[Six Weeks After Rescue - Estate Gates]
Rain was sketching in the gardens when Prapai approached, his expression troubled.
"Rain, there's someone here to see you. You can say no—"
"Who?" Rain asked, immediately tense.
"Phayu's therapist, Dr. Wanchai. He says Phayu has been making progress and has written you a letter. He wants to deliver it personally and explain."
Rain's first instinct was to refuse. But curiosity won. "Does he know I'll probably throw it away?"
"I told him. He still wants to try."
"Okay. But you stay with me."
"Always."
Dr. Wanchai was a calm man in his fifties.
He sat across from Rain in the estate's sitting room, a sealed envelope in his hands.
"Thank you for seeing me, Rain. I know this must be difficult."
"What does he want?" Rain asked bluntly.
"To apologize. To take accountability. Not to win you back—he understands that's impossible. But to offer closure, if you want it."
"I don't need his closure."
"I understand. But Rain, I've been working with Phayu for weeks now. He's been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and attachment disorder. He's in intensive treatment."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better? That he had disorders?" Rain's voice hardened. "Lots of people have mental health issues and don't become abusers."
"You're absolutely right," Dr. Wanchai agreed. "His diagnoses explain his behavior but don't excuse it. That's what we're working on—helping him understand that distinction."
He held out the envelope. "You don't have to read this now. Or ever. But if someday you want to know that he understands what he did, it's here."
Rain stared at the envelope like it might bite him.
Finally, he took it.
"Thank you," Dr. Wanchai said. "And Rain? For what it's worth—your strength in leaving, in surviving, in healing—it's remarkable. Don't let anyone, including yourself, tell you otherwise."
After he left, Rain held the envelope, feeling its weight.
Prapai sat beside him. "Want me to throw it away?"
"No. Maybe... maybe I'll read it someday. When I'm stronger."
"You're already strong," Prapai said softly.
"Then when I'm ready," Rain corrected.
He tucked the letter away, unopened.
Some closure could wait...