now, you wait and listen to me because I am just so happy and love being so right.” Everyone laughs again, Guo included. “I saw this coming, you know. Many months ago, I asked you to ask Magic 8 a question, and here weare. Magic 8 and I make a good team. But Guo always knows.” She beams, and I squeeze Mei’s hand as she leans into my side.

“Now, I would like you to face each other.” She motions at us, and I turn to Mei, holding her hands and staring into her eyes.“Hey. I love you. 365 forever.”

She smiles up at me. “I love you more than whatever’s more than 365 forever.”

“We’re really doing this.”

Her eyes sparkle.“It’s exactly what I want to be doing. Perfect.”

Guo says a few things in Chinese, and I send another silent message to Mei. “You’re it,Me.”But she doesn’t get to respond before Guo interrupts our private conversation, and I smile and say “I do” out loud.“I so, so do,”I add just to Mei.

She says “I do” when it’s her turn, not taking her eyes from mine, and Guo asks us to exchange rings. I don’t have the time or money to buy Mei the ring she deserves, but I have something that will work for now. I can afford perfect later.

I hold out the silver ring with an infinity symbol joining the two sides. “A placeholder until I can buy you a real wedding ring,” I say, sliding it onto her ring finger.

She holds her hand out so she can look at it. “This is perfect, Marcus. I don’t want another ring. Only this one.” Her smile glints off the silver. “I got you a ring, too.”

Lin hands it to her, and when Mei slides it onto my finger, I smile at a mood band just like the ones Guo sells in her shop.

“So I always know how you’re feeling,” Mei says.

I look at it and meet her eyes.“Hey, Mei Li Miller.”

“Not yet! Hurry up! I’m dying right now.”She wiggles her knees. And then my eyes tell her exactly what I want to happen as soon as we get out of here, and her eyebrows rise to the heavens.

Guo clicks her tongue. “Please. Save the dirty talk for later. Leave me out of it.” She chuckles, and Mei’s face burns, but I’m gonna make these thoughts very public if Guo doesn’t hurry up.

“So,” Guo says with a grin, bringing us back to the actual moment. “Xiao Mei. Are you ready to not be Mei Li Zhang anymore?”

Mei blinks back tears, her smile faltering. “I never really was, so Mei Li Miller is the only version of me I want to be.”

Guo searches her face, then nods once. “Today, you are changing your name for a new life—one you choose.”

She and Guo share an unspoken understanding. “I’m so ready,” Mei says.

Guo throws her hands in the air. “Then my magical paper and I say, ‘Ta-da!’ You two are legally married! You are now Mei Li Miller! And you!” She turns to me. “You are still Marcus Miller, but now you can kiss Mei Li as your wife.”

I smile down at Mei, then lean in, putting all my feelings into a kiss that brings her to her tiptoes with her arms around my neck. We keep it up until Johnny groans, and he and Lin move away, making gagging sounds.

“Okay, yep—got it, Miller,” he calls. “Or Millers. Whatever. Do this on your own time.”

We break apart, and I reach for Guo, wrapping my arms around her. Mei joins our hug, followed by Johnny and Lin. A big, laughing circle of relieved, happy people as Jerry and Wen clap and laugh. Mei swipes tears from her face and Lin’s as they hug and laugh-cry.

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