Imperfect Desires

Xiu was equally amazed and dumbfounded when she finally learned what actually was going on in this family. From her perspective, everything seemed so simple and yet these people had made it seem so complicated.

Standing outside Nora's room, she knocked on the door and waited. Getting no response, she was getting impatient. "Nora! Open the door before I tear it down!"

Still no response. Wow! This girly was really acting stubbornly.

"If you didn't open the door, I'm gonna take my bat to beat Ah-Si once again!"

*Click!*

Xiu smirked to herself. The threats always work. Why can't people hear her out when she's being nice and all? They just have to push her to use her threats. 

Xiu walked inside the room following the sullen-looking Nora who seemed like her soul had left her body. "Can you at least do something about your hair?" Nora pushed her hair from her face and looked at her. 

"Happy?"

Xiu shook her head. "Not really." Nora was about to sit down when Xiu held her hand and dragged her out of the room. 

"Hey! Xiu'er! What are you doing?!" 

Although Nora seemed stronger than Xiu physically, Xiu was still able to drag her out and bring her downstairs without any trouble. No matter how Nora tried to hit her, slap her, kick her, squirm her way out, it didn't work. 

Xiu dragged her before her parents and let her hand go saying, "I used to think that Dylan is the most immature person I've come across in my life but I have to disagree with myself now. You're worse than him." She poked her head making Nora wince. "Instead of trying to find a way to make it up to your parents, you decided to lock yourself in the room? What are you? Four? What kind of tantrums are you throwing at this age?"

Nora looked at Xiu with an aggrieved look on her face. "I wasn't throwing any tantrums. They both didn't want to see me so I just decided to stay out of their way!"

Xiu rolled her eyes and sighed out, "Clara mom and Uncle Jing, you don't want to see her now?"

"We never said that," they both denied firmly.

"But..." Nora turned her eyes towards her parents. "You both just turned away from me."

Xiu smacked on her head without holding back, "And that's why you got so moody? They needed time. Is it that wrong?"

"Are you really trying to take their side now?"

"Oh, shut up!" Nora immediately sealed her lips when she saw the look in Xiu's eyes. "Have you ever thought about how lucky you are to have such parents? I'm willing to exchange everything for a chance to have parents like yours." Nora's brows drew together. "They always loved you. And when you let them down, they are still not disappointed in you. Heck! They are not even angry with you. You really don't know how lucky you are to have them."

Xiu was breathing heavily. She truly envied Nora for this one thing. And she didn't lie when she said she was willing to exchange anything to have a chance, just once to have parents like Clara and Jing Ge. From her own experience, she knew how very fortunate Nora was.

Nora again looked at her parents who didn't try to talk between them. But she could see how her father held her mother in his arms as if to silently support her. 

"Instead of disappointment and anger, they both are sad. Not because you let them down, but because you chose to share your pain with your grandmother rather than them who stood by you at every step of the way!"

"I know I wasn't supposed to go to grandma but what could I do? I had seen how mom raised me all on her own. I had seen how much she went through as a single mother. She had finally found her happiness with dad. I didn't want to come between them. I was truly lost. I didn't know what to do..." Nora's voice broke down as her tears fell down again.

Clara came up to Nora and held her face up while wiping her tears. "If you felt lost, you should have come to mom. I was supposed to show you the way. How could you not even believe in me?"

"I did believe in you, mom," Nora held Clara's hand. "But I was scared that I'd become the reason for a fight between you and dad. I didn't want to see you lonely again."

"And here I thought I had done everything like a real father. I guess I failed somehow."

Hearing Jing Ge's words Nora was startled, "I didn't mean it, dad. You know how much I love you." Xiu watched the tearful, heartfelt reunion of the family as they talked and tried to understand each other better. She stayed silent to let them talk it out and solve everything like adults instead of running away like kids. 

"Can we all just hug and get over this?" Everyone turned to look at Xiu who finally spoke up. "These tears are bothering me a lot now. Let's just hug and forget everything. What's done is really done. Nobody can change it now."

"Is this your way of solving everything with your boyfriend?" Clara teased Xiu while wiping her own tears. 

Xiu slid close to her and hugged her saying, "Of course, it's the best solution."

Nora joined the hug saying, "Best solution? I'd say you have become shameless after falling in love."

"If it's for love, being shameless is not that bad," Jing Ge chimed in as he hugged these three ladies of his house. "Now, when am I seeing my granddaughter? It feels weird saying, granddaughter. I suddenly feel old."

"Get used to it then, husband." Clara smiled softly. "Our Nora might be a baby girl to us but we can't forget she also has a baby girl of her own now."

 "Eeehh... I can't believe someone is about to call me aunt. Aiyo! I don't want it."

Clara and Jing Ge laughed at Xiu's reaction while Nora was looking down with a flustered look. 

"Can you stop teasing me now?"

Xiu pinched her cheeks saying, "We can't at least until you stop locking yourself like a kid in the room. Can you imagine what your Ava would say once I tell her how her mother always locked herself up in her room over small things?"

"Get over it already, I was upset!"

"Excuses!"

"Xiu'er!"

"What?"

"I'm gonna tell Darren all about your..."

"My what?" Xiu cut her off.

"All your bad habits."

"Be my guest! My Regan would still love me anyway!"

"Show-off!"

Both Clara and Jing Ge were amused to see these two arguing again. The house seemed livelier with their banters. But they both only realized today how these girls were now grown-ups and eventually would have to leave this house and them as well. No matter how reluctant they'd be, they will have to leave.