CEE
The scent of burning incense and herbs filled the small acupuncture clinic, mixing with the crisp morning air that drifted in through the open windows. Cee had been working here for months now, her hands growing accustomed to the delicate work of assisting Dr. Ren.
The old man moved with slow precision, his fingers steady despite his age as he adjusted the tiny needles in a patient's back. Cee stood beside him, handing him tools, carefully observing how he worked.
"You're learning well," Dr. Ren said in his soft but firm voice. "One day, you might even be better than me."
Cee smiled faintly, but her thoughts were distant. Her belly had grown, a constant reminder of the life inside her. Some days, she wondered if she was making the right choice.
Dr. Ren seemed to notice her silence. As he removed the last needle from the patient's skin, he glanced at her. "You should sit down. You look pale again."
Cee sighed. "I'm fine, Dr. Ren."
He didn't look convinced. He reached for her wrist, placing two fingers lightly on her pulse. He always did this—not just as a doctor but as someone who had become a father figure to her.
"Hm," he muttered. "You're overworking yourself again."
Cee let out a soft laugh. "You say that every day."
"Because it's true."
She couldn't argue with him. She was exhausted. Between work, pregnancy, and the lingering pain in her heart from Carlos, she barely had time to breathe. But this place—this clinic—had given her purpose.
Dr. Ren removed his fingers from her wrist and gestured for her to sit. "Rest for a while. I'll handle the next patient."
Cee hesitated before nodding. As she lowered herself onto the wooden stool, she watched him work, thinking about how much this man had done for her.
Later that evening, after the last patient had left, Dr. Ren sat in his usual spot by the window, drinking his tea.
Cee hesitated before speaking. "Dr. Ren… can I ask you something?"
The old man looked at her, his wise eyes kind. "Of course."
She fiddled with her fingers. "You never talk about your family. Do you have any children?"
Dr. Ren was silent for a moment. Then, he let out a deep sigh.
"No," he said. "I never had children."
Cee tilted her head. "But you're so good at taking care of people."
A sad smile formed on his lips. "I wanted children once. My wife, Mei, and I tried for years. But it never happened."
Cee felt a pang of sympathy. "I'm sorry…"
Dr. Ren waved a hand. "It was a long time ago."
He took another sip of tea before continuing. "Mei was the love of my life. She was strong, patient… always reminding me to look at the beauty in small things. When we realized we couldn't have children, she told me, 'Then we will love the world as our own.'"
Cee smiled at that. "She sounds amazing."
"She was." His eyes softened, but there was a hint of grief in them. "She passed away last year. A long illness. She fought hard, but in the end, even the best medicine couldn't save her."
Cee felt her throat tighten. "You must miss her."
Dr. Ren nodded. "Every day."
A heavy silence filled the room. Cee looked down at her hands, thinking about Carlos, about the love she had lost.
"I think she would've liked you," Dr. Ren said suddenly.
Cee blinked in surprise. "Really?"
He smiled. "Yes. She always had a soft spot for stubborn people with kind hearts."
Cee laughed softly, wiping away a stray tear. For the first time in a long while, she felt warmth—not just sadness.
Dr. Ren patted her hand. "Get some rest. The baby needs a strong mother."
Cee placed a hand on her belly letting out a heavy sigh.
The days passed quietly in the little clinic, filled with the rhythmic sounds of Dr. Ren's careful movements, the scent of medicinal herbs, and the occasional soft laughter between him and Cee. Their relationship had grown beyond that of a teacher and assistant—he had become her guardian, and she, in a way, had become the daughter he never had.
One evening, as they closed the clinic, Dr. Ren placed a steaming cup of ginger tea in front of Cee.
"For the nausea," he said, sitting across from her.
Cee smiled gratefully and took a sip, the warm liquid easing her unsettled stomach. "You always know what I need before I even say it."
Dr. Ren chuckled. "Years of practice. Mei always said a good doctor listens with his heart, not just his ears."
Cee leaned back against the wooden chair, rubbing her belly absentmindedly. "I wish I had met her."
Dr. Ren's gaze softened. "She would've adored you."
A comfortable silence settled between them before Cee spoke again. "Dr. Ren… why do you do this?"
"Do what?"
"Take care of me. You don't have to."
The old man exhaled, looking at the worn wooden floor as if searching for the right words. "After Mei passed, this house, this clinic… they felt empty. I had no children to pass on my knowledge, no one to share my meals with. Then you came along, looking lost, with a storm in your heart."
Cee swallowed the lump in her throat.
"You remind me of myself when I was younger," he continued. "Lost. Trying to survive but not sure how." He reached across the table, gently placing his wrinkled hand over hers. "If I can help you find your way, then maybe… just maybe, I can find my own again."
Cee felt her chest tighten. No one had ever spoken to her like this—with pure kindness, without expecting anything in return.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. "I don't deserve this, Dr. Ren."
"Nonsense." He smiled. "You deserve happiness, just like anyone else. And until you can stand on your own, I will be here."
The next day, Dr. Ren called Cee into his private study. He rarely entered this room, and she had only been inside once before. It was lined with shelves of old books, faded scrolls, and a single glass case containing a jade necklace with an intricate dragon carved into it.
He gestured toward it. "I want you to have it."
Cee's eyes widened. "No, Dr. Ren. I can't take something so precious."
He smiled. "It belonged to Mei. She believed it brought protection to those who carried it. She wanted to pass it to our child, but since we never had one, it remained here, waiting."
Cee hesitated. "But… why give it to me?"
Dr. Ren's expression grew serious. "Because you are my family now, Cee. And that child growing inside you… they deserve all the protection they can get."
Cee's fingers trembled as she reached for the necklace, feeling the smooth coolness of the jade. She clutched it to her chest, her heart full. For the first time in months, she didn't feel abandoned. She had someone. She wasn't alone.