Khun Adi and Fah joined the others in the living room. Mint sat on the sofa with Tin and Run on either side. Khun Adi sat in his usual chair at one end of the sofa. Fah took the chair at the far end of the sofa, facing Khun Adi. Mint and the boys watched the two new arrivals take their seats. No one spoke.

"Mint, Run, Tin, I need to tell you all something. What I'm going to tell you might upset you and it might shock you. Please, keep your questions and comments to yourselves until I finish. I'll answer everything when I'm done telling my story." He regarded his family. Mint appeared extremely worried. She kept glancing from Fah to Khun Adi.

"What's going on Dad?" asked Run. "What does it have to do with Fah?"

"I'm about to explain that. Now, shhh, please." Khun Adi put his index fingers to his lips.

Run leaned back and glanced at Fah.

Khun Adi began, "Let me begin by saying I love you all dearly. Never have I ever, not for one second, regretted anything about marrying you, my love. or having our sons. You are the source of my happiness and I love you all so much."

He noticed Fah looking down at his hands. He realized this was going to be hard on Fah as well. "Fah, please don't feel uncomfortable. I'll explain everything." Everyone turned to look at Fah who stared at Khun Adi with glassy eyes.

"A year before I met your mother I was in a relationship with a woman named Mookda. I loved her very much, and I proposed to her."

Mint did a sharp intake of air. Khun Adi did his best to ignore her and continued.

"We were happy and her family loved me. However, when I told my parents about our intentions, they were furious. They called Mookda a gold digger with no social standing. Her family was poor and although they were kind, they were not well-educated. I was forbidden to see Mookda ever again."

"Did you tell her that?" asked Fah. Khun Adi gestured for silence.

"Ten months later, she came to see me, holding a baby. I knew she was pregnant when I proposed, but she was having a difficult pregnancy the last time we saw each other so I never knew what happened, whether she lost the baby or had it." Khun Adi paused here, glancing at Fah once again. "One day I was at the market with my mother. I went down a row to look at some fish and Mookda approached me, holding our son."

Mint and the boys stared at Fah who appeared to be trying to make himself shrink. He kept reminding himself not to feel guilty for being born.

"She let me hold my son, and we went outside to speak. She had a Polaroid camera with her and she had someone nearby take two photos of us as a family. I kept one, and she took the other. We planned to meet at the market in two weeks and run away together. What I wasn't aware of was that my father's assistant followed me and learned of our plans. When I showed up two weeks later, Mookda never arrived. I had no way to reach her as she no longer lived at home. After waiting for four hours I finally returned home. I never saw or heard from her again."

Mint's face lost color and she leaned back against the sofa as if she might faint. Her husband reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

"I have always kept this photo and dreamed of meeting my son and finding out what happened. Today, when you boys were in my office and found this picture, Fah recognized it. He has the duplicate that belonged to Mookda. You can tell this part, Fah."

Looking up at their expectant faces. He had only come for dinner, not to disrupt their lives and destroy relationships. After swallowing several times, he began his tale in a shaky voice.

"It's as Khun Adi said. I recognized the photo and it matched the one given to me by my mom. She said my father had been in the photo but that when she told him about his baby, he abandoned us. She said he was rich and ashamed of us and that he disappeared."

Fah glanced at Khun Adi. He wasn't trying to insult the father he had just found but he had to be honest. He noticed the whole family turned to look at Khun Adi as well.

"She raised me as a single mother until I was six. Because she'd had a baby without being married, her family disowned her. It was just the two of us. When I was six, she was in a hit-and-run accident as she crossed the road. She was dead before they arrived at the hospital. They never found the person who killed her."

"Oh no," gasped Mint.

"I had no one to care for me. Luckily, my best friend's family took me in and raised me. They had a lot of money and they paid for my tutoring, music lessons, weapons training, and intensive Muay Thai. They paid for me to go to university to get my law degree, well, all but the last two courses. Unfortunately, an issue came up and we parted ways. I haven't been in touch with them for a year now."

"My dad would never have done what you said, you must be lying!" said Tin. He gave Fah an angry look. "My dad is good, he's always there for us and his friends come here to ask for help too. He never turns his back on people."

Fah was clueless as to how to respond. He knew what he wanted to say but he didn't want to offend anyone, so he sat silently.

"No, Tin, it's the truth. I didn't leave them because I wanted to, but because your grandparents made me. I didn't fight hard enough I guess." He gave a half-smile to Fah.

"Then when did you meet Mom?" asked Run.

"That week. I went back to the market every day, hoping Mookda would show up and explain what happened but she never came. I was sitting on a bench outside the market, brokenhearted, and your mom walked over to me. She said a handsome boy shouldn't be this sad and asked if she could help me with anything. She was so pretty, kind, and sweet. She bought me a juice and sat with me. She talked to me even though I wouldn't speak. I honestly have no idea what I would have done without her. Mint is the only reason I made it through my heartbreak at that time. My family liked her and we began dating and here we are today." Mint began crying at this point.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Oh my god, I had no idea, I'm so sorry," repeated Mint. She looked from Fah to Khun Adi.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Sweetheart. Also, let me assure you, you were not a rebound or my second choice. I truly love you. I loved you then and I love you now." Khun Adi leaned over and took Mint's hand in his own.

"No, you don't understand, Adi. I had no idea about Mookda! If I had, she might be alive," said Mint in between sobs.

"What do you mean my mother might be alive?" Fah asked. His eyes narrowed and he glared at Mint.

"Fah, I'm so sorry. When Run was about four, a woman came to the door. She claimed to have Adi's child. A lot of women had been after his money so I thought she was another one. I told her he had no child but Run. She cried and swore that her son was his and she wanted me to take you in. I asked her why and she said she was being threatened by someone in organized crime, that they had threatened to kill her and her child. I thought she was trying to find a way into our house. I told her she was crazy and sent her away; I slammed the door in her face." Mint put her face in her hands and cried.

"Khun Mint, are you sure she said it was someone in organized crime who was threatening us?" asked Fah.

"Yes," said Mint, still sobbing.

"Did she mention the name Ton?" Fah prayed she would say no.

"Yes, I'd forgotten. She did say Ton. Do you know him?" Mint stopped crying and stared at Fah.

"He's my father. Or at least he was the man who raised me. My best friend's father. His full name is Ton Saetang."

"The head of the mafia family?" asked Khun Adi.

"Yes, he and his wife, Nara, raised me along with their son, Lomnaw. We were the same age."

"You said you hadn't had contact with your adoptive family for a year now. What happened?" asked Mint. Everyone stared at Fah.

Oh God, I'm going to have to come out to all of them, right now? I just met them. I haven't had a chance to get to know my father and now he might reject me in a few minutes. What the hell do I do? Can I explain this when Tin is here? Fah's mind was going crazy.

"Fah? Are you okay?" asked Run. "You look like you're going to be sick. If it's that bad, you don't have to tell us."

"Yes he does," said Khun Adi. "I'm sorry but with my job, finding out my son was raised by an organized crime family, this could put my career in jeopardy."

As he spoke, Run looked at him surprised. Fah stuck his chin up and narrowed his eyes as he regarded him. The veins on his neck were growing more prominent with each second.

"I just found out my mother was murdered, that you're my father, that I have two half-brothers, and you're worried about your job?" screamed Fah as he stood up. He began walking to the front door.

"Please, Fah, please sweetheart, please come back," yelled Mint. Run got up and ran after Fah. He caught up to him by the front door.

"Fah, please don't go. Seriously, I can't believe we're brothers, I think it's fantastic! I'm sorry about your mom and I'm sure you've got to be going through a lot of emotions right now, but please, stay. My mom wants you here, I want you here. I'm sure Dad and Tin want you to stay too."

Run began crying while he was begging Fah to stay. Fah looked at him and thought about his words.

"Fine, I'll stay," Fah whispered. Run hugged him. Fah didn't hug him back. Instead, he removed Run's arms from around him. "Run, you might not want to hug me in a few minutes."

Fah walked back to the living room. Tin was now sitting on Mint's lap crying.

"See, Tin, see - your new brother came back. You don't need to cry. Everything is okay," Mint spoke softly as she stroked Tin's hair.

"I'm sorry, Tin. I shouldn't have left. I'm back. I think it would be great to have brothers like you and Run."

Tin looked up at him. "Honest?" asked Tin. Fah nodded and smiled before returning to his chair.

"What did you mean I might not want to hug you in a few minutes, Fah?" asked Run sitting back down on the sofa, this time on the end closest to Fah. Their knees were almost touching.

"Khun Adi, I'm glad I got to find out who my father is and I'm proud it is you. You are a good man and your family is kind and wonderful. If I were going to have brothers and a stepmother, I couldn't imagine any better people than the three of you." Fah's voice shook as he spoke. "But I have to be fully honest and what I'm about to tell you might make you want to distance yourself from me. I might make you all uncomfortable and I might be a threat to your standing in society for more than how I was raised."

Four faces stared at him, each trying to imagine the worst thing Fah could say. Run looked at Fah, reached over, and squeezed his hand. Fah looked surprised and tried to pull his hand away.

"Fah, I'm gay," said Run.

"Run, this is no time to bring that up!" said Khun Adi.

"You are?" asked Fah, smiling and crying at the same time.

"Yes." Run was smiling and holding Fah's hand.

"That's wonderful," said Fah, leaning over to hug Run.

"We're glad you can accept Run's orientation but let's get back to you. Why did you stop having contact with that family?"

Fah took a deep breath and began. "Ton had a son my age, Lomnaw. He goes by Lom. We were best friends even before my mother died. When I was six, they took me in. Lom was forced to follow his father in the business–"

"Business, it's unbelievable they think of crime as a business!" exclaimed Khun Adi.

"Anyway," continued Fah, "Lom didn't have a choice. His father forced him into it and after high school, he started working for Ton. Meanwhile, Ton paid for me to go to university to get my law degree. The promise was that I would finish school and then work for the family." He noticed Mint and Adi exchanging glances. "I hadn't seen Lom for a few years because I was living in the dorms. He came to visit me. That was when he came out to me."

"You mean Lom is gay?" asked Run. Fah nodded.

"That's also when I came out to him." Fah smiled at Run. Run started laughing.

"So you were both gay, how did that get you kicked out?" asked Run.

"Lom had come out to his dad but not to his mom. He and I, well, we sort of fell in love."

Run laughed out loud and couldn't stop smiling at Fah. Mint looked surprised. Tin was asleep on his mother's lap after all of his crying. Khun Adi stared at Fah giving away no hint as to his emotions.

"We fell in love but I had a girlfriend I'd been dating for three years. We had never, you know...Anyway, Lom, Mek, and I..."

"Mek, Khun Korn's nephew?" asked Run. Fah nodded yes.

"Lom, Mek, and I went out drinking one night. I got drunk and Lom and I fought. I took off and went home. Lom and Mek couldn't find me so they called my girlfriend. She worried about me so the next day she used her keys to come into my condo to check on me. Unfortunately, Lom and I had... we were... in the middle of a physical activity... together...and she snapped a picture and sent it to Ton. A few hours later Ton summoned us back to the house. We got there the next day and I was banished for corrupting their son. I'm forbidden to speak to any of them or to ever set foot on their property."

"What about Lom?" asked Run.

Fah bit his lip, trying not to cry in front of his new family. However, everything he'd been through in the past hour had elevated his emotions. He burst into tears and was unable to speak. Run rubbed Fah's back. Fah looked up, his nose running, his eyes red and puffy, and he continued.

"When his father called us in, Lom said I had been a mistake and it would never happen again. Then he came to my place and begged me to forgive him. I let him sit there while I packed up. He kept apologizing and saying he loved me. He made us dinner and we watched a movie. I gave him drugged iced tea and I moved out before he woke up the next morning. I've never seen or heard from him since I went into hiding."

"Wow," was all Run could manage to say. "A mistake? That's harsh."

"You drugged his tea? With what?" asked Khun Adi.

"Some sleeping pills I had a prescription for, nothing illegal. I would never hurt Lom. Ever. Even now I'd never say or do anything to hurt him."

"This has been a big night for all of us. I'm very sorry for what you went through Fah. I hope you will consider us your family, because, well, we are. Adi, I'm so sorry for never telling you about Mookda's visit. I honestly thought she was a scammer. However, I think this is mostly good news. A father and son have been reunited, brothers have finally met each other, and I have a new son to spoil. I think it's wonderful! I also think it's getting late and we should all eat. After all, it's almost 11:00 p.m. We're normally in bed by now. Please say you'll spend the night Fah."

"I'd like that. Thank you." Fah was no longer crying and was using the tissues Run had given him to clean his face.

"You can sleep in my room," said Run. The thought of a brother closer to his age, one that was also gay, was the greatest news in his opinion.

"Boys, I don't want there to be any.." Khun Adi stopped speaking, unsure how to finish.

"Don't worry, Khun Adi, I know not to touch my brothers. Besides, Lom and I were only raised together, we would never have done anything if we were blood-related."

Khun Adi relaxed upon hearing this.

"I'm not so sure, Dad, now that I've heard Fah's story, I kind of want to see what it's like being with my brother," laughed Run. Fah looked shocked. "Fah, don't worry, they know I'm joking. Or at least they should." The two brothers laughed as their father shook his head.

Everyone walked to the table to sit down and eat. Dinner took a long time. Tin and Run kept taking turns asking Fah about everything: which foods did he like, what was his favorite meal, did he like durian fruit, and then they moved on to drinks. Fah answered every question as Mint and Adi listened and smiled.