Melted: A MaxTul AU story

Sixty-Three: Healing

Author's note: The picture above is Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee. He is who I would cast as Pongpat's son. I don't have a picture in my mind of who I'd cast as the daughter. I don't really know any tween-aged Thai actresses.

**

Max laid in bed that night, so full and warm and happy that he didn't want to fall asleep. He couldn't recall a time when he had felt so happy or relieved. The day had been so perfect. The only way it could have been better for Max is if Itty and Chalida had been there or maybe Itty's parents.

He and Tul and Chimon had went back to the dining pavilion for him to see Pongpat wiping his tears and everyone laughing. When Max appeared, Ramida, Pongpat's daughter, had run to him first, jumping up to hug him like she did when she was five, but now that she was much taller, she didn't have to jump so high. Her mother wasn't that far behind her, and Ohm stood behind them silently smiling.

Max was hugged and petted and fretted over like he was a celebrity, especially after he grunted in pain when Ramida jumped on him with her hug. It had only been a couple of days, and his ribs were nowhere near healed. She looked immediately sorry and not just because her mother started smacking her away from Max but because she had truly forgotten that Max was injured in her excitement. She was also a little embarrassed that she hadn't "acted her age" or how she thought she should act as a teenager.

Max laughed at the memory and how pretty Ramida had gotten and the fact that Ohm was as tall as he was now and looked like he was still growing. He smiled at how everyone seemed to talk at once and pile food on his plate and how Ramida and Wanna seemed to hit it off right away and how the twins seemed to love Ohm. He remembered Kuhn Bagnet looking like she was having a serious discussion with Sukrit's wife Kim and Sean talking to Sukrit. Kuhn Sinjai, Ann, and Prin also spent a lot of time talking and gesturing. She seemed to be pointing to different areas of the farm during the entire discussion.

But his favorite thing was how Pongpat and Tantӓ Clara just sat side by side smiling quietly at each other. He wasn't sure that they spoke at all. They just sat, eating awkwardly because they wouldn't let go of each other's hands. He took several pictures of them with his phone, and when he put his phone down and looked up again, he caught Tul's eyes on him. He merely mouthed "thank you" and continued eating.

After lunch, Kim took the twins away while Kuhn Sinjai spread out a big map of the farm on another large table. She showed them all where they were and where all the cottages were that people had been assigned. Max noted that she had put him and Tul back into the rooms they had before. She showed them the general make-up of the operation and also told them the things she had scheduled.

"However, I only have specific things set up for the mornings, so you can feel free to do what you want in the afternoons," she smiled at them all, looking proud. "You deserve the rest, but please let me know if you want to go to some of the farther out places, so I can arrange to have one of the trucks brought around. Both Chimon and Max know the farm as well as I do, so you can ask them."

Sean spoke up, "I have some projects I'm working on, so you are welcome to ask me about them. I'm also free to take people places in the evenings. You just have to catch me before I go home."

Max and Ann noted that he seemed to glance at Wanna a little longer when he said that, but Wanna didn't notice. She was busy talking to Chimon and Ramida.

Max got to spend the whole afternoon with the Tappitaks, showing them around the farm. He offered to take some of the team with them, but they declined wanting him to have time with his family alone. He was grateful, but he also recognized when his uncle and aunt wanted to be alone, so he took Ohm and Ramida with him on a ride to some of the outskirts of the farm.