Linger

Wedding Day

Kalea could not hide her nervousness as her little legs extended towards the altar with Papa clasping her hands tightly. Kalea repeatedly drew and sighed to normalize her heartbeat, but it was not too helpful when in the end his boba bead was beribirobok with Gavin who had already stood in front there, waiting for him with a faint smile that added to Kalea's nervousness many times more severe than before.

"Relax." Papa's whisper when he felt Kalea's hand in his grip began to sweat and felt a little vibrating.

"I'm trying." Reply Kalea in a soft voice almost whispered.

The move they took brought them closer to Gavin. And when in the end the swing of the step stopped, with a slow motion, Papa passed the hand of Kalea who was in his grasp to Gavin. The man greeted him with pleasure, leading Kalea to stand next to him.

Furthermore, when the wedding procession began, Gavin began to think of many things. There was a doubt that suddenly burst into his chest when his eyes had been rubbed with Irina who had come as an invited guest, sitting in the front row in a dress she had ordered from the same designer where she and Kalea ordered the wedding dress. Moreover, when the thin lips of Kalea began to say a sacred promise first, Gavin felt he had transformed into the most evil man in the world.

Gavin knows there are a lot of good men out there who are much more deserving of being with Kalea. But now, the woman must be stuck with him because of his selfishness to keep holding two hands of the person he loves without intending to let go of one of them.

"I choose you, Mahesa Gavin Cakraditya. I choose you to be my husband. I will love you in word and deed. I will laugh with you, cry with you, scream with you, grow old with you, and craft with you. To be your kin and your partner in all life's advantages is all I could hope for in the world. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I don't know yet. I give you my hand, I give you my love, I give you myself; the good, the bad, and the yet to come. I will always love you, my forever husband, Mahesa Gavin Cakraditya."

In the part when Kalea mentioned her name twice, at the beginning and at the end she made a sacred promise, Gavin felt her chest ache. If there was one more chance to change one event in his life in the past, he wanted that part to be the moment when he left Kalea without a word of saying goodbye.

Gavin is not ungrateful that God has brought him to Irina instead when his world is collapsing and his soul almost drifting away because of the longing for Kalea so big shackled. Only, if something can be changed, at least Gavin wants to change a little how they part so that no guilt overshadows him until many years later.

But time cannot be replayed. What happened cannot be changed again. More than that, he has walked this far. Has hurt Irina as much as she never expected. So all Gavin can do now is focus on changing his sacred promise. The promise that he himself was worried would not be able to fulfill because in one corner of his heart the other, was clearly still inhabited by Irina.

Even so, Gavin kept saying his sacred promise.

"I always protect you from harm. To stand with you against your problems. And to look for you when I need protection. You are loved more than any metaphor can ever try express. I promise not only listen but to hear. Not only to be honest but to trust. And not only to love but to be loved. I love you, Kalea Dimitria."

After the sacred promise was said, a single tear fell. But not from the eyes of Kalea or Gavin, but from the eyes of Irina who had to desperately hold tight watching the man she loved half-dead finally uttered a sacred promise with another woman, right in front of his eyes and other pairs of eyes that welcomed the union of two people with joy. Contrary to her lying alone in a corner of sadness without anyone coming to the rescue.

...****************...

After several invited guests left the venue, Kalea removed her hand link with Gavin who was busy chatting with one of her colleagues. His only goal, he wanted to approach Irina who was seen alone with a glass of wine in hand. The woman's gaze was thrown far away, either on a bunch of bestmen who were chatting a few meters across, across, or on Karel who was teasing a six-year-old girl who was the son of one of the invited guests. Kalea wasn't sure which way Irina was looking, but she looked so serious.

"Irina!" call Kalea after the distance is quite close to Irina.

The summoned turned his head, displaying a thin smile that blended beautifully with a dark iris that looked sparkling. Kalea smiled back. Then he felt as if he had just found one of the most beautiful blooming flowers in the middle of the vast garden when Irina pulled his body into a hug, rubbing his back gently. It felt warm and cozy, like a hug given by an old friend who came to give the most heartfelt congratulations.

Irina's smile grew. Sometimes, he felt astonished at himself who was so skilled at hiding his heartache. But deep down, it felt very uncomfortable. There is an urgent tightness to be blown out so as not to become more so. His crazy mind even whispered telling him to slap Kalea's cheek for having presumptuously snatched the only man he loved wholeheartedly. But in the end Irina couldn't do all that. Because he realized, Kalea did not even know what situation the three of them were in right now. So more than just heartache, Irina felt more sorry for Kalea who continued to smile brightly when there was a big storm that could hit her life at any time.

"I promised to come, so here I am."

"But you must be busy. I'm so bad because you made a promise that day." Tucked a guilty feeling in Kalea's tone of voice, so Irina hurriedly shook her head so that the woman before her was not getting moping.

"I'm indisposed. Thanks to that bacon rumor, my work so much rescheduled." Irina chuckled at the end of the sentence, in contrast to Kalea who was actually singing her lips in an annoyed motion.

"The insolent man who made the news!"

Irina could not help herself from the harsher ruckus as Kalea plainly expressed her annoyance. In fact, they were not that close so that Kalea could behave this regret over the incident that happened to her.

"Biasalah, there must be news so that the muan keep flowing far away like a pipe connection rucika."

After the sentence was finished, the two practically chuckled. Irina laughed at Kalea's expression that instantly went from being annoyed to a lovely cheerful expression, whereas Kalea laughed at how Irina responded to those adverse dating rumors in a relaxed and fun way.

"But" Irina interrupted amid their laughter.

Kalea immediately stopped her laughter. Now fully devote attention to what Irina will say next.

"I just found out that you're the daughter of my boss. What an interesting coincidence."

Kalea's smile came back. "I also just found out that you are one of the models in Papa's company. I guess all this time I was too indifferent to the world around."

"Not that bad." Sela Irina, took a sip of the wine she still held. "Sometimes we do have to be a bit blind to the view from the world around."

"Yes too, anyway." Kalea nodded at the end of the sentence.

Not yet Kalea opened her mouth again, a voice interjected, making her and Irina suddenly turned their heads in unison. A few steps ahead of them, stood a sturdy man with a smile that extended to the ears.

"Can join?" said the man.