Sitting at the edge of the bed, he held the pale hand of the unconscious boy while his wife leaned close beside him.
"Dear... he'll be okay. Our son is strong."
She rose to her feet.
Before leaving the room, she placed a gentle kiss on her husband's back.
Left alone, the father looked down at his son.
"Toffee... didn't you promise we'd go on a date? Just the two of us, eating every sweet we can find. Your mother already agreed, so we don't need to lie. Wake up..."
Toffee's trembling body reacted slightly to the sound.
"My Luk... don't cry. It's just a dream... your pa is here..." The father fought back his tears, but his voice still broke.
The room fell completely silent. Outside, even the birds were quiet.
Quietly, Toffee's mother closed the door behind her.
Taking a deep breath, she noticed Mok standing behind the curtains. He had been avoiding them for days.
"Mok... is that you?"
Startled, he hurried down the corridor toward Kao's room, but she caught his hand before he could duck inside.
"Mae... I..." Mok trailed off, unable to find the words.
The marks around his throat had almost healed, but the faint shadows of bruises were still visible.
"Mok... let me see. What medicine have you been using?"
Glancing past him, she discovered a stash of medical remedies behind the curtain, completely unaware the room belonged to Kao. Driven by curiosity, she approached the desk to inspect the crowded pill bottles and ointments.
"Mok, come with me. Let's go to the hospital."
"Mae... if we go to the hospital, everyone will know about it..."
She gently cupped his cheek, tilting his face up to meet her eyes. "It's not your fault. Did you think I wouldn't know? I don't know how to say fancy words, but don't worry. He's our Toffee. He'll wake up."
Tears tracked down Mok's cheeks while he shielded his mouth, desperately trying to stifle his cries.
"... You can cry, Mok." She cradled him close as he finally fell apart, anchoring him against her chest.
On the other side of the threshold, Kao stood frozen. The sound of Mok breaking down made him regret every cold look and harsh word he had ever given the boy. There was still so much about Mok he didn't understand.
After some time, the two of them came out of the room.
Toffee's mother gently urged Mok toward Toffee's father.
"Only you can stay with him now. Go."
Mok's heart pounded as he crossed the doorway.
The scent of incense lingered heavily in the air.
Hearing the footsteps, Toffee's father looked up.
"Mok... Toffee won't wake up... Call... call them... the hospital... or the temple... which one?"
Mok sank to his knees beside him.
Distressed by the older man's panic, he gently clung to the father's leg and buried his face, determined to hide his own tears. "I'm sorry..." he choked out, the words spilling from his lips in an endless murmur.
The mother waited, her eyes fixed on the figure nearby.
"You are... Kao, right?"
"Khap."
Clasping her hands together in a respectful wai, she inclined her head in gratitude.
"Thank you, kha, for being there for Mok."
Kao reached out to ease her hands back down. "Auntie, please don't do this."
"Mok and Toffee have always been inseparable. He must be the one suffering the most from this," she explained. "To be honest, Mok was never quite as bright or outgoing as a kid, completely unlike Toffee."
Looking at the three of them, she quietly drifted into an old memory—
13 Years Ago...
It was a clear morning...
The rhythmic scribbling on paper blended with the padding of slippers.
"My children are growing up so well. Toffee is five years old now..." She remembered when he tripped and fell; her doting husband and his spoiling older brother had cried right along with him.
She stopped writing in her diary.
Meanwhile, a commotion started in another room. "Mae... Toffee won't eat... I'm giving him that..."
"Krit, don't scream... Mae is coming... Give me a minute..."
"There is no peace in this house anymore," she grumbled playfully. Placing her black pen inside the small blue diary, she hurried toward the front door as a sudden car horn blared outside.
"Dear... who was that?" she asked her husband.
Passing through the hall, her eyes landed on the vehicle outside.
A woman stepped from the vehicle, dressed in a sleek white blouse and a tailored skirt. Her long black hair was tied back neatly, and her eyes sparkled like blooming marigolds.
"Dara..." Toffee's mother exclaimed, frozen in pure surprise.
"You..." Before Dara could speak, Toffee's mother swept forward to lock her in a warm, desperate hold.
Swaying slightly in the hug, their voices overlapped as they uttered the exact same words: "How long has it been since we last saw each other?"
Nearby, their husbands greeted each other just as warmly.
Dara opened the back of the car with a grin. "Thara, let me reintroduce someone... Mok. Come here, dear."
Dressed in cozy, pine-green clothes, the boy climbed out on his own, already tall enough to handle the car. Beneath his short black hair, his unique eyes shone like the yellow flowers that blossom in the peak of summer.
Shyly, he hid behind his mother's skirt.
"Mok... Sawadee ja, dear," Toffee's mother welcomed him, caressing his hair.
Mok blushed at the sudden affection.
Dara continued with a smile. "We haven't met since our second pregnancies. I've wanted to see Toffee ever since you sent those photos."
She paused mid-sentence, catching the sudden dimming of her friend's eyes. "Dara... is something wrong? Why are you..."
"Dear..." Toffee's father called out gently, interrupting them. "Let them come inside first. We can talk about everything later."
"Yes... yes..." Enfolding her best friend in a half-hug, she extended a welcoming palm to the quiet child, guiding them toward the house.
Mok's father squeezed Toffee's father's shoulder, whispering into his ear, "I've missed your cooking too."
Over drinks, the adults caught up on everything from Mok's older sister staying with her grandmother to the current troubles at their hospital.
"I saw it on the news. We tried calling both of you too," Toffee's mother spoke with deep concern.
"Actually, the news isn't the biggest problem..." Dara's hand tightened around Mok's shoulder. "Some reporters went as far as forcing their way onto our property. Ever since then, Mok has struggled to speak. We later discovered his nanny was at fault, which led us to dismiss the entire household staff."
She hesitated before asking, "Can Mok stay here for a few days? We may not be back for some time."
Toffee's mother gently caught her friend's wrists, cutting off her worries. "Why are you asking like it's a favor? Who am I to you? He can stay here for as long as he wants. Is there any difference?"
The two women embraced again, tears soaking each other's shoulders.
Just then, tiny footsteps approached, leaving black smudge marks on the tiles.
A pair of little fingers tugged at her hand.
"Mae... crying..." The words came out broken and unclear.
The small, broken words pulled both mothers to look down.
Smudges of chocolate biscuit coated Toffee's face, and his trousers were in a similar state of chaos.
Behind him, Krit bolted down the stairs and burst into the hallway. "Mae!" he shouted.
"Krit! Why are you running?"
"We were painting, but the moment I turned around, Toffee was gone. Who knew he was this fast?" Out of breath, Krit blinked in confusion as he finally noticed the guests.
"Auntie Dara... Uncle Karn..."
He immediately pressed his palms together.
"Sawadee khrap."
"He's become so handsome. Come here and let Auntie have a closer look."
"Khrap." Krit closed the distance between them.
His black hair was damp with sweat, and his loose clothes were stained with Toffee's drool and chocolate biscuits.
"He's grown so tall." Mok's mother gathered the boy into a hug, completely ignoring Krit's protests that he was too messy to touch.
Forgotten by the adults, the small boy crouched on the tiles, propping his hands against his knees. "No one... wants... me..."
A moment later, he burst into tears, filling the living room with loud cries.
His father quickly picked him up. "My, you're getting heavy. Now I know where all the food has gone." He tried to wipe Toffee's messy face.
"Hate... I hate..." Toffee wriggled out of his father's arms and scrambled straight into his older brother's lap.
"Bo..." Stretching out his tiny arms, he waited until his brother folded him into his arms.
"Toffee, who do you like more—your father or your brother?" Dara teased.
The whole room fell silent as everyone waited for his answer.
"Bo... I like Bo."
"There you have it," his father sighed dramatically.
"Don't blame me. He chose all by himself," Krit defended himself with a smirk.
"Dara, I'm not even one of the choices?"
Toffee's mother puffed out her cheeks in mock offense.
The whole room erupted into laughter, followed by gentle teasing and playful giggles.
Amid all the noise, one little boy remained quiet, not saying a single word.
The busy morning gave way to midday.
Instead of eating indoors, everyone moved to the garden for lunch.
The sharp rattle of dinnerware vibrated through the open air. Not far from the dining table, Krit, Toffee, and Mok played near the pool.
"Do you want to sit on my lap?" Krit asked.
Mok hesitated briefly before meeting Krit's gaze. His focus then drifted to Toffee, who was currently chasing a butterfly trapped in the garden. Completely absorbed in the tiny creature, Toffee ran after it with all his little strength, determined not to let it fly away.
"Are you worried about Toffee? He's too focused on that butterfly. Come here."
A subtle smile broke across Mok's lips while he settled onto Krit's lap. "Brother Krit is so different from my sister," Mok thought. "She always fights with me and annoys me." He looked back over at the other boy. "That little chick... is he silly? Even a three-year-old knows how to catch a butterfly." He let out a quiet sigh.
"Are you hungry?"
Mok nodded as Krit gently pinched his nose."Do you want to hear a story?" He softly ruffled Mok's hair before starting one of the tales he knew.
Thud!
Toffee lost his balance on a stone near the edge of the garden, a small scrape blooming across his knee.
He was on the verge of tears, but he forced them back, hardening his expression. "I am not weak... I won't cry... from now on..."
With his jaw set stubbornly, he took his time marching back toward his older brother.
Near the large glass doors, a few steps sloped down to the lawn and the pool, where Krit and the new boy were sharing a happy moment together.
"My Bo..." Toffee mumbled.
"He's my Bo!" he yelled, making Krit struggle to hold back his laughter.
"He's mine!" Tiny legs darted into action.
Seizing Mok's fingers, Toffee yanked him in an attempt to separate him from Krit.
"Toffee... you can't. You'll hurt him."
"Bo..." Tears streamed down Toffee's face as he refused to let go.
Mok fought to loosen the hold.
Despite their small statures, neither boy showed any intention of giving up.
Clank!
Losing his footing, the little boy tumbled backward into the water.
Mok froze in panic, collapsing onto the ground as dirt stained his clothes.
Without hesitation, Krit dove into the water.
Within seconds, he lifted Toffee safely into his arms. Even while standing waist-deep in the pool, Krit beamed reassuringly at Mok, trying to calm him down.
The ticking of the clock echoed through the room.
The small lamp—which Krit had named the magic lamp— glowed beside Toffee's bed.
Curled up under the cozy covers, the little boy was bundled tightly in his blanket.
"His fever isn't going down."
"That injection should be enough to reduce it."
"What if... it still..."
"What about the temple?"
Different worried voices drifted around Toffee's consciousness.
"Ma... Ma..." He twitched his pale lips, murmuring the name over and over.
"I'm here... Ma is here."
Outside, Mok stood frozen beside Krit, lacking the courage to step inside. A comforting weight pressed against his shoulder.
"Are you crying?"
Mok quickly shook his head and gripped the hem of his trousers.
"Some days he's like this. But he'll be alright."
Neither of them moved from the doorway.
The morning was still young when Toffee slowly opened his swollen eyes. His Bo was sitting on the floor, resting his head against the edge of the mattress. The boy he had fought with was also there, sleeping on the bed next to him.
"I didn't tell Bo I'm strong..." Toffee rolled onto his side to face Mok. "Will he hate me?" Reaching his arm beneath the cover, Toffee linked his small fingers with Mok's, keeping them close as he slid back into a deep sleep.
Atop the sheets, those two tiny grips held fast, sheltered entirely by the warmth of Krit's arm anchoring them from the floor.
Back in the present—
"I always knew... someday this would happen. We never told our children." Emotion welled in her throat. "My Toffee is strong... but my Mok is weak. My husband was always afraid..."
"Thank you..." Bringing her hands together one last time, she lowered her chin respectfully, catching Kao entirely off guard.
Kao stared at Mok. "Does he wear glasses because of that incident?"
She sighed. "He's changing as time goes by... he will find the courage to stay. Just be a little patient with him, Kao. I already know you like him..."
They remained there in the quiet hallway.
Somehow, Kao was finally beginning to understand what family truly meant.