Autumn is a second spring

86. Rings

"CUT!" As the director's call echoed across the set, the crew members began to pack up. 

Prem took a moment to wai politely at the passing crew before making his way toward the makeup room. He was ready to slip out of his costume and back into his casual wear after a long day on set.

Stepping into the makeup room, Prem spotted Sammy lounging on the couch, casually munching on a bowl of mixed fruits. She looked up and offered him a warm smile as he entered.

"Hey," he greeted, setting down his things on the nearby counter. "Any news about Fluke?"

Sammy's expression softened, and she shook her head. "Nothing yet," she replied, her tone a mix of empathy and worry. "I have been waiting for updates myself."

Prem let out a sigh, slipping out of his costume and reaching for his casual clothes. "I thought maybe he would be back by now," he murmured with a hint of worry in his tone. 

Once he was dressed, he turned back to Sammy. "By the way, have you planned on visiting P' Ohm at the hospital? Hia was saying that he would be stuck there for a while."

Sammy hesitated, her hand pausing over her bowl of fruit. "I want to, I really do," she said, looking down as if the answer was sitting there, somewhere in her bowl. "But... you know, it's a little awkward. I mean, he doesn't even remember me anymore."

Prem chuckled lightly as he settled into the chair to remove his makeup. "Hey, you are not alone in that. He doesn't remember me either. But he did remember P' Ton, didn't he?" he teased, nudging her slightly with his shoulder.

Sammy broke into a giggle. "You are right," she conceded, a small smile finally breaking through her worried expression. "At least he remembers my husband, huh? I can introduce myself as P' Ton's wife to him."

They shared a laugh, and just as Prem reached for a makeup remover wipe, his phone buzzed on the counter. The name "Priya" flashed on the screen, and Prem's face lit up as he picked up the call and put it on speaker.

"Hello!" Priya's cheerful voice filled the room.

"Swadee, Jie! What's up? You sound unusually excited," Prem remarked, smiling at her enthusiasm.

"Oh, you won't believe it!" Priya's voice practically danced with excitement. "My leave application got approved! I am coming back to Thailand for two whole months!"

Both Prem and Sammy shared a look of surprise before they both exclaimed together, "Really?"

"Yes! I can't wait to see you all! It has been way too long," Priya said, her voice brimming with joy.

"Oh, we missed you so much, Jie!" Sammy chimed in, her own excitement genuine. "It is going to be so good to have you around."

They exchanged a few more excited words about Priya's upcoming visit before Priya continued, her voice now turning slightly mysterious. "Oh, and there is one more piece of good news, especially for you, Prem."

Intrigued, Prem tilted his head. "For me? What's that?"

"The rings are ready!" Priya announced, a smile audible in her tone.

For a second, Prem felt a rush of excitement. "The couple rings?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face.

"Yes!" Priya exclaimed. "They are finished, and let me tell you, Prem, they are beautiful. Worth every single baht you spent. I have completely fallen in love with them. Honestly, they are so gorgeous that I didn't even dare to send them through someone else. I will bring them myself when I come over."

"Oh, thank you so much, Jie. I can't tell you how much this means to me," Prem said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude. He couldn't hide his happiness.

Sammy leaned over, a playful glint in her eyes. "Can you send us a photo, Jie?" she requested, grinning. "We're dying to see them!"

Priya laughed on the other end of the line. "Honestly, the photos don't do them justice. You have seen the designs, but the actual rings are even better. Trust me, they are beyond beautiful. Those fine lines on the design the placement of the stones. it's all so damn perfect! I wish I could design  a ring like that one day."

They continued chatting for a few more minutes before Priya had to go, promising to meet up with them soon. As the call ended, Prem found himself staring at his phone with a wide smile, a little lost in thought.

"So, someone is got rings ready, huh?" Sammy teased, nudging him playfully. "Have you planned out how you are going to pop the question to P' Boun?"

Prem chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I... haven't quite figured it out yet. I want it to be the perfect moment, but I don't think right now is the right time," he admitted, his voice softening. "With everything that's happening, I think it's best to wait a little."

He was starting to miss Fluke so much. If Fluke had been here, he would have really been happy to hear the news.

He could easily brainstorm for romantic proposal ideas with Fluke and he didn't have to worry about a thing as Fluke would definitely make sure that the idea worked. 

Now without Fluke by his side, Prem felt somewhat lost.

Still, it didn't dampen his spirits about the proposals. He could only imagine how surprised Boun would be by the surprise

Sammy nodded, her teasing tone giving way to a more understanding one. "That's probably wise. You will know when the time is right."

He smiled, grateful for her understanding. "But you know, I was thinking... could you clear my schedule for the next couple of months after Jie arrives? I don't want to be swamped with work right after proposing, and it would be nice to just... spend time with Hia and Bew for a while. I miss them."

Sammy looked at him, an amused look on her face. "You are the one planning a proposal, and yet I am the one here who is about to go into labor," she said with a chuckle, rubbing her growing belly.

"Hey, you have earned some maternity leave," Prem laughed, patting her shoulder. "And maybe I will take a bit of 'maternity leave' myself once this is all done. I want to be fully there for them, you know?"

"Of course. You are a great dad, Prem," Sammy replied sincerely. "And I am sure everything will go just the way you planned."

All the cleansers and wipes still couldn't wipe of the huge smile on Prem's face. 

He would be one step closer in their relationship, one step closer to becoming Boun's real family. It somewhat felt dreamy but he knew that he had to step up his game and claim his reward before any hungry wolves lingering around claimed it.