THEWEDDINGPLAN, Epilogue Chapter:
A wedding isn’t just about two people.
But love is about two hearts.
“I’ll head out early today, sis.”
“Hey, not taking the company van? You didn’t bring your car,” Sister Eim said.
“No worries, someone’s picking me up.”
It was another hectic Sunday afternoon. The talented organizers from The Wiwa Square were busy handling the final details of an engagement ceremony for the bride and groom, as usual. The event went smoothly, with everyone agreeing it was impressive—beautiful, meticulous, and elegantly befitting their status. However, since the event was held at the bride’s house, deep within a sprawling village, when a key assistant like Nuea asked to leave early, the head organizer, Sister Eim, couldn’t help but ask with concern.
This village is deep… really deep. No easy way in or out. But when Nuea confidently said someone was coming to pick him up, the listener let out a loud “Oh!” “Getting bold these days, huh, Nuea?”
“Come on, sis, it’s gotta happen sometime. We’ve been together for more than a month or two,” Nuea said with a chuckle, a hint of shyness on his face. He glanced at the successful ceremony, knowing full well that behind such triumphs were sweat, effort, and plenty of arguments to pull off an important event like this.
Today, as usual, most attendees were older relatives, which made Namnuea think back to the wedding that fell apart last year.
This event felt similar to that one. Getting the bride and groom to agree with their families on who to invite, who to exclude, and how to handle everything for today’s engagement nearly brought the bride to tears. Not to mention the upcoming celebration in two months—sorting things out with the family had already left the bride sobbing to Sister Eim.
Planning a wedding is stressful, but once it’s over, Namnuea believed it would be an unforgettable, cherished memory for a lifetime.
“Well, well, who’s picking up Nuea? That super handsome guy?” a curious intern swooped in to ask, eyes sparkling with interest. Namnuea grinned wide and tapped the kid’s head.
“What, you interested?”
“Nah, Phii, I’m interested in you! Totally my type. Such a shame you’re already his wife,” the cheeky intern teased, pouting and giving a playful glare. Namnuea patted the kid’s shoulder lightly and said with mock sympathy:
“Let me teach you something. There are two types of good guys. One…” he pointed at the groom standing faithfully by his bride, “already has a wife.” Then he pointed to himself. “And me… I already have a husband.”
“Wow, Phii Nuea is so proud of being the wife, huh? Don’t you differentiate, though? Guys with wives can have guy wives or girl wives too,” the kid in front whined, making Uncle Nuea burst into laughter. Just then, another crew member joined them and nudged Namnuea.
“Hey, Phii Nuea, your groom is waiting in his car out front.” “Man, I’ve been wondering for a while—why does everyone call Khun Lom Phii Nuea’s groom?” the intern kid, clueless about last year’s events, asked. It made those in the know smirk, while another younger colleague puffed up their chest, answering proudly on their senior’s behalf.
“Because Phii Nuea snagged the groom who was about to get married, that’s why!”
“Whoa, Phii Nuea stole someone’s husband?!”
Thwack
Another smack landed.
“No way! Phii Nuea didn’t steal anyone. He was the one who comforted the groom when he was at his lowest point in life.
That’s when Khun Lom realized he’d fallen for Phii Nuea. Dude, it was the talk of the town—Phii Nuea turned a straight guy into an amazing boyfriend!” Namnuea could only glance at Sister Eim, who knew the truth, and they both shook their heads in weary amusement, not finding it all that funny.
Who would’ve thought Sailom’s plan would actually work?
Because so many people around him bought the story he spun. Now, Sailom has completely closed his heart to women and opened it to a new world—when, in truth… he’s been gay from the start, hasn’t he?
“Alright, enough. My bedroom life isn’t that interesting. I’m heading out, then. Sorry, Sister Eim, for not staying to help till the end.”
“No worries, go ahead, Nuea. It’s Khun Yiwa’s wedding today—she must be thrilled,” Sister Eim whispered softly. The listener nodded and slipped out of the bride’s house. Finding his ride wasn’t hard at all… that same flashy sports car.
Click
“You could’ve called me when you got here, Khun Lom. I would’ve hurried out.”
“I didn’t know if you were busy, and besides, I can wait,” the man who took his day off to pick up his boyfriend said with a smile, leaning over to plant a big kiss on Namnuea’s cheek. The kissed one tilted his neck slightly.
“Come on, I’m all sweaty. Been running around since morning.”
“Smells good to me. I love every scent of you.”
“Getting naughty again, you ex-groom?” The listener laughed loudly, then handed over some food he’d bought on the way. As the car pulled onto the road, heading straight for Namnuea’s condominium—
The place where Sailom has practically moved in already. After the incident of being jilted by his bride, Sailom’s mother didn’t dare meddle too much in her son’s life anymore, only watching from a distance. This led her dear son to rarely return home, claiming that going back would only make him miss Yiwa more. This evoked pity from everyone around, and even his father suggested he could live elsewhere. Now, Sailom was in the process of buying a new condominium.
One big enough for two.
“Sigh, such a pity,” Namnuea said.
“About what?”
Namnuea turned to the man beside him with sympathy. “That we couldn’t attend Khun Yiwa’s wedding.” Khun Yiwa considered the man beside him family, an important brother figure, and so much more over the years. Yet, they couldn’t attend the small ceremony the two brides held in a church in Canada, due to the drama they’d orchestrated the previous year. If they had gone, it would’ve revealed that Sailom harbored no resentment toward Yiwa. On the contrary, he would’ve been overjoyed for her.
“It’s alright. Just sending our congratulations made Yiwa happy,” Sailom said with a faint smile, likely recalling when Yiwa Skyped across continents, screaming excitedly into his ear, announcing that her partner had proposed.
Her demeanor was worlds apart from when she was set to marry Sailom.
Now, with a stable career after moving there, it wasn’t surprising that they’d want to get married for real. Even if it was just in a church with a priest and a few local friends attending, Yiwa had made it clear to him:
“I don’t need a grand, extravagant wedding. All I wants is a wedding with the people I loves most by my side.”
“Jealous?” the man beside him teased, making him tilt his head slightly.
“Nah, I’m happy for her,” the young organizer replied, but Sailom didn’t change the subject.
“So, if we got married, what theme would you want for the wedding?”
“You’re still dreaming about that? A wedding between two guys in Thailand?”
“I’ve seen plenty of them,” Sailom countered. The listener shook his head, then asked a single question that knocked the other out cold.
“How about getting your mom to accept it first?”
“We all need dreams, Nuea. And my dream is to marry you.” Thud.
The car dashboard figurine seemed to stare, while the driver glanced over briefly—just a fleeting moment, but enough to convey seriousness. Namnuea dipped his head slightly and let out a soft sigh.
“But I dreamt it’d be so chaotic. My family, your family, tons of friends, people from your company—they’d all be buzzing. The groom who once had a stunning bride suddenly has another groom show up at the wedding? That’s headline material for sure.”
Grab.
Before Namnuea could spiral further, as someone who’d organized countless events and knew chaos better than anyone, the driver reached over, took his hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Nuea, don’t overthink it. Just relax and tell me what kind of wedding you want. We’re dreaming together, aren’t we?” Sailom said, causing the listener to pause briefly before continuing with a faint smile, as if he, too, had secretly been envisioning it. “For me, just a small wedding with my parents and yours there to bless us. That’s all I need. And if we want to tell friends, maybe a small restaurant party to announce we’re married. I just want people who genuinely want to celebrate with us, not those showing up for social clout.” He shook his head slightly.
“But it’ll still be chaotic.”
“Let’s plan one someday, yeah?”
“Hmm.” But the man beside him kept talking with a wide grin. When their eyes met, Namnuea saw the other was dead serious. As the car stopped at a red light, the young man turned, held his hand tighter, leaned in closer, and asked in an even more earnest tone.
“Someday… will you marry me, Nuea?”
“Khun Lom…” Namnuea could only let out a soft groan, staring at the unblinking eyes that felt like a marriage proposal right then and there. He didn’t know whether to be thrilled or flustered.
A proposal at a red light, really?
Smack.
“Look at the road, the light’s green,” Namnuea said, giving Sailom a firm pat on the shoulder. Sailom pouted but turned back to the road. Namnuea couldn’t help but tease.
“You already know weddings are a hassle. And you still want to plan one?”
“Because I love you.”
That one sentence wrapped it all up, just like Sun said.
Namnuea had no comeback, only a flushed face as he turned to stare out at the road.
That reaction prompted the former groom to ask softly, “Nuea, is it so chaotic you don’t even want to think about it?” “It’s… not that,” Namnuea mumbled quietly. “It’s chaotic, sure, but even so, lots of people still want to do it. Me… someday…” His voice was faint. Last year, he didn’t even dare imagine his own wedding, thinking he’d live a lonely gay life forever. But this year, he’s been thinking about it… way too much.
Because of the Person by My Side
Right now, he has someone he wants to plan a wedding with. “Hmm, someday, Nuea,” Sailom said in a soft voice, intertwining his fingers with the hand he held.
A wedding might be chaotic, with many people involved, but Sailom promised, “I swear, Nuea, our love will be just us. I won’t let anyone make things hard for you, no matter what.” The tall figure spoke, and the listener could only offer a faint smile, trusting that this man could do it.
If Sailom said he’d do something, he could do anything.
“It’s okay. I’m willing to face the hardship,” Namnuea replied.
“Hm?”
A raised eyebrow replaced a question, prompting Namnuea to speak with a steady voice.
“Because I love you. No matter how tough it gets, I’m ready to walk with you.”
“Thank you, Nuea. Thank you for loving me.”
Their tightly clasped hands were the answer. As the luxury car drove back to the condominium, they awaited a call from Canada, someone begging for wedding blessings.
The path they chose to walk together.
Even if today’s path doesn’t lead to a wedding ceremony, they’ve learned that a wedding means nothing if two hearts aren’t firmly bound. So, when the day comes when their hearts reach the altar, Sailom will surely ask again:
“Marry me.”
And on that day, Namnuea will answer with full conviction:
“With pleasure.”
Until that day comes… even without a grand wedding announced to the world, as long as their two hearts are tightly entwined, no matter the obstacles, they’ll support each other to overcome them.
Because love is a matter of two people… not a crowd, and just two hearts.
My Wedding Planner
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