JUST HUG ME FOR A SECOND

The Almost Extinguished Candle

Caroline smiled beautifully. The beautiful woman stood up to welcome her son. Caroline's happiness is inversely proportional to Evan's. He looks very forced to meet this dinner invitation. Caroline approached Evan intending to hug her son, but Evan coldly sat down in his chair without caring about Caroline's welcome to him, unfortunately caroline was not currently cared for by Evan.

Caroline gave a stiff smile and then she gracefully sat down on the chair in front of Evan covering up her true feelings. Evan looked at the woman before him at the moment with a cold gaze.

"Thank you for coming. I'm glad you're finally coming" said Caroline gently with a sweet smile. Evan seemed flat to respond to him. There was not the slightest smile on his face at this moment. No problem for Caroline. Enough Evan wanted to come, that was enough for him.

He took a glass and gave it to Evan. Evan accepts it coldly while continuing to hope that this day will quickly end. No matter how upset she is at the moment, she is still trying to remain calm against Caroline. He's holding a stalk of Caroline's gift glass.

"Do you remember, we met. When you graduated, I came as an invited guest at your graduation. We shook hands there" Caroline recalled, pouring red wine into the glass that Evan was holding.

"Do you know? I wanted so much to hold you back then that I couldn't hold back my tears. Seeing my handsome son become the best graduate student back then. How moved and proud I was at that time even though I couldn't show it to you directly" Caroline said at length with a feeling of sadness every time she remembered the moment.

Evan smiled at his cynical smile. He was not interested in chiming in, instead wanted it to feel like he was leaving immediately. But still he held it because after all had come and he also wanted to know what the purpose of this woman suddenly returned to his life.

"Even when I found out you were leaving the house, I immediately contacted your lecturer to take care of you during your escape. I also contacted your father Vishnu to calm him down. But it turns out you're causing trouble where you work. I also went to the man you had time with in Singapore and asked him not to sue you. You remind me of what happened in Singapore that time?" caroline again.

They were silent for a moment. Even Evan still does not want to be be befuddled, he looks not shocked by the description of Caroline and looks not interested as well. He drank the wine in his hand little by little by shaking his glass and sipping a few moments of the distinctive aroma of the wine with a strand of his cynical smile.

Caroline noticed that, she continued to enjoy her steak while looking at Evan.

"You're so handsome. It's fair that Richard's daughter is interested in you. Your bringing is also interesting," praised Caroline as she stuffed the steak into her mouth. Evan started looking at Caroline seriously. It seems that this woman did not immediately say the purpose of their meeting at this time. It'll be a long time to finish.

"Why lookin' for me? What the hell did you come for? Whatdoyouwant?" Read Evan sharply with the gaze of his eagle that seemed ready to pounce on his prey.

"I'm your mother. Can't I go see my son?" ask her back quietly and graciously.

"Mother?!" Evan is cynical. "A mother is always in the corner of her child's eye. Always be a good protector at all times and will defend his son no matter what," said Evan calmly although it is clear that at this time he is holding back his emotions. "Now I ask. Have you fulfilled any of that? You're not in the corner of my eye. You never protected me when I needed to. You didn't keep me for your own care either. You just took a handful of footage of my life and made it look like I was in college and working at the time all because of your blessing. Do you think without you I can't get all that? I studied and worked hard for it all. And now you've come to say you protected me and helped me back then" cynical Evan. "What do you want? You want to sue for money or what for everything you just told me?" Caroline fell silent, she placed a fork and knife on her plate with food that was still not finished. She wiped the tip of her lips slightly with the napkin on her lap.

"I know my arrival may be difficult to accept. Believe, son. I tried to get as close to you as possible. Only God knows how much I wanted to hug my son back then. But I can't" Caroline said in tears.

"You I've considered dead. Even if we meet now, you ... It means nothing to me anymore" said Evan, standing up and preparing to leave Caroline. But, just now Evan turned around and prepared to step away. Suddenly Caroline stopped him.

"I just want to hold you for a minute. And apologized for ever leaving you that time. Really my circumstances at that time did not allow me to take you. I'm sick and none of my family is willing to take care of you. That's why I gave you to your father, son,” Evan turned around.

Caroline stood there for a moment and finally took a deep breath and sat down to calm herself down. He dipped the wine in his glass with a single throat until the alcohol from the wine felt strong in his throat, making him close his eyes to resist the alcohol reaction. But he was also crying at the same time, he was sobbing in his position. He felt the pain of his son's harsh rejection. She kept crying herself in the hight class restaurant she had booked. Fortunately, there was no one else there at the moment until his cries did not invite attention, only a few waiters seemed to be staring at the incident before him at this time.

***

On the other hand Evan seemed glued to his car. He was silent with a blank look by tightly grasping the steering wheel of his car. For a moment Evan bowed and tried to control himself again after the scene in the restaurant that shook him enough earlier. Although she tried to look calm when in her heart there was a great upheaval over all Caroline's statements to her just now.

After feeling quite calm then Evan reappeared his car to go home to his residence.

***

Evan went home blankly and straight ahead. I don't know what he's feeling right now . He clearly did not like his feelings at the moment. He continued to drive his vehicle at high speed towards his residence. At exactly 12pm he arrived. Arriving at his luxurious residence, he went straight to his room. At the sight of Aluna, Evan immediately hugged his wife. Who had just finished putting Kyu in her baby bed. Aluna fell silent in shock with her husband who suddenly hugged her.

"Why, dear," asked Aluna without changing her position. A moment later she flipped over her body and looked at her husband who was downcast. Aluna tried to understand what was going on.

"I don't like that woman. Don't make me see her again" said Evan Aluna cupping her husband's face with both hands and raising him.

"What's going on?" aluna asked gently with a questioning gaze and one hand outstretched touching her husband's sad face.

"I hate him. To me my mother is just Mami Rima. He's been dead all this time" Aluna nodded in understanding. Evan must be hard to accept his mother at this time. She hugged her husband. Evan returned the warm embrace of his wife by immersing his face in the niche of Aluna's neck.

"She's just a mother who misses her child" Aluna looked at her husband inside. Evan nodded as if he could not accept it.

While sleeping all night Evan fell asleep with his back to Aluna. While Aluna continued to hug him from behind as if trying to calm the storm in her husband's heart at this time.

"It's okay," whispered Aluna softly.

Evan did not budge but his heart felt peaceful even though he was still reluctant to turn to Aluna. Until he fell asleep he still did not want to turn around, Aluna understood that. She was neither angry nor disappointed, she recognized her husband more than anyone else. He just needs time to think again.

For him it was enough what he had right now. And he doesn't need anything anymore. Including the presence of her current biological mother.

SERIATE...