This story took place about a week after Third publicly announced that he was seeing someone (me).

 

It was a Sunday. Third had an evening event, so he was still at his condo in the area with me that morning. I usually stayed over there three or four times a week. As I pushed open the bathroom door after finishing my shower, I saw my boyfriend sitting on the sofa, talking on the phone with someone.

 

"Yes."

 

I caught Third saying just that before he ended the call with a serious expression.

 

"Who was that?" I asked, dressed in my usual oversized T-shirt and knee-length shorts -the kind of outfit I wore at home. I plopped down next to him on the sofa, towel-drying my damp hair.

 

"My mom," he replied with a long sigh.

 

As I'd mentioned before, Third's mom was a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his dad was a doctor who owned a clinic. I hadn't met either of them yet. In fact, even Third, their own son, rarely went home. He wasn't close to his parents

 

"And?" I tilted my head, not understanding why just a call from his mom would make him look so stressed.

 

"She's here to see me. She's on her way up in the elevator."

 

"Oh... Wait, what?!"

 

My eyes widened as if an electric shock had just run through me from head to toe. A mother visiting her son wasn't unusual, but the fact that I was here, too, made it a huge deal. Why didn't he tell me sooner?!

 

Let me backtrack a bit. When I started dating Third, I told my family right away. They weren't surprised; they probably guessed something was up when Third went all the way to Ayutthaya to find me. My parents didn't mind that I wasn't dating a woman. They just said,  'Do whatever makes you happy.' As for Third, I wasn't sure if he'd told his family yet. He didn't seem close to them and rarely talked about them with me.

 

Back to the present, where I was panicking like crazy. This condo was bought by his parents when Third started his first year of university, which meant his mom probably had a keycard. There was no time for me to escape. Hiding, like in a drama, would only make things worse if I got caught. This was a disaster!

 

"What do I do? What should I do?!" I muttered in panic, biting my nails and pacing back and forth. I didn't know much about Third's relationship with his family, only that he once said his parents were quite traditional. He rarely went home and didn't keep in touch with them often. By now, they must've seen the news about Third announcing he had a partner. Maybe that's why his mom is here-to talk about it?

 

And if Third's mom found out the partner in question is me, a guy, what if she couldn't accept it? That would be a total disaster!

 

Calm down, Wan. Calm down.

I took a deep breath, my mind racing to find a solution.

 

"Third, you haven't told your parents about me yet, have you?"

 

"Then just tell her I'm a friend who came to visit, okay?" I concluded quickly, feeling relieved that I'd come up with a plan. Friends can visit each other at their condos. Even staying over isn't unusual. Nothing strange about that, right?

 

Beep!

Three seconds after I finished speaking, the sound of the door unlocking echoed through the room. Third got up from the sofa and went to greet his mother at the door, with me following behind and peeking over his shoulder.

 

"Hi, Mom," he greeted.

 

"Hmm," she replied.

 

The middle-aged woman, dressed in an elegant, simple dress, had a calm and composed demeanour that mirrored her son's perfectly. Their faces were almost identical, except Third's eyes were slightly narrower than hers.

 

"And who's that?" His mom raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze landing on me as I stood awkwardly behind her son.

 

"Hello," I stepped forward, quickly raising my hands in a polite wai and flashing a friendly smile. "My name's Wan. I'm Third's friend. I just came by to visit him."

"Oh... I see," she replied with a faint smile.

 

Her smile sent chills down my spine. To put it simply, Third's mom had the same aura as a strict school disciplinarian, serious, formal, and intimidating, perfectly fitting her role as a government official. I could see now where Third got his stoic demeanour from. Did he even realise he looked and felt just like his mom?

 

"You never come home, do you? If I didn't come to see you, we'd probably never meet," she said, turning her attention back to her son, who stood silently like a statue.

 

"I've been busy with work. I'm sorry," he replied.

 

"Well, you're on the rise right now," she sighed as she walked over to sit on a single-seater sofa. Third and I sat together on the long sofa.

 

"How have you been? Are you doing well?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Are you getting enough sleep?"

 

"About three or four hours a day."

 

"That's not enough."

 

"On days with evening events, I get to sleep in a bit."

 

Their conversation was the typical mother-son check-in, but the atmosphere in the room was suffocating. His mom's questions felt like an HR interview, while Third's responses were robotic and curt. What kind of family talks like this?!

 

"Third, I forgot to bring my lozenges," his mom said after a while. "Go buy me some, the same brand as always."

 

Though she was speaking to her son, her emotionless eyes briefly glanced at me. I, who'd been sitting silently for a while, quickly stood up and volunteered.

 

"I'll go get them for you. That way, you can stay and talk with Third."

 

"No need. Let Third go. I'd rather talk to you," she said. Oh no. Why does she want to talk to me? Isn't she here to see her son? What does a boyfriend have to do with this?!

"Go on, Third," she urged.

 

Third hesitated, glancing at me for a moment before grabbing his phone and mask and leaving the room without a word. I watched his broad back disappear behind the closing door. Though I kept a neutral expression, I was crying inside. Not only did he not help me, but he also left me alone! Just wait-he's not getting any cuddles tonight!!!

 

"Wan, right?" Once her son was gone, his mom wasted no time. Her sharp eyes turned to me, ready to interrogate me.

 

"Yes," I replied.

 

"How long have you been together?"

 

"Uh... since we met, it's been almost a year," I said, counting on my fingers. We first met at the beginning of the year, and now it is the end of the year, about nine or ten months. Time really flies.

 

"No," she shook her head. Then she said something that nearly made me choke on my own saliva. I mean, how long have you been dating?"

 

".." 

My mind went blank. I couldn't think of anything to say. How did she know I was Third's boyfriend? I thought we hadn't done anything suspicious

 

"You already know?" I asked softly. Already feeling small, I now felt like I'd shrunk to just three centimetres tall. I was terrified of whatever she might say next. What if Third's family didn't approve of him dating me? If that happened, I...

 

"Even if I didn't know, I could guess," she chuckled lightly, her lips curling into a faint, unreadable smile.

 

"He told me he had a partner, a man, before the news even came out. And here you are, in his condo, in the late morning, wearing casual clothes, with wet hair. It's obvious you stayed over. Third is very private. If he wasn't really close to someone, he wouldn't let them stay over. It's not hard to figure out, is it?"

 

"Right.."I admitted, unable to argue with her logic. Third's mom had sharp instincts. Was this a skill you developed as a parent? As for my boyfriend, the one who caused all this, I was starting to feel annoyed. If he'd already told his family, he could've at least told me! I was so caught off guard. Why didn't he give me a heads-up?! Ugh!

 

"Honestly, I was surprised," the middle-aged woman said, a faint crease forming between her brows as she continued to stare at me. "Third has only ever had girlfriends before. I never knew he liked men, too."

 

Her words created a small but palpable tension in the room. Maybe it was because I grew up in a time when society was much more open about sexuality, and my family was very laid-back, giving us kids complete freedom. I didn't really understand why it mattered whether someone dated the opposite sex or the same sex.

 

"Does it... make a difference?" I asked.

 

"I mean... if Third likes men, does that change who he is?" I asked softly.

 

Let me clarify-I wasn't trying to be cheeky or disrespectful. I genuinely didn't understand. Third would still be the same person, wouldn't he? On the outside, he might seem cold and indifferent, but deep down, he's warm and caring. I didn't think his personality would change just because he preferred men to women. But as soon as I said it, I swallowed hard, realising I might've just made my boyfriend's mom dislike me.

 

Oh no, if the first impression is bad, I'm doomed!

 

"That's true," the elder woman chuckled softly after a brief pause.

 

The furrowed brows from earlier had relaxed, and the look in her eyes softened as she gazed at me. Third's mom's face showed no sign of displeasure, and I let out a sigh of relief in secret.

 

"I hadn't even thought about that," she admitted. "To be honest, I grew up in a time when these things weren't widely accepted. So deep down, both his father and I still feel a little strange about it."

 

That didn't make me feel bad. On the contrary, I was relieved that she was honest about her thoughts. I wasn't good at dealing with subtle hints or complicated emotions. I preferred straightforwardness because it meant we could address any issues directly.

 

"But he's our son, after all. It's his life. Whatever path he chooses, it's our duty as parents to support him."

 

A faint smile appeared on her face, one that resembled her son's so much. For the first time today, I saw her look truly at ease, and the tense atmosphere gradually dissipated.

 

"So, why do you like Third?"

 

"Uh... because he's straightforward and cares about others," I replied cautiously, though the word straightforward might not fully capture my boyfriend's bluntness.

 

"Straightforward, huh? Yeah, that's true. He's very straightforward-sometimes too much so. When he first entered the entertainment industry, I even wondered if people would dislike him because of that trait," she said with a laugh, then sighed deeply again.

 

"As you've probably noticed, Third isn't very close to his father or me. I can't blame him, though. When he was young, we were so busy working that we didn't have time for him. Back then, we thought that having a lot of money would make his life easier, but we forgot that what children need from their parents isn't just money."

 

"It's our fault. By the time we realised it, things had already turned out this way. Third doesn't feel comfortable talking to us about many things. So, if there's someone he trusts and can share everything with, it puts my mind at ease. At least he won't feel alone anymore." She smiled gently at me, reminding me so much of her son. Perhaps this is the purpose of our conversation.

 

"Take care of my son-no, take care of him for me, Wan. Next time we meet, I hope we can have a meal together," she said as she grabbed her bag and stood up, switching to a more familiar way of referring to herself.

 

"You're... leaving already?" I asked.

 

"Yes, I just stopped by to check on him. Since he doesn't have time to come home, I was lucky to meet you," she said, gently squeezing my shoulder. It seemed like she wanted to say more, but since we weren't that close yet, we simply exchanged smiles without further words.

 

"I'm leaving now. Take care of yourself," she said.

 

"Let me walk you out," I quickly offered, standing up to escort her to her car. She waved her hand dismissively. "No need."

 

So, I could only walk her to the door, giving her my wai as she left. Once Third's mom was gone, my tense shoulders immediately relaxed. I sank onto the floor, letting out a long breath of relief. It felt just like presenting a research project and getting the professor's approval. So, it seemed like Third's family wouldn't have any major issues with us being together. They might feel a bit uneasy, but it wasn't about rejection-it was just going to take some time for them to adjust. Overall, it was a good sign. His mom didn't show any dislike toward me and even entrusted me to take care of Third.

 

I walked back to the couch and started scrolling through my phone. About five minutes later, I heard the automatic door unlock, followed by the tall figure of the room's owner stepping in and removing the mask covering his face.

 

"Your mom left," I said.

 

"Yeah, I ran into her in the hallway," Third replied, sitting down next to me. His sharp eyes held a hint of worry. "Did she say anything to you?"

 

"No," I shook my head. His mom didn't say anything to me, but I had something to say to him! "By the way, why didn't you tell me you'd already come out to your family about dating a guy? Why didn't you give me a heads-up before your mom came? I almost had a heart attack, you know!"

 

"It was sudden. I didn't have time to tell you, and you just went ahead and said it yourself," my boyfriend replied with his usual deadpan expression, though his dark eyes sparkled with amusement. I scrunched my nose at him, thinking he probably didn't tell me on purpose just to mess with me!

 

"Third."

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Your mom mentioned wanting to have a meal together sometime," I said with a smile. After all, getting closer to my partner's parents was always a good thing, right? If I made a good impression, maybe they'd take my side whenever Third and I had a fight! Third seemed slightly taken aback before his lips slowly curved into a smile.

 

"Alright, I'll have the agency clear my schedule, and then we can set a date to have dinner with my parents."

"Okay. And you should go home more often. I think your mom really misses you. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come all the way here," I said. Parents are always worried about their kids. This family just had a slightly awkward way of showing it.

 

"She wanted to see you more than me."

 

"I'm just a bonus. You're still the most important person to her," I said, crossing my arms and pretending to be a relationship expert.

 

Third smirked, his eyes hesitant as he hugged me and buried his face in my shoulder.

 

"I don't know. I'm not sure. Since I was a kid, I haven't spent much time with my parents. It always felt like they prioritised work over me. Sometimes, I wonder if they had to choose between me and their jobs, would they pick their jobs over me?"

 

"No way," I said, gently stroking his head.

 

Every child needed attention from their parents. Even though his parents worked hard to provide him with a comfortable life, as a child he wouldn't have understood why they weren't around. He would have only felt their absence. And even though he might understand their reasons now, deep down, he still felt uncertain and distant.

 

"Your parents love you. It's just that time can't be turned back," I said, cupping his face with both hands and smiling at him.

 

"But that's okay. You can always start fresh. They miss you, and you miss them, too, right? So, let's visit your parents more often when we have time. And if we get a couple of free days, we can visit my parents too."

 

"Alright," Third chuckled softly, his sharp eyes sparkling as he said, "Whose boyfriend is this? So adorable. How could your mom not like you when I like you this much?"

 

I blushed as he suddenly said something so sweet. Even though we'd been dating for a while, I still wasn't used to Third's affectionate words.

 

"Go take a shower. Don't you have to leave by noon?" I said, pushing him lightly to hide my embarrassment.

 

"We still have two hours," Third said, glancing at the digital clock on the nearby table before looking back at me with a mischievous grin.

 

"How about a little workout? In the bedroom."

 

"No way!"

 

"Oh, you want to do it here? That's fine, too."

 

"Hey, wait! Third! Haha!" I laughed as he pounced on me, pinning me down on the couch and tickling my sides. We playfully teased each other, our laughter filling the living room until it faded into silence as our lips met. This morning was another peaceful, happy day.