Blue Dragon

for him.’
    ‘I don’t deserve him,’ I said softly.
    ‘I know,’ he said, his voice a low rumble. ‘You don’t deserve any of us.’
    ‘I know,’ I whispered as I drifted away.
    The next day was Sunday and both John and Leo forced me to rest so I could heal. Simone demanded sushi for lunch, and John and I trailed along. She loved raw fish so much it was like she was a sea creature herself. We could find something vegetarian later.
    It was only a half hour wait before we were given three stools at the bar in front of the conveyor belt that held the small plates of covered sushi.
    ‘Can you come to the end of term concert, Daddy?’ Simone said as she munched on her third plate of raw tuna.
    ‘When is it, sweetheart?’
    Simone quickly swallowed. ‘I don’t know. Emma knows.’
    ‘I’ll talk to your daddy about it,’ I said. ‘We’ll look at his diary.’
    ‘Then you don’t need to talk to him,’ Simone said cheekily. ‘He doesn’t do his own diary. You and Two Five One do it.’
    ‘That’s right,’ John said. ‘I can’t do anything without my Emma. Are you in the concert?’
    Simone nodded, her eyes wide.
    ‘Then I’ll come.’
    Simone squealed and hugged him, dropping her chopsticks. ‘Whoops.’
    I gave her a new set of chopsticks from the box on the bench. ‘There’s hardly any vegetarian sushi going past,’ I said, watching the plates meander on the conveyer belt in front of us. ‘It’s all raw salmon and seaweed, and I’ve already had seaweed.’
    The conveyer belt had a mirror behind it, reflecting the dishes. I saw something in the glass and froze. I spun on my stool to look out through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind us. The busy street was packed with people, but I was right.
    ‘April Ho just went past, John,’ I said urgently. ‘By herself.’
    John concentrated and Gold appeared, crouched under the bench.
    ‘Mind Simone,’ John said.
    Gold nodded and pulled himself out to sit on a stool. Nobody noticed. John and I hurried out of the sushi bar and followed April along the busy Causeway Bay street.
    ‘April!’ I called, and she hesitated, then continued.
    ‘April! April Ho!’
    April stopped and turned. She looked around, saw me, but didn’t appear to recognise me. She turned to continue walking.
    ‘April Li!’ I called again, using her maiden name and running to her. She stopped and turned. I grinned as I approached her. ‘It’s so good to see you! I was worried about you.’
    Her face was stiff. ‘Do I know you?’
    ‘It’s me, Emma,’ I said with a huge grin. ‘I haven’t changed that much, have I? Look.’ I gestured towardsJohn behind me. ‘You can finally meet him. John Chen Wu.’
    ‘Pleased to meet you, April,’ John said politely. ‘I hear you had a baby not long ago. Congratulations.’
    April’s face went even more rigid. ‘I think you are talking to the wrong person.’
    I studied her closely. ‘April, it’s me, Emma.’
    I think she’s had her memory wiped.
    I inhaled sharply. ‘April, you went to China and had your baby.’
    ‘I have no idea what you are talking about.’ She spun and walked quickly away.
    I raced to follow and walked alongside her. ‘April, it’s me, Emma. Don’t you remember me? We looked at your wedding photos.’
    ‘I am not married,’ April said grimly.
    ‘You were pregnant , April!’ I said desperately. ‘You were living in Discovery Bay. You went to China and had the baby, by caesarean. The ultrasound scans showed it was a boy.’
    ‘I do not think this is funny,’ April said, walking faster.
    ‘What about Andy?’ I said.
    April stopped. ‘How do you know about Andy?’
    ‘He’s your husband ,’ I said.
    ‘Not yet,’ April said through the frown. ‘I am marrying him in Australia later this year, and then we are going to Australia to live there together.’
    Memory’s definitely been wiped. You’re wasting your time, Emma. She doesn’t know you at all. I wonder what happened to the baby. The grandparents had to know about it…
    ‘Oh, dear God,’ I said softly. ‘You’re getting married? What did your family say?’
    April pushed her face right into mine, her features screwed up in a fierce grimace. ‘My family were killedin a car accident in Australia earlier this year.’ She put her hand to her forehead and saddened. ‘I don’t know why I’m telling you this, I don’t even know you.’
    ‘We were friends at the kindergarten.’
    ‘What kindergarten?’
    ‘Kitty