Window Dressing

     We checked into Marina Mandarin on Saturday to support Dad for his marathon on Sunday. It started wonderfully - we were given a free upgrade and late checkout. As we settled into the room, Mum, Dad and I changed into our pajamas and snuggled into the bed for an afternoon nap. Actually, only I slept I suspect and Mum and Dad watched HBO and gave each other "huggie hugs".

   I liked how after dinner, Dad wandered into an art shop while Mum hovered around the shopping centre concierge wondering about the points she could clock from the dinner receipt and what items she could redeem. I especially liked an adorable statue in the window front by artist, Wu Qiong. Hand in hand, they looked ready to leap into the future together.

    As we walked back to the hotel, Zm joined us. He had taken the train from Yishun after a family dinner and joined us. He looked half sheepish as he came bag in hand. He whispered to me, "Am I under-dressed?" He felt so under-dressed, I had to coax him to go down to the Piano Bar downstairs at the hotel atrium. Me in my blue pencil dress and golden heels, he in his polo shirt, three-quarters and red slippers. Haven't we always been this way? The waitress in resplendent long golden cheongsums with high mid-thigh slits waltzed around. One came with a dessert tray full of alcohol and invited us to order a cherry jubilee. We did. As the waitress started swirling the cherries, the alcohol and vanilla ice-cream together, I turned to him. This man-child, who had insisted on coming from wherever he was, with a sleeping bag (because we didn't know if my sister was going to sleep over too or not), just because it's family and if it's family, he would come. Even if it meant sleeping on the floor. I turned to him, and smiled. We raised our glasses. Cheers.