Unpredictable Connection

52. The Comfort

After 15 days:

The wedding preparations had already taken over the house. Fabrics, jewelry catalogs, flower samples, and endless phone calls filled every corner of their lives. More than anything, Heidi and Serena had decided on a traditional Thai wedding. Which meant every detail had to be perfect.

That afternoon, Freen was walking through the brightly lit shopping mall. Her eyes wandering over rows of elegant dresses displayed behind glass mannequins. 

The luxury boutique shimmered beneath warm golden lights, soft instrumental music playing quietly in the background. Meanwhile shoppers moved from one store to another carrying branded bags.

She stopped in front of a dress that immediately caught her attention. "Wonderful."

It was delicate yet elegant, made from soft champagne-colored silk with intricate golden embroidery along the sleeves and waist. The fabric flowed gracefully down to the ankles, perfectly suited for a traditional bridesmaid look.

As Freen reached for it, she suddenly felt someone's presence behind her. She turned around and let out a small sigh. "You scared me, Phi."

Engfa smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why?" she teased. "Be honest. Were you waiting for someone else?"

Freen chuckled softly and shook her head. "No, Phi."

Engfa hummed knowingly before taking the dress from Freen's hands. With her other hand, she gently pulled Freen toward the fitting rooms. 

"Go wear this," she said. "Let me see how you look."

Freen nodded before disappearing inside the fitting room. As she changed, she couldn't deny Engfa's words. A part of her had truly hoped it would be Becky instead.

Over the past fifteen days, she and Becky had grown closer. Not romantically... at least not officially. But the quiet companionship between them had become something Freen secretly looked forward to every day.

Lunch breaks together. Random conversations in empty hallways. Becky teasing her during wedding shopping. Even the smallest moments somehow stayed in Freen's mind far longer than they should have.

A soft knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. "Come on, Freen," Engfa called from outside. "You're taking forever."

Another knock followed before Freen finally opened the door and stepped outside.

She wore a traditional Thai-inspired bridesmaid dress that wrapped elegantly around her figure. The champagne silk shimmered softly beneath the boutique lights.

The delicate gold patterns embroidered along the fitted bodice added a royal touch. One side of the dress draped gracefully over her shoulder in traditional style, and the long skirt flowed gently around her legs with every movement.

Engfa nodded approvingly before turning toward the saleswoman standing nearby. "Excuse me, miss..."

As soon as the woman looked over, Engfa gestured toward the dress before turning back to Freen.

"You should go change back," she said casually. "We're buying this one. It'll look perfect for the bridesmaid."

Freen nodded with a small smile and quietly returned to the fitting room. And Engfa noticed that look too well.

Freen's eyes had been wandering around the boutique the entire time... They were subtly searching for someone. Engfa was somehow sure this someone was Becky.

Serena had personally invited Becky to stay for the wedding preparations after noticing the growing closeness between the two. It hadn't taken long for Serena to realize her younger sister was falling again.