Single dad Arthit has always known Kongpob, a regular at his cafe, as a player. The latter brings in different partners every month and Arthit swears he'll stay away from him for good. However, life seems to have a different plan for him when Puimek...
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The next morning, Arthit wakes up five minutes before his alarm goes off and when he looks over to where Puimek is supposed to lie, he doesn't see her. Panic immediately grips his heart and he jumps out of bed in a blink, bolting out of his room only to find the little girl hunched over in the middle of their cramped living room with her back towards him, doing god knows what.
"Puimek," he rasps, voice hoarse from a dry throat.
"Good morning, papa," pipes Puimek brightly, putting in an item into her school bag.
"Morning. What are you doing?" Arthit scratches his head with a yawn. It's too early for his daughter to be awake. He glances over to the wall clock the second it strikes six.
"Preparing for school."
"You love going to school, huh?" chuckles the father, feeling a sense of pride swelling within his heart. If one were to ask what's the proudest thing he's ever achieved in his life, his answer will be, having Puimek as his daughter.
Puimek nods with a grin. "I love school. I love my friends."
"That's great."
"I love papa."
Arthit draws the curtains open, allowing sunlight to filter into the house. "I love you, too," he says with a smile, squinting his eyes slightly at the soft brightness.
"I love mama, too."
That's good— Arthit exhales in relief. At least Puimek doesn't hate her mother, even after what she's done to them. But then again, she's probably too young to understand the weight of the situation. Which, in a way, is a blessing in disguise. Maybe Puimek would like to stay with Namtarn.
No matter how much he thinks about it, giving the child custody to Namtarn and her soon-to-be husband seems to be the best solution for now. It's a selfish request on his ex-wife's part but his daughter's future will definitely be more secure compared to what she's having currently.
"I love dada, too." Puimek's sudden statement stops Arthit in his track towards the open kitchen. He blinks.
"Huh?" Last night's memory of Kongpob's face closing in and pressing their lips together pops up in his dazed mind, instantly shrugging off whatever bits of sleep that's still clinging onto him.
"I said... I love dada too. Do you love dada, papa?" Puimek closes her school bag and springs up from the cemented floor. She stares at her father with a smile.
Is he hallucinating or is his daughter's mischievous smile similar to Kongpob's now?
"S-stop asking so many questions, Puimek." Arthit rubs his already warm face, his heart pounding slightly from the mere mention of Kongpob. He still can't believe he's been kissed— no, pecked by the cafe's regular customer. Never in his dreams has he thought of having to deal with kisses anymore at his age. What's more, it's with another man.
