After the school day ended, Prae, Tom, Maria, and Emma hopped in a cab to Lumphini Park, the spot Prae had recommended for releasing their krathongs. Traffic inched along the wide downtown streets.

Tom leaned toward Maria. "Why did you change your mind about Samet?"

"In Edmonton, I kept picturing relaxing on a beach during this trip. After being here for over a month, the only sand I've seen was my students' art projects. I want to save money, but I talked to Sunshine, and she said the more opportunities I close myself off from, the less I will grow and change."

"You don't need to change," Tom said.

"Do you think I've been taking advantage of my life abroad? I've been miserable." Unfamiliar buildings, signs and shops flew by.

"You've been understandably upset, but you're cooking different foods, exploring the city and experiencing new festivals, and you have us."

"I'm also hiding in my apartment, on my phone, or daydreaming about the past."

"It doesn't mean they should pressure you to drink."

This was like arguing with Adrian, so she smiled, agreed, and stared at the international fast-food chains and businesses outside. She wasn't going just to drink, but he shouldn't judge her if she did. The last time she went out, despite having ended her 'relationship' with Adrian, she had a successful night, only relying on Shannon and Peter for directions, not stability.

"I'm not a helpless girl who can't decide for herself."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be controlling. It's easy to get sucked into the party mindset and do things you regret when you travel with this group," Tom said.

Emma frowned. "You're making us sound like monsters."

"That's not what I meant. If you're not used to living that way, it's harder to accept being so out of control, at least in my experience."

Maria uncrossed her legs and smoothed out her long skirt. It wasn't fair to treat Tom like Adrian when Tom was only warning her off experiences he'd suffered himself.

"I'm sorry, Tom." She took a deep breath and looked into his hazel eyes. "I ended things with my ex this weekend for good. He judged my behaviour and choices a lot, and I'm still carrying it around."

Tom's expression softened. "Why didn't you say something?"

Maria shrugged. Mitch had reassured and refocused her, and she enjoyed turning to him even though he should be the last person to give relationship advice. "I didn't want to waste any more energy on it."

"Good choice. You deserve so much better."

Prae turned toward them from the passenger seat. "Send away your negative thoughts on the krathong. Maybe they will reach Canada and your friend."

Maria laughed. Prae wasn't typically so direct, but her tone implied she didn't care for Adrian either.

"As long as they're no longer with me," Maria said.

After the cab dropped them in front of a statue of a man with a tall hat and a sword, Prae led their group past the gates into the green space. As they ventured deeper into the park along the main road towards meandering ponds, trees blocked out some traffic noise and buildings.

Tom glanced at her, hands in his pockets. "How did your ex take the news?"

"He was a jerk. We broke up because he cheated with my best friend, and they're still dating. Last week, they moved in together after he told me he'd leave her. When I confronted him, he blamed me for moving abroad." Maria's eyes stung with the onset of tears.

Tom's jaw twitched. "What an asshole."

She nodded with her lips pressed shut, afraid a sob would escape with her words. He peered at her face, then drew her into a big hug. Her arms encircled his torso, and she shook as the tears fell.

Everyone else: Sunshine, Tina, her mother, even Mitch, expected her to be strong and move past this. But Tom understood it still hurt to feel used and worthless. To be so manipulated she accepted insults and lies as intimacy.

"When I get back to Canada, I'll punch him in the face for you."

Maria laughed through her tears. "There's a lineup."

"Because you're a remarkable person, Maria. People would do a lot for you if you'd let them."

"Thanks, Tom." She pulled away, her chest growing lighter.

As they trailed behind Emma and Prae, he kept an arm around her shoulder. While it didn't evoke the same heat as Mitch's touch, it comforted her. The soft grass squished beneath their shoes as they approached a bridge and a large pond.

"Has he said anything since you broke up?"

Maria nodded. He'd sent dozens of apologetic e-mails. In anger, she'd deleted the initial ones, but the more that appeared, the more curious she grew. They contained empty apologies with excuses for his actions and why he had the right to feel and act this way. She replied once that she had the right to be upset, and her decision was final. But she didn't apologize. She'd done that enough.

"He's being defensive and won't take responsibility for hurting me. It's like a switch in my brain flipped, and it's clear what everyone else saw."

Tom gave her a small smile. "Such a painful relief to move on."

Maria nodded. Couples in white swan-shaped paddle boats made their way around the lake and under a low bridge.

"Hurry, slowpokes, we're renting swans!" Emma hollered from farther up the path.

Raising an eyebrow, Maria shifted away from Tom and scurried toward her other friends. Prae approached the boat rental stand and after speaking with the vendor, she left with a curt nod.

"Sorry, they close soon for the holiday, no rentals," Prae said.

"Too bad," Maria said.

"What? Let me talk to him." Without waiting for Prae's interjection, Tom trotted to the man who shook his head and pointed at his wrist.

"They close early because the krathongs get released in the water, right?" Emma asked.

Prae nodded

Tom plodded back with hunched shoulders. "We'll have an early supper."

"Lebanese anyone?" Emma asked with an eager grin.

A short walk from the park's entrance, they found a fancy Lebanese restaurant tucked in the back corner of an office building. The Thai servers wore dress shirts and black pants and brought an appetizer plate of vegetables with three dipping sauces to their cozy booth.

"Best garlic sauce in Bangkok." Emma coated a tomato in a thick layer of dip.

Prae tried it with a cucumber, and her eyes widened. "That's strong." She flipped through the menu. "I have never eaten this food before."

"We could split a platter. It comes with different meats and ingredients to make wraps," Emma suggested. They all agreed and ordered as the waiter dropped off waters.

"Going to eat the chilis, Prae?" Tom teased.

"No, too spicy for me."

"But you're Thai!" he protested.

"I'm from North Thailand. Our food has many vegetables, herbs, also bitter, salty, and savoury flavours, but it is not as spicy as other regions. I often miss it." Prae gazed at the arching brickwork around the windows.

"Do you see your family much?" Maria asked.

"I will go for New Year's celebrations. If you'd like to come, my family would be honoured to host you all. Our home is always busy during the holidays, and my father loves foreigners. It helps him and my brothers practice their English."

"Sounds great." Tom grinned. "We'll trade conversation for an unforgettable experience."

Prae smiled warmly at Tom. "Also, my family says I have no Bangkok friends, so this will prove them wrong."

Emma laughed. "Oh Prae, you get better and better. I'm in for this Northern New Year getaway, and you, Maria?"

"If three isn't too many..."

"You must come." Prae clasped her hands together. "My mother thinks it is fascinating your family is from the Philippines, but you grew up in Canada, and my brother wants to meet you."

"Why?" Maria asked.

"I tell a lot of stories, and they've seen your cooking page."

Tom nudged her shoulder. "You have admirers you haven't even met yet. How can you say no?"

Maria smiled. "It'd be an honour to stay with your family, Prae. Hopefully, one day, mine will return the favour."

"Me in Canada?" Prae's eyes went wide. "I would have to marry a wealthy man or win the lottery."

"We'll keep an eye out for you." Emma winked. "Loy Krathong is romantic, isn't it? Or were my coworkers lying to me last year?"

"Couples float a krathong together. If the candle stays lit, some people believe they will have a happy future."

"Maybe it works if they're close too. We'll find a few gorgeous, well-dressed men to set up next to, block the wind, and it will seal our fates, right?" Emma raised her eyebrows up and down. Prae shook her head and laughed.

The servers arrived, carrying a full tray of shawarma meat, pita, and veggies. The rotisserie meat made her mouth water. Everyone raced to dig in and make their wraps. Maria licked the sauce off her fingers and folded the pita. The dish was richer and juicier than she'd imagined. By the looks of the bare platter ten minutes later, their group agreed.

When they split the bill, Prae and Maria exchanged a wide-eyed look. Each person paid the price of at least six regular Thai meals or everything Maria and Mitch had ordered at Wang Lang Market, but neither Emma nor Tom reacted. With a tight chest, Maria placed her cash alongside her coworkers'. There was nothing she could do now.

As she and Prae walked out of the restaurant, they stopped at krathong tables on the sidewalk. Pretty bunches of blooms decorated the boats below their candles and incense. Some were purple, bright yellow or orange, and tranquil white. Other krathongs boasted layers of flowers like forest wedding cakes with delicately folded leaves, which put and her and her students' earlier work to shame. The numbers on the signs convinced Maria her experience this morning was sufficient. She could watch and take pictures.

Tom strode over holding three beautiful krathongs with bright purple flowers and handed one to her and the other to Prae.

"You didn't have to do this, Tom," Maria said.

"He would only give me a good price if I bought three."

It wasn't a great lie. He read people well and probably noticed her discomfort when paying for supper. While it was kind, she should have managed her money better to avoid needing help. She'd have to be careful in Samet.

"Thank you," Maria and Prae said.

Maria's fingers traced the sides of the folded leaves as the group moved with the crowd toward the park. Her shoulders brushed against other people's as they rushed by. The sun had set, and the sky was fading to a darker blue. Tom slowed to walk alongside her while Emma and Prae jokingly assessed the crowd for potential suitors.

"Picking memories to float away on the krathong?" he asked.

"Not really."

"I have many, but next year, I'll be hard-pressed to find anything." He smiled at her.

Her eyes dropped to her krathong. The coming year could offer her stress and nothing romantic, or she could stumble upon something worthwhile. At the moment, anything seemed forced and awkward, including Tom's not-so-subtle hints. Just because he had processed his break up and wanted someone new, didn't mean she had.

"I'll be grateful to reflect on my own for a while," Maria said.

Tom nodded and assessed the sizeable crowds ahead. "That's important too. I learned a lot then." He let the conversation fizzle out, which Maria appreciated.

Soon, they squeezed into a nook along the lake. Some families carried elaborate krathongs, but most boats were modest like Maria's. Flames flickered on and off, lending their dancing energy to candles and incense sticks. Maria closed her eyes to inhale the soothing earthy scents, not letting the chatter of many multilingual conversations overpowered her senses.

Prae passed the lighter so Maria could illuminate her krathong's candle. Slow incense smoke swirled toward the darkening sky. A small group cheered nearby, and a young man pulled a woman into a tight embrace.

Maria got a sudden chill, as she recalled being that happy, then acting when the joy faded and using the initial memories to trudge through misery. Perhaps they would follow the same path, or she had chosen a poor partner. Her gaze rested on the orchid flowers at the candle's base.

Tom wanted to please others and lessen their burdens. He was intuitive and sweet to those he cared about. Even Mitch, the guy who apparently threw away relationships like used tissues, had been kinder and more interested in her well-being than Adrian. Her ex claimed he loved her, despite Kelsey's excited selfies about moving in together as she cozied into Adrian's arms. It was time to move on.

"Maria, Tom, you're up." Emma waved them to the shore.

Maria held onto Emma's hand, so she didn't slip on the muddy path on the lake's edge. As her and Tom's krathongs sailed, their candles flickered with the hundreds of others in the pond, casting beautiful reflections. The boats travelled closely before an unexpected gust of wind blew out Tom's candle.

"Looks like you're both off the hook," Emma said. "And neither Prae nor I have a rich suitor, but traditions aren't set in stone." Emma slung her arms over Prae and Maria's shoulders. "Something fantastic is coming for us."

"You should have invited Shawn," Maria teased.

Emma stiffened, then smiled. "He's nice, but not my type."

"I never understand why foreign teachers never value a kind, supportive man. Why chase the least reliable ones?" Prae asked.

"They get a thrill out of fixing the cast-offs. Then they're upset when their partner is still a jerk," Tom said.

Maria let out a deep breath. Dark songs and a brooding attitude had drawn her to Adrian, and she'd enjoyed being the one who could influence his moods. If she was honest with herself, the person she was the most attracted to out here wasn't far from Adrian's unstable mark. Although the man's pain seemed more masked and avoided than her ex's, his actions were confusing, and nothing about him screamed emotional security, least of all the words he spoke.