Ballistically.

Time seemed to slow down and sound grew muffled as Aor handed the stroller to me and told me to look after her son for a moment. My mouth hung open as she went storming across the hotel lobby to the elevator and her husband caught red handed. The entire activity of the lobby stopped and looked as a screaming match, almost completely one sided, erupted in Thai. I couldn’t understand a word that was said but didn’t need to as Aor pulled off her great high heels and started hitting her husband around the shoulders with them. My legs were rooted to the spot and it was only when Aor started to grab and pull the hair of the other girl as she sort to make her escape that I darted in, grabbing her around the waist and lifting her up and carrying her back to her child as she continued to scream an unending string of curses.

It was the cries of Aor’s baby that snapped her back to reality as immediate sort to comfort the poor frightened child in her arms but bouncing him and speaking soothing words to him. Aor’s husband and the girl had each fled in different directions as I too sort to get Aor away from the situation, knowing all too well that security had certainly been called and would be on their way to the lobby. I put my arm around Aor’s waist and let her outside to the waiting taxi rank, the baby stroller in my other. Aor had thrown her heels in the capsule while she carried the baby, happy walking barefoot.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked as a driver pulled up before from the waiting cars. The driver getting out and collapse the pram away into the boot.

“Take me back to yours. I don’t want to go home right now.”

Understanding completely, I told the driver my address and rode along quietly with Aor sitting beside me in the back. At my house, I helped her upstairs and showed her to my room when she asked if she could lie down with her son for a little while.

Not knowing what I should do and not wanting to spill the details of Aor’s ordeal in a group chat, I called the only person I knew would know what to do, Piya. While Aor and her son slept I told Piya what had happened at the hotel with Aor and her husband. Piya was shocked and extremely angry but said I did the right thing getting Aor away from there and bringing her back to mine. She told me she would pack a few things for Aor and drop them around to me shortly.

Aor was sitting asleep in my room when Piya knocked quietly on my door. I gave her a hug and a kiss as I showed her inside. Piya had brought a large overnight style bag with her that contained clothes for Aor, as well as a cooler bag that contained food enough for Aor and I over the next day. I asked Piya if she wanted to stay until Aor woke up but she told me it was best I just be there for her for now. Look after her, Piya told me. “Any way she needs,” she told me as I said goodbye to my girlfriend as we exchanged ‘I love you’s on the doorstep.

It was early evening and already getting dark when Aor came back out of my bedroom with her son. She’d been crying and was grateful for the items Piya had dropped off while she slept. I took her boy to look after while she went to the bathroom to remove her run make up and get changed. When she came back I set about heating dinner up while Aor and the baby played on a rug in front of the television.

The food Piya had dropped off was all homemade Thai food and delicious. I have no idea how she’d managed to prepare so much in such a short amount of time but it was just another of the amazing mysteries about her.

As we ate Aor thanked me for everything I’d done today. “Thank you for all the work you put in with the rum idea. I never could have found any of that information on my own.”

“Its just what I do. It’s what I’ve been studying for a couple of years now so kind of my specialty,” I said being honest about what I’ve been learning.

“And thank you for what you did at the hotel. Its…”

“You don’t need to say anything. We don’t need to talk about it,” I said trying to comfort Aor.

“Thank you,” Aor smiled, relieved not to have to go over it again. “Do you mind if we stay the night? I can’t face going home at the moment and I don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Of course, Aor, you know that,” I said.

“Even with the little baby?”

“As I said at the restaurant, he’s a dear little thing.”

Aor helped me with plates while I did the dishes. It wasn’t long before she had to put her son down for the night. The pram she’d brought with her today luckily doubled as a bed which he was comfortable sleeping in. As I said goodnight to the little man, Aor told me that she was going to get changed again and hoped Piya had packed something for her to sleep in.

Twenty minutes later Aor called out to me, “Piya thinks she’s so damn funny!”

Not knowing what Aor meant I turned and saw exactly. Aor leant against the doorframe to the lounge in a tiny spaghetti strapped nightie that was made of lace and almost see through material in the brightest of pink colour.

“Wow!” I respond upon seeing Aor dressed like that.

“This is the exact sort of thing I’d expect from Yui not Piya!”

“Yeah she got me at the pool party with that kangaroo thing,” I agree.

“Aww Roo! I’d forgotten that. I hope your not going to wear that to bed tonight.”

“No, I’m a boxers only kind of guy,” I tell Aor of my usual nightly wardrobe. “I’ll sleep on the couch tonight and give you guys the room.”

“No!” Aor cried out, “you have to be in with me. I really can't be alone right now.”

“Ok I will,” I agreed.

“Good,” Aor smiled happily. “What did you want to do till then? Watch a movie perhaps?”