The Substitute Bride

Sheryl stretched her hand towards Amy to hand over the gift she had brought for her. "It's a thank you gift," Sheryl said with a bright smile on her face. "You've been really kind and benevolent in helping me out in my hour of need lately. You don't know how much I appreciate you, Amy. I bought these as a token of my gratitude. I hope you will accept it," she added as she handed the gift to Amy.

Amy looked at Sheryl with loving eyes as she took the parcel from her hand. "Well, that's very sweet, but you really don't have to do that," Amy said as she ushered Sheryl inside her house. "Please make yourself comfortable. Treat this like your own house." When they entered the living room, Amy told her daughter,"Abby, please entertain Sheryl for me. I'll make a soup for the dinner." Then she turned to Sheryl and added,"Have a seat, Sheryl. Dinner is almost ready. Dine with us tonight."

"No, Amy," Sheryl hurriedly declined Amy's invitation. "I just came here to pick Shirley up. I really can't disturb you any more."

"You are not disturbing me," Amy said firmly. "Eat some fruit now and go back after having dinner with us," she spoke in a stern yet emphatic tone. "You may not know that I'm a good cook. Please don't stand on ceremony. Take your seat. It will make me happy if you treat this like your own house," Amy repeated herself.

Unwilling to disappoint Amy, Sheryl nodded her head in acceptance of her invitation to stay for dinner. Amy gave a satisfying smile and walked towards the kitchen. Abby pulled Sheryl onto the couch. Andy, who was also sitting quietly on the couch, looked at her with a welcoming smile.

They were seeing her just after three years yet Andy felt that it had been a century since they had last met.

"Oh, let me introduce you to my family," Abby said delightedly. "This is my husband, Andy Xu, and these are my two children." She pointed to Andy, and then to Cindy and Rick.

Cindy looked straight at Sheryl with her big black eyes. She felt an urge to run to Sheryl and hug her crying Autumn. But she remained silent as she had been instructed by her mother to call her Sher. It was Autumn right in front of her eyes and no one else. But still the girl obeyed her mother. She passed a polite smile and kept looking at Sheryl.

As for Sheryl, she could not move her eyes from Cindy. She felt a very strong sense of familiarity with this girl as if she had met her before. She took Cindy's hand and inquired affectionately,"Hello, what's your name?"

"Cindy, I'm Cindy," Cindy replied in a clear voice, showing no sign of timidity.

Rick standing next to Cindy g

e all the people present in the room have a hearty laugh. The family's collective effort to make Sheryl feel convinced about their accidental meeting succeeded. Amy came out of the kitchen and asked,"What are you talking about? You all look so happy."

When everyone stopped laughing, she announced,"Dinner is ready." Then she turned to Abby and said,"Abby, take Sheryl upstairs to wake Shirley."

"Okay," Abby replied and told Sheryl,"come with me, Sheryl." As Abby led Sheryl upstairs, Sheryl walked passed a room downstairs that felt very familiar, as if there was something in the room she knew. She paused outside that room and stared at its closed door. What lied behind this closed door? What was it that made her so curious about this room? Sheryl stood there wondering why a room in a house she had visited for the first time pulled her towards it.

Abby marked the dilemma that Sheryl was going through. She decided to stand there in silence and wait for Sheryl's reaction. After a while she asked,"What's the matter, Sheryl?"

"Abby... " Sheryl stood at the door. After hesitating for a long while, she asked,"What's in this room?"

"Oh, this room..." Abby stared at Sheryl for a few seconds trying to read her mind. She wondered if Sheryl had remembered the past.

"It was one of my elders' room, but she passed away three years ago. So it is empty now."

"Oh, really?" Sheryl glanced at the closed door in disbelief. 'Why do I feel I have been in this room before?' she wondered.

"Let's go," Abby urged and pulled Sheryl's hands.

Shirley was still sleeping when they came to the room where she rested. Sheryl walked to the bed and woke Shirley up. "Sher, you're here to pick me up," she said, rubbing her sleepy eyes.