Days After You's

Chapter 42 - Baikan

With sweat drenching my forehead, I quickly walked down the hospital corridor to the room where Stella's father said they were. As much as possible I avoid people who pass by with their various affairs there.

There's nothing I can think of other than that I should see Stella immediately. I see, when I reached the front of the room in question, I immediately turned the doorknob and pushed in.

"Stella—" call me reflex before stopping when you see the situation in the room.

There was Stella, her father, and a nun who was wrapping Stella's ankles in gauze. Aside from her feet, from my position, there was no visible wound or other injury to Stella sitting on the bed.

The three men turned towards me.

"Oh Luiz, you're already here," Stella's father nodded and hinted at me to get closer. Next to her, Stella who was sitting on the bed looked down at her feet.

"What's going on?" My toot.

Stella's father sighed, "This Stella came to the house, when she just wanted to go home she fell down the stairs, as a result he nudged the ceramic vase under the ceramic shards as well to tear the skin in his ankle area. He also fainted from it."

"Fall down?" My toot. Not hit?

Stella's father nodded, "She fell. It's a good thing he came to his senses not long after arriving here, and his injuries aren't wide either and could recover in the near future, aren't they Sus?"

The nurse who handled Stella's leg stood up and smiled, confirming, "Yes, sir, for about a week if the wound is also completely dry, the sewing thread can be removed. It's finished my bandage, later than three days can come here again to change the new bandage."

"Okay, thank you, Sus," said Stella's father when the nurse left.

Relief soon covered me when I heard the explanation from Stella's father and sister. My assumptions turned out to be wrong and Stella was not the same woman who got hit in front of the gate of the complex.

"Luiz, this is the doctor's medicine, I've boiled it," Stella's father patted me on the shoulder and gestured over the clear plastic containing drugs on the nightstand, "Jaga Stella yes, "Jaga Stella, try not to move much let alone walk first. I have to go home now, pity her mama was left at home daritadi. He must be worried. You guys are fine, don't fight too often, finish everything well. Okay?"

Hearing the last sentence, I looked up. Did Stella tell her dad about our fight last night? I glanced at Stella but she was still down.

I looked back at Stella's father and nodded, "Yes, Dad. I get it."

"Yes, I went home first. Stella you're careful when the road ahead yeah, you made me hang when I fell earlier."

"Yes Pa..."

The sound of the door opening and closing again afterwards also marked the departure of Stella's father from the hospital room. I glanced at Stella who slowly raised her face back. His eyebrows slanted upwards as he opened his mouth, "I-I didn't tell dad that we had a fight. But he knew right away because I kept him from calling you here. Luiz I—"

I crouched down, looking at Stella's feet on the bandage, "Sick?"

"Aah?"

"Your feet. Too sick?"

Stella shook her head slowly, "Not really..."

"Would you use a wheelchair or just carry it to the car?"

"Wheel seat!" Stella exclaimed loudly. Fortunately, I asked for a VIP room so it was just the two of us in the room, "Eh. It doesn't need to be both, I can still walk on my own" Stella said.

I smiled slightly as I stood back up, "Hm, but I'm not sure you won't fall down again later on the hospital stairs, I just carry it."

Stella's cheeks turned red, her lips pursed in a fit of anxiety as she muttered, "...I'm not that stupid."

"Other than this, there really is no other wound right? The one that hurts or bruises?" I made sure again and Stella shook her head.

"OKAY. Let's just go home now then."

I grabbed the plastic containing the medicine earlier, gave it to Stella to hold and moved to carry it later. Because he refused to be carried in front, I carried him behind my back. Beyond my estimation, Stella's body feels so light, but she's not that thin but she's so light that I feel like I'm not holding an adult anymore.

There weren't too many people in the hospital, so there were only a few people watching me carry Stella to the exit.

The two arms of Stella that were coiled around my neck suddenly tightened, "Luiz."

"There's no shame. I'm just holding you, not kissing you in public."

"Luiz!" Stella half exclaimed in a low volume that only I could hear. I'm laughing a little.

"Thank God you're just a minor injury" I said, silently holding back the happy sensation of Stella's body clinging to me, "I was in a panic when I couldn't find you at home. I thought you were the woman who got hit in front of the complex gate."

"What's wrong, it's only natural that you lash out, I already scolded you for trivial things yesterday. I'm the one who apologized for yesterday."

Stella shook her head to make her long hair rub against my cheeks and neck, "I'm wrong too.sorry."

Stella, who no longer wants me to misunderstand, immediately explained about her meeting yesterday with her ex.

"He really came just to apologize, no other meaning," explained Stella.

It turned out that the man really only intended to apologize without asking anything more to Stella, he really felt guilty for what he had done in the past that had hurt Stella and her family. After accidentally meeting Stella at a restaurant, guilt returns to haunt her. Now that the man has been successful, he wants to pay for all the treasures he once drained from Stella but of course Stella refused him because he was sincere.

Stella also said that sometimes she still occasionally remembers her happy moments with the man—I ignored the tightness that arose in my heart to listen to—but she realized that it was the past and only just make it a memory in his mind.

I dropped Stella off to open the car door and help her sit down. Don't forget I also put a seatbelt on him.

From a distance only a few inches away from my face, Stella looked at me with her shining eyes and her brilliant smile, "Thank you, Luiz."

I smiled and ruffled her hair slowly, "Hm."

After that night, Stella was still routine to go see her mother even though with a limited frequency until her legs were completely recovered. I'll drop him off in the morning before work and pick him up on his way home.

Right now, I've just finished discussing with my dad in his study about some of the company's business and was preparing to leave when my dad suddenly asked about Stella's mother's condition.

I paused the intention to stand, "It has improved but still has to keep resting. Stella was still there a lot to see her mother."

"Oh thank God, may his mother recover quickly. And about Stella...how's your relationship with him, Mr. Wesley said you had a fight?"

I tried to think of an answer for a moment, "It's just a matter of course, now we're okay."

"Hm. That nice. The quarrel is just one part of the household trip, don't let it keep you away, "dad's sipping coffee.

I waited for him to put his cup back before continuing to ask, "Dad, why did you and grandpa choose Stella from among the many other director's children who can also be betrothed to me?"

Out of nowhere, I suddenly wanted to ask that question at this moment.

"Ah, you're finally asking that. From the beginning you never asked us why, why all of a sudden?"

"That's it, I'm just curious."

Dad leaned back and rubbed his chin, "Hm about that, 'cause we think she's the girl that suits you best. That simple. She's not the woman you see in business meetings or who's as accomplished as your mother would like her to be, but her nature from my point of view can make you more balanced. I'm your father, even though I'm not the perfect, loving father like everyone else out there, I know you and know what's best for you. Grandpa is too."

I did ask but I also did not expect to get sentimental answers from my father. The same father who had always educated me so hard was now speaking to me with...warm? It was strange to be treated this way all of a sudden.

"You really don't remember meeting Stella? He also used to play at our house and play with you when he was a kid, well even though the day ended less well" said the father again.

I blinked, "...Less delicious?"

"Yes. If I don't remember wrong, you were seven and Stella was four. When he first met you, he liked you. He keeps calling you brothers and following you everywhere. Coincidentally that time also coincided with your cousins and the other father's co-worker's son stopping by, so you all went out playing together. I don't remember how it must have been, but you suddenly came home with a sour face holding a crying Stella on your back. You scolded her in front of everyone, said you hated her and she never came back after that."

My father laughed and remembered but I could only be silent. If your memory is correct, does that mean I've hurt Stella since I was a child? Do—apa Stella still remember about this? I don't think he was four years old at the time. If the bigger me doesn't remember, there's no way he'll remember.

Dad smiled, "It's only natural that you don't remember, you're very small. But just so you know, it's hard enough to persuade Mr. Wesley first to give him permission to marry you to Stella, because he still remembers the incident, she's afraid you'll hate and treat Stella as badly as you used to."

Ah worth it. Before marrying Stella and in the early days of our marriage, Mr. Wesley, whenever he met me during a joint meeting at the company, he seemed to have been cold to me. Now I know why.

I shook my head and smiled, "I'm a little afraid to meet Mr. Wesley after this."

"You want to go to Mr Wesley's?"

I nodded, "Yes, go get Stella."

"Ah, greetings to Mr. Wesley and his wife then. Stella is too. Take it easy, you've proved enough that you're a good son-in-law until now."

Pretty, yeah.

I smiled a small smile, "I hope so too."