Chapter Fourteen: I Was Careless

I thought today was going better than most. The photoshoot went smoothly, I laughed more than usual, and I found myself smiling at the smallest things—Phu's quiet glances, Nok's bad jokes, even the way the studio smelled faintly of coffee and camera film.

I told myself things were fine.

But deep down…I still remember Mr. San's warning.

It lingered at the back of my mind like a shadow I couldn't shake off—quiet but present, waiting for the right moment to step forward. And maybe, just maybe… I was starting to believe it wouldn't come.

That was my mistake.

I was careless.

I received a call from my sister late one evening.

"Can you come home this weekend? Paa wants to talk to you."

That caught me off guard.

"Did he say what it's about?" I asked.

"No. Just said it's important."

Strange. Normally, if Paa had something to say, he'd call me directly. We weren't the type to keep things through middlemen—especially not when it came to family matters.

So I called him right after.

No answer.

Tried again. Straight to voicemail.

I told myself maybe he was busy, maybe it wasn't urgent. But in my chest, something felt unsettled.

The weekend arrived. I packed light.

I texted Phu:"I'll be back tomorrow evening—we can go for dinner then?"

He replied almost immediately:"Okay, baby. Safe flight."

I smiled at the screen and replied,"Okay, baby. Miss you already."

I took a flight instead of driving—it would've taken nearly ten hours by road. My sister picked me up at Chiang Mai Airport. The drive to our family home was just about thirty minutes from there.

As soon as I got into the car, I turned to her."So… what's going on? Did he say anything at all?"

She glanced at me, shaking her head."No. He's been quiet. Said he'll talk to you directly."

I frowned, tension creeping into my chest again.Something about this felt off. Paa wasn't usually cryptic. He didn't keep things bottled up—not with me.

And suddenly, Mr. San's warning echoed again in my head like a whisper I didn't want to hear:

"You're being given time to leave with your dignity intact."

I arrived home just past noon. Paa was already waiting at the dining table.He didn't say much—just a quiet, "Let's eat first. Then we'll talk."

So we ate in near silence. I could feel the weight in the room, like a storm was hovering just outside the door. My sister tried to smile, tried to keep things normal. But even her laughter sounded forced.

After lunch, I followed her into the kitchen to help with the dishes. Paa remained in the hall, scrolling through his phone, eyes unfocused.

The silence between us all said more than words could.

As I rinsed the last plate, my sister gently touched my arm."Go," she said softly. "I'll handle the rest. Talk to him."

I dried my hands, took a deep breath, and walked over.

Paa didn't look up at first, just placed his phone face down on the table. His expression was calm, but his eyes—those soft, sad eyes—held something heavier than I'd seen before.

"Paa… you said you wanted to talk to me. Why didn't you just call?"

He finally looked at me.

"Because I needed to see your face."

There was a pause. Then he asked, with the gentlest firmness I've ever heard from him,"Do you have something to share with me?"

I swallowed. That tone—it was still my father's voice, but lined with something deeper. Serious. Grounded.

"Like what, Paa?" I asked carefully.

He didn't raise his voice. He didn't accuse."Anything. Anything you feel I should know. I'm ready to listen."

I glanced toward the kitchen. My sister was watching from behind the doorframe. She didn't speak, but mouthed two silent words:

Tell him.

So I turned back to him. My hands were trembling slightly. My throat was dry.

He reached over and turned off the TV.

"I'm all ears," he said softly.

I exhaled slowly.

"I'm… in a relationship. With someone."

He said nothing, just waited.

"I know you've always had hopes for me, for the family name. But… I don't think I can continue that. Because…"

I paused, eyes burning. Then finally said it:

"The person I'm dating… is a man."

My voice cracked on the last word.

"I didn't plan for this to happen. I didn't want to hurt you. But it just… did."

The tears I'd tried to hold back started falling.And for a second, all I heard was silence.

I braced myself—for rejection, for anger, for disappointment.

He stayed silent for a while.

I kept sobbing, unsure of what to expect—unsure if I'd just cracked something between us that couldn't be mended.

Then his voice cut through the silence, calm but steady:

"Is it… Phuwadon Inthanon?"

I froze for a moment, then nodded slowly, still unable to look at him.

"You two… are serious?"

Another nod."Yes," I whispered.

There was a pause. Then he said something that caught me completely off guard.

"Fine. Call him. I want to speak to him."

I looked up at him, stunned. He didn't smile—but I could see it in his eyes. He wasn't disappointed. Just… quiet. Processing.

And that was enough to break me.

I burst into tears and dropped to my knees.

"I'm sorry, Paa. I didn't mean to hide it… I just didn't want to lose you."

He stepped closer, knelt down in front of me, and gently placed his hand on my shoulder.

"You're my son," he said softly. "And I need to know he can make you happy. That's all."

I threw my arms around him and cried harder.He hugged me back, firmly. My sister joined in a second later, wrapping her arms around both of us.

"Thank you, Paa," I sobbed. "I was really, really scared."

Later, I went up to my room and picked up my phone.I dialed Phu.

"Hey, baby," he said cheerfully. "Are you done with the family meeting?"

"Yeah," I said, wiping my face with my sleeve. "Are you busy today?"

"Not really. My baby is away, so I'm just sulking in silence. Why?"

I smiled a little."Do you want to come over?"

There was a pause."Really?" he asked, surprise lacing his tone.

"Yes. Come stay for a few days if you want."

He laughed."Fine. Then let's make it three days. You'll need to tell Phi Tan you're taking one extra day off."

"Why?" I asked, curious.

"Because," Phu said gently, "I want to see the place you grew up in. The place that made you… You."

Phu arrived around 7 p.m.—right on time, as expected from someone who lived the "rich people" life.

I picked him up at the airport, and as soon as he slid into the passenger seat, he leaned closer and studied my face.

"Why does my baby look sad?" he asked softly.

I glanced at him and gave a small smile."Nothing," I said quickly.

But he didn't look convinced. He kept staring, like he was trying to read the words I wasn't saying.

Then, from the backseat, my sister's voice broke the silence:

"Don't stare too long at my brother's face, you might poke a hole in it."

Phu turned around, wide-eyed."Oh my—I didn't even notice someone was back there!"

She laughed, reaching forward to pat his shoulder."Nice to finally meet you, Phuwadon."

They exchanged brief introductions, warm but slightly awkward, the way most first meetings went.

Then she turned to me and said pointedly,"Ian, you better tell him why he's here before he gets a bigger shock at the house."

I took a breath and looked at Phu."My dad… he found out. About us."

Phu fell silent for a moment.

Then he met my gaze and said calmly,"Okay. I knew this day would come. But I'm ready. Let's talk."

I smiled, heart pounding but just a little lighter.Phu reached over and gently squeezed my hand on the gearshift.

We were ready. Together.

We arrived home just before 8 p.m.

Paa was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. When he saw us enter, he gave a small nod."I know this is important," he said. "But let's eat first. We'll talk after."

So we sat together at the dining table—me, Phu, my sister, and Paa.

Dinner was surprisingly warm. The mood light. We chatted, laughed even. Paa's face was relaxed and calm, not a trace of the tension I had feared. For a while, it almost felt like a normal family dinner.

And maybe… that's what Paa wanted to show us. That despite everything, he wasn't angry. Not about Phu. Not about us.

After the meal, Phu stood to take a shower and freshen up. When he returned, towel still around his neck, Paa stepped into the living room and said:

"Phuwadon, can we have a talk? In the study room."

I froze.

The study room had once been Mae's—her quiet space. Ever since she passed, Paa hadn't set foot inside. None of us had. It was like a shrine of silence.

Phu glanced at me, then nodded respectfully.Before he turned, Paa looked at me and said gently,"Don't worry. I just want to talk."

I watched as they walked down the hallway together, the door closing softly behind them.

The house fell into a hush.

I stood with my sister outside, near the kitchen. She didn't say anything—just gently squeezed my hand.

I looked at the closed door.Phu had smiled at me before stepping in.A quiet, confident smile. The kind that said, "I've got this."

Still… I couldn't help but hold my breath.

They came out after nearly an hour.

My dad walked past us slowly and said,"I'll stay inside the room for a while."

He didn't look upset—just thoughtful. Like he was holding onto something quietly. Maybe memories. Maybe peace.

Phu walked over to me, his expression unreadable at first."Scared?" he asked gently.

I looked up at him, eyes already filled with tears."What happened, Phu? I'm really worried… and scared."

He reached out, held my hand tightly."Nothing bad happened, baby. We just talked. That's all."

But I kept staring at him, desperate for the words I needed to hear.

My sister, standing nearby, stepped in."Phu, just tell him. He's about to break into pieces."

Phu finally smiled and looked into my eyes."He said… he's okay with me having you."

The tears fell faster now, but I was smiling through them.I threw my arms around him, holding him tight."Thank you, thank you," I whispered. "You don't know how much this means."

My sister chuckled, "Good for you, Ian. You got the approval."

I held Phu for a while longer, not wanting to let go. Then I asked,"Should I talk to Paa? Say something?"

Phu shook his head gently."No… he wants some time in that room. With your mom's picture. Let him have that. He'll talk again tomorrow."

I nodded slowly, understanding. My sister did too. We knew how sacred that space was to him.

Phu leaned close and asked with a soft grin,"So, baby… want to watch a movie?"

"Yes," I whispered, still wiping my tears.

The three of us curled up in the living room and watched whatever was on. We laughed, passed snacks, and for a while, forgot about everything else.

We didn't even realize how late it got—until I checked the time and saw it was 2 a.m.

And for once, being wide awake in the middle of the night didn't feel heavy.

It felt safe. Like home.