On Tuesday night, I had dinner with Jay. I told him that he was only allowed to call me in the morning, at noon, and in the evening after I finished work—not during my working hours. Jay understood and stopped using an alarm because he would wake me up himself with a morning call. At noon, we would talk about what we ate, and in the evening, I often met up with him, almost every other day. Because of that, I hadn't had dinner at home this week.
This made Nao look at me with curiosity and suspicion. Nao, who tended to overthink everything, was clearly suspicious. His face and eyes always reflected his thoughts. I knew exactly what Nao was thinking. On Saturday morning, April 8th, it was Jay's birthday. I wasn't sure if he remembered, but I did. I prepared a gift and planned out the day for us. I told my family, and they all said they would prepare gifts for him too.
I informed Jay that I would see him, and he said he would wait for me. Jay didn't seem overly excited—he always had that calm expression—but I knew he wanted to meet me because he always said he missed me. He was such a sweet kid. Jay woke me up early in the morning with a call, then he went out for a run. I went down to the kitchen to bake a birthday cake for him, only to be surprised by the sound of Nao's voice.
Why was Nao up this early? He usually stayed up late, especially on Saturdays when he didn't have to take Fei to school. I was about to approach him, but then I heard something interesting and decided to stay in the corner to listen.
"That's right, mom." It was Nao's voice, and even though I couldn't see him, I could imagine his expression. That was his gossiping tone. "Isn't it weird that Dan, who never skips dinner at home unless he's sick or has something important, has been having dinner with that kid three times this week?"
Mom responded in a thoughtful tone, "You're right. At first, I didn't think much of it, but when you put it that way…"
"Mom, you need to think about it. I've been thinking about it for a long time. Have you ever heard of twins who can connect through their minds?"
"Yes, why? Are you saying you're connected to Dan?"
"No."
"Oh."
"But I've always wondered what kind of person Dan would like. Dan is mature, kind, and caring. I think Dan likes cute boys, like me."
"Really?"
"Yes. Dan likes taking care of others, he's not used to being taken care of. Mom, I'm serious. I've thought about this so much that I couldn't sleep." I stifled a laugh at Nao's enthusiasm. "Dan has a weakness for cute boys. He wants to be a babysitter. He loves kids."
"You're right," Mom replied, and I could imagine her crossing her arms in thought.
"You mean…"
"Dan must be in love with Jayden!"
"Really?"
"Yes, I'm sure. But Dan hasn't realized it yet."
"Oh my God," Mom sounded worried. "What should we do? Will my son really fall for him? I don't care about the age gap, but that kid is still young. He could find someone else."
"I don't think so. I think he loves Dan too. Dan said Jayden always tells him he misses him, always wants to see him. He's crazy about him."
"If that's how he feels, then I'm happy. Are you sure, Nao? You're not joking?"
"No, I'm serious. That's why I'm telling you. What do you think?"
Mom must have believed Nao. I couldn't hold back my laughter after hearing their conversation. Nao always had these wild ideas, and Mom believed in him one hundred percent. Before Nao could say anything else, I decided to step in.
"I can hear you two—what are you talking about?" I asked, laughing.
Nao was startled. "Dan, were you eavesdropping? That's rude."
"I wanted to know what you were talking about," I replied. I already knew what Nao was thinking, and he was convinced that Jay and I had feelings for each other.
"You're misunderstanding, so I need to clear things up."
"Go ahead," Nao crossed his arms. "How do you explain not having dinner at home for three days? You never skip family dinner."
"Jay was lonely," I answered honestly. "I didn't want him to eat alone, so I met up with him more often."
"See, Mom?" Nao looked at Mom. "Dan cares about Jayden."
"Of course. He promised to take care of him," Mom said. "Is it true that you have a soft spot for cute boys?"
"Uh, a soft spot? Yeah, like when Nao or Fai act cute around me, I can't refuse them."
"What about Jayden always saying he misses you and wanting to see you?" Nao asked.
"Jay doesn't have anyone else," I replied. "He only has me, so he misses me. If he finds someone else, he'll miss me less. I see it like a child being attached to their mother."
"Hmm, alright," Nao sighed, frustrated. "So you're saying I'm wrong? But no, I won't give up." Nao was persistent. "I feel like you're vulnerable to this kid, and he'll be the one. I can feel it."
"Nao always has instincts," I said. "But he's rarely right."
"Dan, haha, this time I'm right." Nao pouted, pointing his finger at me. "I'll be watching. One day, you'll come to me for advice."
"Haha, what do you think, Mom?"
"I don't know," Mom hesitated. "I'm siding with Nao. I want Dan to have a partner."
I laughed again, entertained by the two of them. "Haha, think whatever you want. I don't mind," I answered honestly. "Why are you up so early, Nao?"
"It's Jayden's birthday today. I wanted to help bake the cake."
"And Fai?" Fei usually woke up early.
"He's still sleeping. He trained hard yesterday since it was Friday."
"Ah."
"Where are you going today?"
"The zoo," I answered. "But I'm not sure—it's hot."
"There's no place that isn't hot," Nao said. "Unless you go to the mall."
"You're right," I nodded. "The zoo is better, like when we were kids." I decided to take Jay to the zoo, thinking it was an ideal place for children. I loved it as a kid, and I wanted to give Jay that experience.
"Oh," Mom seemed to remember something. "I haven't wrapped Jayden's gift yet. Are you leaving soon?"
"Yeah, after breakfast."
"I'll wrap the gift. You two make the cake."
"Alright." Mom went to the old house. I turned to Nao.
"Nao, did you tell Tiger about this?"
"About you loving Jayden?"
"Yes."
"I haven't told him," Nao shook his head. "If I did, Tiger might worry. This is just my guess. I'll tell him if it turns out to be true."
"It's okay," I said. "Tiger would just worry."
"Really?"
I smiled and shook my head. "That's not true."
"Aren't you aware?"
"If I'm not aware, then I'm not aware," I answered. "How would I know?"
"Yeah," Nao touched his chin. "How do we know if we like someone?"
"You're more experienced than me," I said while looking for ingredients to bake a cake. Mom and Nao woke up early just to gossip without actually doing anything.
"Do you get jealous if he gets close to someone else?"
I shook my head. "On the contrary, I want him to socialize with others."
"You're not jealous."
"Yeah."
"Caring, missing, worrying? Ugh," Nao held his head. "And you feel all that for Jayden. But like... family?"
"Haha, family? I see him as a younger brother, and I want him to see me as his older brother," I started making the cake while Nao kept talking without helping much.
"Ugh, my head hurts. I'm thinking too much. Enough of this."
"Yeah, help me with this cake."
"Alright."
Not long after, Tiger woke up and sat down, watching Nao make the cake.
"Why are you making him a cake?"
"Nao has been making you cakes since our first year, remember?"
"Yeah, your eggshell cake," Tiger said. "I ate it all, even though it was rough. I ate it with pride."
"Thank you," Nao smiled. "I'm just helping Dan."
"Tiger, are you still going to send someone to follow us?" I asked.
"Yes," Tiger replied.
"Didn't you say Jay is fine?" After observing Jay, Tiger had concluded that he was fine—no signs of aggression, violence, or a short temper. In other words, he was safe.
"Yeah, but I'll still keep an eye on him."
"Alright," I nodded. "Thank you, Tiger."
"Why?"
"For not being too hard on him."
"Hmm."
Nao made a noise in his throat. I turned and saw him looking at me with suspicious eyes. I couldn't help but smile... Nao, always curious. Fai came downstairs and saw all of us. He looked a little annoyed at being the last to wake up, even though he was usually the first in the house.
"I'm the last one up? What a shame," he said as he sat in his usual seat for breakfast, which was already prepared.
"It's okay, you can rest now. It's Saturday," Nao said while serving him food.
"Even if it's Saturday, waking up after Papa..." He puffed his cheeks, annoyed. "Why did Papa wake up so early?"
"To help Uncle Dan with the cake. Today is Jayden's birthday."
"Oh," Fai nodded. "I remember. I bought a gift with my savings. But did Papa really wake up early to help? Not just to bother Uncle Dan?"
"Bother?" I repeated, laughing.
"Good word choice. But your Papa really helped," I said.
"Or maybe he was just gossiping about me with Mom."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
After breakfast, I got ready to meet Jay. Everyone brought their gifts. Mom had one, Fai had one, Nao and Tiger had one, and I did too. I didn't know what everyone else brought, but I thought Jay would like my gift.
"Be careful on the road and have a great day."
"Thanks," I said to them as they waved and left.
When I arrived at the gym, I saw Jay waiting and smiling. He always looked forward to seeing me. I parked the car and got out to greet him.
"Jay."
"Hello."
"What day is it today?"
"...Saturday." Jay thought for a moment, answering just as I expected.
"What date?"
"The eighth."
"What month?"
"April."
"And whose birthday is it today?"
"Mine?" Jay pointed at himself, confused. "It's my birthday."
"Exactly. Happy birthday, you're 19 years old now." I ruffled his hair affectionately, and Jay lowered his head as he usually did. "One more year. I hope your 19th year is a good one."
"...Thank you," he said softly. I withdrew my hand and opened the trunk.
"This is a gift for you. My family sent this, and I made the cake with Nao. We'll leave everything in your room, then we'll go out. When we come back, we'll blow out the candles and open the presents."
"Alright." We carried everything to his room. I put the cake in the fridge while thinking about something that made me curious, so I decided to ask.
"Have you ever celebrated your birthday before?"
"Yes."
I smiled, at least Jay had celebrated his birthday before. "This year, we'll celebrate just the two of us."
"Alright."
"Let's go out."
"Yeah."
"Aren't you curious about where I'm taking you?"
"Wherever Dan takes me, I'll go."
"Alright. Do you remember the animal books I showed you? Elephants, lions, tigers, crocodiles," Jay nodded. "Today, we're going to see those animals in real life. When I was a kid, I loved going to the zoo. Have you ever been there?"
Jay shook his head.
"I'll take you. Maybe you'll like it and want to go again. Most kids love the zoo," I said as we walked to the car. "It's a holiday, so it'll be crowded. It'll be fun, but hot. Are you okay with that?"
"Yeah."
"I wanted to take you somewhere cool, but it's hot everywhere. We've been to the mall a few times. It's April, we can't avoid the heat," I said while starting the car. As I drove, I kept talking.
"What did you have for breakfast?"
"Steamed fish with rice, vegetables, and a fruit smoothie."
"You always eat healthy."
"And you?"
"Oatmeal pancakes. I'm trying to eat healthier."
"Good," Jay said. "Why doesn't Dan exercise? Dan isn't in good shape."
"After work, I'm too tired," I smiled awkwardly. This young boxer was telling me I wasn't fit anymore. "But I've been eating better."
"Dan is small."
"Huh?"
"Dan is very small."
"Are you bragging?" I laughed. "I'm 1.70 meters, average for a Thai man. You're the one who's too tall. How tall are you?"
"Last time I measured 1.83 meters."
"Too tall," I sighed. Kids grow up fast. "And you can still grow taller. You're only 19."
"I mean, Dan is skinny. You should eat more."
"Ah, I think I eat plenty."
"Not enough."
"You're right," I nodded. "I should trust a talented athlete like you. Sometimes I think it would be nice to be like Nao—taller and more muscular. Nao boxes and works out, so he has muscles."
"Dan should box."
"One day, I'll train with you, okay?"
"Dan, you said you never break promises."
"That's right," I smiled, glancing briefly at the passenger seat. "I never break promises."
"Dan."
"Yeah?"
"How much does this car cost?"
"1.2 million. Why?"
"Can I buy one too?"
"What?" I raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You want to buy a car?"
"Yeah."
"There are many models, brands, and prices. You don't have to buy the same one as mine. Do some research, and you'll find one you like. When you save enough, we can talk about getting a car. According to Ryan, with your future income, it won't take long to afford one."
"Yeah."
"Why do you want a car?"
"So I can go wherever I want."
"Where do you want to go?"
"To see Dan."
"But I come to see you often."
"But not every day," Jay replied. "I want a car so I can see you every day."
"Hahaha, kid." I ruffled his hair again, and he lowered his head as always. "It's an hour drive from the gym to my house. Will you drive every day?"
"Yes. That way, Dan won't get tired coming."
I smiled, knowing that in practice, Jay wouldn't come every day—driving an hour was exhausting, especially with his training. But knowing that he wanted to see me every day made me happy.
"You..."
"Yeah?"
"You're getting more adorable every day, Jay."