I translated this final chapter myself because it was missing.

I used a translation app, so the translation will not be 100% accurate. I corrected the sentences, grammar and words, and received help from people who can read Thai.

I'm neither Thai or a native English speaker, so excuse me if my grammar or sentences are way off sometimes. I really tried my hardest to bring this chapter to you and I hope you enjoy reading it!!

I LOVE READING COMMENTS SO PLEASE COMMENT WHILE READING :D

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VEGAS POV

6 months later

For the past few days, I felt very uneasy with Pete's strange behavior. He walked back and forth in the bedroom, his hands rubbing his head, holding his temples, as if he was about to go crazy. Whenever I asked him a question he wouldn't answer, just shake his head and say there's nothing. It's like there's something he's worried about that he can't tell me. Honestly, I'm quite worried, because Pete is everything to me in my life, and he's been acting a little strange.

"Pete, what's wrong?" I saw Pete sitting still, one arm holding Venice while the other hand was stuffing a bottle of milk into his mouth. The kid looked at Pete with wide eyes like he wanted to ask him a question, as if he was wondering like me what's going on with him!

"Nothing," Pete quickly replied and shook his head. His eyes glanced at Venice and he smiled at him.

We've been together for several months now, Venice will soon be able to talk. I'm still not used to Pete focusing all his attention on that boy alone! I envy the kid, very envious! Because out of twenty-four hours, Pete gave twenty hours to Venice, two hours was spent sleeping, one hour bathing and playing games with him and the rest of the time was mine! I begged him to hire a nanny, but he didn't want it. He said he wants to raise Venice with his own hands. Sometimes, he'd follow me to help at the company and agree to leave Venice at the main family's house so they could babysit him, but they're idiots. Have you seen the future of Venice! He's not likely to grow up with the quality you intended.

"Vegas, give the dinosaur doll to Venice." Pete walked to the other side of the bed and I let out a heavy sigh. This room that used to be orderly, was now scattered with children's toys and plush dolls, and the black, gray and blue theme was now transformed into a colorful Alice in Wonderland theme.

"Let him go and pick it up, he's grown up." I said, leaving with frustration. But in the end, I lost to the pressure of Pete's eyes and went to pick up the silly green dinosaur doll to give to Venice, who immediately grabbed it.

"Very good. I think you can stay with Venice now." I was a bit puzzled by Pete's sparkling eyes. When Venice saw me walking to grab another doll, he looked delighted. What! I can stay with him anytime!

"What are you talking about Pete?"

"Well, tomorrow I'm going back to my hometown Chumphon and I'm not taking Venice with me," Pete smiled at me dryly.

That was another thing I was confused about. He often said he didn't want me to go home with him. The other day, Pete's grandmother called because she wanted to see his face. Since the misunderstanding with the funeral and him rising from the dead, they still haven't had the chance to meet each other. When I heard that, I wanted to pay homage to Grandma, because everything that happened was my fault. I wanted to go and ask for her forgiveness or talk with her for once. I still felt guilty in my heart, but it had gone down a bit.

"Venice doesn't have to go with you, but I must go with you," I said with a serious look on my face. Pete was acting suspicious, like he was keeping secrets from me. Or was he hiding someone at his house? Don't let me find out! Someone will surely die!

"And who will stay with Venice? Macau went to Dhamma camp for five days. The day he comes home would be the same day we come back from Chumphon. Only you can stay with Venice." Pete put Venice on the ground, because he was squirming in his lap to grab the toys on the floor.

"I can stay because this is my house. But can he stay?" I pointed at Venice who was holding two toy cars in his hands.

"You can stay here, right...Venice, Venice?" Pete asked Venice, who turned to smile at Pete brightly, and then laughed as he held up his hand to try share the toy with him. "Pete will not be here, can Venice stay with Vegas?" Pete asked the child with eyes full of hope. Venice seemed to understand what Pete said. He smiled before turning to look at me and with gloomy eyes and....

"AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!" He cried through the house.

"Well, that's his answer." I said, shaking my head. Come on, what was Pete thinking? That Venice would be able to stay with me? He can't even come near me without opening his mouth to cry. Forget it.

"Ok, be quiet...ohhh." Pete got up from the bed and walked straight to Venice to hold him and console him. That kid knows the job. As soon as Pete held him, he stopped crying and hiccupped, trying to get pity scores. Demanding my wife's attention until the very end. "So can Venice stay with Tankhun instead of Vegas? Would you like that?" When he heard that name, Venice acted like the whole word had collapsed again, with a face that couldn't believe his mother would ask him that.

"UUuuugggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He cried out again.

"Even louder," I said jokingly.

"Oh, don't cry....be quiet...Oh, what's wrong?" Pete still thought he could go without Venice. And he probably wouldn't let me follow him.

"What secrets do you have hidden in Ban Bueng? You don't want me or the child to follow you to your hometown, what's going on? Don't tell me you have another child and wife on your island?" I said what was on my mind. Since I started living together with Pete, I felt that I fell in love with him more and more every day, loved him more than before, loved him until I couldn't imagine how I would live without him in this life. I want everything important. Call him for everything. I think a lot like this.

(Note: Ban Bueng is the district where Pete's hometown Chumphon is located)

"No! Yes!!! Let's all go. Let's all go to my house, shall we? Let's all go out." Pete suddenly picked up his stuff and walked into the bathroom while carrying Venice with such anger that it left me feeling confused.

"What's his problem?" I looked after him and shook my head. Okay, what's Pete up to?

[ The next day ]

We drove by car to Chomphon, Pete had booked a hotel for one night there and from there we took a boat to the island. Since yesterday, Pete rarely talked to me. Not because he was angry, but because he was thinking in his head, I don't know. Sometimes, he talked to himself. As soon as I walked over to him to listen closely, he walked away.

We were on a private boat and Pete was walking around in circles while holding Venice in his arms. I didn't know if Venice was dizzy because of seasickness or because Pete kept walking around back and forth.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly and looked at Venice, who seemed lethargic and close to passing out.

"Not okay!" Pete replied hurriedly.

"Come sit down! Venice looks so dizzy, he's gonna pass out. Is he just sleepy or is he seasick?" I moved Pete next to me, who held Venice in his arms while lying on his side and he occasionally looked at me.

"Sigh." Pete let out a deep sigh.

"If you have something to say, just say it." I was completely uncomfortable with this situation. I already knew that what stressed Pete out and bothered him mentally the past few days must be the same reason he didn't want me to come home with him.

"Vegas, do you love me?" Pete suddenly blurted out, which surprised me quite a bit.

"I do."

"Do you love me a lot?" The question sounded more heart-breaking than the waves of the sea pouring non-stop.

"Very, very much." I emphasized the words.

"What can stop you from loving me?"

"Nothing," I said as I thought. Even though I still didn't understand anything.

"Okay...can you promise me that no matter what happens on the island, you'll still love me a lot?"

"Pete, it's better to say it." Pete then said to Venice like he was trying to convince him of something. His face turned outside the boat, looking at the waves and the wind, as if he was trying to gather his courage.

"Come on! What will happen, will happen Pete!" He talked to himself again and sighed every ten minutes. Pete's actions made me think, he affects how I feel about everything. Even now, he wouldn't say any more, and I also didn't ask for answers. But I looked at every gesture, every action he made with concern.

"What's that?" I was staring at the sea and the sky, empty and blank, when my eyes suddenly fell upon a large rock that had a large white slogan with a handwritten message in beautiful letters saying "Welcome, Pete Phongsakorn." I read it out loud, then quickly turned to look at Pete, who turned pale and unable to calm down again.

"So what!"

"We're almost there," the driver of the boat shouted. The closer we got, the more Pete looked like he wanted to die. He wiped his sweat profusely, even though the sea breeze that hit his face was cool and made the chaos in my heart calm down.

"Heey!!!!! Pete!!" The closer to the shore, the louder and louder the drums, music, and cheering crowd sounded. I leaned over the railing of the ship to take a closer look.

"I told them not to make it too grand!"

"Welcome back to the Island, handsome Nong Pete, to the embrace of Grandma Jie and Grandpa Ta." I read a large message on the shore, which dozens of people were holding and waving. The length was about ten meters, and the letters were very prominent.

Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. The drumbeats sounded relentlessly. The closer the boat got to the shore, the louder the voices of the villagers became. I was beginning to understand the complete story. I took our bags, smiled and turned to stroke Pete's head, who didn't dare to face me.

"Here we go....let's go down." I grabbed Pete's hand so he could stand up. The loud rumbling of the drums and crowd was so intense that Venice also began to slowly wake up. "I told you, you didn't have to come." Pete yelled due to the noise, looking like he was about to cry.

"I don't see anything," I said, patting his shoulders to console him.

"Quickly come down, little Pete! Sigh! Grandma missed you with her whole heart! Whose child are you carrying?" An elderly woman dressed in a beautiful dress waded through the water, approaching Pete with joy. "Oh my!! Grandma's beloved grandson has arrived! I thought he was already dead or forgot his house number! It's so nice to see him come again!"

(Note: The islanders speak the Southern language/dialect with Pete. Each sentence that was spoken in dialect was written twice in the novel, once in Southern language and once in standard Thai. But I translated all sentences that are spoken in the Southern language only once and wrote them in italics.)

Venice looked at everything in panic, but he didn't cry from shock at all.

"Grandma! Didn't I tell you not to make it too grand. What are these signs?" Pete spoke back in the Southern language, looking at the gathered crowd in despair.

"It's a year since you came back to the Island, so I had to give a big welcome ceremony worthy of Grandma's handsome grandson!"

I couldn't understand everything, but I understood this woman was Pete's grandmother. I'm surprised! I thought his grandmother would be like any regular old woman, but she looked agile, strong, and sassy with her hair up and face full of make-up. She also wore a golden necklace on her neck, the kind that if the sun shines on it, the reflection would hurt one's eyes.

"Hello," I tried to smile broadly to greet grandmother Jui. I knew her name because it was written on one of the signs.

"Who did you bring along? Come ashore first! Let's help each other carry all the things, quickly!" Grandma Jui waved her hand and called some people from the crowd to come help us carry our stuff.

"What!? What are you doing?" As soon as we reached the shore, Pete's uncles and aunts came toward us and hung an orchid garland around Pete's neck. Some people put an orchid garland around my neck as well [1].

I could only smile dryly, Pete standing in front of me.

"You didn't have to do any of this."

"Hey, why are you holding someone's child? Hey, he's so cute!! Don't tell me you made a woman pregnant?" Grandma pulled Venice into her arms. He didn't open his mouth to cry but remained stiff, mouth turned slightly downwards as he kept staring at Pete woefully.

"Uhh, the child, the child!" Pete began to panic, "He's my friend's son."

Pete gave me a remorseful look.

"Oh! And who is this? How handsome! Pete, is he your friend?" Grandma brought her face closer, examining my body from head to toe. Seriously, I started to understand why Venice was so tense.

"Uhm!! Hey!! What's all of this, Grandma?" Pete tried to change the subject.

I didn't feel upset by his words. If Pete had told her that Venice was his son, it would shock the whole island for sure.

"All of this was arranged in a hurry, you only told me a few days ago you're coming home so I didn't have a lot of time to prepare."

I looked around the splendor of the island. To be honest, I expected that this would be a quiet place, and wanted to take the opportunity of visiting the island with Pete to rest. But it's nothing like that. The beach is full of tents, there is a small stage with musical instruments, decorated with paper flowers and rainbow colored paper ornaments, dangling majestically. I also saw multicolored light bulbs tied to poles and trees. This place was probably even more crowded at night.

"Are you a celebrity on this island?" I whispered softly to Pete. I actually wanted to make fun of him, but when I saw his face he looked like he was about to cry, so I pitied him.

"I'm sorry, Vegas." Pete made a guilty face.

"I thought you were a big politician visiting the island."

"Let's go and bring the stuff to the house, then sit down and eat dinner together." Grandma Jie carried Venice with her and ordered the villagers around with her finger. Venice looked at Pete, with the eyes of someone crying out for help, but who cannot speak.

"Is this child your son? Did you get married?"

"I said the child is my friend's son. Let's go already. Grandpa is probably collecting coconuts, let's just go home quickly to see him!!" Pete walked unsteadily and didn't dare to look at me. As for me, I must admit I wasn't doing well, but I didn't hate it. All of this was new to me, I never experienced something like this before.

We didn't have to walk very long from the shore to reach Pete's house. Pete's house was very big, like the house of a celebrity. His house was more grandiose than any other house in the neighborhood. I almost forgot he used to be the chief bodyguard of the eldest son of the main family. His salary should have been enough to send money home and take care of his grandparents so they could live a happy and comfortable life. Pete's house is a white building with a blue roof, one-story high but was grand in width. There was an area around the fence where various flowers were planted. A long table was placed outside with fish, shrimps and various other seafood. As for the other houses, some were wooden, some were cement, but they didn't take up space or were lavishly decorated like Pete's house

"Come here! Your grandson has finally arrived! Where did you go?! Did you go climb a coconut tree? You can get coconuts from the market! You're old enough to end up in a coffin!"

Grandma Jie's voice was loud, and she complained non-stop to Pete about grandpa, about the bags, about everything. I usually don't show much sympathy to Venice, but today I pitied him. I'm sorry, When we're at home there is no shouting, we live together in peace, so this whole situation is quite shocking.

"Come, come, come," Pete couldn't bear the sight of Venice suffering any longer, so he took Venice from grandma to hold him like before. Venice looked relieved and immediately jumped into Pete's arms.

"Very cute. So is your friend here the child's father?"

"Um," Pete turned to look at me and nodded.

"And the child's mother didn't come?"

Pete made a confused face, before his eyes fell on the back of the house. Grandpa walked over with two coconuts and straws in both hands.

"Hello grandpa, I brought a lot of things." Pete smiled, and looked at Venice with affection. And before Grandpa could open his mouth to say something, Grandma Jie started speaking again.

"Hey, Pete brought his friend and his friend's son with him, and he is very handsome," Grandma Jie pointed at me and I hurriedly raised my hand to greet grandpa.

"Your friend's son is very cute." Pete's eyes smiled as grandpa patted Venice's shoulder twice. Grandpa then went to grab a machete and sat down to open the coconut, smiling. Pete's eyes looked calm and I could understand why, because grandma Jie who had been rambling all this time seemed to have nothing left to say anymore.

"It's late in the evening, we will have a good time and have dinner later. Go take a shower and get ready." Grandma pushed me and Pete into a bedroom and put the bags on the chair in the room. Finally, it was over.

"The green curry is ready!!! Will you come take a look at it?" Someone's voice shouted from outside.

"Wait a minute, I'll go and see myself!!!" Grandma Jui walked out of the room, and as soon as we heard the closing sound of the door, Pete and I sighed together. I sat down at the foot of the bed, along with Pete, who put Venice beside him.

(Note: I didn't really understand who was yelling, or what they were yelling about, but it was something about green curry that made Grandma leave the room)

Nobody talked and the two of us and Venice sat motionless. Grandma Jui did something good, Venice was very tired and calm. Usually, he'd be crawling all over the bed or the floor, but now there was not any movement left in him.

"I'm sorry, are you OK?" Pete lowered the air conditioner temperature and I hoped the cold air would ease the confusion in my heart.

"I'm okay," I said in a flat tone, looking straight ahead to the walls until I couldn't focus.

"Patient!! Be patient, Venice!! This is just the beginning! After this, it's the real thing!!" Pete walked over to me to sit on my lap and embraced me with his arms around my neck. I tucked my head into his chest firmly. "Only two days, only two days."

"Don't think too much." I wrapped my arms around Pete's waist and held him tightly. Venice was slumped on the bed and close to falling asleep.

Creaaak. The sound of the door startled Pete, he jumped off my lap, barely in time, and grandma Jui showed up with a smile and continued talking again.

"I forgot to ask! Will you sleep together in this room, or should grandma prepare the living room for your friend?"

"We can sleep together."