11
Kevin refuses to give up. He drives around looking for another hotpot place.
After circling around, by the time we arrive, the restaurant is nearly empty.
It’s hardly lively at all.
The hunger pangs have passed. I’ve lost my appetite.
D
12:36 PM
P
Tommy was scolded by Kevin earlier. He looks dejected as he enters, no longer smiling happily.
Kevin stubbornly orders a lot of food.
I take a few bites then put down my chopsticks.
Tommy clearly has no appetite either, but doesn’t dare not eat under Kevin’s watchful eye.
When he really can’t eat anymore, Tommy looks at me pitifully, wanting me to say something.
I lower my head, pretending not to see.
We sit in silence at the table.
Things have been ruined again.
The waiter watches from the side, feeling somewhat sorry for us. She comes over.
“Sir, we offer takeout boxes for free. You can take the leftovers home to eat later if you’d like.”
Kevin finally loses his temper.
He angrily throws his chopsticks on the table.
Yelling at Tommy:
“If you don’t want to eat then don’t eat!”
Tommy visibly relaxes, his cheeks still puffed out pitifully and comically.
Of course, we don’t take any food to go.
After dinner Kevin drags me to buy jewelry.
It’s already past 11pm. Tommy has never stayed up this late before. He keeps yawning in the car.
But it doesn’t matter. Kevin has a plan.
He’s determined to make it up to me.
He drives us to a 24–hour jewelry store.
To the bored sales assistant picking at her nails, he waves his hand grandly, saying pick out a set of jewelry for his wife.
The assistant’s eyes light up.
Kevin looks at me, guilt on his face.
“After all these years, I still owe you a proper wedding set.”
We got married right after graduating college.
Both our parents disapproved. Forget a wedding set – our “wedding” was just the two of us having a nice meal at a restaurant.
No friends to witness it, no family to give blessings.
But we were both so determined.
We loved each other so much back then. During the meal he held me and cried.
Kept saying he was sorry, so sorry for letting me down.
He’d make it up to me someday, he promised.
12:36 PM
<
But I wasn’t disappointed at all then.
I actually did have a ring.
The first year after we married, Kevin’s career got on track.
When he got his year–end bonus, he secretly bought me a ring as my New Year’s gift.
I’ll always remember that winter. It was so cold.
He came home dusty and tired, wearing just a thin shirt. He’d taken off his coat and was hugging it to his chest.
Icicles had formed on his eyelashes.
Like a magician, he pulled two roast ducks out from inside his coat.
“I brought these back from Beijing. The boss treated us to a meal. It was delicious, so I bought two for you to try.”
I looked at him and smiled.
He got flustered and urged me:
“What are you smiling at? Hurry and eat before it gets cold and loses its flavor.”
I smiled and took a bite. I don’t remember how the duck tasted. I just know I started crying.
He panicked and fretted around me.
He took a bite himself.
“Does it taste that bad?”
I shook my head, still crying.
“You brought back two whole ducks from Beijing. Didn’t your coworkers laugh at you?”
He spun around anxiously, then pulled out a ring from his coat.
“Ah, I was planning to give this to you on your birthday. How could I just bring you two ducks? Don’t cry.”
I put on the ring and kissed him.
“Stop spinning around, you look so silly.”
“The duck is delicious. I love you so much.”
It seems I’ve always cried over him. I cried when he loved me too much, and I cried when he stopped loving me.
My tears have revolved around him for so many years, until they finally ran dry.
