Love after Five

Chapter 25

Tul felt like his blood was electrified, his entire body buzzing with anxiety. His knee kept tapping with nervous energy, and Max reached over and put his hand on his knee, stilling his movement.
      "It's going to be fine." Max whispered, moving his hand up to twine their fingers together. "Don't worry."
      But worry Tul did, because he couldn't help it.
     He'd gotten another email two days previous from P'Mark's parents, in the same formal rather frightening tone asking for them to meet over dinner to "discuss the future of the child."
     That phrase had particularly stuck with Tul, as he wasn't even using Bright's name, he just referred to her as "the child" which frankly rankled.
"They can't take her from us." Tul said, his voice pleading though he wasn't sure whom he was pleading with.
"I won't let that happen, don't worry." Max assured him. "If we can't get him to see reason one of my Uncles is a judge, we'll use his connections to help us, don't worry."
"I can't help but worry. It feels like our happiness is so fragile and could disappear at any moment." He looked around the fancy restaurant the Adams had chosen and shook his head. "They must be so wealthy. P'Mark rarely spoke about them but when he did it was never good. He said his father was a monster and his mother had no personality. That doesn't sound like people I want Bright around."
"That's why we left her at Neung's for the night honey." Max replied with a gentle pat on the hand.
An older white couple came into the restaurant, accompanied by a mousy looking woman with thick glasses.
"I think that might be them." Max said, standing up. Tul also stood, rubbing his palms on his pants nervously, clearing his throat.
The woman gave a little bow, and the two men returned her bow. The white couple looked vaguely confused.
"Hi, I'm Javvritsa Divastinak, but you can call me June." The woman introduced herself. "I'm here to translate."
"That won't be necessary." Max replied, and then switched to English. "I speak English. I can translate for us."
The white couple looked surprised, and the man held out his hand.
"James Adams. Are you uh, my daughter in law's brother?" He asked.
"No, I'm his partner, Max Nattapol. This is Tul Pakorn." He turned to Tul. "We're just introducing ourselves." He said. "Shake his hand that's what Americans like."
"You speak English? I'm always learning new things about you."
"Don't worry about that now, Shake his hand." Max ordered and Tul complied, politely shaking the man's hand and all of them sitting.
"Sah-wah-dee!" The older woman said, reaching over to gently pat Tul's hand. "I'm Karen Adams, Mark's mother." She said. Max translated quickly, and Tul gave her a little nod.
"Can you tell her that her son and I were very close, and I'm sorry that he died?" Tul asked, and Max did. The woman patted his hand again.
"I'm sorry about your sister. She was very beautiful." Karen relayed through Max and Tul bowed his head in thanks.
"You didn't bring the child?" James asked gruffly, looking at the two of them.
"No, we thought it might be upsetting for her. She doesn't even know she has grandparents besides my parents." Max said, not bothering to translate for Tul.
"You aren't even related, how can your parents be her grandparents?" The man scoffed.
"I'm her stepfather, my family is her family." Max said. Karen's mouth opened in a little o shape, and James glared.
"A pair of toffs huh?" He said, a look of disgust on his face.
"James! That's incredibly rude." Karen admonished, turning back to Max. "I'm sorry for my husband, he clearly has no manners. I'm happy to hear that Bright has a loving family in whatever form." She sent a bit of a warning glare at her husband.
"What are they saying?" Tul asked, his eyes darting from person to person anxiously.
"The man is upset that we're gay, and the woman told him to stop being rude. Karen seems nicer than James. He seems like a bit of a dick." Max said. P'June stifled a bit of a laugh, turning it into a cough.
A waitress came up, obviously not sensing the awkward atmosphere and smiled brightly.
"Can I take your order?" She asked, looking around the table.
"Well take the table d'hôte for everyone, thanks." Max said. "And some wine, please."
"Sure thing." The woman said, sensing the mood at last and whirling away.
"What did you just say?" James Adams demanded, frowning.
"I just ordered the chef's special and some wine for the table. I thought food might not be the most important thing tonight." Max replied. James let out a huff, crossing his arms.
"I can see why your brother didn't talk to his father." Max whispered out of the corner of his mouth at Tul while the waitress returned, pouring everyone some wine.
"So!" Karen began, clearly trying to clear up the mood. "I'm so curious about the people raising my granddaughter. How did you two meet?"
"I'm the principal at the elementary school that Bright attends. We met her first day at school and started dating soon after that." Max explained.
"Oh how sweet." Karen said. "It must be so hard to deal with Bright and a new relationship."
"Not at all. Bright is a sweet kind girl, and Tul is an amazing man and an amazing father to Bright, she couldn't ask for anything better." Max replied matter of factly.
"Why did you say mine and Brights name? What are they saying?" Tul asked anxiously.
"I'm just saying you're a wonderful father and Bright is a good kid." Max said, patting his hand gently.
"So your parents are fine with... this?" James asked, gesturing at Max and Tul. Karen shook her head, sighing, and June looked like she was watching a particularly fascinating lakorn.
"With my partner? They have no problem with it. They love Tul and Bright. We have dinner with them often and they treat her like any of their grandchildren." Max explained. "They want to make sure she has just as much love as she would have had if her parents were still alive, and so do we." Max reached over and took Tul's hand.
At that moment, a group of waiters came out with the first course, placing bowls of soup in front of everyone.
"Thank you." Tul said to the waiters, and Max waiied politely. June and Karen both politely nodded their head, and James just sat silently, his face a dour mask of dislike.
"Oh how delicious this all looks." Karen cooed politely, taking a spoonful of soup. "It's quite delicious dear." She said. "While we eat, can you tell me what Tul does for work?" She asked, reaching over to pat Tul's hand again.
"What did she ask?"
"She wants to know what you do for work." Max relied. Tul turned and smiled.
"I... uh... I do money. Radio money." Tul tried to explain in very broken English. Languages had never been his forte.
"Radio money?" Karen repeated, confused.
"He's an accountant at a radio station." Max explained.
"Oh! That makes sense. How nice! Mark never told us much about him before we, well before we lost touch." Karen said, looking down at her lap sadly. "I regret what happened so much, and when we heard he'd died... well, I can't even explain it." A single tear rolled down her face.
"Karen, get yourself together." James hissed.
Tul looked over at her, and grabbed her hand.
"I... miss too." He said, the two of them sharing a moment.
"You lost your sister too you poor thing." Karen said, patting his hand. "She was so beautiful."
"Do you want to see a picture of Bright?" Max asked. "I have a bunch on my phone. I try to take a lot so I can print them."
"Oh I'd love that." Karen said, wiping her eyes and accepting the phone.
"Just swipe any direction, they're all of Bright and my family." He said, and she began to go through the photos, giving a little smile.
"She doesn't look much like Mark does she dear? She looks a lot like her mother, but the hair is definitely Mark's." Karen tried to show James some of the photos, but he seemed uninterested.
"Well we'd love to maybe have another dinner so you can meet her." Max offered, frowning at James while he translated what he'd offered to Tul, who nodded emphatically and smiled at Karen.
"Oh I'd love that. She seems so sweet." Karen said, handing back the phone.

The rest of the dinner passed quickly and awkwardly, Karen trying to make conversation and James sitting silently with a sour expression on his face.
After it was over, Tul, June and Karen were looking at a fountain in the middle of the restaurant while Max and James stood to pay the cheque.
"My wife is very kind hearted." James said, looking over at Max. "I am not. I don't think two gays are a good influence to raise a little girl." He said.
"A family full of love and acceptance is better than one where your son doesn't talk to you for years and almost a year goes by before you realize he's dead." Max replied. "You don't know anything about your granddaughter, your son didn't even tell her you existed. But she sees us as her parents, do you want to be the one to steal another set of parents from her?" Max asked, signing the credit card receipt for his and Tul's dinner.
"How dare you-" James began.
"The wine was on me. Please have your wife call me to set up a date to meet Bright." Max said, giving a polite bow before going over to collect Tul and go home.