The figure stepped out of the car, facing the spacious house. A soft smile lingered on her bright pinkish lips. She breathed in the air, eyes drinking it all in, and walked forward. Every rose along the path refreshed her steps. Her fingertips grazed across them. The architecture ahead carried a fragrance she had been savoring in her memory for a long time. Her smile brushed across her lips again.
A faint knock on the door.
And everything was exactly as she had anticipated.
The door opened — no rusted iron creak, just silence. A woman in a white, transparent night suit stepped out, shielding her eyes from the light with her palm. She gradually peeked at the guest — and froze. Her eyes went wide and she screamed.
"Oh my god! Honey! Oh my god!" She covered her mouth, unable to believe what she was seeing. She shook her hands in excitement and launched herself at the guest. "Ah~ I missed you so much, Honey~" She melted into the warm, long-awaited embrace. The guest smiled and pressed a kiss to her neck.
"I missed you too, my wifey." The guest woman held her wife at arm's length, hands still looped around her glass-hour waist, her wife's arms still around her neck. A blissful quiet settled between them — until,
"You should've at least changed into something, my wifey." The woman said. Perplexed, the other woman looked down at herself and gasped. She shot a wide-eyed look back at her, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh my god — I completely forgot I was in a night suit," she whispered. The other woman chuckled softly, stroking her hair, leaning close to her ear.
"Yes. A transparent one." The woman in the night suit flushed with embarrassment, eyes dropping to the ground, teeth pressing into her lower lip. She glared at her wife and darted back inside.
Leaving a smirk behind. "I loved the welcoming gift."
"Welcome back, Ms. Kassandreau." The household staff stood in a neat line, bowing to her. She inclined her head and placed a hand over her chest — the gesture of respect she had long been taught.
Her eyes moved slowly around the house. The albums of shared memories. The trophies where her pride and glory lived. Knitted dolls from her wife. Her gaze caught on a photo from Switzerland — snow falling in the background, her wife laughing over her shoulder, and Kassan wearing her usual quiet smile. Frozen moments always carried a different kind of weight than the real thing.
"Do you like it, Honey?" Her wife embraced her from behind, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Kassan nodded slightly. "Yes. I already miss that moment."
"Should we go back?" her wife asked. Kassan turned around. "No — we're going to Lapland. You've always wanted to go, right?" Her wife's eyes went wide, brows furrowing immediately. "Don't tell me you already—"
"Yes. I already filed a flight plan. We leave next week." Kassan gave her quiet victory smile. Her wife clapped both hands over her mouth. "No. No, no, no — really? You're just unbelievable, Honey!" She screamed and leapt at her spouse again. Their foreheads touched. Laughter passed between them. Her wife's fingers cupped Kassan's cheeks, thumbs brushing gently. The chemistry between them tightened around one quiet thread — trust.
"Do you like it, my wifey?" Kassan asked. An instant warmth flooded her wife's face, the smile stretching ear to ear — just gorgeous. She nodded quickly, followed by a soft kiss to Kassan's forehead. "Yes. I'm already excited." They settled into a shared, quiet smile.
Kassan drifted across the beautifully set dining table and into the kitchen doorway, watching her wife move with quiet focus. She rested her chin in her palm, eyes fixed entirely on her. Her wife glanced up briefly and smiled — the kind that stays with you, the kind Kassan replayed in her memory every time she was far away.
"Ms. Kassandreau, Mr. and Mrs. Thanapontharawiset are here." The maid stepped in. Kassan's lips curved into a small smile. She walked to the door and bowed to her in-laws, hand over her chest. "I hope we're not too late, sweetheart," her mother-in-law said. Kassan shook her head warmly.
"You could never be, Mom." Her mother-in-law laughed softly and pressed a kiss to Kassan's head. They walked together to the dining table. "Kassan — haven't your parents arrived yet?"
"They should be—" Before she could finish, the maid returned. "Ms. Kassandreau, Mr. and Mrs. Dupen-Lee are here." Kassan inclined her head and walked straight to her parents, a wide, shimmering smile on her face, embracing them lightly.
"Where is my daughter-in-law? Where is Sy?" her mother asked. "She's preparing the food — come in." Kassan guided them through, just as Sy rushed over and pulled her mother-in-law into a hug.
"I'm so glad you came, Mom. I was worried you'd refuse again." Sy said, smiling. The woman glanced at Kassan with a knowing smirk. "Yes — if your wife hadn't given us fair warning beforehand, dear." Sy turned to stare at Kassan, then walked off with her in-laws as though filing a quiet warning of her own. Kassan gulped, watching her wife slip seamlessly between both families.
"It's good you arrived early, Kassan," her mother-in-law said.
"I hadn't planned to — but someone was missing me, so I had to." Kassan said. Everyone at the table looked from Kassan to Sy. Sy blushed and cleared her throat pointedly.
"Ah, what I meant was—" Before Kassan could recover, her mother cut in. "We know exactly what you meant, baby." Laughter brightened the table. Sweet stories and cherished memories passed between them. Wine glasses clinked. The silence was never where things ended — it was always the small frozen moments in between.
Kassan leaned over the balcony railing, swirling her wine glass. Her mother-in-law walked out to join her. Kassan straightened. "You look better than before. The work must have done you good." her mother-in-law said, arms crossed. Kassan scoffed lightly. "I'd say the longing for your daughter did more for me than any work ever could." The woman smiled to herself. She walked over to Kassan and leaned against the railing beside her.
"You really love my daughter, Kassan?" she asked, her tone turning quiet and sincere. Kassan considered the question for a moment before answering. "I do, Mom. So much that I once threatened your husband into accepting my marriage proposal — right in front of you." The woman laughed genuinely.
"Yes — we were so frightened then, going back and forth wondering whether Sy would ever be happy with someone as bold as you." she said. "Did I prove you wrong, Mom?" Kassan asked.
"Yes, Kassan." she whispered, with the kind of smile that felt like something you could rely on. "I'm glad you proved to us you were exactly the right person for my daughter." Kassan smiled gently, leaning into the railing, passing her wine glass over to her mother-in-law.
"I'm happy you let me become part of your family, Mom." Kassan said. The woman touched her glass to her daughter-in-law's and drank quietly. Kassan smiled, something uncertain inside her dissolving slowly, like ink in water.
"They'll be waiting — we should head back in." Kassan said. Her mother-in-law nodded. Kassan handed the glasses to the maid and walked back into the living room, hand in hand with the older woman.
"Leaving already?" Kassan asked. Her mother glanced at her, patting her shoulder. "Yes, baby — early morning tomorrow." Kassan embraced her mother, then stepped back, hand over her chest, a slight bow.
"Safe journey, Mom and Dad. Come back whenever you can." she said, and meant every word.
An uneasy feeling settled somewhere in her chest. Before she could place it, the evening had already wound down around her. Silence crept into every corner of the house. Still, her attention drifted toward the sound of dishes from the kitchen. She rested her head back and let her eyes find Sy — baking something, as always.
"Ms. Kassandreau, the indoor pool is ready for your bath." the maid said. Kassan nodded, gaze still on Sy. "Get our things ready. Light the pool with blueberry scented candles and scatter rose petals over the water." She gave the instruction and walked straight into the kitchen — not waiting for a response.