More to You ✔

Chapter 59 - Palentines Day (Maria)

Rialoves2cook: Happy Palentines Day! It's that day of the year when we express our love for the awesome friends in our lives. The two wonderful ladies I'm spending today with are Prae and Emma.

Prae is the sweetest, most caring friend you could ask for, and if you've followed my channel, she is the amazing Thai cook and a super English teacher. She always puts others first, even at the cost of her happiness, although we're encouraging her to challenge that because she deserves it.

Emma is the life of the party, a risk-taker, a boundary pusher, and she would never back down from a fight to protect her friends. She's a loyal badass and an amazing human being. She's also way smarter than she lets on, Little Miss Biology Queen.

So here's to a day with these lovely ladies, enjoying cute drinks, desserts, and pre-Valentine Day ambiance. I encourage you to find anyone in your life you want to spend time with and make your own joy today. A big shout out to my back home supporters: Sunshine, Tina and my Mom. I wouldn't be living this version of my life without you, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

#Friends4life #singlelife #Frenchdesserts #palentinesday

Posted: February 13th, 11:30 AM

Em&Em: Aw, here's to you, Ria! Bringing people together and overflowing with your kind, generous spirit.

PraeCharoensuk: Your friendship is a genuine gift, Maria. Friends are a reflection of the beautiful soul you present to the world.

MagicMitch: Bangkok's a better place with you in it, Maria!

Rialoves2cook: You're all going to make my heart burst.

***

Maria, Prae, and Emma planned a ladies' day for the day before Valentine's Day, since they were all single. Emma and Maria both sympathized with Prae. Two rejections in a few months would be brutal. At least Mitch had reassured Maria he liked her and would ask her out once his therapist decided he was ready. She was also convinced that Shawn had asked Emma out for tomorrow.

In the afternoon, they'd gone for massages and then relaxed at the park. Next was a cute French cafe Prae had picked for drinks and dessert. The women treated themselves to fancy drinks as they waited for the scrumptious-looking slices of cake they'd ordered. Black-and-white photographs of Paris lined the walls: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, couples huddled under umbrellas, and historic bridges.

To think her whole online cooking presence had started as her ex trying to use her to get to that city. She'd almost had a shot at winning it too, but she was glad she stuck out the rest of the school year here, whose end was approaching in mid-March. She'd even sat down this week with the administrators to discuss her teaching preferences for the following school year and they were confident that there'd be room for her to join the Kindergarten team in May.

"Any plans for the March holidays?" Emma asked. "Three weeks of sweet, sweet freedom."

"I'm visiting my family. My brother has been asking if you're coming," Prae teased Emma.

"I hate to disappoint, but I'm also due for a visit home soon. Pop across the ocean to visit my mom and sister for at least a week, but I haven't decided how to fill the rest of the time yet, so I haven't booked anything."

Maria sighed as she thought of Tina, Sunshine, and her own mother. "I wish I could afford a flight home. Sunny's having her baby shower, and I'm like the worst aunt who will attend via Skype." Maria's debt was shrinking since coming out here, especially with the extra income from tutoring and her online platform, but she wasn't free of it just yet and hadn't worked at the school long enough to get the yearly flight reimbursement.