I woke up early to get ready for work. But something's a little different today because I picked up my phone and sent a good morning message to Jay before going to take a shower. We talked the night before. I asked him about his new room, how it was, and if he was comfortable. He replied that it was okay.
I asked about the roses, and he said they had already been watered. When I wished him goodnight, he replied goodnight as well. That put me in a good mood all morning.
After getting dressed, I walked downstairs, opened the gate to Nao's House, which is right next door. Tiger bought this plot of land to build a new house for the three of them to live in, while my mother and I still live in the old house.
My bedroom is still the same one I used to share with Nao when we were kids.
I opened the door and went into the kitchen, seeing my mother helping Fei prepare breakfast. It was a familiar sight. Fei liked helping with the housework, including cooking. It was something she didn't really need to do in the house. Fei still insisted on doing it.
She woke up early, helped Grandma make breakfast and put on her school uniform, which she had prepared herself yesterday. Then she woke up Dad and Papa to eat breakfast. After they finished breakfast, Dad and Papa took her to school. Fei's grades are really good. Everyone says Fei gets along well with her classmates, has lots of friends, is well-mannered, and is also good at socializing around the neighborhood.
"Good morning, Uncle," Fei smiled brightly when she saw me walking in. "Today's menu is fish porridge."
"Looks delicious!"
"It's already morning. Fei, go wake up Dad and tell him to wake up first, okay?"
"Okay," I smiled affectionately, watching the little girl walk up the stairs.
"So, how is that boy doing?" my mother asked me, taking off her stained apron.
"Last night before bed, he said it was okay. He likes the new room, it's really nice."
"Okay, that's good. You said it's like raising a baby, isn't that exhausting?"
I shook my head. "Not tired at all. Actually, I secretly feel good about it. Like, I'm gradually teaching him, watching him progress little by little."
The mother smiled faintly, "That's good. If anything, bring him to eat at our house. I want to talk to him."
"Get Tiger's permission first," I said.
"And this," my mother said, sitting down next to me, "what about Dan's boyfriend?"
"I don't have one," I said, looking at the screen.
"And what about that guy? Uh, he's in... what was the plan? Mom forgot. The latest guy who came to visit."
"I've already refused."
"Oh dear," Mom let out a small sigh, raising her hands to her chest and making a grumpy face.
"Why, mom?"
"Mom was hoping that when you came back from study, I'd bring a foreign boyfriend with you. But no. When you started working I thought maybe you'd go out with someone, but no. Whenever someone comes along, you'd reject them all."
"Haha, if the time comes, it will happen, I guess."
"Mom didn't say anything," Mom said. "But Mom's been waiting for you. If there's anything, tell Mom. Don't keep anything to yourself, okay? Understand?"
"Okay," I smiled affectionately at my mother. Actually, she's been hinting that she wants more son-in-law or daughter-in-law. Ever since Duean and Tiger started dating. And now that Duean's married and she has adorable grandchildren to raise, it's gotten even worse. And I, who have never had a boyfriend ,am constantly questioned by my mother.
But I know she's not serious. Even if I eventually decide not to date anyone and just stay single, she probably won't mind
"And does that boy understand?"
"What do you mean, Mom?"
"I should call him by his name, not just 'that boy.' Jayden, right?"
I nodded.
"A nice name. Is he a foreigner?"
"I don't know, I never asked," I admitted. Even though Tiger had given me official documents about Jay, I had never read them. I just kept them.
"What worries me is that you're spending all your time with Jayden now. If you have a partner, you'll have to divide your time. Won't Jayden feel lonely? Or won't your partner understand that you care about Jayden? He might get jealous."
"Jealous?"
"Yes. You're not taking care of a small child."
"I understand what you mean, Mom," I nodded. "But I don't see Jay that way."
"Not you, but what about your partner?"
"I think he'll understand."
"Not now, Dan. But in the future, you never know."
"What do you mean, Mom? Do you think I might have different feelings for Jay in the future?"
"You never know," Mom smiled mischievously, just like she always did when teasing me about romance. "I haven't met Jay yet, but anyone you take care of and teach must be a good kid."
"Mom, don't joke," I laughed and waved my hand gently. Before we could continue our conversation, we heard Fai's voice from upstairs.
"Papa, hold onto the railing. Don't fall like last time."
Nao responded, "Yeah, yeah. Fai, don't scold Papa."
"Papa is clumsy," Fai replied. "Last time, when we were running, Papa tripped. I couldn't catch him. What should I do? When I grow up, I'll carry Papa."
Tiger interjected, "It's better if I carry him instead."
"Yes, let Daddy carry him."
"No, no, no," Nao protested. "Don't act like I need that much attention."
"Yes, you do," Fai insisted, frowning. I couldn't hold back my laughter.
"You're already being scolded in the morning, Nao."
"I don't know what's wrong with those two," Nao looked resigned, sitting across from me.
"Clumsiness is something you've had since childhood, and it never goes away."
"Was Papa always clumsy?" Fai asked, placing a pillow on the chair to reach the table.
"Papa, be more careful, okay?"
"Yes, Fai, Papa will be careful."
"I want to play soccer. Can we play this afternoon?"
"Of course," Nao smiled. "Dan, do you want to be the goalkeeper?"
"Come on, Nao," I pouted slightly. "I already told you I can't play."
I remembered a vacation before our last year of high school. Nao wanted to join the soccer club, so he asked me to be the goalkeeper. Clearly, I wasn't good at it, and Nao had to kick the ball gently so I could catch it. We had breakfast together and chatted as usual. Suddenly, my phone vibrated with a notification from Jay.
[Dan]: Good morning :)
[Dan]: Did you sleep well?
[Dan]: Do you want anything for this afternoon? I can bring it before class starts.
[Jayden]: Good morning.
[Jayden]: I slept well.
I unconsciously smiled and replied.
[Dan]: Do you want anything?
[Dan]: Like a snack.
[Jayden]: Like yesterday?
[Jayden]: Yes.
[Dan]: Cookies?
[Jayden]: Yes.
I was surprised. Jay wanted cookies like yesterday?
"Fai, are there any cookies left from yesterday?"
"No, they're all gone," Fai answered. "Your friend wants more, huh?"
"Yes, looks like he likes them. He said he wants more."
"Really?" Fai looked cheerful. "I changed the recipe. The original was too sweet. I'm glad he liked them."
"Yes, that's amazing," I smiled, proud of the little girl.
"I'll make more after school."
"Can you teach me how to make them?"
"Of course," Fai grinned widely. "Oh, I also made a cake. If you want, you can take it to him."
[Dan]: The cookies are all gone.
[Dan]: Do you want to try some cake?
[Jayden]: Cake?
[Jayden]: Mmm.
[Dan]: Do you want to try?
[Jayden]: Yes.
"My friend wants to try the cake, Fai. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
I smiled to myself, happy that even though Jay didn't ask for anything yesterday, today he already knew he wanted cookies and cake. Hmm, let me ask him more.
[Dan]: If you want other sweet treats,
[Dan]: Just let me know.
[Dan]: Cake, pastry, muffin.
[Jayden]: Yes.
[Jayden]: Anything is fine.
[Dan]: How about packaged snacks?
[Dan]: Or other sweet foods?
[Jayden]: Baked sweets.
[Dan]: You like baked sweets, Jay?
[Dan]: I'm glad to hear that.
[Jayden]: Yes.
"Dan, why are you smiling to yourself?" Nao asked curiously.
"Ha ha, just something nice."
"It must be about that person," Fai grinned. "What's his name? Calling him 'that person' sounds wrong."
"His name is Jayden."
"Tell him thank you for liking my cookies."
I gently patted Fai's head affectionately.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
After breakfast, I left the house carrying the cake. I stored it in the office fridge. When the workday ended, I took the cake to meet Jay. I knocked on the door, and he quickly opened it. Jay was wearing a black T-shirt and the pants I bought him yesterday.
"Can I come in?"
He nodded. I showed him the cake. "This is a milk cake made by my niece. She also made cookies yesterday. I forgot to ask, what kind of cake do you like? Does this suit you?"
"Yes."
"Great."
I went inside and placed the cake on the table in front of the sofa, serving him a slice.
"Fai says thank you for liking her cookies. She'll make more. I'll also learn how to make them."
Jay didn't reply; he just sat beside me and finished the cake.
"How does it taste?"
"Good."
"Awesome," I said. "Do you want more baked sweets tomorrow?"
He nodded, making me smile even more. I wanted to bring him more delicious sweets.
"Do you usually eat sweet foods?"
He shook his head.
"No?"
"No."
"Never?"
"I've tried them before."
"..." I thought about what he said. Jay had only tried them, not really eaten them.
While I was pondering this, Jay stood up and walked to the balcony. I followed him and saw Jay carefully watering the roses in a pot.
"Jay."
"Yes."
"What do you do in your room?"
"I just... stay here."
"You look at the roses all day?"
He nodded. I frowned. When he was in the hospital, Jay always looked at the roses. Now, in his room, he still did the same.
"Shall we start studying?"
"Yes."
We walked into the room. We set a low table in the middle, and I took out my iPad.
"I don't know your level, so we'll do a test. We'll start with preschool level."
"Okay."
"Read the questions and choose the right answers."
"Alright."
I observed him taking the test. At the preschool level, there were no problems; all his answers were correct. But when we reached elementary level, he started making mistakes. We repeated the test to determine how far he had studied. I concluded that his level was around first or second grade.
"Alright. Your English skills are really good. Do you speak English?"
He nodded.
"Fluently?"
"Hmmm."
"Impressive, we don't need to focus too much on English. Do you speak any other languages?"
"Japanese and Chinese."
"Wow, that's impressive. I speak Japanese, but not Chinese."
"Okay."
"We'll start with second-grade math." I opened the prepared content on my iPad and began teaching. It felt like helping Fai with her homework. After two hours, I ended the lesson and gave him additional assignments.
"See you tomorrow."
"Yes."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
The next day, Jay had already read all the materials and completed the exercises. He didn't need extra explanations; he understood everything on his own, which accelerated his learning. Within two days, it was time for his first day of work. I took him to my friend's coffee shop, Bai Plu, as I had mentioned before. Bai Plu is a kind woman and a close friend. We used to work together until she got married and left the company to open her coffee shop last year. I keep in touch with her often and visit her shop frequently.
"Is this the kid you told me about?"
"Yes." I leaned toward Jay and whispered, "Introduce yourself."
"Hello, I'm Jayden."
"Hello, I'm Bai Plu." Bai Plu smiled warmly and guided us to the cashier counter.
"You'll be the cashier, taking orders, payments, and answering phone calls." Then, she showed him how to use the cash register, process card or transfer payments, explain the menu, and talk to customers.
"We don't take reservations. Customers can come if there's an available table. If they call to ask for directions, explain using this paper." Bai Plu pointed to a sheet on the cashier's desk. "Today's special is matcha latte. Do you know anything about coffee?"
Jay shook his head.
Bai Plu continued explaining recommendations based on customer preferences. As I listened, I started to worry if all this was too much information for Jay, considering everything was new to him. Was bringing him here a mistake?
"Don't worry if you don't remember everything. It's a lot, but you'll get used to it over time."
"I remember everything."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes."
"Ah, I see," Bai Plu started testing him and looked surprised when Jay recalled everything correctly. "That's amazing. Previous employees took a long time to learn this. You're really good!"
"Thank you."
"Alright, the shop isn't open yet. You can get familiar with the cashier area. I need to talk to Dan for a bit."
"Okay."
Bai Plu led me to a table inside the shop.
"What's up?"
"So, what's the deal with you two?"
"He's just a kid I know."
"Family?" I shook my head.
"You just know him? From where?"
"He helped me in an accident. And, well, he's unemployed, so I wanted to help him."
"Oooh," Bai Plu dragged out her response. "I thought he was your boyfriend."
"He's not," I replied, glancing at the cashier to check on Jay.
"You care about him a lot."
"A little. He's probably never done anything like this before. Everything is new to him. Even though he remembers everything you explained, if he makes mistakes, don't scold him. Be kind to him. Also, he's not the talkative type. Won't customers criticize him for being a cashier?"
Bai Plu didn't answer, just tilted her head curiously. I had to look away from Jay to face her.
"What?"
"You're too worried."
"…Really?" I lowered my voice. Normally, I was the one teaching and looking after Jay all the time. Thinking about leaving him to learn and face things on his own made me anxious. Nao and Tiger must have felt the same way when they sent Fai to school for the first time. "Just be nice to him."
"Got it, Dan. You've said it so many times," Bai Plu laughed. "I'm not cruel. Do you think I'm cruel?"
"No. Are you hiring more staff?"
"I don't think so. My shop isn't very well-known. I don't make much profit, so I can't afford to hire many people. Why do you ask?"
"I'm afraid you'll hire someone with a bad temper who will make Jay uncomfortable. He's not the type to fight back."
"Huh?" Bai Plu looked confused. "You sound like his father."
"No, I'm his Phi."
"Alright, Big Phi," Bai Plu shrugged. "I'll take care of him. Don't worry. You're not working today?"
"I brought my work here," I replied. My office is flexible; sometimes, we don't have to be physically present as long as our work is done on time.
"You're going to monitor everything, huh?"
"That's right," I nodded.
"Alright, then be the first customer. Let Jayden take your order."
"Ah, okay," I agreed. I stood up and walked to the cashier. At the same time, Bai Plu opened the curtains, signaling that the shop was now open. "Let's practice. I'll place an order."
"Okay."
"One large latte with a little sugar, please."
"Alright," Jay nodded and used the cash register. "Sixty baht."
"Can I pay via transfer?"
"Sure," Jay responded. Soon after, the screen displayed a QR code. I took out my phone and scanned it to pay. "Payment transferred."
"Okay, this device will vibrate when your order is ready," Jay said as he handed me a pager and glanced at Bai Plu. "I've sent the order to the kitchen."
"Ah, hold on a second," Bai Plu quickly walked to the cashier. I decided to stay standing there, even though I could have sat down. "You did really well."
"Thank you," Jay responded with his usual serious expression. Before long, my latte was ready, and Jay placed it on the counter, activating the pager. "Enjoy your drink."
Exactly as Bai Plu had taught him.
"Everything okay?" Bai Plu asked from the kitchen. "You said everything just as I taught you. But try to sound a little friendlier."
"How?"
"Try like this, 'Hello, what would you like to order?'" Bai Plu demonstrated.
"'Hello, what would you like to order?'" Jay repeated, but his tone remained flat.
"No, your voice should have more variation. And you should smile at the customers."
"Okay."
"Try smiling like this," Bai Plu said, flashing a big smile.
I watched with interest since I had never seen him smile before.
Jay lifted the corners of his lips, but it looked unnatural.
"Ah, well," Bai Plu frowned and looked at me.
"Some people just aren't good at smiling," I commented.
"Oh, the first customers are here. Just do it as usual. Don't smile like that," Bai Plu said.
"Okay."
I stepped back slightly, observing. Two young girls entered the shop.
"Are you open?"
"Yes."
"Oh, great," they hesitated while looking at the menu. "What's today's special?"
"Matcha latte."
"One matcha latte, then. And you?"
"Cold chocolate."
"One matcha latte and one cold chocolate. What size?"
"Medium for both."
"One hundred forty baht. How will you be paying?"
"Cash."
"Okay."
I unconsciously sighed in relief. Everything seemed to be going well. I returned to my table and opened my laptop to work. As I worked, I occasionally glanced at Jay. Even though he wasn't smiling, he seemed to handle everything well. The first workday ended. I finished my work and went to find Jay, who was talking to Bai Plu.
"What are they talking about?"
"Dan, don't worry so much. Let Jay talk to other people."
"I'm worried that Bai Plu is scolding him."
"I'm not scolding him. Jayden wants a large latte with a little sugar. I gave him his allowance, and he ordered a latte."
"You want to drink it?"
Jay didn't answer.
When Bai Plu finished making the latte, Jay handed it to me.
"For me?"
Jay nodded.
"For what?"
"Dan said that if someone gives you something, besides saying thank you, you should return the favor if you can," Jay said. "This is for the cookies."
"…Thank you," I accepted the latte.
"No problem."
Without thinking, I patted his head. "Ha ha, you're adorable."