After rain comes the clear sky (Kaoearth)

24. Coming out to parents

"Por Mae Khun yay... " Earth was fidgeting with the hem of his t-shirt. He was nervous. "I... I..." he was stuttering. He didn't know how to start the topic.

His parents and grandmother sat opposite him on the round dining table, waiting for him to speak.

"Earth, honey, you look so worried. What is the matter baby? Talk to us." Darla said gently caressing Earth's hair.

Earth smiled nervously and nodded.

"The thing I am going to tell you might upset you all. But I feel that I have to say it to you." Earth looked down on his sweaty hands.

He took a deep breath and moistened his lips. "I don't like girls... I mean I am not attracted to them... I am attracted to boys... I think I am gay."

Silence engulfed the room. One could hear the sound of crickets croaking. Earth didn't dare lift his eyes and meet his parent's gaze.

"And I think I am in love," Earth added in a soft voice.

"Is it Kao?" Frida asked with a neutral expression.

Earth nodded lightly.

"Does he know? That you have feelings for him?" Frida asked.

"I confessed to him a few weeks ago," Earth answered still staring at the floor.

"So, you two are dating now?" it was Darla who posed the question.

Earth shook his head. "No, P' Kao hadn't given me an answer. I am pursuing him now."

Mac stood up abruptly startling Earth. He looked up at his father with glossy eyes. He was afraid that his father was going to snap at him.

"You have let me down, Earth," Mac spoke, disappointment evident in his voice.

"Por, I..." Earth couldn't speak. For some reason, he felt guilty. He knew that being gay wasn't a crime. But his father's words had hurt him.

Mac took out some money from his wallet and slammed it on the table before leaving the table, huffing.

Tears rolled down Earth's eyes when his father left.

Frida sighed and took out some money from her purse and placed it on the pile of money Mac left on the table.

Darla gathered all the money happily "What should I get with this money?" she spoke thinking deeply.

Earth who was biting his lips to prevent himself from crying out loud, looked up at his mother with a confused expression. "Mae...?"

"Oh?" Darla who was happily counting money, grinning ear to ear looked at her son. "Why are you crying baby?" she got closer to Earth and wiped his tears. "You might have let your Por down but you have made me proud like you always did. I knew I could count on you." She kissed his cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah. You know our son the best." Mac sarcastically remarked, switching on the TV to watch the news.

Earth became even more confused. He stared at his mother as if looking for an explanation. "Mae... what is going on? What is with the money?"

"Au? This?" Darla waved the banknotes. "Both your Por and Khun Yay lost the bet to me. So, they are paying up. Do you think that I should have called for higher stakes?" she frowned looking at the money. "I don't think this would be enough to buy the new dress I had my eyes on"

"Bet? What bet, Mae?" Earth wasn't crying anymore, instead, he was curious.

"Your dad betted with me that Kao will be the one who will confess first. But I said that you will be the one doing it. And you did. God, I am so happy." Darla hugged Earth once again. "You really did take after me." She let go of Earth and spoke with a smug expression. "If not, your Por would have had no courage to tell me that he fell for me."

Mac made a face at his wife. "I was too young and naïve back then that I fell for her trap." He instantly received a cushion hitting him square on his face.

Frida chuckled at her son's and daughter-in-law's interaction.

"Wait, Mae." Earth sat up straight. "So, you guys are telling me that you all knew all along?"

"You two were just too obvious." Mac snickered.

"My little cupcake couldn't hide his emotions well." Darla hugged Earth again, pressing her cheeks against his.

Earth was speechless. All this stress for nothing? He didn't know if he should be laughing or crying at the situation at hand.

"Then, why did Khun Yay pay you? Did she bet as well?" He asked his mother.

"Yes. She betted that Kao and you would start dating as soon as one of you confessed. But I said otherwise. I betted that if you are the one to confess, Kao would take his time to think it over. And I turned out to be right." Darla smirked. "See, I read young people better than you."

Both Mac and Frida rolled their eyes at her. Earth just sat there feeling amused at his mother's actions.

Frida sighed again. "I should have known this. Kao was brought up by his Khun Pu after all. He might not say yes to a homosexual relationship even if he was in love so quickly."

"What makes you say that Khun Yay? Is his Khun Pu homophobic?" Earth asked his grandmother.

"I don't know if I could call him homophobic. But Ronald was from a pretty conservative family. He wasn't particularly fond of the queer community. He never opposed or humiliate them or anything. But he used to kind of... avoid them?" Frida furrowed her brows.

Earth started getting worried again. "You mean to say P' Kao might try to avoid me too?" he spoke with difficulty.

"Did he avoid you after you confessed?" Darla brushed Earth's bangs "No, right? I saw you chatting with him earlier in the car."

"He didn't do anything like that. We are still the same." Earth mumbled.

"Then it is good." Darla cheered. "If he had been like his Khun Pu, he would have rejected you outright. Maybe he just needs time to think. He had been dating all this while right?"

Earth nodded and flashed his mother a small smile.

"Should I save up this money to buy a wedding gown for my baby boy?" Darla said wondering. "I heard that there is a new gown shop downstreet and they make amazing wedding gowns. Last week P' Mo's daughter was wearing a gown from that shop and it was beautiful. I heard they customise gowns as well but it can be a little expensive."

"Mae..." Earth cut his mother off from rambling so much.

"What is it, baby?" Darla looked at her son. "I know you are going to look so amazing in the wedding gown."

"Mae..." Earth whined as his face turned red at his mother's teasing. "Who is getting married?"

Darla smiled. "I am just planning for the future. You will look so amazing in a wedding gown that you will take his breath away." She said referring to Kao.

Earth felt his face heat up. "Mae..." he whined again and ran upstairs hiding his face. His mother was such a tease. He could hear his parents laughing in the background.