Stay | Tao

Eighteen

"Mei, you shouldn't have come if you were just going to cough the whole time," Grandma complained, "What if you get somebody else sick?"

"That's their problem."

"Here, Mei," Tao put a mask on my face, I had in on earlier but had taken it off because it was making my glasses fog up.

"God, where is Hana, she's going to miss the ceremony," She had been taking pictures of literally everything in China.

"Sorry! Um, lost," Her Chinese was definitely better but not fluent, she switched to Korean, "When my sister graduated from college the ceremony was very long and boring."

"I guess we'll just have to deal with it then," Tao said.

"Slow down, you're going to fast!" This was something she would say anytime anyone said anything in Chinese.

"Ugh, I feel so tired and gross," I leaned my head on Tao's shoulder, "I can't believe I still have this stupid cold," it was the beginning of March, also Hana's spring break.

"Maybe you're pregnant, maybe you got pregnant on Valentines Day," Grandma said.

"Grandma, that's embarrassing."

"Funny," Hana said.

"Why is it embarrassing? Is it true?"

"I don't know, shut up, it's starting."

~

"Mei, wake up, it's time to go," Tao shook me.

"Oh, I didn't mean to fall asleep, I hope Chonglin forgives me," I yawned, not really caring.

"We have to go, now," Was the first thing Chonglin said when he greeted us.

"Why? What happened?" I asked.

"I saw mom and dad in the bleachers, we really have to leave," Chonglin and I practically olympic power walked out of there.

"Wait, Chonglin, I'm going to throw up, like now."

"Hold it, just one second," He led me into a family restroom and held my hair out of my face, "Mei, I think you should see a doctor, you've not been well lately."

"Okay, but really, I'd like to get out of here now," I rinsed out my mouth and walked out.

"Mei, did you get sick?" Tao asked. I nodded.

"Where's Grandma?"

"She told us to leave, she said she'd distract your parents."

"Chonglin!"

"I don't think it worked out," Tao frowned. I tugged on his hand, indicating that I wanted to leave, but Chonglin gave me a look that said 'don't leave me'. I kind of worried that Tao might get a little overprotective.

"Congratulations, son," Chonglin ignored the bullshit proud father things coming out of his mouth. You could see the hatred in his eyes.

"Why are you here?"

"Because we are proud of you."

"I don't care what you are. I didn't ask you to come here. Did I fucking stutter when I said I never wanted to see either of you again?"

"I didn't stutter either," I muttered.

"And our Mei is engaged now, we heard," My dad touched my face.

"Don't touch her," Tao smacked his hand away and held me away from him.

"Who are you to talk to me that way?"

"Who are you to show up and act like you've never done a damn thing wrong? Both of you. This is the most sorry excuse for parenting I've ever seen."

"What do you know about parenting? You don't have children."

"It doesn't take a parent to know a shitty parent, we'll be leaving now."

"Tao, that was awesome, really," Chonglin said in the car.

"Yeah, when you told him not to touch her you reminded me of a guy in a drama," Hana said.

"Okay, you two, don't tear apart the house, I'm going to take Mei to the doctor."

"Party!" Hana cheered as her and Chonglin got out of the car.

"I don't need to go to the doctor."

"But you've just been getting more and more sick, I want to know nothing's wrong."

"But I'm scared of the doctor."

"It's okay, I'll be there with you."

This is why I hated going to the doctor, they ran a bunch of weird tests and made you pee in small containers and touched you.

"Tao, I want to leave," I looked over at him.

The nurse came back into the room, "So I have some good news and some bad news."

"Good news first," Tao said for me.

"Mei isn't terribly sick. It's just a little stomach sickness and a cold, after a little rest she should be fine."

"That's good," He hesitated, "What's  the bad news, then?"

"I'm very sorry to tell both of you this," I could feel myself shaking, "Mei, you can't have children."

"What?!" Tao seemed almost angry, like it was the hospitals fault.

"I really am very sorry."

The drive home was quiet for a while, "Y-you're not mad at me, right, Tao? It's not my f-fault that this happened."

"I'm not mad at you," he grabbed my hand, "I'm sorry if I'm scaring you, I'm just mad at the universe for doing this to us."

I leaned over and kissed his temple, "We'll be okay, I'm sure we will."