Chpt 4

“Do you live here now, Az, uh… I mean Nis? Sorry, I’m not used to it yet.”

Aldo was a bit awkward calling Nisa by a different name.

“Yes, it’s okay, Aldo. I understand. Thank you very much, I’ll get out now!” Nisa got out of Aldo’s car.

Aldo looked around Nisa’s neighborhood, which was very different from the last time he visited Nisa’s house with his friend.

“Is this why she left back then? She should have told me. I would have helped, and Leon wouldn’t have misunderstood her.” Aldo’s thoughts echoed again.

Aldo drove his car; he had to get home because his wife, Sofia, and their beloved daughter, Nata, were surely waiting for him.

A luxurious house was the final destination for Aldo’s car. The white-painted gate opened, and Aldo’s car entered, greeted by several guards who were always ready.

“Daddy!” a little girl shouted, running towards Aldo.

“Hi, sweetheart, Daddy missed you. How was your trip with Mommy?” Aldo immediately hugged his beloved daughter.

“Hmph, Daddy lied! You said you would pick me and Mommy up!” the sweet girl with long curly hair pouted.

“Forgive Daddy, Nata, Daddy had an urgent matter. I promise you can ask for anything tomorrow,” Aldo coaxed.

“All day?”

“Uh-huh, all day!”

“Promise, Daddy!” Nata said, showing her little pinky finger to make a promise.

“Ahem,” a melodious voice behind Nata caught Aldo’s attention. Aldo stood up and immediately hugged his beloved wife.

“I missed you, Sofia!” Aldo whispered, as if holding back his longing.

“Hush, Nata is still here,” Sofia whispered, reminding him.

Aldo slowly released his hug, looking at Nata, who stood with her hands on her hips, watching her beloved father’s behavior.

“Mommy, don’t interrupt. Today and tomorrow, Daddy is only mine!” Nata said, showing a typical child’s pouty face.

“Oops, sorry, Mommy didn’t know. Mommy thought your agreement with Daddy started tomorrow.” Sofia pinched her ears, admitting her mistake.

“Alright, for this time, Mommy, I forgive you. Don’t do it again tomorrow, okay?” Sofia raised two fingers beside her ears.

“Sorry, sweetheart!”

“Hmph, who does your daughter take after? I’m her mother, and she treats me as a rival!” Sofia grumbled in Aldo’s ear.

“Hehehe!” Aldo replied with a hearty chuckle.

Aldo’s habit before Nata went to sleep was that he and his wife, Sofia, had to stay with her until she fell asleep.

“What made you late?” Sofia asked when they were already in bed after putting Nata to sleep.

“I met her,” Aldo said, stroking Sofia’s hair. Sofia changed her sleeping position, leaning on the edge of the bed.

“Are you angry?” Aldo looked at his wife, who was still silent.

“Have I ever been angry with you?” Sofia’s soft voice asked as she caressed Aldo’s cheek. Aldo kissed Sofia’s hands.

“I want to introduce you to her. Are you okay with that? I want to tell her that I’m very happy to have met you. And Nata, our child, has become an extraordinary source of motivation. Thanks to your patience, I realize I can’t imagine my days without you!” Sofia smiled sweetly, hugging Aldo.

“Thank you, darling. I’m very lucky to have met and married you,” Sofia said.

“I am the luckiest man to have you, Sofia,” Aldo said sincerely.

“So when do you plan to introduce her?” Sofia smiled, welcoming her husband’s good intentions.

“How about tomorrow?”

“Will she mind?”

“I haven’t told her yet, but I don’t think she will mind!”

“Alright, I agree. Sleep now.” Sofia was about to change her position.

“Uh-huh, come here!” Aldo pulled Sofia into his arms, and they slept together under the blanket.

Nisa was grateful to have met Aldo, who had managed to let her go. She couldn’t imagine if Aldo’s attitude was still the same as when they were dating—possessive and jealous.

At least, those were the fragmented memories she had of Aldo.

“I will sleep soundly tonight, and tomorrow I still have one day to laze around.” Nisa was already imagining relaxing the next day.

Her phone vibrated again; she grabbed it and put it to her ear.

“Hello, Dam.” Nisa’s voice from behind the pillow immediately mentioned Adam’s name.

“Ah, it turns out he already has someone he loves.”

“You’re not up yet?” came the voice from the other side.

“Uh-huh. You said I was still free today, right?”

“Oh, it turns out he works, where does he work?” Her heart kept asking and guessing.

“Today I want to introduce you to Sofia and Nata.”

“Sofia and Nata???”

Nisa began to open her eyes and connect the pieces of her thoughts. She was still gathering her wits to have a proper conversation. Nisa was startled, got up, and looked at her phone screen.

“Oh my God, it’s Aldo, not Adam.”

“Sorry, Aldo. I just woke up.” Nisa’s body suddenly straightened.

“Hahahaha, yes, I understand, you haven’t changed much.” Nisa was silent for a moment, awkward.

“Ah, okay. Where and what time do you want to meet?” Nisa quickly changed the subject.

“Lunch, I’ll share the location when I get there.”

“Okay.” The call ended.

It was already eleven in the morning, and Nisa’s heart suddenly pounded.

“Huh, it’s just meeting an ex, his wife, and his child. What should I bring to meet them?”

Nisa was frustrated thinking about their meeting after Aldo called her. She finally stopped by a flower and cake shop. She brought a bouquet of chrysanthemums and a chocolate cake as a gift for her meeting with her ex’s wife and child.

Aldo was seen joking and chatting with a woman who looked almost like him. A little girl was in the middle of them.

With slightly heavy steps, honestly, this was the first time Nisa had the courage to make peace with herself.

“Ha-hello,” Nisa greeted, already standing in front of their table.

Aldo recognized Nisa’s voice and immediately stood up. Sofia smiled, welcoming Nisa’s arrival, while Nata looked at her cautiously.

“You’re here, Nis!”

“Uh-huh, hi, I’m Nisa.” Nisa extended her hand to greet, unexpectedly, Sofia stood up and pulled Nisa into a hug.

“Sofia. Don’t be too formal, I’ve heard a lot about you. It turns out you’re more beautiful than what Aldo described.” Sofia didn’t hesitate to praise Nisa.

“Wow, he still tells lies about me. Nice to meet you, Sofia, this is for you.” Nisa felt everything was not as she had imagined. Sofia was very beautiful, friendly, and kind-hearted.

“I understand why Aldo could fall in love with her.” Nisa smiled, handing over the bouquet of chrysanthemums she had brought.

“Hey, Auntie. Who are you?” Nata’s small voice made Nisa turn her gaze to her.

“Hi, you must be Nata, I brought you a chocolate cake, for you!” Upon hearing her favorite chocolate cake, Nata immediately smiled.

“Chocolate cake? Where’s the cake, Auntie?” Nisa handed over a small plastic box containing the chocolate cake to Nata.

“Thank you very much, Auntie, Nata loves chocolate cake,” she said, speaking with the genuine cheerfulness of a child.

“Eat slowly, Nata, or you’ll choke,” Aldo said, seeing his beloved daughter eagerly eating the cake Nisa had given.

“It’s so nice to see. A complete family. Huh, I hope I get this beautiful thing soon.”