Chapter 32 Chapter nine

I was still a few minutes late because the subway ride was way over budget.I don't know how this happened, I obviously checked the train timetable long before I set off and calculated the time needed on the road very accurately.But anyway, the train was delayed for the first time. The train hadn't stopped yet, so I couldn't wait to open the door and rush to the platform first, and rushed to the third terminal.I saw a lot of Asian faces along the way, knowing that my parents' plane had arrived, and maybe they were already waiting for me - oh my god, this is too bad!I pulled out my phone and frantically texted my mom, constantly replaying images of my dad yelling at me because his short temper would never tolerate me being a minute late.

Eventually I rushed to the customs gate, anxiously looking for my parents in the crowd.The gates opened and closed, and passengers of all colors passed me by with tired and excited faces.I don't see them.Is it not out yet?I looked down at my phone. As early as ten minutes ago, my mother told me that they had already picked up the luggage. "Odelle!" a familiar voice called me, no, not my parents, because they would never call me "Odelle". I turned around and saw a boy standing up and waving to me under the crimson umbrella of the Costa coffee shop not far away.He was wearing a dazzling sheer white shirt, and a curtain of honey-colored hair fell over one eye over his forehead.He waved his hand and yelled my name, "Odile, here!"

I ran over to my parents and hugged them in turn, then the boy.He kissed me lightly on the forehead, and asked cautiously: "You don't mind if I come over today, do you?" Would I mind?of course not!If he hadn't arrived at the airport to pick me up in advance, my life would never have been easy in the next few days.I took a sneak peek at my dad, who was completely lifeless, sitting on the sidelines drinking a large Americano, looking at the two of us with a big smile. "Thank you, Roy," I whispered, and immediately left his arms. "I've called a car, let's go directly to the hotel." Roy bent down to pick up my mother's luggage, and walked out of the lobby with my father.My mother and I followed, she held my hand and asked me how I was, but I couldn't hear a word.

I haven't seen my parents for at least half a year, maybe longer.I should be happy to see them again, I should be excited, happy to reunite the family.But in fact, I didn't feel anything at all.If anything, I felt flustered, even terrified, as if I had missed something very important.But my mom is holding my hand and we're all in this together, what could be more important than that?I shook my head, trying to dismiss these inexplicable thoughts and focus on my family. "Mom, have you changed your perfume?" I wanted to ask if the trip was going well, but such an insignificant sentence came out unexpectedly.My mother also seemed to be stunned.

I sniffed.The scent wafting from my mom is by no means the Stella McCartney I bought her. She likes this scent best and has been using it for several years. It is on all her clothes and scarves.But the person holding my hand had an unfamiliar smell coming from him.A sense of strangeness, rich and dangerous, like the pot of poppies that bloomed on my window sill and have now been transferred to Debbie by me. "It smells good." I squeezed her hand tightly and grinned.I didn't smile at my mom, mine was Roy.Because he suddenly looked back at us. "The taxi is over there." He smiled back, and gestured.

Roy was talking to my dad all the way.I haven't seen him for a while, but my dad's English seems to have improved a lot. The standard American accent and Roy's Greek accent complement each other perfectly. They also refer to me from time to time.My dad turned his head and looked at me cheerfully, with an expression of "you are my proudest daughter", which made me feel extremely uncomfortable.We always quarreled at home because he didn't like all my behavior and all my hobbies.In his eyes, I will always be that incompetent and immature daughter who is passionate about and proud of the dark things he dislikes.No matter what I do he will never be satisfied, let alone support.After twenty years of such a bad father-daughter relationship, he will be proud of me?Because I'm getting married?really?Because my fiancé Roy is so perfect, so perfect that he changed his attitude towards me?is it possible?

Not only has his attitude towards me changed, but his personality seems to have changed as well.In my memory, my dad is like a cruel big devil, who would yell at me every now and then because of little things.But this man in front of me, talking to Roy, is funny, warm, wise, and forgiving, tipping the driver and doorman, holding my mom's hand up the hotel steps, and getting out of the way for all of us door.Except for an Asian face—yes, that's exactly what my dad looks like in my memory.But otherwise, he behaved like a native English gentleman, anyone's ideal father. And my mother.Not only did she change her taste in perfume, but it seemed that she even changed her taste in clothing.When we walked into the guest room, she took off her coat, and inside was a bright red cashmere dress, which was gorgeous and luxurious, and she seemed to be several years younger.But seriously, I've never seen her in any of those dresses.Needless to say, around her neck was another gemstone necklace that I had never seen before.

"Are we going to eat?" I forced myself to look away, staring at the thick carpet under my feet, and asked in an uncertain voice. "We're a little tired," my mother said immediately, "You and Roy go back first, we want to rest." "Uncles and aunts should take a good rest." Roy immediately took my hand, "Let's go first." I stood still because I couldn't believe my ears.I looked up at my mom, then at my dad.But neither of them was looking at me.My mother was busy taking her various skin care products out of the box and lined them up on the sink, while my father sat on the sofa and opened the "Time" magazine on the coffee table.None of them are looking at me.

I haven't seen you for half a year, don't they miss me?Now that I'm getting married, don't they want to spend more time with me?I looked down at my phone, and the blinking numbers told me it was only half past seven.A ten-hour flight is indeed tiring, but to send me away so soon?Is this how normal parents treat their children?Shouldn't I be their pride? "Odelle?" Roy shook my hand. "Oh, okay, good night, Mom and Dad." I said mechanically, knowing that I should go, but I still couldn't move my legs.My eyes lingered on my parents, expecting them to look up at me, say they missed me, and let me stay with them, just like they used to at home.

I wish I could stay tonight, I wish I could stay with my parents instead of leaving with Roy. But my mother didn't seem to hear.She was still fiddling with her bottles like an alchemist in the bathroom; my dad sat on the couch in front of me without looking up.He flipped through another magazine and casually said, "Good night, Audrey." My name is not Audrey.This is the name I specially chose for my teachers and classmates to remember before I came to the UK.Odell is the little owl in "Swan Lake", and Odell is also the other self in the dream.My mentors and classmates call me Odelle, and everyone here calls me Odelle.But except them.My parents shouldn't have called me Odile.I even wonder if they even know the name.But apparently, my dad knew.

Roy was shaking my hand again.A warm and familiar feeling spread from the palm of my hand, my eyes were confused, and all the uneasy emotions seemed to be eliminated.So I silently looked at the British gentleman on the sofa who was concentrating on reading a magazine, and before leaving, I said softly: "Good night, Dad."