This was an unlucky day. In the morning, while my mom was trying to cross the street to buy candy for my son, she was hit by a scooter. Her shoes flew off, and she couldn’t get up.

My brother and I accompanied her to the hospital. Thankfully, there were no fractures, but she was in noticeable muscle pain and unable to walk. I worried about our planned trip to Xi’an tomorrow. My husband suggested that my mom might hide her true pain in order to travel with us. His words saddened me. I know my mom misses me and is thrilled to travel with us. She’s proud that I bought the tickets and arranged a hotel for her. If she can’t go, she will be so disappointed. I comforted her and made the decision that I would take her only if she could manage to walk a bit.

After helping my mom take her medication and gently massaging her bruised legs and toes, I sat in the living room and showed my husband and mother-in-law a picture of the boy I had a crush on in middle school. I was excited at the thought of seeing him later in the evening. While my mom rested, we went out for shopping. Right at the district gate, a man called out my name, and when I looked up, it was the boy! My husband and mother-in-law laughed and asked if it was him. I couldn’t help but laugh and told the boy that I had already confessed my crush to my family, and he laughed too. I didn’t expect it to be so easy and fun to speak about such a “big secret.” He invited us to his home, but we didn’t have time. I asked if he would attend the party tonight, and he said he was busy due to someone’s passing. Just like when he was a teenager, he hasn’t changed much; he didn’t enjoy socializing with other students.

For dinner, we met with my former colleagues and three female teachers. Their stories were fascinating, and I wished I had more time to listen: to hear about their teaching experiences at different middle schools, stories about their children, and anecdotes about other old coworkers whom I might not see again for the rest of my life. However, my mother’s well-being was my primary concern. Additionally, my other friends were waiting for me at another party. After dinner, I said goodbye to them and hurried into the heavy rain.

We invited one of our middle school teachers, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, to another party. He had aged, and it was disappointing that the boy I had a crush on didn’t come.

There were five of us classmates and two teachers at the party. We drank, reminisced about the past, teased each other, and shared secrets about which classmates had crushes on the teachers. I could still see the pride in my teachers’ eyes when they looked at me. Middle school was my glory days when all the teachers liked me, and all the students admired me because I consistently ranked first in all subjects: Chinese, English, Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Politics.

I was happy to see my former colleagues, classmates, and teachers. I wish I had more time to spend with them and so many questions I wanted to ask.