in the hands of fate (a love by chance, tincan, story)

chapter 8: it's a burning love

"We have some news," Ma said, back from her holiday for all of five minutes. Vit had dropped her off and carried on to his own place, without coming in to say hello. She was glowing with happiness and even Can, who could be completely dense at times, knew what was coming. "Vit proposed and I've said yes."

"Ma, that's great!" Ley jumped up and hugged their mother. "Congratulations!"

Can wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel. Yes, he wanted his mother to be happy, he wasn't a monster, but there was something in the way that Vit sometimes looked at him that didn't sit right. Nothing sinister like Vit was a predator preying on 18-year-old near virgins, but whatever it was Can couldn't get a read on it.

He waited his turn and hugged Ma tight. Apart from anything else he'd missed her while she'd been away.

"So how did you get on by yourself with Ren?" Ma asked after twenty minutes of Ley quizzing her over wedding plans.

"I wasn't on my own, Ley was here." He received a scathing look from his sister for that comment. "It was fine, I think. Ren has two teeth coming through, but the medicine helps so it was just that one night I had zero sleep." In fact, Can was proud of himself how well he had coped. Yes, Ley had been great, but it didn't change the fact the the responsibility was ultimately his alone.

"He's doing brilliantly, Ma," Ley said, throwing an arm around Can's shoulder. "A few months ago, who would've thought that our little Cantaloupe would be not just a father but a really amazing one?"

"Oii!" Can protested. "Was that an insult or a compliment?" It wasn't true though, he didn't feel he was being 'amazing' he just felt tired all the time, like he was barely gripping onto his life. He couldn't stop feeling bad that Ren was with other people at lot of the time. Did she even recognise him as her main caregiver? Was she going to grow up with some kind of attachment disorder? Not that Can really know what that was, but he'd heard the term somewhere and now it was just another thing on his list of parental worries that lived in the part of this brain that liked to torture him.

"I mean it," Ley said.

"Ley's right, Cantaloupe. You've really stepped up."

As if on cue, a loud wail pierced the relative quiet, signalling the end of Ren's nap. Can went to stand up. "I'll go. I've missed the little lady." Ma said. She levelled a look at Can. "Afterwards you can tell me how you got that black eye."

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Saturday afternoon Tin took them to the hotel pool again and afterwards they sat in the hotel lounge with cake and drinks while Ren slept on in Can's arms. On the way home they stopped at the mall and Can bought the baby rocker he'd had in mind.

When Sunday came Ma offered to take Ren to the park and suggested that Can take some time for himself. Can climbed into Tin's car when he came to pick him up and the first thing Tin said was, "Where's the baby?"

"Ma's having some grandma time." He turned to Tin. "Can we watch movies at yours today?"

Can hadn't considered how awkward it would be to find himself in the same spot as he had been sat last time he'd been in that room Tin, a tray of snacks in front of them, a movie ready to play, and how good kissing Tin had felt. It seemed like a lifetime ago now when it was just a few months. He chanced a look at Tin to find him looking right back at him, saw his gaze move to his lips and quickly away.

The tension was palpable in the air.

"Help yourself," Tin said, shifting down the sofa a few inches and away from Can.

Can pretended not to notice, grabbed a cookie off the snack tray and shoved it into his mouth. When the movie didn't start to play Can looked at Tin again and saw he was staring at right at him with expression number two—unreadable.