Autumn is a second spring

50. Parents.

"Por, Mae, we are here," Earth said as he stood in front of his parent's gravestone. His face was decorated with a soft smile as he stared at the smiling picture of his parents on the gravestone.

 Kao stood behind him silently. He handed the flower garland to Earth.

Earth put the floor garland on the gravestone. This was followed by the various food items they brought as an offering for the couple.

"Por, Mae, P' Kao proposed to me yesterday," Earth excitedly raised his hand, showing off the shiny ring. "He also renovated our house. It looks just as it used to." He choked on the tears he was holding back from falling.

He really wished that his parents were with him. He missed them so dearly even though he acted as if he was good even without them.

Kao hugged his husband from the side. Honestly speaking, he had always felt more at home with Earth's family than his own. His in-laws had always made him feel warm and welcomed. He never had felt like an outsider when he used to stay with them in the past.

Even when he started dating Earth who was only sixteen, a decade younger than him, both Darla and Mac had been supportive of them. They never opposed their relationship or questioned his intentions for dating someone so young.

The acceptance he got from the two of them was one of the main factors that made him persistent in fighting with his family to have them accept Earth as his spouse. 

He wanted to make sure that Earth received the acceptance, love, and care that he got from his in-laws, from his family as well. 

This was the least he could do for Mac and Darla.

"Por, Mae, my family has accepted our marriage. Khun Yaay was the one who made everyone accept us. We are going to the Grand Pebble mansion the coming weekend to meet my parents," Kao told his in-laws.

"We are?" Earth asked in surprise.

"Of course, silly. Did you forget that it is the monthly family dinner next weekend?" Kao chuckled.

Earth blinked. It had totally slipped his mind that Mintra had asked Kao to bring him along for the family dinner. As Kao usually went to the monthly family dinner alone in the past, Earth wasn't really familiar with the schedule.

Kao could feel his husband tense up at the mention of the family dinner. "Don't worry. Only the main family will be there. The rest of the relatives are not invited for the family dinners."

The monthly family dinner was a tradition that Mintra had introduced to the family. She started it after all three of her children were married and started their own families. 

The family dinner was a way of keeping the family together and making sure that their bonds doesn't faint away that easily.

Even though most of the time at least one or two members would be absent, the monthly dinners had somehow added an extra layer of binding to the weakening bonds between the Dechaphatthanakun siblings.

"Boun will be bringing Prem along. You won't be alone. If Ohm is able to get back to Bangkok, he and Fluke will also be there. Also, Aa Ann and Aa Seth will also be there to support you, in case something happens. So, keep your mind worry free. All you have to do is dress up and look like a bomb shell. Nothing more, nothing less," Kao said rubbing his husband's stiffened back, trying to ease up the latter's built-up tension.

Earth glanced at his husband who gave him an assuring smile. He wasn't afraid to go for the dinner. The only thing he feared was how Jane was going to react when she sees him there. He never had any good experiences running into his mother-in-law.

"I have already discussed everything with Khun Yaay," Kao turned towards the gravestone as he spoke to his in-laws. "She is arranging a prayer ceremony for the both of us on Monday. She has already spoken to the priests. We are planning of asking the priest look into the auspicious dates for us to hold the wedding ceremony."

Earth kept staring at his husband's face with a bewildered look on his face. Kao did tell him that he was going to have the wedding ceremonies for him, but he didn't expect Mintra to involve herself in everything.

A tender warm feeling engulfed his heart as he thought of the old lady who looked strict and distant on the outside but was a very sweet and caring person on the inside.

"Once the auspicious date for the wedding is fixed, we will visit you two again. Yes, we will bring Art with us next time as well. This time, we came here right after our honeymoon trip. Who would bring their child along with them on a honeymoon trip right?" Kao received a playful smack on his biceps as he finished speaking.

"See, Mae, Por, your son is very violent to me." He complained to his in-laws.

Upon seeing how his husband was ratting him out to his parents, Earth puffed up his cheeks. He raised his hand to give his husband another smack.

But his tiny paws were caught by his husband.

"Baby, you can't hit your husband," Kao whispered to his ears, as he stole a kiss on his husband's cheeks.

"P' Kao! Behave yourself! We are still inside the temple premises," Earth reminded his husband.

Kao realized his inappropriate actions and let go of his husband's hand. He had forgotten where they were standing. 

Thankfully, there weren't any monks walking around that area, or else he would have been severely scolded for his actions.

"Mae, Por, I usually don't hit him na. But, nowadays, he has picked up the habit of irritating me in every chance he gets" Earth clarified to his parents.

"You can't blame me, Por-Mae. Your son looks extremely cute when he is angry. Like those cute kittens, you know," Kao chuckled.

Earth elbowed his husband. But Kao was a step faster than him and jumped back by a step, successfully avoiding the incoming attack from his husband.

"Baby, don't. Your husband is an old man na," Kao said pleadingly.

"You don't act like an old man when you were in bed with me last night," Earth muttered under his breath. If not for the painkillers, he knew that he wouldn't be standing up straight like this. His ass had been completely wrecked by the beast who was now claiming himself to be an old man and begging for mercy from him.

Kao had a sharping hearing and heard every single word his husband said even though it wasn't that loud. A sly, proud smirk formed on his lips. "I would take that as a compliment."

Earth raised his head, realizing Kao had heard what he said and gave the latter a glare. "Khun Kao, let me ask you something? Did you by any chance sell your sense of shame in the black market to but this thick layer of skin you have now?"

His husband was becoming more and more shameless day by day, teasing him in every way possible. He couldn't even find a way to retort as well as the older will always twist it around and use his own words to tease him.

Kao smiled widely at his cute little bunny.