Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Our Secret Promises|PondPhuwinWords: 6370

Phuwin’s POV

The house was eerily quiet when I stepped inside, the kind of quiet that makes your heart race for reasons you can’t quite explain. My mom was sitting in the living room, her hands folded in her lap. She looked up when I entered, her face calm, but her eyes gave her away. There was something behind them—something heavy, something painful.

"Mom, I’m back," I said softly, setting my bag down near the door.

She didn’t respond immediately, just watched me like she was trying to figure out the right words to say. Finally, she gave me a small, forced smile. "You’re late."

"I know," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "Sorry, I—"

"Is there something you’d like to tell me?" she interrupted, her voice steady but low, almost too calm.

My stomach twisted, and for a moment, I couldn’t move. I swallowed hard, trying to act normal. "No, nothing important," I said quickly, my voice shaky.

She nodded slowly, her gaze sharp as it bore into me. "Nothing?"

I shook my head, but I could feel my palms beginning to sweat. Something was wrong—terribly wrong.

She stood up, the calmness in her face breaking slightly as she took a deep breath. "I saw you, Phuwin."

My entire body froze.

"I saw you today," she said, her voice trembling. "With him."

I felt the blood drain from my face.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," I whispered, avoiding her gaze.

"Don’t lie to me," she snapped, her voice louder now, full of pain. "I saw you with Pond—holding hands, kissing."

It felt like the air had been knocked out of me. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"You’ve been hiding this from me, haven’t you?" she asked, her voice breaking now. "How long, Phuwin? How long have you been lying to me?"

"Mom—"

"Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?" she continued, tears beginning to fill her eyes. "I’m your mother, Phuwin. Why didn’t you trust me? Why didn’t you tell me?"

I stepped closer, desperate to explain, but my words felt so small compared to the storm in her voice. "Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just—I didn’t know how to tell you."

"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"I was scared," I admitted, my own voice cracking. "I was scared of what you’d say, of how you’d react. I didn’t want to disappoint you."

Her tears fell freely now, and her shoulders shook as she turned away from me. "Disappoint me? Do you really think I’d stop loving you because of this? Phuwin, you’re my son. My only son."

"Then why do you sound so upset?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

She turned back to me, her face streaked with tears. "Because I don’t know how to process this. You and Pond? This isn’t what I imagined for you. This isn’t the life I wanted for you."

I felt my own tears falling as I dropped to my knees in front of her. "Mom, please, I know this isn’t what you expected. But I love him. I love him more than anything in this world. Please don’t ask me to leave him. Please don’t take him away from me."

She looked down at me, her face full of pain. "Phuwin, you’re asking me to accept something I never even considered. Do you know how hard that is for me?"

"I know," I said, gripping her hands tightly. "I know it’s hard, but I need you to try. I need you to understand that he’s my happiness. He’s my everything. Please, Mom."

Her silence was deafening.

Finally, she pulled her hands away from mine, wiping her tears. "Call him," she said quietly.

"What?"

"Call him," she repeated. "If he’s so important to you, I want to meet him."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "You can say whatever you want to me, but please, don’t do anything to Pond. Please, Mom."

"I won’t hurt him," she said firmly. "I just need to see him. Five minutes, Phuwin. That’s all I’m asking."

Her tone left no room for argument, and I knew I had no choice. My hands shook as I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.

"Pond," I said, my voice breaking.

"Phu? What’s wrong?" His concern was immediate.

"Please come here," I said through my tears.

"Phu, talk to me. What’s going on?"

"Just come. Please. Don’t ask me anything, just come. And come through the front door."

"Okay, I’m on my way," he said, his voice steady despite the obvious worry.

I hung up and looked at my mom. She nodded once and went upstairs, leaving me alone in the living room to wait.

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Pond’s POV

The call from Phuwin had my heart racing. His voice had been shaky, filled with tears, and it was enough to send me into full panic mode.

I didn’t think twice before grabbing my keys and driving straight to his house. The door was already unlocked when I arrived, and I rushed inside to find him sitting on the floor, his head buried in his hands.

"Phuwin," I said, running to him.

He looked up at me, and the sight of his tear-streaked face made my chest tighten. He stood up and threw himself into my arms, crying harder than I’d ever seen him cry before.

"Pond, she knows," he sobbed into my chest.

I wrapped my arms around him tightly, stroking his back. "It’s okay, Phu. I’m here now. You’re not alone, okay? Whatever happens, we’ll face it together."

He only cried harder, and I felt utterly helpless. I wanted to take his pain away, to protect him from everything, but I didn’t know how.

Then I saw her. His mom stood at the top of the stairs, her eyes red and swollen. She descended slowly, her gaze fixed on me.

"Ma’am," I said, my voice steady despite the nervousness in my chest.

She didn’t respond immediately, just stopped a few feet away from us. "You’re the one," she said finally, her voice quiet.

"Yes," I said, meeting her eyes."

Her expression softened for a moment before she looked at Phuwin. "You’ve chosen him, haven’t you?"

Phuwin nodded, stepping closer to me. "I have. I love him, Mom."

She sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging with the weight of everything unsaid. "This isn’t easy for me," she admitted, her voice breaking. "But if he makes you happy, I’ll try to understand."

Relief flooded through me, and I tightened my hold on Phuwin. This wasn’t the end—it was just the beginning of earning her acceptance, but it was a start. And for now, that was enough.

- To be continued▪︎

I have tried to make better but I don't know why I think it became so bad.🥲