The Way Back | ✓

7.3

note: good news! I finished writing the last two chapters for this story in a day, just a few hours ago. I only have the epilogue left to write! 

I've been waiting to share this chapter and I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Do leave your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to hear what you think of this dinner <3 

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London once told Andrew that if she were to have any kind of superpower it would be to predict the future. What if he possessed a superpower like the one she described? That way, he could see how the rest of his life was planned out, and more importantly, he could see how successful or disastrous this dinner would turn out to be.

"You ready to face hell?" He looked to the backseat to find London and Aurora giving him amused glances.

"It's going to be fun. I missed Nainai's food," his little girl replied, sticking out her tongue at him.

"Ah, but the question is, did you miss Nainai's scoldings?"

Aurora giggled. "She never scolds me. Just you. I'm her little princess."

"Well, tonight's going to be fun," London laughed and his eyes instantly went to her. He could see the nerves play out on her soft features so he reached across the back and placed his hand on top of hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Aurora put her small hand on top of her father's, grinning widely like a kid with too much sugar, and said, "Let's do this."

"I see she inherited your funny dramatic flair," London told him teasingly. She had said it before on a couple of occasions and everytime she mentioned it, his heart felt warm.

Two minutes later, brave faces on, the three of them stood in front of the door. Meiling Cai was the one who opened the door for them, a welcoming smile on her face.

His mother first spotted Aurora, who stuck by Andrew's side, and her smile grew wider. Aurora hugged her Nainai, beaming up at her.

"Have you grown taller?" she said to Aurora, then pinching her cheeks, "Why do you look so thin? Have you been eating properly?"

"She's been eating fine, Mama," Andrew laughed lightly, used to the same greeting whenever he brought Aurora to see his parents.

"Tonight, we're going to feast and I'll make those chubby cheeks of yours again back to how they're supposed to be," Meiling said, giving her granddaughter's cheeks one last squeeze while Aurora giggled in approval.

His mother's eyes finally landed on London and he could see those judgemental eyes of her's sizing up his girlfriend. His mother was far from subtle. Just as Andrew was about to step in, London bowed slightly, head tipped down as she said, "Nin hao."

His mother's eyebrows rose slightly and surprise was clear on her face. So was it on Andrew's. He'd told his mother that London was a second-generation immigrant and that she was not in touch with her heritage as much as she'd like to.

"Oh, Andrew never said you knew Mandarin," his mother said, unconcealed surprise in her voice.

London laughed nervously, smiling like she always does. "I don't. But my parents did teach me to properly greet elders."

His mother laughed. "Oh, come on, I'm not that old." And then extending her arms and opening the door wider, she said, "Huanying."

Andrew allowed himself a breath of relief and a smile as they entered the house and removed their shoes, placing it on the shoe rack by the entrance of the house. His mother did not seem so hostile as he thought she'd be but still, he kept his guard up and his mind sharp. Meiling Cai was a cunning, intelligent woman. Despite knowing her for all of his life, she always had the capability of shocking him somehow.