Astrid pulled up behind a gray Mercedes SUV already parked underneath the portico. She saw Lincoln Tay, her distant cousin, emerge from the driver’s seat and walk around to the trunk of the car. “Ah Tock! Fancy seeing you here,” Astrid said as she got out of her car.

“What can I tell you? You’re always hanging around the rich and famous, and I just work for them,” he joked. “Now Astrid, tell me why are you still driving that old Acura? Does it even pass inspection anymore?”

“This is the most reliable car I’ve ever owned. I’m going to drive it until I’m forced to scrap it.”

“Come on lah, you are so loaded, at the very least you should upgrade to the ILX. Or maybe Charlie can buy Acura the company for you and have them design you a car from scratch.”

“Ha-ha, very funny,” Astrid said. It occurred to her that every time she saw this distant cousin, he would make some sort of reference to her money.

“Hey, come and see something very special,” Ah Tock said, as he opened the trunk of the SUV. A large Igloo cooler was strapped to one side of the spacious rear, and Ah Tock carefully lifted out a large plastic bag that had been inflated with oxygen. Inside was a dragon-like fish about two feet in length.

“Oh, it’s an arowana,” Astrid said.

“Not just any arowana. This is Valentino, Mrs. Wu’s prized super red arowana. It was worth at least $175,000 and now it will be worth $250,000, minimum.”

“Why’s that?”

“I just took Valentino to his plastic surgeon. He was beginning to develop a droopy eye, so we gave him an eye lift. And he even got a very slight chin job. See how handsome he looks now?”

“There’s a plastic surgeon for fish?” Astrid asked incredulously.

“The best in the world, right here in Singapore! He specializes in arowanas.”*1

Before Astrid could properly soak in this fabulous bit of trivia, the front door opened and Irene Wu came running out. A round-faced woman in her early seventies, she was dressed in a bright orange Moroccan-style tunic top embroidered with tiny mirrored glass pieces and sequins, white capri pants, and fluffy white bedroom slippers embroidered with the Four Seasons Hotel logo. On her fingers sparkled an emerald ring; another ring consisting of three interlaced bands of diamonds set in white, yellow, and rose gold; and a pear-cut diamond ring that was nearly as big as the real fruit itself.

“How is he? How’s my baby Valentino?” Irene asked breathlessly, rushing toward Ah Tock and the plastic bag.

“Mrs. Wu, he’s doing very well. The surgery was a success, but he’s still a bit sluggish at the moment from being drugged. Let’s get him acclimated back in his tank.”

“Yes, yes! Aiyah, Astrid, I didn’t even see you. Come in, come in. Sorry-ah, I am so kan jyeong*2 today because of Valentino’s procedure. My goodness, don’t you look lovely. Who are you wearing today?” Irene asked, admiring Astrid’s floral kimono-inspired wrap dress.

“Oh, this is a dress that Romeo Gigli made for me years ago, Auntie Irene,” Astrid said, leaning in to give her a peck on the cheek.

“Of course it is. So pretty! And don’t you think it’s high time you started calling me Mama instead of Auntie Irene?”

“Come on, Mum, lay off Astrid!” Charlie said, standing at the front door. Astrid beamed at the sight of him and rushed up the steps to give him a tight hug.

“Aiyah, I’m going to tear up and ruin my mascara. Look at my two lovebirds!” Irene sighed happily.

As the group entered the house, Charlie steered Astrid towards the sweeping Gone with the Wind–style double staircase instead of the living room.

“Where are you two going?” Irene asked.

“I’m just taking her upstairs for a little while, Mum,” Charlie said in a slightly exasperated tone.

“But Gracie has spent all day making so many types of nyonya kueh. You must come and have tea and nyonya kueh with me in a little while, okay?”

“Of course we will,” Astrid said.

As they climbed the stairs, Charlie said in a low voice, “My mum is getting more and more needy every time I see her.”

“She just misses you. It must get rather lonely for her now that none of you are around in Singapore.”

“She’s surrounded all day by her staff of twenty.”

“It’s not the same and you know it.”

“Well, she has a house in Hong Kong—she could spend all her time there if she wants, but she insists on staying here,” Charlie argued.

“This is where most of her memories are. Just like yours,” Astrid said as she entered Charlie’s bedroom. The space had been redecorated several years ago in cool, masculine tones with shagreen-covered walls and custom-designed contemporary wood furnishings from BDDW in New York, but Charlie had kept one reminder of his childhood in the bedroom: The entire ceiling had been installed with a mechanized mural depicting all the constellations in the sky, and as a kid, Charlie would go to sleep every night staring at the glowing ceiling of stars as they rotated daily according to the zodiac.

Today, he wasted no time in pulling Astrid onto the bed and smothering her with kisses. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” Charlie said, kissing the tender area right above her collarbone.

“Me too,” Astrid sighed, as she put her arms around him, feeling the ripple of muscles down his back.

After spending some time making out, they lay entwined in each other’s arms, staring up at the sparkling night sky together.

“I feel like a teenager again.” Astrid giggled. “Remember how you used to sneak me up here after MYF*3 on Saturdays?”

“Yeah. I still feel like I’m doing something naughty having you in here right now.”

“The door’s wide open, Charlie. We haven’t done anything R-rated,” Astrid said with a laugh.

“I’m so happy to see you in such a good mood,” Charlie said, running his fingers through her hair.

“I feel like the storm’s finally lifted. You have no idea how amazing it felt to be in the breakfast room yesterday when my grandmother came downstairs.”

“I can only imagine.”

“She made everyone look at my engagement ring. It’s like she was daring the rest of the family to challenge us.”

“Your grandmother is one cool lady. I’m looking forward to seeing her tonight. She invited my mum too, you know?”

“Really?” Astrid looked at him in surprise.

“Yeah, an engraved invitation was delivered this morning. My mother could hardly believe it. She never thought the day would come that she would be invited to Tyersall Park. I think she’s going to frame the card.”

“Well, it’s going to be quite a party. I can’t wait to see the looks on certain faces when I walk into the drawing room with your mother!”

“Which ones?”

“Oh, you know, one or two of my aunties are snottier than others. And there’s one cousin in particular who’s going to lose his shit!”

“Rico Suave, the Best Dressed Man in Hong Kong?” Charlie teased.

“Best Dressed Hall of Fame, he’ll tell you.” Astrid laughed. “Come on, let’s go back downstairs before your mother thinks we’re doing something nasty up here.”