Linger

Test

"Lo wants to eat first, don't you?" ask Taruna after he installed a seatbelt. He glanced at Irina who was sitting on the rear passenger bench through the front rearview mirror. The woman was watching Sierra sleeping on her lap. His spring fingers combed through the fine Sierra hair that had begun to lengthen.

Being treated to such a scene, the hearts of the Cadets slowly warmed.

"No, Na. Just go home, pity Sierra." Irina still did not distract from Sierra. Faintly, Taruna saw a faint smile rising on the lips of the woman.

"But you haven't eaten anything from noon."

"It's ok. Just not eating a day won't make me die." After saying that, Irina raised her head. Their gazes met through the reflection of the front-view mirror.

"Tomorrow your schedule is solid." Taruna warned. Not eating all day will not make Irina die, but if the body used to work hard is not fed, then the woman must be prepared to accept the consequences of the arrival of various diseases. As a manager, Taruna doesn't want that to happen.

"Later until the apartment I can cook instant noodles." Irina answered lightly.

Taruna clucking. He could have pulled over the car, covered it to a fast food restaurant that was open 24 hours and forced Irina to eat. But because Taruna knew Irina well, she did not. Forcing Irina to do something was a futility not worth trying.

So, his attempt to persuade Irina to eat stopped there. The silence then lasted much longer than before. Even until the car he was driving arrived at Irina's apartment complex, there was still no one who wanted to open the sound.

"Gue can't get to the top." The cadets turned their heads after releasing the seatbelt. Glancing at Sierra who was still asleep at a glance then he looked back at Irina.

"It's okay."

Then after that, Taruna went down. He moved quickly to the passenger side. Slowly he took over the little body of Sierra, carried it into a sling.

"Tomorrow I'll pick you up at 8. If you need anything before that hour, call." Said Taruna after Irina got out of the car.

"Yes." Yeah." Irina answered at that. His hand then stretched out to caress Sierra's head while his eyes fixed on the boy's face. I don't know why, Irina so like to look at the Sierra a little longer than usual. That innocent face could always calm her troubled heart.

"You have no intention of quitting your job, Na?" his question suddenly while raising his head, made the Taruna who was looking at him secretly a little wave. "Pity Sierra if you have to go home from Aunt Dewi to your apartment every day."

"There's." Taruna answered quickly, without thinking because he had thought about it for a long time. "But not now. I still have something to do."

Irina just nodded her head. From a long time ago, he was not used to scraping anything from others. So if Taruna didn't say anything more, she would never ask him.

"Jude, I'm upstairs, yeah."

"Yes." Yeah."

Irina had walked up to the entrance, even had time to greet the security officers who had just returned from nowhere. But all of a sudden Irina turned around and ran over to Taruna, making the man frown in confusion.

"Why?" ask Taruna as soon as Irina gets in front of him.

Momentary silence. The cadets needed more time to process Irina's request. The thing is, Taruna knows Irina is not an affectionate motherly figure. She never got the figure of a mother, so how can the Taruna expect that Irina will like children? However, seeing the eyes of the woman who could not also escape from Sierra, Taruna only realized that she seemed to be wrong. Never loved by a mother does not mean to make Irina a figure that is just as evil. So, Taruna immediately nodded after her brain finished processing all the information.

Getting the green light from the Midshipmen, Irina immediately walked over. Sprinkled a kiss on Sierra's cheek. Her lips were left there for a long time, as her nose sniffed the scent of baby powder emanating from her cheeks.

Once satisfied, Irina withdrew. His smile immediately grew. It is true that the smell of a baby is a pleasant thing. Natural remedies for stress she's been experiencing.

"Thank you, yeah." He said with a growing smile.

"His father wasn't kissed either?" fashion Taruna. He's kidding. For God's sake! The cadets were just joking. This time, though, it was completely different than usual.

But who would have thought, that Irina actually landed a kiss on her cheek? The midshipman nearly lost consciousness as the lips stuck to his cheeks, leaving a reddish trail of the lipstick Irina used.

"Thank you, yeah, Na. For whatever you have done and have not done for me. Thanks." Thanks."

God fucking. That night, Taruna had even taken a deep sip on Irina's lips, feeling the sweet sensation from each side of it intoxicating. But why was it that when those lips stuck to her cheeks, the Midshipman still could not feel ordinary? What's wrong with her?

"Ma?"

"Gue's home. Take care of yourself."

The cadets hurriedly walked back to the driver's side. With the odd motion of sitting Sierra in the passenger seat then positioning himself behind the wheel. No pleasantries. Without a longer goodbye. Taruna drove his car. Leaving Irina without knowing that she was laughing at her misbehavior.

"A Wijaya Taruna was wrong. Funny thing."

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

After cleaning up, Irina walked slowly towards the bed. He jumped up, lay down on the soft mattress and immediately closed his eyes with the position of his stomach.

Then, he remembered there was still something he had to do before going to bed. Irina woke up again. He sat on the bed, his hand moving slowly open the nightstand drawer to pick up the phone he left dead.

For a moment, Irina looked at the phone. There was a slight urge telling him to turn the phone on to check if Gavin contacted him or not. But apparently the impulse was not too strong so instead of turning on her phone, Irina instead threw the rectangular object to hit the wall. The throw was deliberately made hard so that Irina was sure the phone would be immediately damaged and could not be turned on.

Unsure that the phone was destroyed enough, Irina got off the bed. He picked up the cracked phone on the screen and slammed it again to the floor several times until he was absolutely sure his phone would not be used again.

Then, after being sure, he picked up the phone and immediately put it back in the nightstand drawer. Irina went back up on the bed, breaking down as if nothing had ever happened.

"Sorry, Vin. But I need to know how far you're going to look for me." Said slowly. Then he closed his eyes. Trying to get rid of anything related to Gavin from inside his head.

Seriate.