Mrs. Wang woke up one lovely spring morning feeling wonderful. The sunshine was pleasant and warm on her face, the breeze was gentle, and it was quite peaceful out. The morning was indeed charming, she decided, it was the perfect morning to put one in a good mood lasting all day long.
She went through her usual morning motions, getting ready and making breakfast and such. She smiled softly to herself. She couldn't take her mind off of how beautiful it was outside. Maybe later she would spend some time with her family out in the garden with the bees and the butterflies. That would be very nice. She did not have much to take care of, perhaps today was a day meant to be enjoyed while relaxing.
Mrs. Wang was a remarkably peaceful woman. She tried to be as gentle and kind with others as much as she could and she was not one to fight even if her own life depended on it. She wasn't even sure if she could fight if the time came. However, Mrs. Wang knew that if needed, she would fight to save her family. She would do anything to defend her dear boys. She truly loved her family, her husband was benevolent and warm, Didi was brave and kind, and Chang was sweet and loyal. No matter what they all got into, they always stuck together. Nothing could tear them apart, no matter if Didi was poisoned or if that frustrating Rastapopoulos was toying with them.
Yes, she was a loving woman. She had been so happy to welcome Chang into her home and family. When she had heard that Chang had been orphaned, it broke her heart to think of such a young boy feeling so lost in the world. Though he never seemed to show any pain, she was sure that at one point in time he felt it. Oh, how much he must have hurt. She never felt any different about Chang than she did Didi. Mrs. Wang never could understand the people who said "it's different when the child is your own," she loved Didi and Chang both so much it was hard to tell if she loved either of them more. They were her sons, and they were her world.
Upon reflecting on this, Mrs. Wang realized she had not seen Chang yet. Was he still asleep in his room? It wasn't like him to sleep the morning away. Brief concern that her boy was sick flooded her, but he was not in his room when she checked. She asked her husband about his whereabouts, and he simply told her he had gone into town for something. Her concern melted away. Chang was running errands, nothing more. Her smile returned.
Most of the day passed by uneventfully. She enjoyed the slow pace of the day, but in the back of her mind she had the feeling something was different. Chang had yet to return. How odd. Chang preferred to keep to himself or to help take care of things around the house. He was certainly not the type to spend all day in town. He was not fond of crowds.
Sometime after noon, she sat in the garden alone. She was not with her family like she had originally planned, but the time to herself was just as nice, so it did not bother her. She sat with closed eyes and her face to the sun to soak in as much of its gentle warmth as possible. She didn't hear the footsteps as someone approached her.
"V-Venerable lady...?" a small voice came.
Her smile widened at the voice and she turned to the source. "Yes, Chang?"
Chang was standing with his hands behind his back. He glanced down shyly, like she was some sort of queen and he was a peasant. Mrs. Wang suppressed a frown. Though he had lived in their home for a few months, he had yet to call Mr. and Mrs. Wang his parents. It had not been entirely fresh, but the memories of his parents and of losing them were still too new. He could still remember those voices calling out to him... and the panic...
Chang snapped out of his trance when he realized Mrs. Wang had spoken to him. She really is patient with me... Chang thought as he stepped forward. He cleared his throat.
"In the last letter Tintin sent me, he told me about things other places celebrate..." Chang trailed off, not exactly sure what to say after that. He paused, flushing with embarrassment.
"Go on," Mrs. Wang urged gently.
There was a moment of silence between the two before Chang ran to her and hugged her. Before she could react, he handed her one simple red carnation.
"Happy Mother's Day, Mom," he said quickly, "I love you."
Mrs. Wang's heart swelled. She gasped and covered her mouth. Chang had probably wandered around town for hours looking for the flower and had likely spent all the money he had on it. It was a beautiful flower, a symbol of love in the West, she was certain. Its petals and stem were strong and the leaves were in great health. It was the most gorgeous shade of red. He definitely spent all the money he had for himself on this. This was not a cheap flower. He had gotten her a flower for Mother's Day. It wasn't even a widely celebrated holiday where they lived, and he had gone through all this trouble. And he called her "Mom." This boy, who lost the parents he loved so much, called him his mother.
Happy tears filled her eyes and she hugged Chang back.
"Thank you so much, my son. I love you, too. I love you so much."
And Mrs. Wang couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.