EXO Short Stories
Lay- Venice City of Love Connected Us
Chance Meeting
Bold is Italian I’m sitting by the Grand Canal front in Venice listening to the gondoliers singing as they pass me by.
I mumble to myself, “I wonder what will happen in surgery tomorrow?”
I shrug my shoulders as I watch as families pass me by. I smile at them and some people pull their children away from me and well other’s walk up to me and try to talk to me in a variety of languages. I simply listen for important worlds that are Italian and deal with Venice. I help out who I can or I send them over to the violinist that usually stands a few feet away from me. He leaves early today and I just stand there with my camera. I take out my camera and start taking pictures of this part of Venice. I walk around the Grand Canal taking pictures from different angles and pictures of the gondoliers.
I close my eyes and smile as I hear a new melody float through the air. I listen to the sad heartbreak tone of the music from where I am. I follow the music to find a cute I think Chinese guy in his early twenties I think playing a guitar and singing a song of heartbreak, but as the song starts to end it starts talking about being healed.
When it ends people walk up and drop money in his guitar case surprising him for some reason.
I walk up to him and drop in some money and I hold out a flower to him.
“That was a beautiful song,” I say in Italian.
He looks at me a bit confused and asks me in Chinese, “What?”
“Oh I’m sorry. Your song it was beautiful it made my day. Here a flower from over there,” I point to a wall near the bridge I crossed to make it to him.
“Oh you know Chinese,” he says to me.
“Well yeah I’m Chinese I’m from Changsha, Hunan, China.”
“Oh so am I. How come I never seen you until now?”
“Oh I’ve been here since I was a kid. I’ve visited home a few times, but I’ve never truly stayed there longer than a week.”
“Ahh… What’s your name?”
“I should be asking you that,” I say to him with a snarky tone to my voice.
He chuckles, “Alright I’m Zhang Yixing, but my friends like to call me Lay.”
“I’m Wu ____. Nice to meet you, Yixing,” I stick out my hand for a handshake.
He takes my hand in mine, “Umm… ____ correct can I ask a favor of you?”
“Sure,” I have nothing to do until tomorrow.
I watch as he takes the money from his case and then carefully places his guitar inside.
“Can you show me around Venice? I came here for inspiration and yet I haven’t had any success.”
I smile at him and hold out my camera, “Then I’ll show you how to see Venice as something to remember.”
I take his hand in mine and take him to all the important museums and sites to see. By 11 at night we make it back to the Grand Canal where there was a gondolier standing there smoking a cigarette.
I tap his shoulder and ask, “Can you take us on a short ride? I want to see Venice by the light of light.”
He nods his head, “Of course a ride for the beautiful lady and her boyfriend.”
Before I fight with him I take a deep breath and sigh as I realize stress is bad for my heart. I have to stay calm and happy if I want to see home again.
“Let’s go. I want to show you Venice in the light of the moon.”
He nods his head and climbs into the boat with me. I sit down with him by my side.
“Are you all sitting?”
I chuckle, “Yes, so can you please set off? Also can you sing a heart warming song?”
He nods his head and starts singing.
Yixing sits by me and I simply start taking pictures wanting to send the camera home to my parents before surgery tomorrow just incase… There are complications with the surgery since I only half a 50% on living through it.
I smile as I look up at the sky.
Yixing asks me, “Why do you keep taking pictures?”
I look down and smile at him, “I want to show my parents back home that I’m fine and everything. I take pictures every year around this time then send the camera home to my parents, but I think this time I’ll give the camera to you.”
He looks at me confused, but yet I see something else in his eyes, “Why do that?”
“I dragged you all over Venice and you didn’t’ take any pictures and everything and you came here for a inspiration. I think today is something that I want you to remember.”
He smiles and kisses me on the lips.
I touch my lips and think, ‘He took my first kiss,’ a smile forms on my lips, ‘somehow I’m glad that it was him.’
We near the end of the ride and lucky for me that it’s near my uncle's apartment.
I reach into my purse but Yixing stops me. And pulls out the money that he made to today.
“How much is it?”
I ask the man in his costume, “How much do we owe you for the ride?”
“Nothing, young miss. You may not know it but we met at the hospital earlier this month. I believe since you’re having surgery tomorrow. I’ll give you and him the ride for free. I wish you luck for tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” I say as I look at Yixing, “He says there’s no charge.”
“Really, umm okay. Thank you.”
The gondolier smiles at us and nods his head, “You’re welcome”
I head toward my uncle's apartment with Yixing at my side.
I reach the apartment and turn to Yixing to give me a kiss on the lips again.
I looked at him shocked as he asks me, “Where can I find you after today?”
“Oh… I don’t’ really know I’m going to be moving around for about a year then I’ll be going home to my parents in Changsha, Hunan, China.”
“Then I’ll see you there in a year.”
“I’ll see you around you this time at the airport in Hong Kong.”
Before I can tell him that probably won’t happen, but I can’t’ say that to him. I have to live so I can see him in a year. He’ll be waiting for me. I nod my head as I watch him leave.
I walk into the house and look at my uncle, “Uncle what do I do?”
He looks at me from his spot at the wind where he was probably watching Yixing and me.
He shrugs his shoulder, “What if you die in surgery tomorrow ___? What will you do? Will you regret not telling him since he’ll be waiting?”
I shake my head, “I won’t regret it. I can’t because I’m going to live.”
My uncle smiles, “Why all of a sudden change of heart? Is it because of the boy?”
I nod my head, “It gives me a reason to get better and see my parents again. I didn’t’ want to see them when I was sick and if this surgery works I don’t have to worry them. They use to look at me with sad eyes afraid that I’d drop dead any second now I don’t’ have to worry about that if the surgery works.”
My uncles smiles and kisses my forehead, “True so get some rest for you have the energy to fight.”
I nod my head and head up to my room for the night. I reach my room and hear the door open and close telling me uncle left for the night.
Our Good-byes, Promises, and My Surgery
Bold is Italian I wake up, stretch, and look around for my camera to realize that I gave it to Yixing. I look at the time to see I have an hour before I need to check in for my surgery today.
I look away from my phone since I took a few pictures with it yesterday and Yixing was in a few of them.
“If I looked at them before my surgery would be alright, just for I can see his face again? Ahh… No! This is stupid I sound like some creepy stalker. Yet he did say that he wanted to see me again… Right? It wasn’t just my imagination?”
I hear my uncle walk into my room, “it wasn’t your imagination, ___.”
“Ahh! Uncle what have I told you about knocking then you won’t scare me?”
He chuckles, “What have I told you about talking out loud?”
“Sorry uncle,” I look down dejected.
“You know he’s leaving today you can say goodbye to him. Give him one more kiss.”
“Ya, uncle… Wait how would you know that?”
“Oh I ran out of the house and caught up to him explaining who I was. We spoke for a while and he said even though yesterday was fun he’d like to see you before he got on the plane.”
I nod my head and race into my closet to find a cute white dress. I slip on a black vest over my shoulders.
I lift my hand up, “uncle can I borrow the motorbike?”
He chuckles as he hands me the keys and watches as I race out of the house and onto the bike.
I take short cuts to make it to the airport. I hope I guess right.
I run inside and see a familiar face look back as he enters the boarding area.
I race past random people and when I’m close enough I should his name, but he doesn’t look back.
I didn’t think he would answer when I should his nickname that he told me his friends call him, “Lay!”
He looks back to see me and I watch from afar his mouth form my name, but I couldn’t hear it so I can’t be for sure.
He looks at the person helping with boarding and she nods.
He races over to me and I smile at him.
“____ what are you doing here?”
I hold back my tears and fears, “I wanted to see you off. I mean it’ll be a year before I see you again.”
He nods his head as he reaches over and wipes away the tears that escape from my eyes, “I guess so. You know I find this odd since I only know you from yesterday, but I think I have fallen in love with you.”
I try to hold back the rest of my tears but it doesn’t work.
How can I lie to him?
How can I not tell him that I may not see him in a year?
How can I tell him that this may just be the last time I’ll ever see him again?
“Did I scare you by saying that?”
I shake my head, “No, it’s just shocking. I never thought anyone could love me besides my family. I had pushed people away for so long to find out that someone like you is there for me. I know I’ll always remember this.”
He leans over and kisses my forehead, “I’m glad because I want you to remember at your best so you won’t forget my face. Can I get one more picture with you before I board my plane?”
I smile at him as I nod my head, “I’d like that.”
He pulls out his phone and gets it ready to take the pictures, “smile.”
I smile as he clicks the pictures button. I look at it to see that it doesn’t’ show that I’m sick. I look healthy like him.
I’m sorry Zhang Yixing that I’m not going to tell you that I may leave you after today.
I smile up at him as I get a little dizzy and fall down to my knees.
I chuckle to myself as I mumble, “I pushed myself too much. I shouldn’t have did that, but I had to see you off.”
I hear him shout my name and I look up at him as he kneels down in front of me, “___ are you alright?”
I nod my head, “Yeah, I just pushed myself too much. I’m sorry to worry you.”
He nods his head s he jokes, “You better be sorry.”
I pull off my necklace that my mother gave me when I moved to Venice for treatment, “here. I want you to hold onto this so you won’t forget me. I believe you told me you can be forgetful.”
He nods as he slips off a ring and slips it on my ring finger, “I’m saying I’m engaging, but it’s to show other guys that you belong to someone. So ___ will you be my girlfriend?”
I nod and smile, “of course I will be.”
“Good,” he leans over and kisses me on the lips, “I’ll see you in a year.”
I nod my head as I watch him leave.
“Zhang Yixing you better not forget to see me in a year or else you’ll regret it.”
“Same goes to you,” he says as he boards the plane.
I smile as I watch him leave. I touch my wrist to check my heart rate.
Why does my chest hurt so much? Is it because I feel like my heart is broken?
I shake my head as I straighten myself out, “Alright. I think now I can head to the hospital.”
I drive to the hospital well watching the road, but I keep looking over at my ring finger.
I meet up with my doctor and he sees my finger, “Ahh who’s the lucky guy?”
“I’m not engaged he put it there so no one knows I’m with someone. He promised to see me a year from now. In my hometown where the two fo us are from.”
“Ahh, now you have another reason to make it through the surgery.”
I nod my head as a nurse takes me from the doctors office to what will be my room.
She hands me a hospital gown, “___ please change.”
I nod my head, but still ask, “Can I keep my ring on?”
She looks down at the ring and nods her head, “I think so since it’ll give you the strength that you’ll need since you asked.”
I take off my shirt and she notices that I don’t’ have my necklace on, “___ where is your necklace?”
“I gave it to him, Zhang Yixing, my boyfriend before he left. He gave me his ring in return.”
“That’s romantic,” she says as she turns to leave, “you better change I’ll be back in five minutes to get you prepped for surgery.”
I nod my head as I watch her leave.
I touch the ring and pull my hand dot my chest, “I’m sorry Yixing for not telling you, but I’ll see you in a year. So please give me the strength to make it through this.”
I dress in the hospital gown and lay on the bed with my hand above my head.
The nurse giggles at she enters the room, “___ are you ready?”
I shake my head and I realize that I never remembered her name, “what’s your name?”
“My name is Lisa Macbeth.”
“That’s a nice name,” I say as I lay down and shut my eyes not wanting to deal with the prepping at the moment.
No One’s POV As they prep you and pull you into the operation room.
“You’ll need to count down from ten,” your doctor tells you.
You nod your head and start to count backwards. As you close your eyes.
The operation was going flawlessly until something must have gone wrong because you started to enter cardiac arrest.
Your POV I hear the machines start to set off sirens almost off. I know there’s nothing I can do but think of reasons to stay alive.
I can’t think about my family instead the only person in my mind is Zhang Yixing. I have to survive so I can see him in a year. I have to survive not just for him, but for myself. I have to survive this.
I feel the weight of his ring on my hand. I want to reach over, pull my hand to my chest, and feel what I did in the room when I was waiting for the prepping.
I think I feel the same way, Zhang Yixing. I think I’ve fallen in love with you.
I’ll see you in a year no matter what kind of hell I have to go through.
Year Mark Pt.1
Lay’s POV I’m looking around like an idiot trying to find the house that I spent a year looking for. I only knew her name and that she hasn’t been home for a long time.
When I was asking around everyone would get all sad and look away from me.
I touch the necklace and take a deep breathe.
“Please ___ let me find your family’s home.”
Almost like she had granted my wish a young girl that looks like ___ around the age of 10 tapped my arm.
I look down at her and kneel down, “Yes?”
“Why did you say my sister’s name?”
“You know Wu ____?”
“Yes, I’m her sister Wu Bao An.”
“Can you show me the way to your home?”
She looks at me, “why would you want to know?”
“I promised your sister I would.”
“Oh,” she nods her head and she looks upset over something, “Umm… Sissy isn’t home. She won’t be for a while.”
“What do you mean?”
I move my hand and let the necklace fall on top of my shirt as I bend down and take the young girl by the shoulders.
“What do you mean? She promised me she’d be here. I waited a year. I was so tempted to run back to Venice just to see her so many times.”
“She’s asleep in Venice.”
“Well yeah it’s a bit early in the morning.”
The girl shakes her head, “No, she’s asleep.”
The young girl starts crying; I reach up and wipe her tears, “Please tell me what you mean. Did she forget that I was coming?”
I hear an elderly voice shout out at me, “You what are you doing to my daughter?”
“I’m sorry but I was asking her about her sister.” I turn towards the elderly man and bow before I start speaking again, “My name is Zhang Yixing. I met your daughter when I was a trip in Italy. We made a promise to see each other in a year and that was exactly a year ago today. She gave me her necklace so I wouldn’t forget.”
“I’m sorry to tell you, but my daughter is in a coma. She’s been in one since she had a mishap in her operation.”
“Operation what operation?”
The man looks at me, “She did not tell you?” I nod my head and the man sighs, “That’s so like my daughter not wanting people she cares about worrying about her. That’s why she moved to Venice. It wasn’t just because then she could go through treatment, but because she was tired of seeing pity in everyone’s eyes. She was only five.” The man wiped away his tears, “Please come inside. I think I need to talk to you.”
I nod my head and follow him inside the house. He holds out his hand to the seat in front of him at a table and I sit down on the cushion.
“I know that your family is wealthier than ours. That’s probably how you go to Venice. That is not why I asked you inside my home. In truth, I want to talk to you about your day with my daughter. We didn’t get a camera like we always do so I started to worry until I got news that she had given it to a boy. May I ask do you have that camera?”
“No, I don’t’ have it on me, but I do have my laptop which has them copies on it.”
I place my bag on my lap and out of habit; I reach up to touch the necklace since I’m pretty nervous.
I seem to have drawn attention to it because the old man takes in a deep breathe.
“That’s my late wife’s necklace. I gave it to ___ before she left to live with her uncle. Where did you get that.”
“I said earlier that she gave me her necklace as a way to promise that we’ll see each other again. I gave her my father’s ring that he had made for me when I was a kid.”
The man… No ___’s father smiles over at me as he nods his head, “She must have found you really special if she gave that to you.”
I nod my head as I pick up the necklace enough so I can look straight at it with my head tilted down a little bit.
“What was wrong with her?”
“She had a heart problem much like her mother did. I forgot the name after how long she’s been gone, but you can drop dead at any second from your heart giving out. You can go through small heart attacks to major ones, but survive. When my late wife and I were told that, we were having a child we prayed that she would not have her mother’s condition, but our prayers were not answered. ___ suffered her first heart attack when she was only three years old. When she turned five we had heard of a treatment plan and decided to sent her off to have it. We knew it wasn’t a cure, but we did hope that she would live a longer life because of it. We just hoped it’d help her live longer until they found a cure. Then we heard of a surgery to fix her heart valves and I jumped at the opportunity, because I wanted her to live longer than I will. I’m already turning 50 this year and my daughter was barely her 20 and was going to die. She’s turning 21 in a few days and we don’t know if she’s alright. All we know is that she’s in a coma, but that was a month ago.”
I nod my head and wipe away my tears.
Year Mark Pt.2
Lay’s POV “Dad,” I hear a voice that sounds like the one that I’ve been waiting a year to hear, “Zhang Yixing.”
I watch as the older man looks up and his eyes go wide, “____.”
I turn around to see that __ is really behind me.
Your POV
I smile as I watch Yixing turn around and tears appear in his eyes.
He whispers my name and I wonder if I look that different from before. I mean sure I now have a full head of black hair that
He races over to me as I drop my bags and he wraps me in his arms.
“I was so scared that you wouldn’t show,” he says as he runs his fingers through my hair, “he told me about the surgery and you being in a coma. I was so scare that you wouldn’t show that I would never get to see you’re smiling face again.”
I nod my head and lift up my hand that has his ring on it, “You can thank your ring for that. They had let me keep it on during surgery and the weight kept me lucent enough to fight against death. I wanted to see you and my family.”
I look around and see that only my father and sister are in the room.
“Dad where’s mom?”
“She passed away four years ago from a heart attack. The condition finally took her life after all those grueling years.”
I smile, “I’m glad that she’s no longer in pain.”
I feel Yixing tighten his hold on me. I smile into his chest as he does that.
“___ I think I have something I should ask your father?”
I look up at him and ask, “What?” He turns to my dad just holding my hand, “Sir, I’d like to date your daughter and I hope that soon I’ll ask for her hand.”
My dad smiles sweetly at me and I hold onto Yi Xing's hand tighter, “Are you sure you want to be with my daughter?”
I look up at Yixing and watch as he nods his head, “Of course I am. You’re daughter is important to me. I realized that in the short time that I was with her that I had fallen in love with her right when she held out the flower she picked.”
I blush and smile shyly, “Ahh… I’m glad because this entire year when I woke up the first thought through my head was ‘Where’s Yixing?’ I was so worried that I missed you my doctor thought that I was crazy. I shook him and he told me it wasn’t a year yet. Still when he told me the date I was scared since it was only last week that I woke up. I forced my physical therapy so I could make it her on time.”
He squeezes my hand, as he looks my way, “I’m glad you did, but I wouldn’t have left as quickly as you probably thought.”
I chuckle as I let my head lean on his shoulder.
I hear my father clear his throat causing the two of us to look up, “I haven’t approved yet.”
I hold my breath until my father stands up and embraces both Yixing and I in a strong hug, “Now I approve of the two of you.”
“Dad,” I say, as I look him in the eyes.
“I can see that Yixing is a good person and the two of you are in love,” he looks at I guess my now boyfriend, “I guess you will be taking care of her for me, but if you hurt her in any way I’ll kill you.”
I never thought I’d hear those words from my always calm and nonviolent father.
I giggle and pull my dad into a hug, “Dad you don’t have to worry about me I’ll be fine.”
“I can't’ help but to worry about you, you’re my daughter who I love more then the world. You are all I have now of your mother.”
I nod my head and look back to see my adoptive sister. Her real mother was my mom’s twin sister who had died in a car accident with my uncle when Bao An was just a few months old.
“Bao An, are you happy for your older sister?”
She nods her head, but when she speaks she sounds unsure of herself, “Yeah.”
Yixing bends down and smiles at Bao An, “Are you afraid that I’ll take your sister away again?”
I watch her nod her head.
Yixing smiles kindly to her and takes her hand in his, “We’ll still be in this town just not close by, but if you ever need anything all me or your sister.”
He hands her a cell phone that’s simple with probably texting and calling. I look closely to see that it also has a camera.
“Keep us up to date on how you and your dad are doing alright?”
She nods her head and smiles at Yixing as she holds the phone to her chest, “Thank you.”
He nods his head as he places a hand on her head, “No, problem. You’ll need to take care of yourself.”
He goes to leave but stops and holds out his hand, “We’ll see you tomorrow then this time I’ll bring a car so ___ won’t have to walk. Surgery or not I’ll be taking care of her.”
I look over at him and smile at him, “Good.”
My father calls out to us and we wave bye to him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow father. I’m tired.”
“Then why not stay here.”
“I want to spend more time with Yixing.”
My dad nods his head seeming to understand, “Alright. Just make sure you don’t do anything irresponsible.”
I give my father a look and he chuckles.
I take Lay’s arm as he offers it to me and he leads me away from my childhood home.
“____ what do you want to do?”
I tap my chin and smile, “I want to go out on a real date with my boyfriend…”
He smiles as he leans down and kisses my nose, “Alright then let’s go on a date and figure out where to go to from there.”
Bold is Italian I’m sitting by the Grand Canal front in Venice listening to the gondoliers singing as they pass me by.
I mumble to myself, “I wonder what will happen in surgery tomorrow?”
I shrug my shoulders as I watch as families pass me by. I smile at them and some people pull their children away from me and well other’s walk up to me and try to talk to me in a variety of languages. I simply listen for important worlds that are Italian and deal with Venice. I help out who I can or I send them over to the violinist that usually stands a few feet away from me. He leaves early today and I just stand there with my camera. I take out my camera and start taking pictures of this part of Venice. I walk around the Grand Canal taking pictures from different angles and pictures of the gondoliers.
I close my eyes and smile as I hear a new melody float through the air. I listen to the sad heartbreak tone of the music from where I am. I follow the music to find a cute I think Chinese guy in his early twenties I think playing a guitar and singing a song of heartbreak, but as the song starts to end it starts talking about being healed.
When it ends people walk up and drop money in his guitar case surprising him for some reason.
I walk up to him and drop in some money and I hold out a flower to him.
“That was a beautiful song,” I say in Italian.
He looks at me a bit confused and asks me in Chinese, “What?”
“Oh I’m sorry. Your song it was beautiful it made my day. Here a flower from over there,” I point to a wall near the bridge I crossed to make it to him.
“Oh you know Chinese,” he says to me.
“Well yeah I’m Chinese I’m from Changsha, Hunan, China.”
“Oh so am I. How come I never seen you until now?”
“Oh I’ve been here since I was a kid. I’ve visited home a few times, but I’ve never truly stayed there longer than a week.”
“Ahh… What’s your name?”
“I should be asking you that,” I say to him with a snarky tone to my voice.
He chuckles, “Alright I’m Zhang Yixing, but my friends like to call me Lay.”
“I’m Wu ____. Nice to meet you, Yixing,” I stick out my hand for a handshake.
He takes my hand in mine, “Umm… ____ correct can I ask a favor of you?”
“Sure,” I have nothing to do until tomorrow.
I watch as he takes the money from his case and then carefully places his guitar inside.
“Can you show me around Venice? I came here for inspiration and yet I haven’t had any success.”
I smile at him and hold out my camera, “Then I’ll show you how to see Venice as something to remember.”
I take his hand in mine and take him to all the important museums and sites to see. By 11 at night we make it back to the Grand Canal where there was a gondolier standing there smoking a cigarette.
I tap his shoulder and ask, “Can you take us on a short ride? I want to see Venice by the light of light.”
He nods his head, “Of course a ride for the beautiful lady and her boyfriend.”
Before I fight with him I take a deep breath and sigh as I realize stress is bad for my heart. I have to stay calm and happy if I want to see home again.
“Let’s go. I want to show you Venice in the light of the moon.”
He nods his head and climbs into the boat with me. I sit down with him by my side.
“Are you all sitting?”
I chuckle, “Yes, so can you please set off? Also can you sing a heart warming song?”
He nods his head and starts singing.
Yixing sits by me and I simply start taking pictures wanting to send the camera home to my parents before surgery tomorrow just incase… There are complications with the surgery since I only half a 50% on living through it.
I smile as I look up at the sky.
Yixing asks me, “Why do you keep taking pictures?”
I look down and smile at him, “I want to show my parents back home that I’m fine and everything. I take pictures every year around this time then send the camera home to my parents, but I think this time I’ll give the camera to you.”
He looks at me confused, but yet I see something else in his eyes, “Why do that?”
“I dragged you all over Venice and you didn’t’ take any pictures and everything and you came here for a inspiration. I think today is something that I want you to remember.”
He smiles and kisses me on the lips.
I touch my lips and think, ‘He took my first kiss,’ a smile forms on my lips, ‘somehow I’m glad that it was him.’
We near the end of the ride and lucky for me that it’s near my uncle's apartment.
I reach into my purse but Yixing stops me. And pulls out the money that he made to today.
“How much is it?”
I ask the man in his costume, “How much do we owe you for the ride?”
“Nothing, young miss. You may not know it but we met at the hospital earlier this month. I believe since you’re having surgery tomorrow. I’ll give you and him the ride for free. I wish you luck for tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” I say as I look at Yixing, “He says there’s no charge.”
“Really, umm okay. Thank you.”
The gondolier smiles at us and nods his head, “You’re welcome”
I head toward my uncle's apartment with Yixing at my side.
I reach the apartment and turn to Yixing to give me a kiss on the lips again.
I looked at him shocked as he asks me, “Where can I find you after today?”
“Oh… I don’t’ really know I’m going to be moving around for about a year then I’ll be going home to my parents in Changsha, Hunan, China.”
“Then I’ll see you there in a year.”
“I’ll see you around you this time at the airport in Hong Kong.”
Before I can tell him that probably won’t happen, but I can’t’ say that to him. I have to live so I can see him in a year. He’ll be waiting for me. I nod my head as I watch him leave.
I walk into the house and look at my uncle, “Uncle what do I do?”
He looks at me from his spot at the wind where he was probably watching Yixing and me.
He shrugs his shoulder, “What if you die in surgery tomorrow ___? What will you do? Will you regret not telling him since he’ll be waiting?”
I shake my head, “I won’t regret it. I can’t because I’m going to live.”
My uncle smiles, “Why all of a sudden change of heart? Is it because of the boy?”
I nod my head, “It gives me a reason to get better and see my parents again. I didn’t’ want to see them when I was sick and if this surgery works I don’t have to worry them. They use to look at me with sad eyes afraid that I’d drop dead any second now I don’t’ have to worry about that if the surgery works.”
My uncles smiles and kisses my forehead, “True so get some rest for you have the energy to fight.”
I nod my head and head up to my room for the night. I reach my room and hear the door open and close telling me uncle left for the night.
Our Good-byes, Promises, and My Surgery
Bold is Italian I wake up, stretch, and look around for my camera to realize that I gave it to Yixing. I look at the time to see I have an hour before I need to check in for my surgery today.
I look away from my phone since I took a few pictures with it yesterday and Yixing was in a few of them.
“If I looked at them before my surgery would be alright, just for I can see his face again? Ahh… No! This is stupid I sound like some creepy stalker. Yet he did say that he wanted to see me again… Right? It wasn’t just my imagination?”
I hear my uncle walk into my room, “it wasn’t your imagination, ___.”
“Ahh! Uncle what have I told you about knocking then you won’t scare me?”
He chuckles, “What have I told you about talking out loud?”
“Sorry uncle,” I look down dejected.
“You know he’s leaving today you can say goodbye to him. Give him one more kiss.”
“Ya, uncle… Wait how would you know that?”
“Oh I ran out of the house and caught up to him explaining who I was. We spoke for a while and he said even though yesterday was fun he’d like to see you before he got on the plane.”
I nod my head and race into my closet to find a cute white dress. I slip on a black vest over my shoulders.
I lift my hand up, “uncle can I borrow the motorbike?”
He chuckles as he hands me the keys and watches as I race out of the house and onto the bike.
I take short cuts to make it to the airport. I hope I guess right.
I run inside and see a familiar face look back as he enters the boarding area.
I race past random people and when I’m close enough I should his name, but he doesn’t look back.
I didn’t think he would answer when I should his nickname that he told me his friends call him, “Lay!”
He looks back to see me and I watch from afar his mouth form my name, but I couldn’t hear it so I can’t be for sure.
He looks at the person helping with boarding and she nods.
He races over to me and I smile at him.
“____ what are you doing here?”
I hold back my tears and fears, “I wanted to see you off. I mean it’ll be a year before I see you again.”
He nods his head as he reaches over and wipes away the tears that escape from my eyes, “I guess so. You know I find this odd since I only know you from yesterday, but I think I have fallen in love with you.”
I try to hold back the rest of my tears but it doesn’t work.
How can I lie to him?
How can I not tell him that I may not see him in a year?
How can I tell him that this may just be the last time I’ll ever see him again?
“Did I scare you by saying that?”
I shake my head, “No, it’s just shocking. I never thought anyone could love me besides my family. I had pushed people away for so long to find out that someone like you is there for me. I know I’ll always remember this.”
He leans over and kisses my forehead, “I’m glad because I want you to remember at your best so you won’t forget my face. Can I get one more picture with you before I board my plane?”
I smile at him as I nod my head, “I’d like that.”
He pulls out his phone and gets it ready to take the pictures, “smile.”
I smile as he clicks the pictures button. I look at it to see that it doesn’t’ show that I’m sick. I look healthy like him.
I’m sorry Zhang Yixing that I’m not going to tell you that I may leave you after today.
I smile up at him as I get a little dizzy and fall down to my knees.
I chuckle to myself as I mumble, “I pushed myself too much. I shouldn’t have did that, but I had to see you off.”
I hear him shout my name and I look up at him as he kneels down in front of me, “___ are you alright?”
I nod my head, “Yeah, I just pushed myself too much. I’m sorry to worry you.”
He nods his head s he jokes, “You better be sorry.”
I pull off my necklace that my mother gave me when I moved to Venice for treatment, “here. I want you to hold onto this so you won’t forget me. I believe you told me you can be forgetful.”
He nods as he slips off a ring and slips it on my ring finger, “I’m saying I’m engaging, but it’s to show other guys that you belong to someone. So ___ will you be my girlfriend?”
I nod and smile, “of course I will be.”
“Good,” he leans over and kisses me on the lips, “I’ll see you in a year.”
I nod my head as I watch him leave.
“Zhang Yixing you better not forget to see me in a year or else you’ll regret it.”
“Same goes to you,” he says as he boards the plane.
I smile as I watch him leave. I touch my wrist to check my heart rate.
Why does my chest hurt so much? Is it because I feel like my heart is broken?
I shake my head as I straighten myself out, “Alright. I think now I can head to the hospital.”
I drive to the hospital well watching the road, but I keep looking over at my ring finger.
I meet up with my doctor and he sees my finger, “Ahh who’s the lucky guy?”
“I’m not engaged he put it there so no one knows I’m with someone. He promised to see me a year from now. In my hometown where the two fo us are from.”
“Ahh, now you have another reason to make it through the surgery.”
I nod my head as a nurse takes me from the doctors office to what will be my room.
She hands me a hospital gown, “___ please change.”
I nod my head, but still ask, “Can I keep my ring on?”
She looks down at the ring and nods her head, “I think so since it’ll give you the strength that you’ll need since you asked.”
I take off my shirt and she notices that I don’t’ have my necklace on, “___ where is your necklace?”
“I gave it to him, Zhang Yixing, my boyfriend before he left. He gave me his ring in return.”
“That’s romantic,” she says as she turns to leave, “you better change I’ll be back in five minutes to get you prepped for surgery.”
I nod my head as I watch her leave.
I touch the ring and pull my hand dot my chest, “I’m sorry Yixing for not telling you, but I’ll see you in a year. So please give me the strength to make it through this.”
I dress in the hospital gown and lay on the bed with my hand above my head.
The nurse giggles at she enters the room, “___ are you ready?”
I shake my head and I realize that I never remembered her name, “what’s your name?”
“My name is Lisa Macbeth.”
“That’s a nice name,” I say as I lay down and shut my eyes not wanting to deal with the prepping at the moment.
No One’s POV As they prep you and pull you into the operation room.
“You’ll need to count down from ten,” your doctor tells you.
You nod your head and start to count backwards. As you close your eyes.
The operation was going flawlessly until something must have gone wrong because you started to enter cardiac arrest.
Your POV I hear the machines start to set off sirens almost off. I know there’s nothing I can do but think of reasons to stay alive.
I can’t think about my family instead the only person in my mind is Zhang Yixing. I have to survive so I can see him in a year. I have to survive not just for him, but for myself. I have to survive this.
I feel the weight of his ring on my hand. I want to reach over, pull my hand to my chest, and feel what I did in the room when I was waiting for the prepping.
I think I feel the same way, Zhang Yixing. I think I’ve fallen in love with you.
I’ll see you in a year no matter what kind of hell I have to go through.
Year Mark Pt.1
Lay’s POV I’m looking around like an idiot trying to find the house that I spent a year looking for. I only knew her name and that she hasn’t been home for a long time.
When I was asking around everyone would get all sad and look away from me.
I touch the necklace and take a deep breathe.
“Please ___ let me find your family’s home.”
Almost like she had granted my wish a young girl that looks like ___ around the age of 10 tapped my arm.
I look down at her and kneel down, “Yes?”
“Why did you say my sister’s name?”
“You know Wu ____?”
“Yes, I’m her sister Wu Bao An.”
“Can you show me the way to your home?”
She looks at me, “why would you want to know?”
“I promised your sister I would.”
“Oh,” she nods her head and she looks upset over something, “Umm… Sissy isn’t home. She won’t be for a while.”
“What do you mean?”
I move my hand and let the necklace fall on top of my shirt as I bend down and take the young girl by the shoulders.
“What do you mean? She promised me she’d be here. I waited a year. I was so tempted to run back to Venice just to see her so many times.”
“She’s asleep in Venice.”
“Well yeah it’s a bit early in the morning.”
The girl shakes her head, “No, she’s asleep.”
The young girl starts crying; I reach up and wipe her tears, “Please tell me what you mean. Did she forget that I was coming?”
I hear an elderly voice shout out at me, “You what are you doing to my daughter?”
“I’m sorry but I was asking her about her sister.” I turn towards the elderly man and bow before I start speaking again, “My name is Zhang Yixing. I met your daughter when I was a trip in Italy. We made a promise to see each other in a year and that was exactly a year ago today. She gave me her necklace so I wouldn’t forget.”
“I’m sorry to tell you, but my daughter is in a coma. She’s been in one since she had a mishap in her operation.”
“Operation what operation?”
The man looks at me, “She did not tell you?” I nod my head and the man sighs, “That’s so like my daughter not wanting people she cares about worrying about her. That’s why she moved to Venice. It wasn’t just because then she could go through treatment, but because she was tired of seeing pity in everyone’s eyes. She was only five.” The man wiped away his tears, “Please come inside. I think I need to talk to you.”
I nod my head and follow him inside the house. He holds out his hand to the seat in front of him at a table and I sit down on the cushion.
“I know that your family is wealthier than ours. That’s probably how you go to Venice. That is not why I asked you inside my home. In truth, I want to talk to you about your day with my daughter. We didn’t get a camera like we always do so I started to worry until I got news that she had given it to a boy. May I ask do you have that camera?”
“No, I don’t’ have it on me, but I do have my laptop which has them copies on it.”
I place my bag on my lap and out of habit; I reach up to touch the necklace since I’m pretty nervous.
I seem to have drawn attention to it because the old man takes in a deep breathe.
“That’s my late wife’s necklace. I gave it to ___ before she left to live with her uncle. Where did you get that.”
“I said earlier that she gave me her necklace as a way to promise that we’ll see each other again. I gave her my father’s ring that he had made for me when I was a kid.”
The man… No ___’s father smiles over at me as he nods his head, “She must have found you really special if she gave that to you.”
I nod my head as I pick up the necklace enough so I can look straight at it with my head tilted down a little bit.
“What was wrong with her?”
“She had a heart problem much like her mother did. I forgot the name after how long she’s been gone, but you can drop dead at any second from your heart giving out. You can go through small heart attacks to major ones, but survive. When my late wife and I were told that, we were having a child we prayed that she would not have her mother’s condition, but our prayers were not answered. ___ suffered her first heart attack when she was only three years old. When she turned five we had heard of a treatment plan and decided to sent her off to have it. We knew it wasn’t a cure, but we did hope that she would live a longer life because of it. We just hoped it’d help her live longer until they found a cure. Then we heard of a surgery to fix her heart valves and I jumped at the opportunity, because I wanted her to live longer than I will. I’m already turning 50 this year and my daughter was barely her 20 and was going to die. She’s turning 21 in a few days and we don’t know if she’s alright. All we know is that she’s in a coma, but that was a month ago.”
I nod my head and wipe away my tears.
Year Mark Pt.2
Lay’s POV “Dad,” I hear a voice that sounds like the one that I’ve been waiting a year to hear, “Zhang Yixing.”
I watch as the older man looks up and his eyes go wide, “____.”
I turn around to see that __ is really behind me.
Your POV
I smile as I watch Yixing turn around and tears appear in his eyes.
He whispers my name and I wonder if I look that different from before. I mean sure I now have a full head of black hair that
He races over to me as I drop my bags and he wraps me in his arms.
“I was so scared that you wouldn’t show,” he says as he runs his fingers through my hair, “he told me about the surgery and you being in a coma. I was so scare that you wouldn’t show that I would never get to see you’re smiling face again.”
I nod my head and lift up my hand that has his ring on it, “You can thank your ring for that. They had let me keep it on during surgery and the weight kept me lucent enough to fight against death. I wanted to see you and my family.”
I look around and see that only my father and sister are in the room.
“Dad where’s mom?”
“She passed away four years ago from a heart attack. The condition finally took her life after all those grueling years.”
I smile, “I’m glad that she’s no longer in pain.”
I feel Yixing tighten his hold on me. I smile into his chest as he does that.
“___ I think I have something I should ask your father?”
I look up at him and ask, “What?” He turns to my dad just holding my hand, “Sir, I’d like to date your daughter and I hope that soon I’ll ask for her hand.”
My dad smiles sweetly at me and I hold onto Yi Xing's hand tighter, “Are you sure you want to be with my daughter?”
I look up at Yixing and watch as he nods his head, “Of course I am. You’re daughter is important to me. I realized that in the short time that I was with her that I had fallen in love with her right when she held out the flower she picked.”
I blush and smile shyly, “Ahh… I’m glad because this entire year when I woke up the first thought through my head was ‘Where’s Yixing?’ I was so worried that I missed you my doctor thought that I was crazy. I shook him and he told me it wasn’t a year yet. Still when he told me the date I was scared since it was only last week that I woke up. I forced my physical therapy so I could make it her on time.”
He squeezes my hand, as he looks my way, “I’m glad you did, but I wouldn’t have left as quickly as you probably thought.”
I chuckle as I let my head lean on his shoulder.
I hear my father clear his throat causing the two of us to look up, “I haven’t approved yet.”
I hold my breath until my father stands up and embraces both Yixing and I in a strong hug, “Now I approve of the two of you.”
“Dad,” I say, as I look him in the eyes.
“I can see that Yixing is a good person and the two of you are in love,” he looks at I guess my now boyfriend, “I guess you will be taking care of her for me, but if you hurt her in any way I’ll kill you.”
I never thought I’d hear those words from my always calm and nonviolent father.
I giggle and pull my dad into a hug, “Dad you don’t have to worry about me I’ll be fine.”
“I can't’ help but to worry about you, you’re my daughter who I love more then the world. You are all I have now of your mother.”
I nod my head and look back to see my adoptive sister. Her real mother was my mom’s twin sister who had died in a car accident with my uncle when Bao An was just a few months old.
“Bao An, are you happy for your older sister?”
She nods her head, but when she speaks she sounds unsure of herself, “Yeah.”
Yixing bends down and smiles at Bao An, “Are you afraid that I’ll take your sister away again?”
I watch her nod her head.
Yixing smiles kindly to her and takes her hand in his, “We’ll still be in this town just not close by, but if you ever need anything all me or your sister.”
He hands her a cell phone that’s simple with probably texting and calling. I look closely to see that it also has a camera.
“Keep us up to date on how you and your dad are doing alright?”
She nods her head and smiles at Yixing as she holds the phone to her chest, “Thank you.”
He nods his head as he places a hand on her head, “No, problem. You’ll need to take care of yourself.”
He goes to leave but stops and holds out his hand, “We’ll see you tomorrow then this time I’ll bring a car so ___ won’t have to walk. Surgery or not I’ll be taking care of her.”
I look over at him and smile at him, “Good.”
My father calls out to us and we wave bye to him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow father. I’m tired.”
“Then why not stay here.”
“I want to spend more time with Yixing.”
My dad nods his head seeming to understand, “Alright. Just make sure you don’t do anything irresponsible.”
I give my father a look and he chuckles.
I take Lay’s arm as he offers it to me and he leads me away from my childhood home.
“____ what do you want to do?”
I tap my chin and smile, “I want to go out on a real date with my boyfriend…”
He smiles as he leans down and kisses my nose, “Alright then let’s go on a date and figure out where to go to from there.”
