Today was Saturday. The sun was shining. The weather was nice and the birds were chirping outside. Gu Hai and Bai LuoYin were doing the usual, a general cleaning of the house. It was Bai LuoYin's new rule. Every Saturday, they would split up the rooms. Gu Hai was in charge of cleaning half of the house and Bai LuoYin did the other half. They disinfected every piece of furniture, counter and bleached the bathroom. Bai LuoYin and Gu Hai were in agreement. When the babies came, this was to be an ongoing thing. Children thrived in a clean and healthy environment, Bai LuoYin had said to Gu Hai.
Gu Hai shook his head. He recalled the days when his father hired a cleaning lady to polish their home from top to bottom. His mother hadn't liked it too much because she was the kind of woman who liked to do house chores. But, Gu Wei Ting was the type of man who liked to make things easier for his family.
"I smell like a lemon," Gu Hai said, walking into the bedroom. He was drinking a bottle of water and he had his shirt off. His pajama bottoms were of an anime character he liked.
Bai LuoYin popped his head up from scrubbing the tub and eyed him up and down. "I smell like bleach, so don't complain," he said and got out of the tub. He sprayed some cleaning solution into the toilet and put his hands on his hips and said, "Now, I have to let that soak."
Gu Hai grinned. He liked to watch Bai LuoYin do things. The way he concentrated on the task at hand turned him on. He went into the bathroom and wrapped his arms around his wife from the back. He rested his chin on Bai LuoYin's shoulder, inhaled and exhaled, then kissed him on the cheek.
"No," Bai LuoYin protested and wiggled his way out of his arms. He turned to face him and pointed a finger up to his nose. "You will not sway me from my duties. You will also go back to yours! There will be no love-making, no sexual things of any kind until this house is shinning like a diamond."
Gu Hai threw his hands up in the air as if he were being arrested and said, "Yes, sir!" He turned on his heel and went back towards the kitchen. As he was coming down the stairs though, the doorbell rang and he went to answer it. He opened the door and found his father standing there. A bag of food was in one hand and beer in the other. "Dad," he said, surprised.
Gu Wei Ting frowned at the sight of his son's careless appearance. He wondered if he had interrupted something sexual between him and Bai LuoYin and turned green. He shifted his weight and wondered what to say.
"Come in," Gu Hai said, stepping to the side. "We are cleaning up. I hope you don't mind the mess."
Gu Wei Ting's mind raced. Did they just finish doing something naughty and were cleaning themselves up, he thought to himself. He shook the thought from his head and stepped inside.
At the top of the stairs, Bai LuoYin appeared and smiled. When he made it to the bottom of the steps, he bowed his head and shook Gu Wei Ting's hand firmly.
Gu Wei Ting noticed that Bai LuoYin also looked out of breath and a little dirty. He lifted the bags in his hands and Bai LuoYin and Gu Hai took them from him.
They all went into the kitchen and Gu Wei Ting watched as his son moved cleaning products off of the table and counter.
"We are almost done cleaning," Gu Hai said. He washed his hands and face quickly and pulled his t-shirt over his head.
"Shall we eat?" asked Bai LuoYin.
Gu Wei Ting breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. He felt silly that he had misread the situation. He was more than relieved to know that his son was not doing anything sexual. It was still hard for him, even though he was learning to except that his son was gay. But walking into a scene such as the one he was thinking about would have made it all too real in his head.
Bai LuoYin made some tea and gave Gu Wei Ting a cup.
"Are you two doing a general cleaning or is this how your weekends are?" Gu Wei Ting asked. He took a sip from the cup and made himself comfortable on the stool in front of the island. His view was of Bai LuoYin leaning up against the stove and Gu Hai was wiping down the front of the refridgerator.
Gu Hai spoke as he wiped, saying, "Bai LuoYin and I thought that it would be good practice to keep the house clean."
Gu Wei Ting nodded as he took another sip and said, "That is good. A clean house is something a man should be proud of."
"We wanted to practice sterility as soon as possible. When the babies come, we want to be able to have them in a safe environment," Bai LuoYin said.
Gu Wei Ting's eyebrows rose and fell. He was most impressed. Growing up, Gu Hai never lifted a finger to do much. But, Bai LuoYin had made a man out of his son. He had to admit, Gu Hai's temper had reduced a lot since meeting Bai LuoYin. Also, Bai LuoYin had shown him how to take on more responsibilities. Growing up, Gu Hai didn't have chores. As a man, Gu Wei Ting always provided for his family. Only the best of things. Now, it made him proud that his son was growing as a person, as a man. Learning was something all Chinese parents instilled in their children. Grow the mind, and the soul becomes rich, strong, like the root of a tree.
"Dad," Gu Hai said as he stood upright, "do you think that I'll be a good father?" He gave his father serious eyes and waited to hear what he would say.
Gu Wei Ting put his cup down and gave his son full eyes. He sighed and said, "I know that you will be a good father."
Bai LuoYin decided to go back to his housework. He let father and son have some alone time.
Gu Hai half smiled.
"You will be a better father than I was," Gu Wei Ting admitted.
Gu Hai was shocked at those words. He shook his head and said, "No, you were a great father. Don't ever say that. I know that I was difficult to deal with growing up. Even after mother died, I knew you were trying your hardest to still be a great father to me."
Gu Wei Ting took a breath and exhaled slowly. He appreciated what his son had said. He nodded. It had been a long time since he talked to his son like this. He drank some more tea and then remembered something. "Oh, Jiang Yuan is also coming. I left early and a car is bringing her soon. She has bought a few things for the surrogate mothers," he said.
Shortly after, Gu Hai answered the doorbell and called Bai LuoYin downstairs. Jiang Yuan smiled at them both as she entered the home. They helped her with the four bags of groceries and they all settled in the kitchen.
Jiang Yuan sat next to her husband and Gu Hai made her a cup of tea. "You must give these things to Jiang Yifei and Ying Yue," she said, eyeing her son and Gu Hai. She went on to say, "It is going to be a challenge. Pregnant women have cravings and their taste buds are changing every day. Some women get nauseated and their digestion becomes sensitive."
Gu Hai handed her the cup of tea and folded his arms across his chest. He leaned against the counter to listen. Bai LuoYin also listened attentively.
She reached into the bag and pulled out a sweet potato and continued saying, "Have the chef prepare some of these. They help strengthen the spleen and stomach. It tonifies their energy and detoxifies their bodies. It also will help with constipation if they are having problems. It has vitamin A, and it increases milk production. So, they should have it even after they have the babies.
Gu Wei Ting pulled out some walnuts from the bag and she said, "Walnuts nourish the kidneys. They can also help with constipation and low back pain, but they won't experience that until later on in their pregnancy.
"Keep them refridgerated, it prevents rancidity," Gu Wei Ting added.
She pulled out some chicken from another bag and said, "This warms the body and treats fatigue, so make sure and have the chef make it different ways." She pulled out a some lamb from the bag and said, "This nourishes the blood and aids in lactation."
Bai LuoYin wanted to cry. This was the first time in his life that he felt as if his mother really cared, truly cared. When it came to his mother, he always had a difficult relationship with her. But today, he was happy. She had taken the time to shop for the mothers, and he was grateful. He watched as his mother spoke and all the resentment he felt towards her melted away. It were as if she were trying her best to make it up to him. Or maybe, it was true, babies changed a person. Would it take the babies coming into this world to make his mother a better human being? Sure, she wasn't there for him when he was younger, maybe this was her chance to fix her wrongs.
She pulled out a few more items and said, "Goji berries have high amounts of antioxidants. They can have them any way they want. Carrots, mixed with the sweet potatoes and olive oil was something that I had when I was carrying Bai LuoYin. I found it to be very tasty, have them try it."
Gu Hai fought the need to turn to Bai LuoYin and say, I find you tasty as well.
"I found some wild salmon in the market. Give this if they feel as if they have low energy. Mix garlic, and lots of it, in the meats as well, it soothes the liver and is anti-bacterial," she said.
Gu Wei Ting pulled out some spinach from the bag and said, "I asked her to pick these up. Spinach is good for the blood and it strengthens all organs."
This time it was Gu Hai who was happy. He smiled at his father and bowed slightly. He took the foods from them and put them away. Later, he would bring them to the surrogates and inform them of their daily diet.
"You two should give them eggs," Jiang Yuan said, "they are a wonderful source of protein and iron."
"Thank you very much for everything," Bai LuoYin said, bowing also.
Gu Wei Ting and Jiang Yuan looked pleased. They wanted to try their best and be involved with their future grandchildren. Knowing that they had helped, even a little, gave them peace of mind.
"Now, is there anything that I can help with since I'm here?" Gu Wei Ting asked, standing up and rubbing his hands together as if he were eager.
Bai LuoYin looked over at his husband.
Gu Hai thought for a moment and then his eyes lit up. "If you want to wipe down the baby's room, you can," he said, "it's very dusty."
Gu Wei Ting followed his son out of the room and up the stairs.
"Can I help with anything?" Jiang Yuan asked.
Bai LuoYin took her to the baby's room also and Jiang Yuan hung up the new clothing that her sons had bought in the closet. The hangers were so cute and tiny, just like the clothes, that Jiang Yuan enjoyed every moment. She even hummed a song as she did what she was told.
Gu Wei Ting wiped down the cribs and dressers and joined her in singing a famous song.
Outside of the door, Gu Hai and Bai LuoYin smiled at each other. It was nice to see their parents in such great spirits. At that moment, they knew, their parents were going to be wonderful and loving to the babies. There was nothing like having new babies come into the family. They brought a joy that was indescribable. Anyone's mood lifted when they held a baby.
When they all finished cleaning and the house sparkled. They cooked a meal as a family. Gu Wei Ting admitted to himself that it was the most fun he had in a long time. When the boys were in school together, he couldn't get them all in the same room to save his life. Watching them joke about little things as they chopped up carrots and seasoned chicken, brought a smile to his face.
"What's so funny?" Jiang Yuan asked. She and Bai LuoYin looked at him with curious eyes.
At first, he wanted to change the subject. But he changed his mind and said, "It is nice, being together like this."
Gu Hai stole a few carrots and popped them into his mouth. "I agree," he said, "we don't usually cook together. We should do this more often."
Bai LuoYin looked at his mother and said, "I would like that."
Nothing thrilled Jiang Yuan more than this. She had always wanted to be closer to her son. It was a bonus if they did this often, together, as a happy family.
"How about we cook dinner together every other weekend? I want to ask Bai Han Qi and Aunty Zhou if they would like to do the same thing," Gu Hai suggested.
"That sounds great!" Jiang Yuan said, looking over at her husband.
Gu Wei Ting nodded, and said, "I'll clear a few things and we can do that. I would like to spend some time with Bai Han Qi also."
"I think you would like Aunty Zhou also," Bai LuoYin said to his mother. "She loves to cook."
Jiang Yuan agreed and said, "I would like to get to know her." She took her son's hands in her own, gave him sincere eyes, and said, "I am sorry that I did not do it sooner."
"It's okay. You're doing it now. That is more important," he said to her. In the past, his mother was very disrespectful towards Aunty Zhou. It had hurt him very much that she felt that way towards a woman who was loving towards him. But, if she wanted to change, be a better woman, he was glad.
"Aunty Zhou fed me many mornings before I went to school," Gu Hai said, stealing another carrot.
Gu Wei Ting was surprised and said, "Really? Then, she is truly a kind woman. I would like to chat with her also."
Gu Hai nodded, saying, "Not only breakfast, but lunch and dinner sometimes."
His father's eyebrows raised and he said, "She didn't have much money back then, still, she fed you both every day?"
Bai LuoYin and Gu Hai answered, yes.
"This woman is remarkable," Gu Wei Ting said.
Bai LuoYin and his mother cooked the chicken, while Gu Hai and his father made the rest. When it was done, they all sat down and ate their bellies full. Bai LuoYin and his mother drank tea, Gu Hai and his father had a little bit of liquor.
"What do the surrogates want to do after they have the babies?" Gu Wei Ting asked his son.
"Well, Bai LuoYin and I agreed that it would be best for the mothers to stay in the babies lives," Gu Hai said.
"Do you think that they will become too attached?" his father asked.
"At this point, I do not think that it would be bad if they do," Gu Hai stated. "Bai LuoYin and I will be the main caretakers. I am not opposed if they want to spend weekends with the babies, or even holidays."
"So, you and Bai LuoYin will be with the babies most of the time?" Jiang Yuan asked.
"Yes," said Gu Hai.
"I read that the babies need to get familiar with the parents, especially when they are newborn," Bai LuoYin said. "I want them to know both of us, but I do want them to recognize their mothers as well."
"I can understand that," Gu Wei Ting said. "Those babies are going to have family that love them a lot!"
Gu Hai and his father cheered loudly and clinked their glasses together. They drank down the liquor and poured another.
"I can't wait to get lost in their eyes, smell their little heads and kiss their small feet," Jiang Yuan said gleefully. She did a little dance in her chair and placed a hand on her cheek.
Everyone fell into silence for a few minutes. They daydreamed about holding the babies, bathing them, teaching them and loving them. It was the most beautiful silence to befall them. Just the thought of the babies put them all into a heavenly bliss. Together, they were going to raise two babies that would change the world one day. The hopes and dreams they had for the little ones to come were made from good thoughts.
The rest of the night they chatted about new adventures. Gu Hai wanted to take the kids to America one day. Bai LuoYin wanted to take them to Disneyland. Gu Wei Ting yearned to take them to Japan, and Jiang Yuan was thinking about taking them to Paris in the fall.
When Gu Wei Ting and Jiang Yuan finally went home, Bai LuoYin turned to Gu Hai and said, "I think today was the most enjoyable with our parents."
Gu Hai agreed, and said, "Tomorrow, let's invite Aunty Zhou and Bai Han Qi over for dinner."