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Apparently, Adam’s mother had run into Jake and had managed to squeeze him of information. To his credit, Adam didn’t raise his voice once and, as evenly as possible, assured his mother that she’d be given the full details once she’d calmed down enough to listen.
When his mother started yelling at him, Gabrielle simply shut off her ears with her hands, squeezing her eyes tight. Getting upset would not be good for the baby. Her only relief was that, thanks to her baggy clothes she now wore to work, there was no hint of her pregnancy bump just yet. At least not to the casual onlooker.
Half an hour later, the door opened and she looked up to see Adam. She slowly lowered her hands, as his gaze rested on her with a strange emotion that made her heart skip.
“I’m sorry about my mother. She sees things a whole lot differently from me, and I’m going to work on fixing that.”
“She’s gone?”
Adam nodded, then advanced into the room. “She suspects there’s something between us, if she doesn’t know for sure already. I was waiting till we returned from our Thailand trip before breaking any news to my family.”
“That makes sense,” Gabrielle said. She could understand he’d want to make sure they’d had time to work on solidifying their relationship, and then make it official. But after this, could she really let them venture further?
“If your mother doesn’t accept me, I’m pretty sure she won’t accept my baby either. Maybe it’s best to just…”
Adam shot forward and placed his hand gently over her mouth. Gabrielle’s widened eyes found his questioningly. He rested his forehead against hers and she could see him breathe in and out heavily. After a moment, he slowly let his hand fall but didn’t release her. “I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t want you giving up on this so easily. We promised we would try, didn’t we?”
Gabrielle had to admit it was true. She might not have enough willpower to say no to him right now. Maybe she would go on to Thailand with him, and for those few weeks she’d let herself live the fantasy. But when they returned, she’d hold firm and make the best decision for herself and her baby.
***
Yet Gabrielle’s little caveat to keep herself from putting too much hope into anything could not hold up for long. Her heart was just too hungry for love, and Adam was too good at being the perfect lover, friend and brother figure – all of which he achieved during their three-week stay.
The trip was the best thing for them, as well as for Gabrielle after the last few months – and then of course with the whole pregnancy news.
The private luxury resorts in the urban districts, the historic and ethnical attractions in the suburbs and, of course, the scenic beach towns, each gave Gabrielle a taste of paradise on earth. She especially enjoyed the floating markets and other vibrant tourist features. And goodness, the food.
It was fascinating visiting all the beautiful and serene ruins and national parks, home to a wide array of wildlife. But most of all, Gabrielle would always remember the mass lantern launch, one of the many colorful festivals celebrated yearly. It displayed beautifully illuminated lanterns, which were actually small hot air balloons.
Once the cylindrical paper lantern was lit, it would take a minute for the air inside the paper cylinder to heat up enough to float away into the air, like a balloon.
Gabrielle heard that launching one of these lanterns, known as Khom Loy, was believed to be symbolic of releasing your worries and letting them float away. You could make a wish, or write the wish or prayer inside or outside the balloon, and watch the lantern lift to the sky, much like you were wishing on a star.
Gabrielle would never have imagined how sharing a moment like that with Adam would feel so special. They’d both lit their lanterns and held them in position until it was time for the synchronized release along with the sea of people around them.
The joy she felt by the mesmerizing sight above them could hardly be confined. Thousands of lanterns floated in the sky in unison, lifting higher and higher before disappearing just as fireworks shed multicolored sparks into the night.
These cultural and religious images and scenes stole her breath away and would stay engrained in her subconscious, like being enchanted by a spell.
In fact, all their time together in Thailand had felt magical, not just because of the utter beauty and wonder that surrounded them each day, but the feeling of affinity that grew between her and Adam as she got to know him better.
As they returned to their hotel after the ceremony, called Yi Peng, Gabrielle had been tempted to ask Adam what he wished for. But then she decided it would be too private, as she wanted to keep hers to herself, at least for now.
