The days that followed settled into such a steady rhythm that Tú Linh gradually grew used to dividing each day among three destinations: school, the hospital, and Thanh An's home. In the mornings, she went to school; after class, she hurried to catch a ride to the hospital for her internship, and when her shift ended, she figured out how to get home—or sometimes went straight from school to home, or from the hospital to home. At first, everything was fine. Linh was used to taking care of herself, and since a student's budget wasn't exactly generous, she always planned her spending carefully. The distance was fairly long, but although taking the bus took more time, it saved her a significant amount compared with ordering a rideshare every day. She figured that as long as she was willing to put in a little extra effort, it wasn't a big deal.
Until one weekend afternoon. Her last class ran longer than expected. By the time Tú Linh walked out of the school entrance, dusk had already fallen. The stream of students outside the gate was thinning, and the shops on both sides of the street were starting to turn on their lights. She stood beneath the bus stop's shelter, adjusted her backpack strap, and pulled out her phone to check. The rideshare app appeared on-screen, but the number staring back at her made her look for several seconds before closing it. It was rush hour, and the fare had nearly doubled.
"Forget it. I'll wait for the bus. A Grab ride would cost 65,000 dong."
She muttered to herself and slipped her phone back into her pocket.
The bus still hadn't arrived. Linh began checking the time more and more often. It was almost seven. If the next bus was delayed even a little longer, she probably wouldn't get home until nearly eight.
When Thanh An got home from work and saw that Linh wasn't back yet, she didn't think much of it. Maybe the kids had arranged to grab dinner, or maybe Linh's class had run late. Ten minutes passed. Then an hour. Linh didn't have a duty shift at the hospital today, so this was already far too late. It was drizzling, too, and Thanh An started to worry.
Linh was just about to check whether there was another ride when her screen lit up. The caller was Thanh An.
"Yes, Aunt An?"
"Where are you?"
"I-I'm still at school."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"Why are you still at school at this hour?"
"My class let out late today. I'm waiting for the bus. I missed the one this afternoon."
"You haven't made it home?"
"No."
Thanh An asked for the name of the bus stop, and Linh read it to her. Then there was another several-second silence on the other end.
"Stay right there."
Linh froze.
"Huh?"
Beep, beep, beep.
Thanh An's voice had been as calm as ever. She hadn't raised it or sounded impatient. But Linh knew that hadn't been a question she was free to answer. The call ended right afterward.
She stared at her phone screen, an odd feeling surfacing in her chest. She wasn't exactly surprised. Thanh An had always been like this—quiet, but once she'd made up her mind, it was nearly impossible to change it. About twenty minutes later, the familiar car stopped in front of the bus stop. Thanh An lowered the window, saw her, and said simply:
"Get in."
Tú Linh opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. As she pulled on her seat belt, she said softly, "I'm sorry. I made you come all the way here to pick me up."
"It's fine."
"You got home early today?"
"Yeah."
"And you still had to come back to the school."
Thanh An kept her eyes on the road ahead, her hands steadily working the steering wheel.
"I had to come home anyway."
It was an ordinary sentence, but Tú Linh knew she was dodging the real answer. Home was in one direction, while the school was in another. If it had simply been on her way, Thanh An wouldn't have needed to spend more than ten extra minutes doubling back to pick her up.
Linh said nothing more. She sat quietly beside her, watching the city lights slide past the windows. After a while, Thanh An asked, "Do you take the bus every day?"
"Yes."
"How far are the school and the hospital from each other?"
"Kind of far."
"And from the hospital to home?"
"That one's kind of far, too."
Thanh An gave a small nod, as if she now understood part of the schedule of the college student sitting beside her.
"Isn't it inconvenient?"
Tú Linh smiled faintly.
"Sometimes."
"Then why don't you order a ride?"
"I want to save a little money."
Thanh An glanced over at her.
"Tuition, food, living expenses, all that stuff. If I ordered a ride every day, it'd get expensive."
This time, Thanh An didn't answer right away. She drove in silence for a while before saying, "If you need help, just tell me."
Linh turned to her.
"Thank you."
"Okay."
The conversation ended there. Thanh An didn't ask anything else. But that evening, after dinner, Tú Linh sat in her room for a long time, scrolling through one model of electric scooter after another. She calculated the prices, the maintenance costs, and how much money she currently had, then took out a small notebook and started writing. If she saved a little more each week, if she cut back on a few rides, if she didn't buy anything she didn't really need this month...
At last, she wrote a number at the bottom of the page. She wasn't far from having enough. Tú Linh stared at it for a long time, then closed the notebook.
"Next Sunday."
She spoke very softly.
"I'll buy it."
A week later, she really did.
The electric scooter wasn't an expensive model, nor was it particularly eye-catching. It was exactly within the amount Tú Linh had managed to save over a long period of time. But when she received the key, held it in her hand, and looked at the first vehicle she'd ever bought herself, she still stood there for a long while, a quiet happiness spreading through her heart. From that day on, she wouldn't have to count every bus trip, stand in the sun waiting for a bus, or worry that it would get too late and the buses would stop running. She could get to school, go to the hospital, and return home by herself whenever she wanted.
That afternoon, Tú Linh rode back to the apartment. There was still a spot beside Thanh An's car in the parking lot. She carefully parked the scooter, locked the steering column, and stood looking at it for a few more seconds. A week ago, she'd still been standing at the bus stop until nightfall, waiting for Thanh An to drive over and pick her up. Now she could ride herself home. Linh took a picture of the scooter with her phone before happily heading upstairs.
It was nearly eight when Thanh An finally returned after a long day at work. She drove into the parking lot, turned off the engine, and got out. Just as she was about to close the door, her eyes happened to land on the electric scooter beside her car, but she didn't pay much attention to it. On her way home, she passed a bakery near the hospital and casually bought a few pastries to bring back. It wasn't a special occasion. She'd simply remembered that there was another person in the house now, and that girl hadn't asked for much lately.
Thanh An carried the bag of pastries upstairs. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Tú Linh sitting in the living room. Her new helmet had been placed neatly on the table, and her face still wore the bright expression of someone who had finally accomplished something she'd been planning for a long time.
Thanh An set the bag on the table and looked at her.
"What's got you so excited today?"
Tú Linh looked up, slightly surprised.
"Huh?"
"You've been smiling since I walked in."
Linh instinctively touched the corners of her mouth, then finally stopped trying to hide it.
"I bought a scooter."
Thanh An paused.
"The one downstairs?"
"Yes."
"You bought it yourself?"
"Yes."
Thanh An nodded.
"No wonder you're so happy today."
Tú Linh smiled.
"I really am happy."
Thanh An suddenly remembered the pastries. She pulled the paper bag closer, opened it, and took out a piece to set in front of Linh.
"Then let's celebrate."
Tú Linh blinked.
"Huh?"
"I just bought some pastries," she said naturally. "And it just so happens that you bought a scooter today."
Linh looked at the pastry in front of her, then at Thanh An.
"You bought it for me?"
"There are two people in this house."
Thanh An sat down in the chair across from her.
"If I didn't buy it for you, was I supposed to eat it all myself?"
Tú Linh burst out laughing, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Okay."
Thanh An watched her take a bite. Linh looked so happy that she didn't even have to ask whether she liked it.
"Have you taken it out for a test ride?"
"Yes. I just rode around the neighborhood."
"Take it slow during the first few days."
"Okay."
"Be extra careful when the roads are crowded."
"Okay."
"Wear your helmet."
"Okay."
"Don't look at your phone while riding. Follow the traffic laws."
Tú Linh laughed.
"Why are you being so thorough?"
Thanh An looked at her.
"I'm not being thorough. If something happens, who's going to come get you?"
The words slipped out so naturally that Tú Linh froze. Thanh An didn't realize there was anything special about what she'd said. She simply lifted her glass and took a drink, her expression as calm as if she'd just stated the obvious.
But for Tú Linh, the words come get you stayed in her mind for a long time. A week ago, Thanh An had driven out to pick her up late at night while she was standing alone at the bus stop. Today, she was sitting in front of her, asking about her new scooter and putting a pastry in her hands, as if having another person in the house had become natural at some point.
Tú Linh lowered her head, trying to hide her smile. Her new electric scooter sat in the parking lot right beside Thanh An's car. It was something Linh had bought with money she'd saved a little at a time. But perhaps what made her happiest wasn't the scooter itself. From today on, if she ever got out of class late, she wouldn't have to stand alone under the shelter, stare at the clock, and wonder when the last bus would arrive. She could get home early and cook dinner for Aunt An.
"Auuunt An, wash your hands and come eat!"
"Coming!"
After Tú Linh finished eating, she realized she was out of several personal supplies. She checked the time and saw that the convenience store downstairs was still open, so she got up.
"Aunt An, I'm going downstairs to buy a few things."
Thanh An was sitting on the sofa, her eyes still fixed on her laptop screen.
"Okay."
"Do you need me to get you anything?"
"No, I'm good."
Tú Linh slipped on her sandals, grabbed the canvas bag beside her, and headed outside. The door closed behind her. Her phone remained on the coffee table, right beside where Thanh An was sitting.
About fifteen minutes later, the phone rang. Thanh An looked up. The screen lit up, displaying two words: Mom. She only glanced at it before lowering her eyes back to the laptop. The call ended, but less than a minute later, the phone started vibrating again.
This time, Thanh An frowned slightly. The second call ended quickly, too. When it rang a third time, the sound echoing through the quiet room made her let out a quiet breath. Whoever was on the other end must have been very worried.
Thanh An picked up the phone and answered.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice immediately came through the speaker.
"Linh, you little brat, where have you been? I've been calling you forever and you haven't picked up! You won't answer your phone either. You had me worried sick!"
Thanh An froze.
She looked at the phone screen once more before speaking softly:
"Hello, ma'am."
The other end went completely silent.
"Linh went downstairs to buy something. She left her phone at home."
"Oh..."
The woman's voice instantly softened.
"Is that so? I thought something had happened to her."
"No, nothing happened. She just went to the convenience store downstairs. She'll probably be back soon."
"Okay, then I can relax."
There was a brief silence. Perhaps only now did Linh's mother realize that the voice on the other end didn't belong to her daughter.
"Oh... and you are...?"
Thanh An sat up a little straighter, her tone still polite.
"I'm Aunt Lan's niece. Linh is staying at my place right now."
"Oh, I see."
"Yes."
"Oh, that's right!"
Her voice immediately grew friendlier.
"Aunt Lan already told me about you. Oh my goodness, I haven't had a chance to talk to you yet. I'm Linh's mother."
"Yes, I know."
"Thank you so much. She suddenly had trouble with her dorm and ended up imposing on you. I was worried she might feel uncomfortable staying at someone else's place."
Thanh An smiled faintly.
"Please don't worry. I live alone, so Linh staying with me isn't any trouble."
"Then I can feel better."
Linh's mother sounded much more relieved now.
"Is she behaving herself?"
"Yes, she is."
"Does she bother you much?"
"Not at all. She's very self-sufficient."
"That's good."
The woman laughed.
"I was just afraid she'd feel shy around you and wouldn't say anything even if something was wrong."
"Please don't worry. I'll keep an eye on her."
"Okay. I'm entrusting my daughter to you, then."
Thanh An answered softly:
"Yes, ma'am."
There was another brief silence before Linh's mother suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, one more thing."
"Yes?"
"We have some homemade food back home in the countryside. When it's convenient, I'll send you some. Nothing fancy—just a few things from our garden and such."
"You really don't have to."
"No, I insist."
She laughed.
"You've already done us a huge favor by letting Linh stay with you. I'll send you a few local specialties as a thank-you. I'll pick out some good things and mail them up."
Thanh An hesitated slightly.
"Well... thank you, ma'am."
"Of course. And when I get the chance, I'd like to meet you in person and thank you properly."
"Yes, ma'am."
"All right, I won't keep you any longer. When Linh gets back, tell her to call me, okay?"
"Yes, I'll tell her."
"Okay. Thank you so much, Thanh An."
"You're very welcome."
The call ended.
Thanh An set the phone down just as the front door opened.
Tú Linh walked in carrying a small shopping bag. As she changed her shoes, she said, "Aunt An, I'm back."
Thanh An looked up.
"Okay."
Linh had taken only a few steps when she suddenly spotted her phone in Thanh An's hand and stopped.
"Here's your phone. Your mom called several times, so I answered."
"What did she say?"
Thanh An didn't answer. She picked up her files and headed back to the bedroom.
"She said to call her back."
Linh went, "Oh," and then, wanting to tease her a little, Thanh An called over her shoulder, "She also told me all your embarrassing secrets. Good night."
Linh took her seriously and turned bright red with embarrassment. In her head, she screamed, "Mooooom!"