Tangled Vines (32 page)

C
alli tucked the blanket over Jojo’s lap and looked at Benfu. Their grandson sat nestled between them in the backseat, sleeping like a little angel. Jing, along for the ride and an impromptu visit to her sister, bravely took the seat up front with Jet and now lay against the window, snoring gently. Calli whispered a word of gratitude to the gods for the old woman and then looked back down at Jojo. Her heart felt it would burst with love.

“He’s something, isn’t he?” she said softly. She couldn’t stop looking at him. Their life had taken a drastic turn and though she didn’t know what awaited her when they met Dahlia, she wouldn’t trade the last day with their grandson for anything in the world.

Benfu nodded and a proud smile worked its way across his face. He tilted his head to the side just enough that his lips touched the top of Jojo’s head in a light kiss. He hadn’t tried to be affectionate while the boy was awake and prattling on with stories about his life, but Calli could see he couldn’t resist now. She saw him close his eyes and inhale and knew he was experiencing that same little-boy smell she’d already discovered after she’d persuaded Jojo to take a soapy bath at the hotel. So far he’d not made the connection that they were his grandparents, as they’d decided that title would only be given to them if his own mother wanted it that way.

Benfu finally looked up. “Do you think his stories are true?”

Calli sighed. “He doesn’t strike me as the kind to make up things. I’m sad to say it, but I think yes, they are probably true.”

In his matter-of-fact way of talking, Jojo had told them about their time before Erik when they lived on the streets and occasionally slept in a hostel or even in department stores when cold weather hit. He described it as an adventure of hiding until the employees left for the night, but to Calli it sounded like a desperate situation. But no more so than the story he told about Dahlia being taken from her first foster family, the ones who had given her a nice home. With his vivid descriptions he’d made the couple sound almost like characters from a fairy tale, but the unhappy ending of her being returned to the orphanage still rang in her ears. The thought that her little girl was bounced around and left to think she was unwanted was like a dagger in her heart.

She had watched Benfu as the little boy talked and could tell he was suffering as much as she. She could honestly say, however, that it sounded like her daughter was a resourceful and protective mother to her son. He obviously adored her.

Jet had listened from the front seat and respectfully not intervened, just like Jing. Even though he was almost family now, he knew they were overwhelmed with processing all of the newest information in their hands and didn’t need the opinion of anyone else.

Calli was just glad that Jet had offered to drive them to Hongcun.
Calli also knew it was his way of helping her get Benfu away from the foreigner before he totally lost it and put his big hands around his neck and squeezed. When Jing had explained she lived downstairs and told them what had been going on right above her, Calli thought Benfu would surely kill the stunned man. The foreigner had accused Jing of lying but there was no doubt the old woman had no reason to lie. They’d believed her and followed her down to her apartment to listen to the entire story. Jing had offered to lead them to Dahlia and they’d accepted. Her presence obviously made Jojo comfortable, so they were glad to have her.

Jojo jumped up and down, almost unable to contain himself, when they’d told him they would take him to his mother. Now they’d been on the road for over five hours and Jojo was spent.

“Did you talk to all the girls?” she asked Benfu, wondering if their daughters were okay.

“Yes, I talked to them all.”

“Even Jasmine?” That one she was worried about, as she was the most attached to her Ye Ye and would take their extended absence the hardest.

“Yep—I told her I loved her to the moon and back, just like always.”

“Did she say anything in return?” Calli asked, holding her breath.

She heard him sigh. “Now Calli, you know the answer to that. And you need to try to sleep, m’love,” Benfu said, breaking her away from her thoughts. “We still have a few hours to go.”

Calli smiled at him. “How can I sleep when I know at the end of this trip I’ll see my daughter?”

She didn’t even want to stop but so far they’d made a few detours. They’d had dinner at a tiny roadside restaurant and they’d been astonished to watch such a small boy put away so many noodles and even top it off with red bean ice cream. And they’d forgotten what tiny bladders children have. Jojo had asked to stop more than a few times to relieve himself. He’d stuck to Benfu each time like glue, afraid to be whisked away again by a stranger. He’d described the gangster-looking boy to them, and even though he wasn’t treated roughly, Calli wondered how long it would take him to forget what he’d been through.

They passed a billboard of a beautiful girl modeling a line of clothing and Calli thought of Linnea. She hated that everything had happened at the same time as her success, and hoped it didn’t take away from her joy too much.

“Jet? What did Lin say when you told her we’d be gone another night? Is everything okay at the store?” With all the commotion, he’d offered to call Linnea while they talked with Jing and decided the travel details.

“She was excited for you that we’re so close to finding Dahlia,” he answered, looking in the rearview mirror at Calli. “And she said business is still going well and people are still asking for her autograph. She’s already ordered another double shipment of her shirts.”

Benfu chuckled. “Our girl is quite the entrepreneur. She also asked Jet to take photos of anything he sees that would make a good design for her shirts. She’s always thinking ahead, that one.”

Calli nodded. She felt like Jet and Linnea were keeping something from them. She didn’t know what but mother’s instinct told her something was up. She knew one thing for sure; Linnea was definitely going to be an even bigger success than she could imagine. Of that she had no doubt. They wouldn’t have to worry about her future. She just hoped she and Benfu could help Dahlia straighten out her life and get off to a new start. She closed her eyes. More than anything she wanted their daughter to allow them into her life. If Dahlia would just give them a chance to explain everything, Calli would work to make it right for her.

A few hours later Calli listened as Jing directed Jet through the small streets. From what they could see it was more of a village than a town. Jing had called her sister and there was room at the inn she owned. Though Jet had driven as fast as the law would allow, it was after midnight, and Jing had suggested waiting until morning to meet their daughter and turn over her son. Jing’s sister said she had paying customers and didn’t want to wake the entire house. Calli had balked, but Benfu had calmed her down, reminding her that Jojo had been through so much and would be better seeing his mother in the morning after a few hours’ rest.

“Turn here,” Jing instructed, “then pull into that alley and go to the end.”

Calli’s skin was covered in goose bumps as Jet followed the narrow lane and then parked the car behind a building the old woman pointed out.

“This is it,” Jing said from the front seat. “The girls live in quarters above the inn, and my sister rents out rooms on the first floor.”

They piled out and Calli fretted as Benfu easily lifted Jojo into his arms. Jet offered to take him but, not surprisingly, Benfu refused. Calli could see a fresh look of amazement briefly cross Benfu’s face when he cradled his grandson next to his chest. The boy looked small in the big arms wrapped around him, but he didn’t move—he was too exhausted from the trip and the excitement of it all.

Jet opened the trunk and got their bags; then he and Benfu followed Jing up the path as she led them to the back door, with Calli trailing behind. She couldn’t believe that she was only feet from her daughter! How was she ever going to go to sleep knowing that somewhere over her head the child who was taken from her lay sleeping?

The door opened, and a woman who looked eerily like Jing stepped out and waved them in. It had to be Shuwen. “Come on in. Hurry up before the mosquitos follow you.”

Calli reached out and put her hands around Jojo’s head to protect him from the door frame as Benfu turned sideways to bring him through, the boy’s long legs dangling almost to the floor.

“This way, I’ll show you to the room and you can lay him on the bed,” Shuwen said, and led her and Benfu through
the hall. They went past a big kitchen and a few other doors to the last one on the end. The woman opened it and switched on the lamp. Calli rushed to turn down the covers and Benfu laid Jojo gently down. She covered him up, then turned to Benfu and Shuwen. She saw Jet standing patiently in the hall.

“Lao Shuwen, I’d appreciate it if you’d show Jet to a room—he’s exhausted from the drive. Benfu, you can sleep beside Jojo. I’ll take the chair.” She pointed to the chaise near the window. “I don’t feel like sleeping, anyway.”

Shuwen waved her hand in the air. “Nonsense. My housekeeper is bringing a cot. Both of you can sleep. But first, come to the kitchen for a cup of tea and then I’m off to bed. What a long day I’ve had.”

Calli didn’t feel much like talking. Her mind was spinning out of control with what-ifs. She looked at Benfu and could see he was thinking the same. “Do you mind if we take a rain check? Thank you so much for your kindness, but you go ahead and visit with your sister and we’ll take a walk before we settle in.”

Shuwen nodded. “Just leave this door cracked a bit and I’ll check on him in a few minutes. You two go walk around Moon Pond. Try to let your
qi
resolve itself so you can get some rest.”

She pointed down the hall the opposite way they’d come in. “Use the front door and the cobblestone path will lead you right to the pond. I’ll have your cot set up when you return, and you can wash up and go to bed. First thing in the morning, you’ll find Li Jin having breakfast with the others.”

“Thank you so much for everything, Lao Shuwen.” Benfu bowed to the woman.

“No thanks are needed. In only a limited time, I’ve found your daughter to be an exceptional and devoted woman. I cannot wait to see her reunited with her son. Oh—I’ll be sure to pull her out so the reunion won’t be in front of the others. I’ll come get you when I have her ready. Jet, you follow me. We’ll fill your belly with some buns and tea, then get you off to bed.”

“That will be perfect,” Benfu said.

Calli followed him out the door, then took one last look at Jojo. He was still sleeping soundly.