I gradually made my way to the door and began to gently open it.
"Hurry," Charissa screamed hysterically. And so I obliged.
Upon opening the door, a man dressed in a white doctor's jacket, white long-sleeved shirt, green tie, khaki pants and white leather shoes showed up inside our unit.
"Good morning, Charissa and Christine," the man promptly addressed as he sat on the table.
"Clark?" Charissa pondered with a startled look on her face.
After gazing wistfully at him for a few minutes, Charissa realized that it was indeed her husband and my father who was in front of her. She kissed and hugged Clark so tight that he could not breathe for a bit.
"I missed you honey," Charissa exclaimed passionately to Clark. "It's been awhile since we last saw each other. I don't know what to say right now, but I'm glad we're together again."
Clark subsequently spoke to Charissa how much he dearly missed her.
"I missed you too. I'm thrilled that you returned home safe. Although I haven't been aware about your homecoming until now."
"You see, I was too preoccupied with hospital duties that answering your calls were not my priority. Many patients came in day and night, and I had no choice but to urgently attend to them at all times. Iam sorry if I didn't get to contact you sooner."
"I genuinely understood," Charissa replied. "It's never easy to be a qualified doctor with all the patients you need to take care of. But you were so dedicated and relentless in your craft, and I'm proud of that."
Clark then stared at my gleaming eyes for a second and cordially greeted me.
"Christine, I'm delighted to see you again."
I responded positively by saying "So do I," and then eagerly joined my mother and father in a fond embrace befitting of a now-complete family.
For the first time in 17 years, Charissa, Clark and I were in the same room. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever see both my parents come together after a long time.
Clark has been working as a doctor for over 20 years now. He graduated with an academic degree in psychology and then finished medical school to attain his doctor's license.
While still studying at medical school, Clark married Charissa, and at 24 he became a proud father when she gave birth to me. However, they never raised another child again due to their hectic schedules.
When Charissa left for Hong Kong six years later, it was my beloved aunt Cathy who broke the news to Clark through text. He replied by texting Cathy, "Ask my dear wife good luck. Hope she travels safe."
Over the succeeding decade and a half, Clark often visited Cathy and myself inside the room. Every so often he provided me an allowance and various other stuffs for school, and on a few different occasions Clark, Cathy and I generously shared a hearty meal or two. But other than that, he was at the hospital almost every day, constantly tending to his patients.
Clark is known for his workaholic and obsessive-compulsive demeanor, attributes that I adopted later on in life. He typically worked 18-hour shifts most days and never complained. He only takes a nap when no patients were assigned to him. He always carried a bag full of uniforms and documents to use on the next shift.
His dedication and hard work have earned him numerous accolades from various medical organizations, which he proudly displays inside his office. But in spite of that, Clark remained a humble man, knowing that personal accomplishments are only secondary to being a role player inside a modern hospital.
On that particularly lovely morning, Clark, Charissa and I were once again sharing the same table. Breakfast was ready, and all of us cannot wait to start a conversation.
"This strip of bacon tastes sweet," Clark proclaimed after snatching a bite of it. "Did you prepare it yourself?"
"Yes, I did," I responded, after which Clark gave me a seal of approval.
"You're starting to cook well like your mom, Christine. I'm very pleased with you."
I also served some scrambled eggs to go along with fried rice and sausages to my father, much to his amazement.
"Those were all delicious," Clark joyfully said, his mouth still salivating from the food he just ate.
While pouring in a cup of coffee, Charissa decided to join in the conversation.
"Actually Clark she has been cooking ever since she was a teenager," Charissa explained. "My sister Cathy taught her the basics, and Christine has been learning a lot from her ever since. In fact, she already prepared some ingredients for carbonara that will be served come lunch time."
We continued to share some laughs and jokes as the morning went along. A few hours later, lunch was ready and Clark was all freshened up.
"So what do you think, pop?" my question to Clark as he samples my carbonara.
"I can't believe it," he responded. "The cream tastes so sweet, and the bacon adds some much-needed saltiness to balance things out. I like it."
Charissa then suggested a side dish for Clark to taste.
"We also served some freshly toasted garlic bread to pair up with the carbonara, so why not you try them too?" Sure enough, Clark gave us a thumb up upon sampling the bread.
After lunch, we watched a romantic movie, played some board games and chatted with fellow relatives on social media. But as the sun begins to set, it was time for Clark to leave.
"Thank you for this wonderful day," Clark proudly told Charissa and me as he approached the door. "The cream tastes so sweet, and the bacon adds some much-needed saltiness to balance things out.
"Don't worry," Charissa replied. "You can come back anytime whenever you're ready. But let's go outside for a change. Do you agree?"
"I do, as long as time permits," Clark responded.
With that, Charissa and I waved goodbye to Clark and our first family reunion in 17 years came to a close.