Imperfect Desires

"I'll meet him in a few days," Dylan finally managed to say after a long silence.

Zhao Wei pursed her lips for a while, "Silly boy! Why are you avoiding him? I'd hate to see you lose a friend like him because of your sister. So, stop making excuses with yourself and talk to him."

"Ma, I missed you!" Dylan's voice came out like a whine. A whining tone that Zhao Wei was most familiar with. 

"I'm right here, why are you missing me?" she retorted trying to sound playful. 

Dylan held her tightly, her heart clenched in her chest when she felt something wet on her stomach where his face was buried. 

"Is it hurting?" she asked and Dylan didn't reply to her. "I'm sorry that you have to go through this. It isn't even your fault."

"It isn't your fault either," said Dylan. "Every mother loves her kids."

Zhao Wei gave a sad smile as she said, "But maybe my love wasn't enough."

"No," retorted Dylan as he lifted his tear-stained face. "Just because sis didn't understand your love, it doesn't make you a bad mother. You tried to stand by her side till the end! But she is the one who repeatedly pushed us to the point of no return."

Zhao Wei wiped his face gently, "Then why are you letting her ruin something beautiful in your life? Haven't you always been proud of your friendship with Regi? Why are you trying to put a strain on that friendship now? Is it really worth it? Is it worth it to ruin that friendship over a selfish person who always thought her own self?"

Dylan was left staring at his mother's face. No matter how strained the relationship between Zhao Wei and Qiu Meihui had been, it was the first time she called her own daughter, selfish. Dylan knew his sister was selfish, but it was his first time hearing the same from his mother who did everything just to cater to her selfishness all her life.

In the end, his sister never really understood their mother. She repeatedly attacked their mother with the most brutal words. Even now, it was her words that brought their mother to the death's door. He could never forgive his sister for that. 

"About her lawsuit," he began in a small voice but was cut off by Zhao Wei.

"I don't want to know," she replied making Dylan stunned for a minute. "Doesn't she often says that she feels like an orphan whose parents doesn't care about her? Then let her truly experience what it feels like to be an orphan. Don't bother hiring a lawyer for her."

"But dad..." Dylan wanted to say something but she gave him a look.

"I'll see how he goes against my decision," she said in a firm tone. Her words were like a silent spell that made Dylan shut up. He didn't dare bring up the name of his sister again.

It seemed his mother was really giving up on her daughter. 

Zhao Wei caressed his face, "I'll never let her take away the happiness of your life. So, it's better she stays far away from son. I'm done bowing my head before her stubbornness. I'm done ruining others' life just to make her happy. Why does other have to suffer for her stubbornness? She doesn't deserve that!"

Dylan smiled softly at his mother before he held her hand and said, "Ma, you're not a failed mother." Zhao Wei was startled by his sudden remark. "You're anything but a failed mother. You might have your shortcomings but who doesn't? At the end of the day, you'll always stay as my favorite person. That fact can't change. Just because sis couldn't see your efforts, doesn't mean I'll follow her footsteps. For me, you had always been perfect and you will always be perfect."

There were plenty of things Dylan didn't like about his mother but it never stopped him from loving her. Because he knew she loved him unconditionally. She had proved it repeatedly. She was the mother who cared about him, who scolded him when he was wrong, who pulled and pinched his ear whenever he messed around, who stayed up all night just to lower his temperature, who was always there waiting at the gate of his school with opened arms. How could he even hate her? 

And because he loved her so much, he couldn't understand why his sister couldn't see any of her good traits? Why did she always have to nitpick over their mother's shortcomings? 

"Find a good time to meet Regi," instructed Zhao Wei once again. "Don't let him wait for you any longer."

Dylan chuckled at her, "How do you know he is waiting?"

"Because I know him," she pinched his cheek. "You both have been inseparable since childhood, there is no way he isn't waiting for you. And he must be getting impatient now. So, you better go to see him before he comes to beat you up."

Dylan pouted at her, "If he comes to beat me, I'll just hide behind you. Won't you save me?"

"What do you think?" she asked rhetorically.

Dylan made a face at her, "I'll go to see him. I promise."

"And do go in this hideous way," said Zhao Wei in displeasure.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked as if he didn't know what was wrong with him.

"Find a mirror for yourself, you might faint from the shock though," said Zhao Wei. "If something really happened to me, were you planning on looking like this on my funeral? Even my ghost friends would have gotten scared of seeing you."

"MA!" exclaimed Dylan. "Would you stop saying nonsense to me?!"

Zhao Wei cleared her throat, "I'm just joking."

"Well, don't joke around like this," he grumbled. "I don't like it. I don't want you to joke about your life. I still need you. Don't you say I'm just a kid. How can you even think about leaving your kid?"

Zhao Wei shook her head at him, "This grown ass kid is really troublesome!"

Dylan humphed, "Even if this kid is troublesome, this kid is still yours!"