The Girls

Setting: The following morning after breakfast, Jing Měi's apartment.

She called the girls into the room, telling them to play quietly while she worked. They often played near her when she worked on reports from home so they were unaware that today was going to be different. She opened her lap type and clicked on Skype, hoping he'd be there. She was met with a warm and friendly "hello!"

"So how are you this yesterday evening?" she playfully asked.

He smiled, "that's right. I'm talking to the future, aren't I?"

She giggled. "You ready?"

He nodded.

She called to the girls "Měi Lì! Měi Xiù!" and motioned for them to come to her. The girls happily crawled onto her lap. They'd never been invited to help Mommy with her work before. She pointed to the screen and lovingly, she explained "Zhè shì nǐmen de fùqīn. Tā shì cóng měi guó lǎi de. Tā bù huì shuō zhōng wén."

Měi Xiù stared intently at the man on the screen. Měi Lì, wide eyed with wonder and excitement, exclaimed "Zhè shì wǒ de bà ba ma?" Jing Mei smiled and nodded.

"Deb?" Carter was clearly unprepared for all the Chinese.

"Um, I just explained to them you're their father, that you don't speak Chinese."

He raised his eye brows and nodded his head as he smacked his lips and he considered his strategy. "How do I tell them I'm very happy to meet them?" he inquired.

"Try: Rèn shi nǐmen hěn gāo xìng" she answered.

Carter tried to repeat after Jing Mei, but it was a lot to master in a few moments time. The girls giggled at his verbal attempts, but seemed to know he meant well and genuinely wanted to reach out to them. Jing Mei ended up being chief translator, translating all sides of this introductory meeting. The girls were so excited to meet this very special person. They asked him all about being a doctor and about being a doctor in a dangerous place. They wanted to know how long he'd known Mommy, and why he left Mommy. She felt the need to explain that last question.

"You see John, here in China, unwed mothers are almost unheard of. I mean, there are young widows who are mothers, divorced women who are mothers, but there really aren't many mothers who've never had a husband, who raise their kids without any father at all. Most kids know their Dad. The girls, they, they look around, they see their friends, they see TV shows, and everyone has a father, but…"

"Them. Everyone has a father but them" this time it was his turn to finish her sentence. "Deb, why do you stay in China, why not come back to Chicago?"

She drew a breath "it's history, heritage, a strong connection to who they are and where they come from. My parents are buried here…my grandparents are buried here. I have relatives here. They're distant, but they are relatives and they do help. In Chicago, we'd be all alone, and far from anything that would give them a sense of family."

He nodded in understanding. These were her girls and she was raising them the best way she could. All they knew, all they had, was their mother. He was a vague story up until this moment, one that lived and worked in Africa. But that could be changed. He looked at the girls still on their mother's lap. "Deb, give them a hug for me and let them know I think they are beautiful, and I hope they'll let me get to know them."

She smiled. "I don't think that'll be a problem. When's your next shift?"

"Tomorrow, 7am" he answered.

"Are you on a laptop right now?"

He nodded, unsure of where she was going.

"Well, how about having breakfast with us? I mean you eat breakfast, we'll eat dinner. We can talk just like we are now, only at the dining table."

He smiled. "It's a date!"

"Hǎo ba. Zài jiàn" she said sweetly.

"English?" Carter asked.

"Just trying to help you along with some Chinese" she playfully teased. "Basically I told you that was fine and I'd see you again."

"So how does goodbye go again?"

"Zài jiàn."

"Zigh cheen" Carter tried to reproduce the sounds.

Jing Mei and the girls let out a small giggle. She smiled amiably at his face on the screen and quietly said "close enough".