Everything You Never Had

CHAPTER 4

"Well, how are things going over there? I'm a nosey mother, and you haven't told us much since you arrived in the Metro. Won't you give me the grand tour?"

Krist chuckled as he finished up the last of his dishes from his lunch. His mom was right, he hadn't been a good son since he'd left. Hadn't called or checked in at all. Drying his hands off, he picked up the tablet they were using to Skype and turned the camera around.

"It's not much." He said, walking around his small apartment.

"But it's enough and it's bigger than my place in Chiang Mai was. Plus, it's not far from the school. Only about a ten-minute bus ride."

"Oh really? That sounds nice dear. Your father has been worried that you've been burying yourself in your work. Have you gone out? Made any friends?" She asked and Krist turned the camera around again.

"Funny you should ask that. Um, actually I might have met someone mom. It's really new and I don't wanna jinx it so I can't say much, but I think I may be ready to try dating again."

His mother's dark eyes widened a little. "Krist I don't want to tell you what to do. You're an adult, but...are you sure? I can't just come to you if something goes wrong."

His mother...really was such a wonderful woman. After the last time he'd tried dating and things had gone sideways his mother had come and stayed with him for a whole weekend just to take care of him and make sure he was okay. Truthfully, he hadn't been. The few people he'd gone out with since high school never got any further than the first or second date. And if he was being honest, the problem was him, not his dates. But he'd kept pushing himself into going out again and again just to see if he could fix himself. Stop being so paranoid of people. He hadn't felt anything for any of those people though. Not like he did with Singto. Sometime during the night he'd let the feeling wash through him and just reveled in the fact that he really did want to spend more time with this man. Even let himself feel a bit giddy over the way Singto made him feel...wanted, for more than just a night. He only hoped that the younger man wouldn't push him on the rules set in place because Krist wasn't sure how well he himself could respect them.

It had taken everything in him not to kiss Singto good night. He liked kissing, but beyond that he wasn't ready, and by not allowing anything physical between them he felt like maybe, when Singto decided he wasn't worth his time, he wouldn't feel so completely heartbroken. But he was sure. He knew that.

"I know mom. But I truly think that things will be okay this time." He tried to reassure her. "Alright, I won't push, but you take care of yourself Krist. Don't do anything for this man that you don't want to do. You know your father still has...connections. If you need this guy to disappear just let me know and he'll be shipped to the first no named island we can find."

Krist couldn't help but laugh at how serious his mother sounded, though, she probably was quite serious. "No mom, I don't want him to disappear. At least for now. Is dad there with you? I'd...like to talk to both of you for a moment."

His mother nodded. "He's upstairs in the study. I'll go get him real quick. Don't hang up okay?" While he waited for his mom to come back, Krist sat the tablet down on his bed and pulled his laptop out from the drawer where it was charging. Classes had just started so he didn't expect many emails from work but it didn't hurt to check anyway right? Maybe another one of my students needs to email to hit on him Krist chuckled to himself as he pulled up his school email.

"Krist? Where is my jerk of a son who left me here all by myself to deal with his mother? Krist!"

Krist laughed aloud hearing his father's voice come from the tablet's speakers. He quickly picked it back up so he could see his parents just in time to see his mother pop his father in the back of the head with an oven mit. The relationship his parents had was just what he'd always wanted, to marry his best friend. They were just too perfect for one another.