ด้วยรักตลอดไป (With Love, Forever)

Jackson

The laughter of children rang through the air as Xinxin ran toward the swings, her small frame bouncing with excitement. Jackson found himself smiling before he even realized it—something about seeing her so carefree made his chest feel lighter.

He let out a small breath, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he stood beside Jeff, who was watching Xinxin just as fondly. The playground lights flickered on, casting a soft glow over the area as the evening settled in.

Jeff nudged him lightly with his elbow. "You okay?"

Jackson let out a quiet chuckle. "Yeah. It's just... nice, you know? To see her happy like this after everything."

Jeff hummed in agreement, his gaze still focused on Xinxin. "She's a tough kid. Wonder where she gets it from." His tone was teasing, but the warmth behind it wasn't lost on Jackson.

He huffed a laugh, shaking his head. "She's stronger than I am, that's for sure."

They stood there for a moment, just watching as Xinxin climbed onto the swing and started pumping her legs, urging the helper to push her higher. Mrs. Luo sat nearby, a content expression on her face as she kept a watchful eye on everything.

Jackson turned slightly toward Jeff. "You know, you didn't have to stick around tonight. You could've gone home after dinner."

Jeff glanced at him, an easy smirk playing on his lips. "What, and miss out on ice cream? Not a chance."

Jackson snorted. "Of course. Priorities."

Jeff leaned in just a little, lowering his voice. "Besides... maybe I just wanted to stick around."

Jackson's breath caught for a fraction of a second before he masked it with a scoff, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're a menace, you know that?"

Jeff grinned, but before he could respond, Xinxin's voice rang out across the playground. "Daddy! Jeff! Look at me!"

She had climbed up onto the highest point of the jungle gym, her arms spread out dramatically like she was about to take flight.

Jackson's heart nearly stopped. "Xinxin, be careful!"

"I'm a superhero!" she declared, completely ignoring his concern.

Jeff laughed beside him. "You heard her. She's got this."

Jackson shook his head, half-amused, half-exasperated. "She's going to be the death of me."

Jeff nudged him again, softer this time. "Nah. She's going to be the one to keep you going."

Jackson glanced at him, something unspoken passing between them again, something that had been lingering since the night before. He could still feel the ghost of that kiss—brief, unexpected, but very, very real.

And now, standing here, side by side, Jeff wasn't pulling away.

Maybe, Jackson realized, neither was he.

The ice cream shop was a small, family-run place tucked into a quiet street, its cozy interior glowing under warm yellow lights. The scent of fresh waffle cones filled the air, and Xinxin wasted no time pressing her face against the glass display, eyes wide as she debated between the rainbow-colored flavors.

Jackson stood beside her, hands in his pockets, while Jeff leaned lazily against the counter. They'd gotten into the habit of standing close—too close, probably—but neither of them had really acknowledged it yet. Not in words, anyway.

"You always bring people here?" Jackson asked, casting Jeff a side glance.

Jeff smirked, tilting his head slightly in amusement. "Only the ones I like."

Jackson huffed, shaking his head as Xinxin finally made her choice—strawberry swirl with extra sprinkles.

"You want the usual, right?" Jeff asked Jackson, already ordering before Jackson could respond.

Jackson blinked. "How do you even know my usual?"

Jeff shot him a knowing look as he handed over his card to pay for all of them. "You complain about chocolate-mint every single time but still order it anyway. Kind of obvious."

Jackson opened his mouth, then shut it again. Damn. He hated how Jeff always noticed the smallest things.

Xinxin took her ice cream happily and trotted toward a booth by the window, leaving Jeff and Jackson to follow behind with their own cones. They settled into their seats, the atmosphere light and relaxed.

At some point, Jeff had gotten a bit of ice cream on his thumb, and without thinking, Jackson reached out, swiping it away with his napkin. It was automatic—natural, even—but the second he realized what he'd done, his fingers froze mid-motion.

Jeff looked at him, amused. "Taking care of me now?"

Jackson quickly retracted his hand. "Shut up."

Jeff just grinned, clearly enjoying Jackson's mild panic. But before he could tease him any further, a small voice interrupted.

"You two are being weird," Xinxin said between licks of her ice cream.

Jackson stiffened. His heart did a strange, rapid thump against his ribs.

Jeff, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. "Weird how?" he asked casually.

Xinxin shrugged, swinging her legs under the table. "You keep looking at each other funny. And Mr Jeff is smiling a lot."

Jeff let out a laugh. "Hey! I smile all the time."

"Not like this," she said matter-of-factly. Then she turned to her dad, tilting her head. "Do you like Mr Jeff?"

Jackson's entire body went rigid. His grip tightened slightly on his cone, and for a moment, he struggled to find words.

Jeff, as usual, recovered faster. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. "That's a pretty big question, kiddo."

Xinxin gave him a pointed look. "You didn't say no."

Jackson nearly choked on his ice cream.

Xinxin turned back to him, waiting expectantly. Jackson's mouth went dry. He wasn't sure what he was expecting from her—disapproval? Confusion? Maybe even rejection? But her expression was calm, curious, and completely unfazed.

He swallowed. "Would... would it be weird for you if I did?"

Xinxin blinked up at him, then simply shrugged. "No. Mr Jeff's nice. He makes you smile."

Jeff, who had been watching quietly, finally spoke, his voice softer this time. "And what about you? You okay with this?"

Xinxin rolled her eyes like it was the silliest question in the world. "I just said I don't care." Then, more pointedly, "You two should stop being so weird about it."

Jackson exhaled, feeling something in his chest loosen, something he hadn't realized he'd been holding onto so tightly.

Jeff leaned back, grinning. "Well, there you have it. Approved by the most important person here."

Xinxin nodded firmly, then returned to her ice cream as if she hadn't just rocked Jackson's entire world with a few simple words.

Jeff nudged Jackson's foot under the table, his voice low. "Relax. You're allowed to be happy, you know."

Jackson let out a quiet laugh, still processing everything. But when he looked at Jeff again—really looked—he realized maybe, just maybe, he could let himself believe that.