The Merger

Twenty Three

"Time to brush your teeth little man. "
"Okay daddy Khao" answered Tay. "Come on daddy Fir, let's brush," came from Tay more as a command than a request. "Hold up, daddy Khao told you to brush, not me, " complained First. Of course this had no effect as they were already in the bathroom and Khao was holding out their toothbrushes to them. "PJs on the bed, for both of you," said Khao as he headed downstairs.

By the time First came downstairs Tay was in bed and fast asleep. " That only took you an hour," said Khao. " Yep, I guess he was tired. He only had fifty questions during that bedtime story instead of the one hundred and fifty he usually asks you " replied First. "Maybe he was going easy on you, being your first time and all. The first of many I hope," said Khaotung softy.

Would Podd even allow me that close, asked First. "I told you before Podd and I are just friends. You're the one I want to be me and Tay's family. I'll say that as many times as you need to hear it. Every day if you want. I could promise it over and over but I can't take you into the future to prove it. I can only say it to you everyday and beg you to believe me.... Please," Khaotung said to First with as much patience as he could muster.

" Shall we sit by the fire or would you rather sit at the table? he added. "By the fire, it's more comfortable. Shall I get us some wine Khao?" " I already made hot chocolate with whipped cream and mini marshies. We're about to have a tough conversation. I thought marshies may sweeten you a bit , unless you'd rather just make out by the fire?" whispered Khao seductively.

First chuckled. " You wanted to have this conversation, now let's get it over with shall we. For starters, is it obvious that I'm jealous of Podd? "Yes, but you need not be. Podd knows as you do too, I've loved you and only you from the beginning. You and Tay are everything to me. There's nothing I wouldn't do to protect this love and this family, that is if you let us be a family. "

" Sometimes love isn't enough you know. For me there's four parts to making a relationship work. There's love, but there's also respect , loyalty and trust. That I love you, of that there's no doubt. I've never questioned your loyalty and you never need question mine. I will stand by you and support you regardless of whether I am your partner or not. If I didn't respect you I wouldn't be sitting here by the fire with you.

Staring into your eyes with your head on my shoulder like this, is probably what I should be considering as dangerous territory, but you have a power over me that makes me want to forget that I was ever upset with you in the first place," First explained diligently to Khaotung. " Isn't it a good thing that you can't be mad at me First?"

"Maybe," came the answer from First. "Maybe, problem is we would never talk about the things that upset us and it would lead to recurring fights and disagreements. Eventually we'd kill the love between us. I'd rather us talk about things, discuss it in the open and work towards understanding each other.

The last leg of my relationship table is trust. If I cut off one leg we'd be very wobbly. How could a relationship stand strong against whatever it needs to if it's wobbly already. " "Do you not trust me First?" First took a moment before answering. "I trust you with my life, not my heart." First paused again.

" Two years ago you left without an explanation, no reasons, you just packed up and disappeared. I thought then we could face anything, overcome everything as long as we were together. I knew there were things you weren't telling me but I thought we would work through it eventually, then you just left.

I love you sincerely but I'm scared that if we're in a situation you can't handle, you'd just leave again and my fragile heart wouldn't overcome a second time."

"I understand your concerns. Two years ago I had to deal with something that I shouldn't have tried to sort on my own. I should've come to you for help then, but I was stupid. I don't want to make excuses but at the time I was dealing with my mom's death, Maize's death and her relationship with my mother. I was made custodian of Maize's child as his only living relative. In her letter to me she asked that I make sure he was adopted into a good family.