Allegro con fuoco

XXXIII

"So."
Brett's dad had appeared, Eddy guessed from his study, and had sat down without a word. Brett's mum had put bowls of rice and sweet and sour vegetables on the table and was now smoothing her apron and sitting down too. 
"Hi mum, dad. Thanks for... for having us." Brett said hesitantly in Mandarin. 
"Of course." Brett's mum replied. "We have some questions."
Eddy's heart started pounding, and for a second he thought he might faint, or be sick again. But he managed to keep sitting. He grabbed the table leg with his right hand, and squeezed it hard. His left hand moved to Brett's thigh and stayed there. 
"Of course." Brett said. 
"How long have you been together?" Brett's dad asked. Eddy was surprised. That was the first question?
"Erm, for a while, mum, dad. Like I said, we're really sorry we never felt able to tell you, before."
"How long?"
"Erm... officially, I guess since the trip to Perth. But really we fell in love the second we met." Brett said. His voice was calm, and full of honesty, but Eddy could feel the tension radiating off him. Brett's dad nodded, his face giving nothing away. He waited for him to ask the next question, but then Brett's mum piped up softly. 
"It's... it's not what we planned for you." 
"I know, mum. I'm sorry I can't be what you want." Brett said in his most polite, gentle tone, but then suddenly Brett's dad hit the table, so hard that Eddy jumped almost a foot in the air. 
"Stop that, Brett." Brett's dad said. "I don't want to hear that anymore. It may not be what we had planned, but we thought a lot, last night, and we talked deep into the night. So here it is: you are our son. No matter what the expectations may have been. So we..." he took Brett's mum's hand and took a deep breath. "So we will accept Eddy into our family. But please, do not hide from us again."

For the longest second Eddy could not breathe. Had they really just said that? Tears had started pouring again, and he couldn't believe he was crying in front of Brett's parents, but he couldn't stop it either. 
"Thanks so much, mum, dad." Brett said beside him, but Eddy was still frozen, the scalding tears making tracks down his cheeks. 
"Oh, Eddy." Brett's mum said as she got up and pulled him out of his chair. She enveloped him in a hug, this tiny, tiny lady, but just as much a powerhouse as his own mum. She stroked his back as he sobbed into her shoulder like a little kid.
"Eddy. I can see how hard this has been on you." She let him go and looked him up and down. Then she nodded. "You have been like another son to me for years. Now I guess you really are my son." 
Something flooded through him, unlike anything he had felt before. It was a peace, that he knew came from her acceptance. 
Acceptance he had never had before. 
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Yang." he managed. He swiped at the tears, and took a deep breath to stop them. Then they both sat back down. 
"Brett said that the biggest reason you hid was your mother?" Brett's dad, always the businesslike one, said as if he hadn't just seen him cry into his wife's shoulder. Eddy nodded. 
"Yes. It... it... she doesn't..."
"Okay." Brett's mum said. "With your permission, I would like to call her."

For the second time in a few minutes Eddy couldn't breathe. She was going to call his mum? She was asking for his permission  to call his mum? 
Before he could even consciously decide whether this was a good idea or not he was already nodding. 
"That is so kind, Mrs. Yang."
"Okay." she said, getting up again. Wait, she was going to do it right now? 
He could do nothing but stare after her as she left the kitchen in a hurry.