Chapter 5

"There's a lot of business that needs to be done, so stop joking around, Andreas," I told Andreas.

My heart was beating noisily, and it was starting to make me distracted and uncomfortable.

Andreas looks at me flatly, ignoring what I tell him. He pulls my hand, bringing my body closer to his. Our faces were facing each other, our lips almost touching if I didn't stop it by covering Andreas' lips with my hand. 

"We are family." I reminded him again firmly. I could feel the warmth in my palm as I silenced his lips. At the same time, his eyes looked at me intently without moving. "I don't want our family relationship to fall apart over something like this."

Andreas began with his unreasonable attitude, making it difficult for me to deal with him.

Andreas was silent, and he didn't reply to my words. But his jaw hardened, the expression on his face looking determined.

"I'm exhausted." I returned his gaze with some frustration. "I want to rest soon. There are many things I'm going through right now, and they're draining my energy and mind, so please stop with your current attitude." I pleaded with him.

His gaze, staring at me silently, seemed reluctant to turn away and obey me.

I let out a loud sigh. "My divorce is already depressing me enough, and I'm trying to be fine amidst the chaos I'm facing. So please, at least let me calm down, Andreas." I raised my tone of voice in front of him.

It seemed to work because Andreas took his eyes off me and started to restart his vehicle.

Andreas backs up, his eyes moving from my face to the road before him. He pulls on the brake lever, and I notice the veins in his hand that look taut, and then I see his hand clenching into a tight fist. He was holding back his emotions.

I turned my face away from there and stared out the window, ignoring his emotions. I was too tired of things anyway and didn't want to get even more tired of her.

I watched the road we traveled, which wasn't marked as home. "You're not taking me home?" I returned my gaze to him.

Andreas glanced at me, then sighed softly. "Calm down a bit, and I won't do anything to you that's insensitive to what's going on." He explained in a rather chiding tone if I didn't hear him wrong.

Insensitive? I snorted inwardly. He didn't know what I was doing because of that.

Andreas' eyes looked at me bitterly, and he was still upset. But his attitude was better than before, so I didn't feel depressed and upset because of him.

"I promised to take you to get a new atmosphere, and you need to calm your mind." He steered the vehicle on a familiar road in my memory.

I took a deep breath, then justified my position comfortably. At least I didn't have to feel anxious about being in a car alone with him since he was already a little tame.

"We're here," Andreas said, stopping the car.

I sat up straight, then looked forward to see what place Andreas was referring to. When I saw it, my eyes were stunned, and I was nostalgic for my old memories of that place.

I turned my head towards Andreas, and he caught my reaction with a faint smile on the corner of his lips that made me feel calm because it was like seeing him at the beginning of our relationship.

"I told you, you'll like it." He got out of the car, and so did I, who felt a little excited as the warmth of the place reached my heart.

I stared at the small building whose ornaments were made almost entirely of wood with a look of amazement, and I covered my mouth in disbelief. "This little café still exists?" I said offhandedly, my longing for the past coming to me unbidden and warming my heart.

I could feel Andreas's gaze on me even though I didn't see him. "Let's go in and see if this cafe is still the same as the last time you came."

I nodded, and without waiting for Andreas, I walked in first, opening the wooden door, which, as I slid it open, made a distinctive ticking sound, just like every time I opened it in the past.

The scene inside the small cafe took my breath away; even the corners of the room were still preserved and looked the same. Also, the middle-aged man standing behind the bar counter who was currently greeting me with his warm smile. That man was Jhonny. I looked towards another corner and found Eva, who was arranging the pastries in the display case.

"You're certainly less tired now, right?" Andreas whispered near me.

I ignored him. I quickly walked towards the display case. "Eva..." I called out to the middle-aged woman, who averted her eyes and looked at me with a cheerful face.

The woman smiled; although the corners of her lips had deep creases due to age, Eva still looked beautiful.

She spread her arms. "Vanessa!" she exclaimed happily, immediately embracing me.

While in her arms, I inhaled the sweet, smoky scent of Eva. The sweet smell of her baked cake became a pleasant perfume on my nose. "It's good to see you, Eva."

"I missed you so much." She released her embrace on me and looked at me with her warm eyes. "It's been a long time since you came, dear."

I stared at that face, and it felt so good to come to the café and meet him. "Yes, I just had time to come now, Ev." The corners of my eyes almost closed as I smiled at her.

Behind me, I could feel Andreas watching me closely. I pretended not to know about what he was doing by busying myself talking to Eva.

He had no idea that his gaze on me was so uncomfortable. Whenever he looked at me warmly with his talking-like eye, my body felt like fire.

My heart was beating weakly, and my whole body felt uncomfortable like being exposed without clothes in front of him. On the one hand, I was embarrassed, and on the other hand. I was uncomfortable with it, and then afterward, I felt angry. I had mixed feelings, and it made me extremely tired.

"Jhonny.... Jhonny, come and see who's here, babe!" Eva called out, her hand still faithfully clasping mine. "Jhonny's having a bit of trouble with his eyesight," Eva said, telling me a little about Jhonny's latest condition, which, of course, I didn't know.

No wonder, when he saw me, he just smiled and didn't greet me. I was a little saddened to know that the beautiful couple at the café were getting older and showing physical signs of no longer working optimally.

"Who are you talking about, babe?" Jhonny came over to us while behind me, Andreas was still watching.

Eva smiled broadly at Jhonny. "Take a look with your glasses." She pointed to the glasses on a chain hanging from Jhonny's chest. 

"Why do you always take your glasses off when needed?" Eva chuckled and began to grumble, surprised at Jhonny.

It used to be the same way. I remember that Jhonny would occasionally use the glasses in his pocket to read the small print on coffee or tea packets or even when he read the newspaper.

Jhonny put on his glasses and then looked up at me. "Vanessa?" He looks surprised; then he seems to laugh happily. "Honey, this is Vanessa." He turned to Eva.

I smiled and hugged him, greeting the warm older man who always treated me to his homemade milk tea. "Yes, it's me, Vanessa, Johnny."

He returned my hug, and then, as our embrace broke, he looked behind me. "Ah, you came with Andreas?"

I looked back, and Andreas was right behind me. He came at the right time. "Hello, Jhonny." He greeted Jhonnny, then walked over to Eva and gave her a small hug. "Eva, you keep getting prettier."

I agreed with his compliment to Eva.

Eva was the most beautiful woman her age, and her demeanor made me think of my grandmother. That's why I liked her so much, and was glad to see her again.

Eva smiled and gently caressed Andraes' cheek. "Your words are so sweet, Andreas."

"She said the right thing," Jhonny said aloud.

I chuckle at their light yet intimate interaction. Eva pulled me to their empty table, followed by Andreas behind us. "Sit down, I'll take your order."

Jhonny smiled and went back to his place while Andreas pulled out his chair and sat in front of me. "He still remembers our order," Andreas said, glancing at Eva.

Eva nodded proudly. "Of course, just wait here for a moment. I'll be right back." She left our presence immediately.

I glanced at Andreas with a smile, my enthusiasm still relatively high. "So you still come to this cafe often?" I asked him.

Andreas looked at me. "Yes. I visited this place often when someone who used to come here with me left his house." He looked at me intently.

I stepped back a bit, uncomfortable that Andreas was starting to act up again. But I felt a little guilty for the choices I had made. "I won't leave home again now, repeating my foolish actions of the past."

Andreas leaned towards me. "That's the right thing to do. That way, you'll be bound to me forever."

Andreas' eyes looked at me again warmly, making me caught in his gaze.

He reached out his hand and touched me. The warmth emanating from his hand crept into my nails and made my body feel hot and tingly.