“I’m meeting your family for the first time,” said Renee. “Niceisn’t enough. I need to look right.” She turned back to the mirror, tugging at the dress and grimacing. “I think it’s too low-cut. Can you help me unzip it?”
Ket Siong would happily have assisted with taking the dress the rest of the way off, but the moment he was finished with the zip, Renee vanished into the depths of her wardrobe. When she re-emerged, she was tucking a high-collared cream blouse into a floaty midi skirt in a peachy beige.
This outfit was indeed more demure than the previous one, but somehow it was even sexier. Before Ket Siong could start daydreaming about pulling Renee down onto the bed and reaching up underneath that skirt, she said:
“Your mom loves Stephen, right?”
Ket Siong thought he knew where this was coming from. “She’ll like you, too.”
“No, but,” said Renee. She went to the mirror, pulling her hair back and pinning it up in a chignon. “Does she have any issues with, you know, him and your brother?”
They hadn’t discussed it as a family. Ket Hau had made no further mention of marriage, though he was talking regularly to Stephen now. Ket Siong and Ma were careful to give him space during their calls, but Ket Siong hadn’t noticed any difference in Ma’s manner when she happened to see Stephen on Ket Hau’s phone screen.
She had been very quiet when they’d told her Stephen was alive. “God is good,” she’d said, and crossed herself.
“I don’t know,” said Ket Siong, remembering her face. “She cares about Stephen. I don’t think that would change, just because… She might need some time, that’s all.”
“Right,” said Renee. She applied lipstick to her mouth and turned around. “How do I look?”
She looked fresh and wholesome. It brought the Renee of ten years ago vividly back to Ket Siong. He got up off her bed and took her in his arms.
“You’re beautiful,” he said truthfully. He leaned in for a kiss. She smelt nice, too.
The plan was to sit down to lunch around two p.m. Maybe it didn’t matter if they were late.
Renee gave him a little push.
“Don’t mess me up,” she said. “Oh my God, is that the time? You should’ve told me. Let’s go.”
They took a cab to Ket Siong’s place—a wild extravagance, but unavoidable, since public transport had shut down for the day. Renee didn’t talk much during the drive. She spent most of it on her phone.
“Is something happening at work?” said Ket Siong.
Renee was busy texting in silence.
“Hmm?” she said. “No, Virtu’s closed for the week. It’s just a friend. Aww, that’s cute. Look!”
She tilted her phone screen. Ket Siong was allowed a second to admire the image of Nathalie with her husband and child, beaming in matching Christmas jumpers, before Renee whipped the phone away.
She wasn’t any less jittery once they arrived, though Ma and Ket Hau were suitably welcoming. They relieved her of her coat and settled her on the sofa with a mug of Milo. But Renee kept jumping up, going to the window to gaze out at the street, wandering to the door, inspecting the pictures on the walls and the books on the shelves.
She was waiting for something. But what?
When the doorbell sounded, Renee nearly jumped out of her skin. Then she glanced at Ket Hau—a look of trepidation.
Ket Hau didn’t notice. He was busy setting out drinks on the dining table: orange juice, Ribena, and a bottle of Chardonnay they’d picked up when doing their big Christmas shop at Asda, in case Renee wanted wine.
Ma poked her head out of the kitchen. “What’s that? Are you all expecting anything?”
“Nobody’s going to be delivering on Christmas Day,” said Ket Hau. “Must be Roberta.”
The landlady had come round a couple of weeks ago to complain about the noise. Ket Siong only played the piano during business hours, when the neighbours were most likely to be out of the house, and they’d done all they could by way of soundproofing: hung heavy blackout curtains over the windows; used a draught stopper to seal up the gap under the door. He couldn’t very well be less annoying without cutting down on practice, which he was loath to do. After such a long break from performing, he needed it.
On this point, at least, he had good news. “We can tell her I’m going to start practising at Renee’s place.”
“OK,” said Ket Hau. His brow furrowed. “Wait, do you mean Renee bought you a piano?”
“I couldn’t think of what else to get him for Christmas,” said Renee apologetically. “Ket Siong’s so hard to buy for. Why don’t I get the door? You guys are busy.”
