Take My Breath Away

The dinner had a pleasant start, but it wasn't long before Megan began to fawn over Carlos. "Uncle Carlos, this is popcorn chicken. I helped Tabitha cook it. Give it a try, please."

"Mmm," Carlos said, unwilling to say more with a mouthful of food. The look on his face and the sounds of chewing were enough to gauge how he felt.

"Uncle Carlos, taste the soup. I helped Tabitha flavor it. Does it taste good?" Megan put a bowl of soup on the table, setting it down in front of Carlos.

She acted as if she were the hostess, and anyone who didn't know better might believe that Megan was Carlos' wife.

His face deadpan, Carlos answered "Mmm" again. He was a man of few words, yet those few words usually said enough.

Still, Megan continued to pile food onto his plate, and soon his place was inundated with all sorts of tasty dishes.

Debbie, on the other hand, grew angry when she saw this. As any woman would be. Tabitha kept putting food onto Debbie's plate, ignoring the gal's rage. Debbie had to take a deep breath to suppress her anger, so she wouldn't snap at the wrong person.

She lowered her head and ate her food quietly. Suddenly, a piece of fish was put onto her plate and the man finally spoke, his mouth finally forming words that were not just sounds. "I boned the fish."

Debbie paused for a moment. If Tabitha were not here, she would mock him, "So you finally remember your own wife, huh?"

She put on a fake smile and said icily, "Thank you."

Before long, he put a piece of raw lobster onto her plate. "I remember you like seafood. Mom made a couple of dishes just for you. Here..."

Tabitha smiled at Debbie, "This lobster was flown in from Australia earlier today. It was very fresh, so I just sliced it. You'll love it."

"I really appreciate it, Mom!" Debbie gave Tabitha a sweet smile, and ate the lobster. She always loved lobster, ever since she was a little girl. Even when she was too young to properly shell it, her dad had always made sure to give her some. It was a nearly lifelong love affair with the dish. Carlos now paid all his attention to his wife. When Debbie was about to pick up a piece of lobster again, he was one step ahead of her and picked it up himself.

Debbie stared at Carlos in confusion. He dipped the lobster into the sauce before putting it onto Debbie's plate. Then he picked up another piece of lobster with shell and began to shel

, his father, always had fights with each other over decisions about the company. They gave no quarter, and there was no reason to think they'd be any different.

After a short pause, Carlos said, "Actually, it was Grandpa who asked me to marry Debbie. But now, I've fallen in love with her. It doesn't matter what Dad thinks, I'm with her for the long haul."

"Your grandpa?"

"Yeah. Grandpa felt indebted to Debbie's grandma." Debbie's grandmother and Douglas Huo, Carlos' grandfather, were not only classmates, but also each other's first loves. Because of the unrest in the country dozens of years ago, they were forced to separate. It took more than a dozen years for them to find each other again.

But when they finally reunited, they both were married—to other people!

Debbie's grandmother had waited for Douglas Huo for more than ten years before she had gotten married. The last time they had met each other, she was on her deathbed.

Douglas Huo felt guilty and indebted to her when he knew that she had waited for him for so many years.

Back then, she pointed at Debbie, who was washing some towels, and said, "I'm only worried about my granddaughter. Her mother left her when she was born. She's had a hard life. Could you please do me a favor? If you know a nice boy, send him her way. She needs a good man..."

Douglas Huo agreed without hesitation and kept that in mind.

Not long after Debbie's grandmother's death, Douglas Huo also fell deathly ill. When he got over his illness and went to visit the Nian family again, Artie, Debbie's father, was already in bad health.