THE ULTIMATE STANDER (COMPLETED)

Epilogue

      The nurse knocked slightly on the door. Aunt Mae was sitting in a chair beside the window and reading some magazine. When she swung in her seat to look toward the entrance, I immediately shot her a smile.

      "Phoebe!" She instantly rose off the chair, dropping the book onto it and rushed over to me.

      "Aunt Mae," I stated, before wrapping my arms around her.

      "I've missed you so much, honey. How was Beijing?" she asked as we pulled apart. I had told her I was leaving for Beijing for a job opportunity, promising to return after few days. She had been afraid, said my Dad had told her the very same thing but only to hear the news of his death.

      "Beijing was great," I answered. "What about you? You doing good?"

      "Look at me. I'm as strong as a stag."

      I embraced her once again, before turning over to the nurse. "Is it okay if she returns home with me?" I inquired.

      "Of course. You just need to sign her out."

••••♦••••

      I took it upon myself to go pay Mia's little brother a visit in Oklahoma. Just a week after aunt Mae and I returned home. I was escorted by a nurse to the boy's ward. On arriving, I found the pale-looking boy sitting on his bed and gazing out the window.

      "Jietang," the nurse called. The boy turned his head over to the door. "You have a visitor." She announced before leaving, shutting the door behind me.

      "Hi," I mentioned, raising my hand in a gesture. "My name's Phoebe."

      He stared at me for a few moment. "Do I know you? I've never seen you before."

      I moved closer to him. "No, you haven't. But I've heard about you. I'm a friend of your sister."

      His little face lit up. "Mia? Is she here? Where is she?"

      Fuck. This is going to be tougher than I thought.

      "Well she . . . She's . . . Um. She's—"

      "Dead?" he asked.

      I was taken aback. "How did you . . ."

      Jietang looked away onto his hands resting on his thighs.  "The minute you walked in, and the nurse saying you're my visitor, I knew something must have happened to Mia. I don't get visitors aside Mia. And when our Mom and Dad died, a stranger had come to our house to tell us about their deaths."

      Oh boy. I was a stranger here to tell him about his sister.

      I moved onto the empty seat beside him and sat down. "It's okay if you want to cry," I uttered, as I watched his glum face.

      "I'm not going to cry. I promised Mia that I wouldn't. She told me never to cry when I hear about her death."

      Why would Mia make him promised such a thing?

      "Do you know why she said that?"

      "She wanted me to be strong. She said crying are for babies."

      I smiled. "Yeah. She was right."

      "My sister may be gone, but she'll always be right here."  He jabbed a finger to his left chest, indicating the location of his heart.

      "Of course," I stated.

      He turned his face at me. "You say you're a friend of my sister."

      "Yeah."

      "Just a friend?"

      I smiled with a slight frown. "Um yeah." He didn't seem to believe me as he continued to stare at me. "What?"

      "You're wearing the necklace I gave her."

      I touched the necklace around my neck. "Do you . . . Do you want it back?" I asked.

      Jietang looked away. "No. My sister gave it to you for a reason. She must have really liked you."

      I chuckled, feeling completely surprised. "And how do you know that?"

      "Mia only gives away the things she cherished the most to people she loved. Mom, Dad, and me. You're the first person aside our family she's ever given her precious possession to." I stroke the necklace again, gazing down at it. "Promise to keep it safe?"

      I looked up at him, smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I promise." For the very first time, he smiled genuinely at me.

      I felt my phone vibrating as I shut the door of Jietang's room. I withdrew it out of my jean pocket and checked the caller's I.D. A private number. I pressed the receive button and place the phone onto my ear.

      "Who's this?" I asked.

      "Hello, Phoebe Knowles." A man's voice on the other end of the line. "We've got a proposition for you."

      Wearing a determined expression, I replied, "I'm listening."

      The End.

Author's Note

Thank you so much for reading this book and for the comments and votes. It makes me extremely happy to see others interested in this story. I'm truly grateful.