Fate, as it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor. Plawan was pushing the shopping cart through the grocery store, with little Buea perched inside, happily pointing at various items as they passed the shelves.
As Plawan pushed the grocery cart through the aisles, he had Buea seated comfortably inside. The little boy's wide eyes scanned the colorful shelves, pointing at different products, asking in his adorable, curious way, "Dada, what's that?"
"That's an apple, sweetheart," Plawan said with a smile, handing the fruit to Buea so he could examine it closely.
Buea held the apple carefully in his tiny hands, turning it over as if it were some kind of mysterious artifact. "App-le," he repeated slowly, and Plawan's heart swelled with pride at how quickly his son was picking up words.
They continued down the aisle, with Buea's curiosity keeping him entertained. Every few seconds, he would point at something new-a jar of sauce, a box of cereal, or a bunch of bananas-and Plawan would patiently answer his questions, grateful that it was keeping any potential tantrums at bay.
"Banana," Buea said, pointing again.
"Yep, those are bananas," Plawan chuckled, reaching up to grab a bunch and adding them to the cart, smiling down at his son. He wanted to keep things light and carefree, especially after the last encounter with Chef Oab. Since the moment Auto had unwittingly let Buea interact with Oab, Plawan couldn't shake the feeling that maybe it wasn't the best idea to let the baby around the alpha for a while.
Buea, with his innocent eyes, reached for a brightly colored cereal box, babbling about the cartoon on the front. "Dada, look! Fun cow!"
Plawan chuckled softly and nodded. "Yes, baby, but that's not for us today. We're getting ingredients to make something special, remember?" He gently redirected Buea's attention, trying to focus on recreating a dish he had in mind.
As he grabbed a few fresh herbs and vegetables from the produce section, Plawan felt a presence nearby-something familiar yet unsettling. He brushed it off at first, figuring it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but then Buea tugged on his sleeve and pointed excitedly down the aisle.
"Dada! Scarf man!" Buea squealed, his little finger pointing toward a figure standing just a few feet away.
Plawan's heart stopped for a second. His eyes followed Buea's tiny finger until they landed on Chef Oab, who was standing near the bakery section, holding a bag of flour. Oab hadn't noticed them yet, too engrossed in examining a loaf of bread.
Panic welled up in Plawan. Of all the places, of all the times-they were crossing paths again. He wasn't ready for this. Not here. Not like this.
"Let's go, Buea," Plawan whispered, trying to turn the cart away from the aisle before Oab noticed. But it was too late.
Oab's eyes flicked up at the sound of Buea's voice, and when he saw them-Plawan with the child-his expression froze. The alpha's gaze softened for a brief moment as it landed on Buea, but when his eyes met Plawan's, the tension was palpable.
Plawan swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Oab's stare. Buea, still oblivious to the awkward tension between the two adults, waved excitedly at Oab. "Hi, Scarf man!"
Oab's lips twitched into a faint, bittersweet smile as he looked at the child, but his eyes quickly returned to Plawan, narrowing slightly. There was so much unsaid between them, so much left unresolved. The air felt thick with the memories of the past.
Plawan knew he couldn't avoid this any longer. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the cart forward, trying to act casual as he approached Oab.
"Chef," he said quietly, his voice betraying none of the nervousness roiling inside him. "Didn't expect to see you here."
