“Ha ha. Very funny,” Mom says, checking the time on her watch. “Pó Po’s getting ready for her speech. How are you feeling? If you change your mind, I can get you out of whatever contract you signed.” Mom smiles to show me she’s kidding. As a public defender, Mom never meets halfway in any negotiation and delivers tough love like a pro.
“In that case, can you renegotiate my salary?” I ask. “I want double what I make now with a guaranteed annual bonus.” We share another laugh.
“Is this cake for me?” Dad asks, nodding toward Nina’s slice.
“You already finished the last of the long-life noodles. I think you’ve had enough,” Mom says with as much tenderness as she can muster in a family reunion setting. She wraps her arms around Dad’s waist and hugs him from behind. To me, they have a marriage I’ve only dreamed of one day having. They’re respectful of each other, communicative, and most importantly, compatible.
A high-pitched noise rings from the outside, and I follow my parents out to the backyard. It’s time.
“Everyone, please gather around. Closer!” Pó Po shouts to the group. She stands in front of the backyard’s circular fire pit as everyone slowly forms a U-shape around her. Pó Po taps her glass with the edge of her knife once more. The group falls silent. “Thank you all for making your way here to join me on my birthday. I only wish Gōng Gong could be here with us.” Pó Po’s eyes become glossy. “This entire day has been about me. I’m tired of me at this point, and I know you are, too.” Polite laughter ripples through the air.
“Nǐ zhǔnbèi hǎole ma?” Pó Po asks Auntie.
Auntie lingers for a moment. Then she gives a quick nod and joins Pó Po. “Ready.”
“Other than me lasting this long, I have more good news,” Pó Po continues. “When I first started Lunar Love, I could never have imagined it would become what it has. After twenty-five years, I passed the business down to my daughter Lydia.” Pó Po wraps her arm around Auntie’s waist. “Lydia took over the business in the mid-nineties and ran it for another twenty-five years. And now, it’s time for Lydia to pass our business on to the next generation. Olivia, my granddaughter, will be Lunar Love’s new guardian Cupid.”
Pó Po and Auntie signal for me to join them. My heart beats faster as a few heads in the crowd turn to look in my direction. The moment isn’t lost on me. Pó Po coordinated the timing of the announcement so that the entire family could be here to witness not only her birthday but Lunar Love’s emergence into a new era. I stand up straighter knowing people are watching.
“It has been my life’s great honor to carry my mother’s legacy all these years,” Auntie says emotionally, dabbing the corner of her eyes with a paper napkin. “Her vision has lasted over five decades. That is a true testament to her ideas, her work ethic, and who she is as a person. We both feel comforted knowing that Lunar Love will be in great hands.”
Pó Po positions me between her and Auntie. “Truthfully, there have been more than a fair share of challenges lately,” she says. “It seems young people these days have greater trust in their phones to find them true love than experienced matchmakers, but after all these years, I know in my heart that it’s just a growing pain. A phase.” Pó Po grabs my hand. “It goes without saying that Liv will do an excellent job bringing Lunar Love into the future.”
I give her hand a squeeze. Challenges is putting it lightly. In recent months, more clients have left Lunar Love complaining about the high cost of services and lengthy matching process. They say they want to explore other options. More modern options. I have my work cut out for me.
I watch Mom pour small amounts of whiskey into glasses that Dad passes around.
“And now, in following tradition, this necklace is yours.” Auntie flips the gold crescent moon pendant between her thumb and pointer finger one last time before reaching behind her neck to unfasten the dangling gold chain. I’m beaming with excitement, and in this moment, I allow myself to feel it. The anxiety can wait.
Auntie extends her arms to place the necklace around my neck. I twist the little moon back and forth between my own fingers. The necklace itself is lighter than I imagined, but the weight of what it represents feels like a cinder block.
Before this necklace was Auntie’s, it was Pó Po’s. She bought it for herself with the money she made from her matchmaking practice in China, a one-woman show at the time. She wore the necklace when she moved from China to Taiwan, and ultimately over to America. Pó Po felt proud being able to not only support herself and her family but celebrate her small but good fortune with a special piece of jewelry. When she successfully transitioned her business to America, she attributed the accomplishment to hard work, late nights, single men and women who were willing to take a chance on an immigrant who promised true love, and good luck in the shape of a little crescent moon.
I turn to the crowd to say a few words. “I’m over the moon to be a part of Lunar Love’s legacy in this way. All I want to do is make Pó Po and Auntie, and all of you, proud. I am ready and excited for this next chapter in my life and for Lunar Love. If you know anyone who’s looking for love, you know who to talk to.”
All three of us hold our glasses up to our friends and family. They hold theirs high in return, and we toast to the future and good health. I take a sip of the amber-colored liquid, notes of oak and caramel dancing on my tongue.
Tears sting my eyes as I lean in to embrace Pó Po and Auntie in a group hug. “Thank you both,” I whisper. “For this opportunity, for believing in me, for everything.”
An overwhelmed laugh of disbelief escapes my mouth. I absorb every last detail of this moment, taking a second to appreciate how far this journey has taken me. Starting Monday, I’ll no longer be following in the footsteps of a well-worn path. A new adventure begins, and with all the challenges ahead, I’ll be forging my own path. I can hardly wait.
Chapter 3
As a matchmaker, I stay on top of my game by reading (and rereading) every English book on the Chinese zodiac and by attending as many relevant events as I can to stay in the know.