Growing Together

Chapter 40

"So, how long has my fiancé been a regular guest at your house?" Pete said, breaking the peaceful silence that had settled between them. Since Kao and In were joining Rome and Arthit for lunch, they, too, had decided to have lunch together.

"For four months or so," Pick said not bothering to look up from his noodles before he was slurping more into his mouth. Italian had been Pick's choice of dine, something about Rome getting him addicted to it. "They became friends since Rome joined the yoga class."

"Kao mentioned a friend in the class, but he didn't say much about it," Pete said with a frown. He didn't like the feeling of Pick being more aware of what 𝙝𝙞𝙨 spouse's time in yoga class and outside of the class. Sure, Kao would mention things here and there about it, but he also had never really asked for more than Kao was willing to share. They had always gotten distracted by In or their present together.

The sadness and borderline angry tone had Pick looking at the man across from him as he swallowed the food in his mouth, "Why don't you ask him?" Pick said before he was quickly adding, "How did you land someone like Kao? I mean, I know you two were friends but how did that happen?" The 'no offense' was unnecessary, they both knew it, but it was implied.

"I could ask you the same thing. Your wife seems sweet and petite. I'm surprised considering..." Pete said letting the silence fill in what was left unsaid.

"Touche," Pick said with a small chuckle as he leaned back against his chair and let his fork settle onto the plate. "If, I'm honest, it was stupidity and jealousy. I liked Rome, just didn't want to admit it to myself but I also didn't want anyone else to win over his attention." He said letting his hands fall into his lap, "I can't say I regret it though." He said honestly, because otherwise his son would never have been born.

"Somehow I can relate to that," Pete said with a light chuckle. If he hadn't been so jealous at the time he and Kao probably wouldn't have been here planning their wedding, nor would have In been with them. He couldn't imagine not having his son in their lives. "Our sons are almost the same age, right?" Pete said remembering the kid Rome had taken from Kao's arms.

"I think so, Arthit is maybe a month or so younger," Pick said remembering overhearing a conversation between his wife and Kao the last time he had made a visit. Majority of the time he was not home when Kao visited, but sometimes when he managed to squeeze in a lazy schedule, he would be home for lunch in hopes of spending it with Rome for a little bit before heading back to work. Lately, though, he would come home and find Kao, Rome, and occasionally Emma, sitting around the living room while the babies sat on the floor in front of them with toys and an animated movie playing in the background.

"Porsche son is also around their age," Pick added as an afterthought.

Pete had hummed, he remembered Porsche had also been another of their friends who had a kid, although he never really spoke much to the man during their gatherings. Porsche was far too high on love at the time for Pete to have wanted to be in his close company—especially when back then he was a mess because of Kao's revelation. "Speaking of Porsche, how is he doing? I haven't seen any of the guys since graduation apart from Forth," Pete said.

"He's been on the border of losing his hair," Pick said sounding a little sorry for his friend, "He joined the corporate world and is soon going to be a dad of two." Rome had been the one to tell him the moment he got home, and a week later Porsche was calling him out for drinks. Apparently, P'Oh and him had gotten heated over the fact—mostly because Emma had such a hard time the first time and still very much had school.

"His wife is pregnant, again? Phana isn't even one," Pete said not even being able to hide his surprise.

"I mean, he seems happy and worried just like the first time," Pick said remembering the talk they had. It was P'Oh that Porsche seemed to keep butting heads with and making the relationship rocky. "Which, the whole situation has had Rome wanting another baby, too." Pick confessed.

Emma having two kids, had the gears moving in Rome's head and the sudden baby fever clouding his mind. Plus, he had overheard Rome tell Kao that he wanted another baby. Heck, Rome had even had the sprung the idea to Pick's father about how livelier the home would be with another baby which his dad had agreed. Even this morning they were talking about it.

'𝘋𝘢𝘥, 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦?' 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳-𝘪𝘯-𝘭𝘢𝘸.

𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥, '𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵?'

'𝘕𝘰,' 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮.

𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘬'𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, '𝘏𝘮, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥, 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦.'

'𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵,' 𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘥.

𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, '𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩. '

"...And you don't want to?" Pete asked confused.

"It's not that I don't want another kid. I'm not the one who will have to carrying it," Pick said honestly before going on, "I'm just starting my career, and I hardly have any time off. I don't want to leave Rome alone pregnant and still needing to care for Arthit." He didn't want to miss being there again.

"I get that, work is definitely demanding and prone to ask for sacrifices of family time," Pete agreed, though personally he welcomed the idea of having another kid. He missed being there for Kao the first time, he wanted to simply go through the motions of it all with Kao. From the uncertainty of finding out, to the mood swings, to the cravings, and to watching the baby grow in Kao. Kao, had said he wanted one more to Forth but not any time soon. Which he understood why, like Pick said, they were just settling into heir roles as productive members of society, but at the same time he kind of hoped for sooner.