{"id":114,"date":"2008-03-15T08:45:41","date_gmt":"2008-03-15T14:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/\/?p=114"},"modified":"2008-03-15T08:45:41","modified_gmt":"2008-03-15T14:45:41","slug":"only-uni-by-camy-tang-first-day-blog-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=114","title":{"rendered":"ONLY UNI by CAMY TANG – FIRST Day Blog Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

It is March 15th<\/span><\/strong>, but no need to worry about the Ides of March<\/span> when we have a special blog tour for one of our FIRST members! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) Normally, on the FIRST day of every month we feature an author and his\/her latest book’s FIRST chapter! As this is a special tour, we are featuring it on a special day!<\/p>\n

The special feature author is: <\/strong><\/p>\n

CAMY TANG<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

and her book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Only Uni<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Zondervan (March 2008)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/a>Camy Tang is a member of FIRST<\/strong> and is a loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick-lit. She grew up in Hawaii, but now lives in San Jose, California, with her engineer husband and rambunctious poi-dog. In a previous life she was a biologist researcher, but these days she is surgically attached to her computer, writing full-time. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service.<\/p>\n

Sushi for One? (Sushi Series, Book One)<\/a> was her first novel. Her second, Only Uni (Sushi Series, Book Two)<\/a> is now available. The next book in the series, Single Sashimi (Sushi Series, Book Three)<\/a> will be coming out in September 2008!<\/p>\n

Visit her at her website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/span> <\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>Chapter One<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trish Sakai walked through the door and the entire room hushed.<\/p>\n

Well, not exactly pin-drop hushed. More like a handful of the several dozen people in her aunty\u2019s enormous living room paused their conversations to glance her way. Maybe Trish had simply expected them to laugh and point.<\/p>\n

She shouldn\u2019t have worn white. She\u2019d chosen the Bebe dress from her closet in a rebellious mood, which abandoned her at her aunt\u2019s doorstep. Maybe because the explosion of red, orange, or gold outfits made her head swim.<\/p>\n

At least the expert cut of her dress made her rather average figure curvier and more slender at the same time. She loved how well-tailored clothes ensured she didn\u2019t have to work as hard to look good.<\/p>\n

Trish kicked off her sandals, and they promptly disappeared in the sea of shoes filling the foyer. She swatted away a flimsy paper dragon drooping from the doorframe and smoothed down her skirt. She snatched her hand back and wrung her fingers behind her.<\/p>\n

No, that\u2019ll make your hips look huge.<\/em><\/p>\n

She clenched her hands in front.<\/p>\n

Sure, show all the relatives that you\u2019re nervous.<\/em><\/p>\n

She clasped them loosely at her waist and tried to adopt a regal expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrish, you okay? You look constipated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her cousin Bobby snickered while she sneered at him. \u201cOh, you\u2019re so funny I could puke.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMay as well do it now before Grandma gets here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not here yet?\u201d Oops, that came out sounding a little too relieved. She cleared her throat and modulated her voice to less-than-ecstatic levels. \u201cWhen\u2019s she coming?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle picked her up, but he called Aunty and said Grandma forgot something, so he had to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank goodness for little favors. \u201cIs Lex here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where else would she be? Last week, her cousin Lex had mentioned that her knee surgeon let her go back to playing volleyball three nights a week and coaching the other two nights, so her metabolism had revved up again. She would be eating like a horse.<\/p>\n

Sometimes Trish could just kill her.<\/p>\n

She tugged at her skirt\u2014a little tight tonight. She should\u2019ve had more self-control than to eat that birthday cake at work. She\u2019d have to run an extra day this week \u2026 maybe.<\/p>\n

She bounced like a pinball between relatives. The sharp scent of ginger grew more pungent as she headed toward the large airy kitchen. Aunty Sue must have made cold ginger chicken again. Mmmm. The smell mixed with the tang of black bean sauce (Aunty Rachel\u2019s shrimp?), stir-fried garlic (any dish Uncle Barry made contained at least two bulbs), and fishy scallions (probably her cousin Linda\u2019s Chinese-style sea bass).<\/p>\n

A three-foot-tall red streak slammed into her and squashed her big toe.<\/p>\n

\u201cOw!\u201d Good thing the kid hadn\u2019t been wearing shoes or she might have broken her foot. Trish hopped backward and her hand fumbled with a low side table. Waxed paper and cornstarch slid under her fingers before the little table fell, dropping the kagami mochi decoration. The sheet of printed paper, the tangerine, and rubbery-hard mochi dumplings dropped to the cream-colored carpet. Well, at least the cornstarch covering the mochi blended in.<\/p>\n

The other relatives continued milling around her, oblivious to the minor desecration to the New Year\u2019s decoration. Thank goodness for small\u2014<\/p>\n

A childish gasp made her turn. The human bullet who caused the whole mess, her little cousin Allison, stood with a hand up to her round lips that were stained cherry-red, probably from the sherbet punch. Allison lifted wide brown eyes up to Trish\u2014hanaokolele-you\u2019re-in-trouble<\/em>\u2014while the other hand pointed to the mochi on the floor.<\/p>\n

Trish didn\u2019t buy it for a second. \u201cWant to help?\u201d She tried to infuse some leftover Christmas cheer into her voice.<\/p>\n

Allison\u2019s disdainful look could have come from a teenager rather than a seven-year-old. \u201cYou made the mess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trish sighed as she bent to pick up the mochi rice dumplings\u2014one large like a hockey puck, the other slightly smaller\u2014and the shihobeni <\/em>paper they\u2019d been sitting on. She wondered if the shihobeni <\/em>wouldn\u2019t protect the house from fires this next year since she\u2019d dropped it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAunty spent so long putting those together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yeah, right.<\/em> \u201cIs that so?\u201d She laid the paper on the table so it draped off the edge, then stuck the waxed paper on top. She anchored them with the larger mochi.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince you busted it, does it mean that Aunty won\u2019t have any good luck this year?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a tradition. The mochi doesn\u2019t really bring prosperity, and the tangerine only symbolizes the family generations.\u201d Trish tried to artfully stack the smaller mochi on top of the bottom one, but it wouldn\u2019t balance and kept dropping back onto the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what Aunty said.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s trying to pass on a New Year\u2019s tradition.\u201d The smaller mochi dropped to the floor again. \u201cOne day you\u2019ll have one of these in your own house.\u201d Trish picked up the mochi. Stupid Japanese New Year tradition. Last year, she\u2019d glued hers together until Mom found out and brought a new set to her apartment, sans-glue. Trish wasn\u2019t even Shinto. Neither was anyone else in her family\u2014most of them were Buddhists\u2014but it was something they did because their family had always done it.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019m going to live at home and take care of Mommy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank goodness, the kid finally switched topics. \u201cThat\u2019s wonderful.\u201d Trish tried to smash the tangerine on top of the teetering stack of mochi. Nope, not going to fly. \u201cYou\u2019re such a good daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allison sighed happily. \u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your ego\u2019s going to be too big for this living room, toots. <\/em>\u201cUm \u2026 let\u2019s go to the kitchen.\u201d She crammed the tangerine on the mochi stack, then turned to hustle Allison away before she saw them fall back down onto the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, Triiiish?\u201d<\/p>\n

She almost ran over the kid, who had whirled around and halted in her path like a guardian lion. Preventing Trish\u2019s entry into the kitchen. And blocking the way to the food.<\/em> She tried to sidestep, but the other relatives in their conversational clusters, oblivious to her, hemmed her in on each side.<\/p>\n

Allison sidled closer. \u201cHappy New Year!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh \u2026 Happy New Year.\u201d What was she up to? Trish wouldn\u2019t put anything past her devious little brain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get red envelopes at New Year\u2019s.\u201d Her smile took on a predatory gleam.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we do.\u201d One tradition she totally didn\u2019t mind. Even the older cousins like Trish and Lex got some money from the older relatives, because they weren\u2019t married yet.<\/p>\n

Allison beamed. \u201cSo did you bring me a red envelope?\u201d<\/p>\n

What?<\/em> Wait a minute. Was she supposed to bring red envelopes for the younger kids? No, that couldn\u2019t be. \u201cNo, only the married people do that.\u201d And only for the great-cousins, not their first cousins, right? Or was that great-cousins, too? She couldn\u2019t remember.<\/p>\n

Allison\u2019s face darkened to purple. \u201cThat\u2019s not true. Aunty gives me a red envelope and she\u2019s not married.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe used to be married. Uncle died.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not married now. So you\u2019re supposed to give me a red envelope, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yeah, right.<\/em> \u201cIf I gave out a red envelope to every cousin and great-cousin, I\u2019d go bankrupt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re lying. I\u2019m going to tell Mommy.\u201d Allison pouted, but her sly eyes gave her away.<\/p>\n

A slow, steady burn crept through her body. This little extortionist wasn\u2019t going to threaten her, not tonight of all nights.<\/p>\n

She crouched down to meet Allison at eye level and forced a smile. \u201cThat\u2019s not very nice. That\u2019s spreading lies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allison bared her teeth in something faintly like a grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not good to be a liar.\u201d Trish smoothed the girl\u2019s red velvet dress, trimmed in white lace.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the liar. You said you\u2019re not supposed to give me a red envelope, and that\u2019s a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

The brat had a one-track mind. \u201cIt\u2019s not a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll ask Mommy.\u201d The grin turned sickeningly sweet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t do that if I were you.\u201d Trish tweaked one of Allison\u2019s curling-iron-manufactured corkscrews, standing out amongst the rest of her straight hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can do whatever I want.\u201d An ugly streak marred the angelic mask.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allison blinked.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if you do, I\u2019ll tell Grandma<\/em> that I found her missing jade bracelet in your bedroom.\u201d Gotcha.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat were you doing in my bedroom?\u201d Allison\u2019s face matched her dress.<\/p>\n

Trish widened her eyes. \u201cWell, you left it open when your mom hosted the family Christmas party \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Allison\u2019s lips disappeared in her face, and her nostrils flared. \u201cYou\u2019re lying\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you know Grandma will ask your mommy to search your room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her face whitened.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo why don\u2019t we forget about this little red envelope thing, hmm?\u201d Trish straightened the gold heart pendant on Allison\u2019s necklace and gave her a bland smile.<\/p>\n

A long, loud inhale filled Allison\u2019s lungs. For a second, Trish panicked, worried that she\u2019d scream or something, but the air left her noiselessly.<\/p>\n

Trish stood. \u201cSee ya.\u201d She muscled her way past the human traffic cone.<\/p>\n

She zeroed in on the kitchen counters like a heat-seeking missile. \u201cHey, guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her cousins Venus, Lex, and Jenn turned to greet her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re even later than Lex.\u201d Venus leaned her sexy-enough-to-make-Trish-sick curves against a countertop as she crunched on a celery stick.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Lex nudged her with a bony elbow, then spoke to Trish. \u201cGrandma\u2019s not here yet, but your mom\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrish, there you are.\u201d Mom flittered up. \u201cDid you eat yet? Let me fill you a plate. Make sure you eat the kuromame<\/em> for good luck. I know you don\u2019t like chestnuts and black beans, but just eat one. Did you want any konbu<\/em>? Seaweed is very good for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Mom\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about Aunty Eileen\u2019s soup? I\u2019m not sure what\u2019s in it this year, but it doesn\u2019t look like tripe this time\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMom, I can get my own food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course you can, dear.\u201d Mom handed her a mondo-sized plate.<\/p>\n

Trish grabbed it, then eyed Venus\u2019s miniscule plate filled sparingly with meat, fish, and veggies. Aw, phooey. Why did Venus have to always be watching her hourglass figure\u2014with inhuman self-control over her calorie intake\u2014making Trish feel dumpy just for eating a potsticker? She replaced her plate with a smaller one.<\/p>\n

Lex had a platter loaded with chicken and lo mein, which she shoveled into her mouth. \u201cThe noodles are good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you eating so much today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAiden\u2019s got me in intensive training for the volleyball tournament coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trish turned toward the groaning sideboard to hide the pang in her gut at mention of Lex\u2019s boyfriend. Who had been Trish\u2019s physical therapist. Aiden hadn\u2019t met Lex yet when Trish had hit on him, but he\u2019d rebuffed her\u2014rather harshly, she thought\u2014then became Christian and now was living a happily-ever-after with Lex.<\/p>\n

Trish wasn\u2019t jealous at all.<\/p>\n

Why did she always seem to chase away the good ones and keep the bad ones? Story of her life. Her taste in men matched Lex\u2019s horrendous taste in clothes\u2014Lex wore nothing but ugly, loose workout clothes, while Trish dated nothing but ugly (well, in character, at least) losers.<\/p>\n

Next to her, Jennifer inhaled as if she were in pain. \u201cGrandma\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not now. This is so not fair. I haven\u2019t eaten yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll still be here.\u201d Venus\u2019s caustic tone cut through the air at the same time her hand grabbed Trish\u2019s plate. \u201cBesides, you\u2019re eating too much fat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trish glared. \u201cI am not fat\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Venus gave a long-suffering sigh. \u201cI didn\u2019t say you were fat. I said you\u2019re eating unhealthily.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t say that to Lex.\u201d She stabbed a finger at her athletic cousin, who was shoveling chicken long rice into her mouth.<\/p>\n

Lex paused. \u201cShe already did.\u201d She slurped up a rice noodle.<\/p>\n

Venus rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. \u201cAll of you eat terribly. You need to stop putting so much junk into your bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will when Jenn stops giving us to-die-for homemade chocolate truffles.\u201d Trish traded a high-five with Jenn, their resident culinary genius.<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides, chocolate\u2019s good for you.\u201d Lex spoke through a mouthful of black bean shrimp.<\/p>\n

Venus, who seemed to know she was losing the battle, brandished a celery stick. \u201cYou all should eat more fiber\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Trish snatched at a deep-fried chicken wing and made a face at her. \u201cIt\u2019s low carb.\u201d Although she\u2019d love to indulge in just a little of those Chinese noodles later when Venus wasn\u2019t looking \u2026<\/p>\n

She only had time to take a couple bites before she had to drop the chicken in a napkin and wipe her fingers. She skirted the edge of the crowd of relatives who collected around Grandma, wishing her Happy New Year.<\/p>\n

Grandma picked up one of Trish\u2019s cousin\u2019s babies and somehow managed to keep the sticky red film coating his hands from her expensive Chanel suit. How did Grandma do that? It must be a gift. The same way her elegant salt-and-pepper \u2019do never had a hair out of place.<\/p>\n

Then Grandma grabbed someone who had been hovering at her shoulder and thrust him forward.<\/p>\n

No. Way.<\/em><\/p>\n

What was Kazuo doing here?<\/p>\n

With Grandma?<\/p>\n

Her breath caught as the familiar fluttering started in her ribcage. No, no, no, no, no. She couldn\u2019t react this way to him again. That\u2019s what got her in trouble the last time.<\/p>\n

Trish grabbed Jenn\u2019s arm and pulled her back toward the kitchen. \u201cI have to hide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jenn\u2019s brow wrinkled. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Kazuo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jenn\u2019s eyes popped bigger than the moon cakes on the sideboard. \u201cReally? I never met him.\u201d She twisted her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t look. Hide me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jenn sighed. \u201cIsn\u2019t that a little silly? He\u2019s here for the New Year\u2019s party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trish darted her gaze around the kitchen, through the doorway to the smaller TV room. \u201cThere are over a hundred people here. There\u2019s a good chance I can avoid him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe probably came to see you.\u201d A dreamy smile lit Jenn\u2019s lips. \u201cHow romantic \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

A mochi-pounding mallet thumped in the pit of Trish\u2019s stomach. Romantic this was not.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Venus and Lex separated from the crowd to circle around her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Kazuo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Lex whirled around and started to peer through the doorway into the front room. \u201cWe never met him\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t look now! Hide me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Venus lifted a sculpted eyebrow. \u201cOh, come on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow does Grandma know him?\u201d Jennifer\u2019s soothing voice fizzled Venus\u2019s sarcasm.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe met him when we were dating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandma loves Kazuo.\u201d Lex tossed the comment over her shoulder as she stood at the doorway and strained to see Kazuo past the milling relatives.<\/p>\n

Venus\u2019s brow wrinkled. \u201cLoves him? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

Trish threw her hands up in the air. \u201cHe\u2019s a Japanese national. He spoke Japanese to her. Of course she\u2019d love him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer chewed her lip. \u201cGrandma\u2019s not racist\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Venus snorted. \u201cOf course she\u2019s not racist, but she\u2019s certainly biased.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not a good enough reason. Don\u2019t you think there\u2019s something fishy about why she wants Trish to get back together with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Venus opened her mouth, but nothing came out. After a moment, she closed it. \u201cMaybe you\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trish flung her arms out. \u201cBut I have no idea what that reason is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo is she matchmaking? Now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat better place?\u201d Trish pointed to the piles of food. \u201cFatten me up and serve me back to him on a platter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venus rolled her eyes. \u201cTrish\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m serious. No way am I going to let her do that. Not with him<\/em>.\u201d The last man on earth she wanted to see. Well, that wasn\u2019t exactly true. Her carnal body certainly wanted to see him, even though her brain and spirit screamed, Run away! Run away!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWas it that bad a breakup?\u201d Lex looked over her shoulder at them.<\/p>\n

Trish squirmed. \u201cI, uh \u2026 I don\u2019t think he thinks we\u2019re broken up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean? It happened six months ago.\u201d Venus\u2019s gaze seemed to slice right through her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell \u2026 I saw him a couple days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venus\u2019s eyes flattened. \u201cAnd \u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

Trish blinked rapidly. \u201cWe \u2026 got along really well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venus crossed her arms and glared.<\/p>\n

How did Venus do that? Trish barely had to open her mouth and Venus knew when she was lying. \u201cWe, um \u2026 got along really<\/em> well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer figured it out first. She gasped so hard, Trish worried she\u2019d pass out from lack of oxygen.<\/p>\n

Venus cast a sharp look at her, then back at Trish. Her mouth sprang open. \u201cYou didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t what?\u201d Lex rejoined the circle and the drama unfolding. She peered at Jenn and Venus\u2014one frozen in shock, the other white with anger.<\/p>\n

Trish\u2019s heart shrank in her chest. She bit her lip and tasted blood. She couldn\u2019t look at her cousins. She couldn\u2019t even say it.<\/p>\n

Venus said it for her. \u201cYou slept with him again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lex\u2019s jaw dropped. \u201cTell me you didn\u2019t.\u201d The hurt in her eyes stabbed at Trish\u2019s heart like Norman Bates in Psycho<\/em>.
\nWell, it was true that Trish\u2019s obsessive relationship with Kazuo had made her sort of completely and utterly abandon<\/em> Lex last year when she tore her ACL. Lex probably felt like Trish was priming to betray her again. \u201cIt was only once. I couldn\u2019t help myself\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter everything you told me last year about how you never asked God about your relationship with Kazuo and now you were free<\/em>.\u201d Lex\u2019s eyes grew dark and heavy, and Trish remembered the night Lex had first torn her ACL. Trish had been too selfish, wanting to spend time with Kazuo instead of helping Lex home from one of the most devastating things that had ever happened to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just couldn\u2019t help myself\u2014\u201d Trish couldn\u2019t seem to say anything else.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo is Kazuo more important to you than me, after all?\u201d Lex\u2019s face had turned into cold, pale marble, making her eyes stand out in their intensity.<\/p>\n

A sickening ache gnawed in Trish\u2019s stomach. She hunched her shoulders, feeling the muscles tighten and knot.<\/p>\n

Her cousins had always been compassionate whenever she hurt them, betrayed them, or caused them hassle and stress by the things she did. She knew she had a tendency to be thoughtless, but she had always counted on their instant hugs and \u201cThat\u2019s okay, Trish, we\u2019ll fix it for you.\u201d But now she realized\u2014although they forgave her, they were still hurt each and every time. Maybe this was the straw that broke the camel\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Trish?\u201d Grandma\u2019s refined voice managed to carry above the conversations. \u201cI\u2019m sure she wants to see you.\u201d She was coming closer to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t face him.\u201d Trish barely recognized her own voice, as thready as old cobwebs. \u201cI can\u2019t face Grandma, either.\u201d A tremor rippled through her body.<\/p>\n

Venus\u2019s eyes softened in understanding. \u201cI\u2019ll stall them for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trish bolted.<\/p>\n

Out the other doorway into the living room. She dodged around a few relatives who were watching sports highlights on the big-screen TV. She spied the short hallway to Aunty\u2019s bedroom. She could hide. Recoup. Or panic.<\/p>\n

She slipped down the hallway and saw the closed door at the end. A narrow beam of faint light from under it cast a glow over the carpet. Her heart started to slow.<\/p>\n

Maybe she could lie down, pretend she was sick? No, Grandma might suggest Kazuo take her home.<\/p>\n

She could pretend she got a phone call, an emergency at work. Would Grandma know there weren\u2019t many emergencies with cell biology research on New Year\u2019s Eve?<\/p>\n

The worst part was, Trish hadn\u2019t even gotten to eat yet.<\/p>\n

She turned the doorknob, but it stuck. Must be the damp weather. She applied her shoulder and nudged. The door clicked open. She slipped into the bedroom.<\/p>\n

A couple stood in the dim lamplight, locked in a passionate embrace straight out of Star<\/em> magazine. Trish\u2019s heart lodged in her throat. Doh! Leave now!<\/em> She whirled.<\/p>\n

Wait a minute.<\/p>\n

She turned.<\/p>\n

The man had dark wavy hair, full and thick. His back was turned to her, but something about his stance \u2026<\/p>\n

The couple sprang apart. Looked at her.<\/p>\n

Dad.<\/em><\/p>\n

Kissing a woman who wasn\u2019t her mother.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Taken from Only Uni, Copyright \u00a9 2008 by Camy Tang. Used by permission of Zondervan. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is March 15th, but no need to worry about the Ides of March when we have a special blog tour for one of our FIRST members! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) Normally, on the FIRST day of every month we feature an author and his\/her latest book’s FIRST chapter! As this is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}