Alan paid no attention to whether Khaohom was at work or not. He simply hurried to finish his remaining tasks before heading to the airport for his flight back to Austria. The workload he was currently handling for his aging father was immense, making frequent trips to Thailand virtually impossible.
Khaohom, for her part, did not concern herself with the timing of Alan's departure. She simply focused on her own responsibilities as usual.
One week later.
Khaohom, having started to come to terms with her relationship with Alan, decided to write a letter of resignation to return to her grandmother in the countryside. She hadn't visited her in years; the complications with Alan had made Khaohom ashamed to face her. But now, she wanted to go back and care for her during the twilight years of her life.
The news of Khaohom's resignation quickly spread throughout the hotel. Since the hotel's founding five years ago, Khaohom was considered a senior member of the staff. She had started working right after university, climbing from a small assistant secretary role to becoming the right-hand woman of the Hotel Manager, who himself had been promoted from her former position as Head Secretary.
Khaohom's resignation was approved in just three days. Her stated reason—to return and care for her only remaining elder relative—made it impossible for the Manager to retain her as he wished. He knew Khaohom well; she had been raised by her grandmother alone since childhood. Perhaps because the Manager was also a woman of increasing age, she fully understood that caring for an elderly relative was a profound priority.
Khaohom settled all her affairs rapidly. In just two weeks, she managed all her tasks and handed them over to the new secretary. She used her remaining two weeks of accrued vacation time to pack her belongings and ship them back to her hometown, Tha Phae District. Khaohom had called ahead to tell her grandmother that she was quitting her job to live with her. Grandma Sa didn't object. It had been many years since she had lived alone. The money her granddaughter sent monthly was now a significant savings in her bank account. Grandma Sa usually made and sold Thai desserts at the market, meaning she rarely needed her granddaughter's money. Her own daughter, Nongkran, had lost contact after Khaohom turned seven. While she had consistently sent money when she first dropped Khaohom off to be raised, the money eventually stopped. Grandma Sa then returned to selling Thai desserts to raise her granddaughter until adulthood.
Khaohom used her private car to transport numerous items to the post office on three separate occasions before her personal belongings were finally gone from the large house. She never considered selling Alan's house in the first place. Khaohom knew how much sentimental value the house held for her, but for Alan, it was just a material possession. He never once thought of reclaiming items he had given to a woman.
When Khaohom had finished everything in Bangkok, she packed her remaining clothes and small personal effects and drove back to Tha Phae the following week.
Due to the long distance, it took Khaohom two full days to arrive at the front of Grandma Sa's old, two-story wooden house. The sound of the car engine alerted the elderly Grandma Sa, who picked up her walking stick and shuffled out to see who had arrived.
Khaohom parked the car Alan had bought her in front of the house, quickly got out, and ran to her grandmother, who had just reached the door.
"Huk... Grandma, Khaohom is home! Are you well?" Khaohom couldn't help but cry. She hadn't seen her grandmother in years, and her frail, thin body only deepened Khaohom's feeling of guilt.
"Hush! Why are you crying? I'm right here, dear," Grandma Sa said, gently rubbing her granddaughter's back and shoulders, comforting her not to cry any further.
"Hoo… I'm sorry I haven't visited you," the sobbing and crying intensified.
"Oh, goodness. I'm perfectly fine, dear. You had work to do, so you did it. I'm still strong, aren't I? Now, let me take a good look at how big my granddaughter has grown," Grandma Sa quickly changed the subject before her only granddaughter burst into full tears again.
"Huk… I'm grown up now. I'll take care of you from now on, Grandma," Khaohom pulled back from her grandmother's embrace so the older woman could see her clearly.
"Oh, whose granddaughter is this? So beautiful!" Grandma Sa couldn't help but tease her tearful granddaughter.
Khaohom smiled through her tears. It had been too long since she was close to her Grandma Sa. Now, Khaohom intended only to take care of her for as long as a granddaughter could. As for men, Khaohom had stopped thinking about them long ago.
"Alright, alright. Your belongings that were sent ahead are still piled up. Go take care of them," Grandma Sa said once she saw her granddaughter had stopped crying.
"Yes, Grandma. Please go sit and rest. I need to get my things out of the car first," Khaohom gave her grandmother a bright smile.
"Mmm, yes. Take your time with the things, dear. You've reached home now," Grandma Sa, fearing her granddaughter might tire herself out, said kindly.
"I know," Khaohom replied with a wide smile. Her heart felt incredibly warm to be back at Grandma Sa's home.
Khaohom spent almost an hour unloading the car before all the items were moved into her old bedroom. She decided to unpack the previously shipped items in the afternoon after having lunch with Grandma Sa.
"Why did you rush to resign, Khaohom? You've only been working for a few years," Grandma Sa asked as they ate together in the kitchen.
"I felt the work was too demanding and I didn't have time to come home to you, Grandma. I have quite a bit of savings now, so I wanted to come back and stay with you," Khaohom said with a slight smile.
"Sigh. What do you plan to do here?" Grandma Sa asked worriedly.
"I'm going to help you make desserts to sell at the market. I've been making them for myself often over the years."
"Well, alright. Do whatever you wish. My stall is still at the market," Grandma Sa didn't want to stop her granddaughter. She knew Khaohom must have thought it through. Although selling desserts yielded little money, it was more than enough to cover the daily expenses in this district.
Khaohom joyfully told Grandma Sa about the desserts she wanted to sell. She was afraid her grandmother would notice the sadness in her eyes. Although Khaohom genuinely tried to forget Alan, there were still times when she inadvertently let her sorrow show.
In the afternoon, Khaohom organized all the previously shipped items. By evening, she took Grandma Sa out to the market to buy ingredients for the next day's desserts.
"Oh, Grandma Sa, which pretty lady did you bring with you?" asked the familiar vendor, Aunt Phat, when she saw Khaohom holding her grandmother's arm while shopping for ingredients.
"This is Khaohom, Aunt Phat. She wants to come back and sell desserts here, so I let her," Grandma Sa replied with a wide smile, pleased to hear her granddaughter complimented.
"Oh, it's Khaohom! Haven't seen you in years. You've grown into such a lady. Tell me, are you married yet, Khaohom?" Aunt Phat smiled and asked.
"Not yet, Auntie. I want to take care of Grandma first," Khaohom replied evasively. She didn't dare tell anyone she had a lover. Her relationship with Alan was impossible from the start. It was she who had mistakenly thought he was sincere. Once Khaohom realized the truth—that she was merely a plaything—she had to bury the bitterness deep inside. On the surface, she remained cheerful and bright as before.
"Good girl. It's wonderful that you've come back to look after your grandmother. Now Grandma Sa can finally rest and won't have to tire herself selling sweets anymore. What do you need today? Tell me everything," Aunt Phat said with a wide smile.
Khaohom smiled back sweetly and listed several ingredients for Aunt Phat to gather. It wasn't until both her hands were almost full that she left Aunt Phat's stall.
"Khaohom, take your things back to the car first, dear. I'll wait for you at the coconut milk stall," Grandma Sa said worriedly, seeing Khaohom struggle with the heavy bags.
"Yes, Grandma. Walk slowly. I'll be right back," Khaohom nodded before walking away in the other direction to put all the items into the car.
Grandma Sa used her walking stick to slowly guide her elderly body to her usual coconut milk vendor. She smiled gently the whole time, prompting greetings from several familiar market vendors. When they learned that Grandma Sa's granddaughter, Khaohom, had returned, everyone praised the girl's filial piety. Since Nongkran left, they had watched Grandma Sa work to raise her granddaughter alone. Many silently cursed Nongkran for abandoning her child to her elderly mother.