MingKit - One✅

35

Ming held onto my hand when I tried to slip out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

"Bathroom." He got out of bed and followed me to the bathroom. He run a warm bath and pulled my back against his chest after pulling me in to join him. I sighed in relief at the feeling of the warm water sloshing over my body. I leaned my head on his shoulder and enjoyed the feel of Ming carefully washing my still sensitive skin until I dozed off.

I slowly opened my eyes when he pulled me up out of the tub. He threw a towel over my head and dried me from head to toe. He didn't let me get into bed until he'd removed the dirty sheets and haphazardly thrown a clean one on.

I didn't go back home until late Sunday night. Mum and dad were getting ready to go to bed when I walked in.

"Did you two make up?" Mum asked after I'd dropped my keys and said my hello's.

"Yes."

"Good. What's that on your neck? A bug bite?" She rubbed a spot on my neck with her thumb. I instantly turned red.

"Ahh, it's nothing..." I slapped my palm over the spot and escaped to my room before she could say anything else. I checked in the mirror and my suspicion was confirmed...a hickey. Asshole Ming. By the time I changed into a shirt that covered the hickey and came downstairs, they'd already gone to bed. Maybe tomorrow.

New office, new colleagues, my day went by in a blur. I tried to remember most of them, but I can't say I succeeded. It'll take more than a day to be able to put faces to names without having to glance at the name tags.

During a conversation with one of my colleagues, I learned that the hospital has housing for those who need it. I made a request for a room, not because I'm worried my parents might kick me out, but it might appease my boyfriend to know that the reason I'm not moving in with him is not because I like my family more than him or something like that.

I walked into the living room of my parents house a little after eight thirty PM Monday night. Strangely enough, my boyfriend hasn't hounded me with messages like I thought he would.

My family had already had dinner and mum was in the kitchen putting the clean dishes away.

"How was your first day?" Mum asked when I walked into the kitchen to find food.

"It was great. The other doctors and nurses are friendly and welcoming. How was your day?" I watched her place a plate of food into the microwave.

"Boring while Aat and Anong were at school and tiring once they got back. Did you meet any nice girls?"

"Girls? What for?" I picked up a spoon, waiting for the ding from the microwave.

"Marriage, of course. You're at that age now and you have a job, so you should be thinking about that." The microwave dinged but I ignored it and turned to mum.

"Ummm...about that...there's something I need to tell you and dad." The rate of my heartbeat increased and beads of sweat begun to form on the back of my neck and on my forehead.

"About marriage? Do you already have someone?" I prayed my answer wouldn't dim the exciting gleam in mum's eyes as she turned to give me her full attention.

"Y-yes..." She looked at me expectantly like she'd expected me to say more than that.

"Well who is it? Someone I know?" I nervously scratched my head then tugged on my ear.

"Yes...it's Ming." The last part was whispered with my head down. I was scared to lift my eyes to mum's face. What if her face is painted with disappointment or disgust, what would I do?

I worried for a long while and mum had still not answered. I kept my eyes on my sandaled feet, watching my toes flick against each other. My hands clasped together in front of me added to my feeling like a little child who had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar and was being reprimanded.

When I finally had the courage to look up at her, she was watching me with a look I couldn't quite place. What was more baffling was that she didn't seem surprised.

"Ming..." she started slowly. "Do you love him?" My face tinged with color at mums question.

"Yes." I was surprised at how clear and firm that answer sounded. I didn't stutter like I was worried I would.

"Are you sure?" I couldn't help but wonder why mum might think I'm not sure I'm in love with a man.

"Yes." Another clear and firm answer. Mum nodded at that and went back to putting the clean dishes away.

"And does he know that you love him?"

"Yes, we're dating." I was doing this better than I'd imagined, and mum wasn't reacting as badly as I'd imagined.

"When did you two start dating?" Dad walked into the kitchen and headed for the fridge.

"Who is dating?" Dad asked as he reached for the handle of the fridge door.

"Our son."

"Oh, good for you." He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a sip before leaning against the fridge to listen to the rest of my confession. He didn't ask who.

"Since when?" Mum repeated her question to me.

"Since the first time I brought him home."

"Hmmnn, longer than I thought." My eyes widened at her statement.

"Y-you knew?"

"Yes."

"Dad, did you know too?"

"About you and Ming? Yes, I wouldn't have noticed if your mum hadn't told me, though."

"We all knew. I am a little disappointed that it took you so long to tell us. Would you have said nothing if I hadn't brought up marriage? Or were you afraid we'd disapprove?"

"Well... I was afraid you'd disapprove. I mean our relationship is not exactly normal and-and..." And? I couldn't think. They knew. They knew! "How did you find out about our relationship?"

"I'm your mother. I know you, and Ming didn't try to hide it. He stayed over every time you came home for vacation. You've known Pha and Beam longer, but they stopped sleeping over after you guys went to university."

"And he never used the guest room. Now that I think about it, I hope you guys didn't do anything inappropriate while he was here." Dad, who's always reserved and quiet seemed to be having fun at my expense.

"No no, nothing like that ever happened..." I still couldn't believe it. My parents know, and they seem okay with it. "Are you two okay with me d-dating a man?" Dad shrugged and walked out of the kitchen before mum answered.

"I guess we are. You should introduce him to us formally." Mum walked out of the kitchen, leaving me with my mouth agape and a spoon tightly held in my right hand.

By the time I came to my senses, my food had gone cold. I called Ming's phone while waiting for my meal to reheat. He didn't pick up then or any of the other ten times or so that I called him. Not even after I sent him a command saying, 'call me now.' I stayed up late waiting but no call came.