English Original
Sometimes I doubted whether love existed between my parents. They were always busy earning money to pay for my brother's and my tuition. They never acted in the romantic ways I saw in books or on TV. Saying "I love you" seemed too luxurious for them, and Valentine's Day flowers were out of the question. My father, tired from work, often had a short temper.
One day, as my mother sewed a quilt, I sat beside her.
"Mom, can I ask you something?" I said after a while.
"What?" she replied, not looking up.
"Is there love between you and Dad?" I whispered.
My mother stopped sewing and looked up, surprised. She remained silent, then bowed her head and continued her work.
I was worried I had hurt her and felt deeply embarrassed, unsure what to do. Finally, she spoke thoughtfully:
"Susan, look at this thread. Sometimes it shows, but most of it is hidden within the quilt. It's what makes the quilt strong and durable. If life is a quilt, then love is the thread. You can't always see it, but it's always there. Love is inside."
中文翻译
有时我怀疑父母之间是否存在爱情。他们总是忙于赚钱，支付我和弟弟的学费。他们从未有过我在书或电视上看到的那种浪漫举动。对他们来说，说“我爱你”似乎太过奢侈，情人节送花更是无从谈起。父亲工作劳累，常常脾气不好。
一天，母亲在缝被子时，我坐到了她身边。
“妈妈，我能问您点事吗？”过了一会儿我说道。
“什么？”她头也不抬地回应。
“您和爸爸之间有爱情吗？”我低声问。
母亲停下针线，抬起头，显得很惊讶。她沉默片刻，然后低下头继续缝被子。
我担心自己伤害了她，感到非常尴尬，不知所措。最后，她若有所思地说：
“苏珊，看看这根线。有时它露出来，但大部分都藏在被子里。正是它让被子结实耐用。如果生活是一床被子，那么爱就是这根线。你不总能看见它，但它始终在那里。爱在里面。”