Chapter Text
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!!!
Fourth watches the time on the corner of his computer screen as it counts down to 6pm, signalling the end of his working hour for the day. He logs out from his workstation in a swift, grabs his bags and rushes to the escalator. Jumping on his heels as he waits impatiently for the lift to reach the 21st floor.
The escalator reaches with several people already in it. Fourth doesn’t care, he squeezes his way in, wanting to leave the building as soon as possible to make his way home.
Before hopping on to the BTS at Asoke , he bought some som-tum , grilled pork neck rice and one fried chicken thigh from the food market opposite to his office building. Wanting to avoid the traffic and the possible rain, the 29 year old took the train all the way back to Bearing , where he rented a room out of a three room apartment, sharing with another couple and an Early Childhood Education student that was interning at a nursery near the apartment.
The train ride took about 20 minutes and he walked another 10 minutes to reach the apartment. Upon slotting in the key into the keyhole of the front door and turning the doorknob to open the door, he was attacked by a tiny human who’s height only reached his knees.
With little struggles and a burst of laughs, he drops the packaged food on the small table in the middle of the living room as he softly kicks the door close behind him. “Hey!” He greets the girl who was hunched in front of the table with several nursery books, he then picks up the little boy who is still dressed in his preschool uniform, spun him around the room in three rounds before he asked him, “how was your day little buddy?”
“Was fun! Atom make new friend!!! Phi View also read me story bookies!” The little boy proceeds to tell about his day while Fourth carries him to the shower to clean him up and change him into his pyjamas already. He also took a quick shower himself after setting out the dinner and placed the fried chicken thigh he bought earlier in Atom’s Doraemon Bowl which they redeemed from the stamps collected at 7-11.
When he also sits down to join them for dinner, View puts down her spoon and picks up her phone, “how much was the rice Phi, I’ll transfer you.”
Fourth waves her away, “no need. You help me look after Atom when I’m not around. Let me buy you dinner sometime.”
The interning student doesn’t argue as he knows very well there’s no point to fight Fourth on this matter. She just chimes a thank you and continues to dig into her dinner.
Fourth tucks Atom in for bed a little before 9pm that night. Finally having a bit of time to himself, he sat in front of the dining table going through some bills and checking some emails absentmindedly.
He didn’t sit along for long before a can of cold beer was set in front of him. He looks up and sees Phi Earth giving him a soft smile as he moves to take the seat opposite Fourth, opening another can of beer for himself.
Earth and his husband, Mix, own the apartment. They’re both still working to pay off the mortgage, but the place is theirs. They have rented out the other two rooms for more income. Although they’re the landlord, they don’t really act like it. The couple and their tenants lived together like a small family that looked out for each other.
Fourth is very grateful, really. Given how he is pretty much alone, with no idea who his own father is and a very absent mother. He practically raised himself, as soon as he was capable, he got a job and moved out from his aunt's house. Before that, he was kicked around by his relatives. He will live at a relative’s for a while before he moves to another’s. Nobody was willing to take him in fully, he had studied hard to get a scholarship in school to get by and was working part time.
His mother had left him in the hands of their relatives when Fourth was twelve and went missing. She excused herself saying she was going to find a job in another state, she will bring Fourth with her once she settled down. But it never happened. She went missing after a few months, nobody was able to get in touch with her. Her cell number was no longer in service suddenly one fine day. The only way Fourth knows she was alive is when he receives an SMS notification on his phone that there was money deposited to their shared bank account.
During the second year of living with Phi Earth and Phi Mix, he suddenly came home with a baby boy in his arms. He had left work earlier than usual that day, after he received an exceptional approval from his manager.
That day, when he came back from his lunch break at work, the front desk admin stopped him telling him that his partner left their child with him. He was surprised, as he was single for the past two years. When he saw the baby and the note that was left for him, he found out that his ex-girlfriend who he went out with for about two years, was pregnant with his child.
Miya was a free spirit, Fourth liked that about her. She would always find ways to have fun and was able to lift his spirits up. But she was also too free, unable to be tied down, even with responsibilities. Fourth always has his life planned, he cannot keep up with Miya’s personality where she always just “wings it” in her life. So after about two years of dating, they decided to split for their own good.
In the note Miya left him, she apologises to Fourth for not telling him before and that she tried to take care of the baby herself. But after a year and a half, she realises she is really not cut out to be a mother. She knows Fourth is a much more responsible person and more capable than her, so she leaves the baby to him hoping that the child will have a better future.
He tried to dial the number that he last saved of Miya, but much like his own mother’s, the cold operator’s announcement indicates that the number he was dialling is no longer in service. He even tries to send her messages on Line , but her account is already deleted. None of the few friends that he knows of had any idea where Miya went either.
When he brought the baby back to the rented apartment, he was at a loss. He doesn’t know how to be a father or what to do at that point. How is he going to tell his landlords that he has a child with him now, moreover a baby that still can’t walk properly on his own? How does he go to work? How to change diapers for the baby? All sorts of questions in his head that he doesn’t have answers to, doesn’t know which to settle first.
Luckily, his landlords were the kindest people he had ever met in his life. Albeit being confused when they saw the younger boy sitting in the living room carrying a baby, once they confirmed that he did not kidnap someone else’s child, they helped him with his tracks, starting off with assuring him that they will not chase him out and they will let him stay with the child.
Phi Earth is a manager at a massage parlour in Thong Lor while Phi Mix works as a secretary in an office a few buildings away from the one Fourth works at.
Fourth had managed to get approval to work from home most of the time for the first two years when he started to raise little Atom. Sometimes, Phi Earth will bring the baby with him to the massage parlour with him when Fourth has to go back to the office. The massage parlour is always quiet given the nature of the business to be a relaxing place. The staff at the parlour also adores the very obedient child.
View moved in to occupy the third room in the apartment in the second year that Atom came into their lives. Even though the couple doesn’t say it, but Fourth knows that they have been declining tenants that they don’t think will be suitable, taking into consideration the young child in the apartment. They took View in not only because she is a student in Early Childhood studies, but also how Atom was quick to bond with her when they met at the cafe to discuss the lease.
Mix had brought Atom with him that day to meet View before bringing her to see the apartment. View originally thought that Atom is Mix’s son, the little boy quickly warmed up to the girl and was already holding her hand when they made their way to the apartment.
View was very open minded when she learnt about the whole situation with Atom, she also finds that Fourth is a very responsible man trying to raise a child himself and that the couple were very kind to be helping him. That’s where she decided that she wants to rent the place and that she doesn’t mind having a child in the living space.
Coming back to today, Fourth is sipping on the can of beer that Phi Earth had offered him earlier while he sits back with a worried expression that he is failing to hide.
Atom is going to turn six that year, and the next year, he will need to start primary school. Fourth had been surveying around at schools suitable for his son. He found a few schools that he is considering, taking in consideration the school facilities, the review and the curriculums they offer. He was trying to look for a school that had a good football team since the little boy is very enthusiastic in the sport.
What worried him was, the schools were not very near to where they are staying right now. It was not like he hadn’t thought of moving out, since Atom is growing up so much, he feels like they can’t keep sharing the small room together anymore.
He had shared about this concern with the couple before, as they’re somewhat like parents to him now. Earth had even helped him in surveying for the schools as he asked around at his workplace, talking to some of the staff who are also mothers themselves.
The thought of moving out is quite saddening for him since they have built a close bond. He also knows that it will be difficult to find another place to rent that will suit his condition, rent in the market has been going up the past few years as well. There were so many things to take into consideration and Fourth feels a little suffocated, to be honest.
As he was discussing everything with Phi Earth over their shared beer, suddenly View, who was going through her lesson plans for the next day, walked over to the dining area, grabbed a glass of water and gave a wild suggestion.
“Why don’t you try and find someone to get married to?”
Fourth looked at the younger girl as if she had grown a second head when she suggested the idea. “What does this have to do with… all these…?” he gestures his hand around the air.
“I mean, you have been taking care of Atom alone. I know you are doing your best to be both a father and mother. You’re doing a great job Phi really, don’t ever doubt yourself on that. But don’t you think you can open up to the idea of a partner and you know, raise Atom together?” She brings up in between sips of water.
“You know, I have kids at the nursery that are from rebuilt families. They’re happy, the kids are well taken care of, not like your typical evil stepmother stepfather kind of old tale. Besides, don’t you think you deserve to have someone in your life too?” and before Fourth can refute her, “other than Atom, and us.”
Fourth was silenced by her. He really has not thought of getting into another relationship ever since he has Atom. He doesn’t think anyone will be interested in a single father who is also struggling with life.
“Besides, I also brought this up because of the recent government housing grant for married couples to start a family. You should look it up.”
she says before bidding the two elder men goodnight and retreat to her bedroom for the night.