My husband is not the CEO

The Forty Eight

"Caramel, where are you alone, Rafka?" Mama Rafka dyed looking for the figure of her eldest child behind Caramel but nothing. Caramel came alone.

"I'm alone Ma." Caramel kissed the back of her mother's hand, they hugged and cipika cipiki as usual.

Mama Rafka invited Caramel in because outside the drizzle, the rest of the rain last night has not completely subsided. Even at some point in Jakarta was flooded due to rain overnight.

"Aren't you taking the car?" Ask Mama Rafka after they come in and sit in the living room.

Caramel shook his head, "flood Ma, so it's hard to bring your own car."

"Why are you alone, Rafka didn't want you?" Mama Rafka frowned worriedly because Caramel came alone in the flood especially in a state of pregnancy like this. Just be careful, later he will scold Rafka for letting the wife go alone.

"You sick?" Mama Rafka touched Caramel's thigh, she could see the pale face of her daughter-in-law and also the eye bags that looked so much like a sleep-deprived person.

Caramel let out a long breath. She thought Rafka would be better after waking up but the man kept her quiet. Caramel did not know what to do to restore the warm atmosphere between them. He went here when Rafka left for the office.

"Due to your health How, eat and sleep enough, or you quarrel with Rafka?"

Spontaneous Caramel raised her face to hear her in-laws. Is it so obvious that mama Rafka can easily guess it.

"What's wrong? same story with Mama." Mama Rafka said softly, she had experienced the bitter sweetness of the household so that she could easily find out what happened between Caramel and Rafka. Moreover, they married because of arranged marriage, it is natural that if there is a fight, it is a spice in the household.

"I'm sorry about Mama." Caramel grabs her in-laws hand and grasps it, feeling so guilty for secretly meeting Rafka's stepmom yesterday.

"Why should you apologize to Mama?" Mama Rafka rubbed the back of Caramel's hand to calm him down, "whatever it is Mama must be sorry for you." He said so sincerely, he had forgiven Caramel even though he did not know what mistake Caramel had made.

"I was caught yesterday in them-in-them to meet Mama Sandra, Ma."

Mama Rafka could not hide her shock but it was only for a moment, she then took a deep breath and replaced her shocked expression with a smile.

"Sudden Rafka angry with me but—"

"You're not entirely wrong, he's also your father-in-law."

Caramel was stunned to see the reaction of mama Rafka who was unexpected. He had imagined he would get a tantrum from the in-laws but it was not at all. Caramel could see a sweet smile etched on Rafka's mama's face at this moment.

"That kid really hated his Papa and Sandra from the day we had a big fight when Rafka was in high school, Rafka must have told you."

Caramel nodded softly, "Mama too?"

Mama Rafka laughed briefly, her eyes dimmed at such a question.

"Is there a woman who is willing to be cheated on? nothing but Papa Rafka obviously picked Sandra in front of us in front of Rafka and Febi who shouldn't have watched our fight." He sighed for a moment as his chest felt tight recalling that moment. "Sandra is still your age and she is pregnant with Pradipta's child, she also deserves to fall in love despite having to love a married man."

"I understand how Mama feels." Caramel tried to comfort her in-laws, they fared just as she had just learned the fact that she was cheated after marrying Rafka. Isn't cheating after marriage much more painful?

"Mama tries to be sincere and have fun even without a husband, Rafka and Febi are the reasons for Mama to stay happy until now."

"Once again I'm sorry about Mama." Caramel stared into Rafka's teary eyes. Caramel believes that even though many years have passed the incident will not be forgotten. A wound in the heart cannot heal with time.

"Here you go, don't apologize, if you don't try to let it go it's the same as holding the embers that slowly hurt yourself, Mama doesn't want it to happen while she's happy with Sandra."

"I salute Mama."

"Oh yeah, you haven't had breakfast yet?"

"Not yet." Caramel shook his head, he just grilled two pieces of chicken and sauteed spinach for Rafka's lunch.

"Let's eat." Mama Rafka moved from her seat to take Caramel to the dining room to have breakfast together.

"Febi where's Ma?" From earlier Caramel did not see the figure of Febi and Zico who are usually very crowded when he just arrived here.

"They again to the top, he said the honeymoon because the husband of Febi just finished the task so immediately they rent a villa at the top so they can be alone eh threesome." Mama Rafka offers a plate of rice to Caramel.

"But why do you cook so much?" Caramel saw there were about 5 kinds of side dishes on the table that all looked delicious.

"Is this a lot?" Mama Rafka laughed, she used to cook various types of side dishes every day.

Caramel smiled wrongly, he was embarrassed because he only served 3 types of dishes for Rafka at most. It was much different than the habits of mama Rafka who likes to cook a lot. How else, Caramel had to work so he preferred to make something simple or even instant food.

"Mama's gonna be mad at Rafka for letting you come here alone."

"Eh don't Ma, instead I deliberately came here alone to be able to talk to both Mama."

"Good luck for pregnant women." Mama Rafka scoops broccoli for Caramel, then fried chicken and tempe bacem.

"Let me take Ma'am." Caramel refused when her in-laws were about to add fried vermicelli while her plate was full.

"You should eat more, you look skinny for a mother who's four months pregnant."

"Oh yeah?" Caramel was surprised, he felt that he was already quite fat than usual.

"You're dieting?"

"No, my appetite has been growing lately."

"Good, eat a lot if you need to bring food later for you and Rafka."

There was nothing Caramel could do but nod and obey her in-laws. It is impossible for him to come home empty handed if he is visiting the parents' house. Neither Caramel's parents nor Rafka's.

******

The HI roundabout which is usually only filled with motorized vehicles is now also full of water that pools there. Jakarta is not immune to rain, especially all day yesterday the rain continues to flutter the metropolitan city. The government has tried to make the water recede as soon as possible but the rain that did not also subside made them difficult.

"Mama must have heard from Caramel." Answer Rafka.

"Don't get too angry with her, she just met Sandra instead of a stranger."

"It's precisely because he met Sandra."

"Think of Caramel's feelings, she doesn't do anything you don't have to be this angry with her, Sandra is her father-in-law."

From a distance Rafka saw a crowd of people on the sidewalk, at first he thought they were cleaning the water in the gutter but the closer it seemed they were swarming something. Rafka was curious but his car could not go faster because of the water that filled the road.

"Don't you hear Mama?"

"Ma, I'm driving." Reply Rafka tried to make her mama understand that she was focusing on the streets.

"So Caramel came here to apologize to Mama, she was really sincere about doing it all, she said, he goes alone if something happens in the street you will regret letting him go alone when the flood was quite high."

"I'll close Ma first." Rafka immediately disconnects and lowers the window of his car.

"Sorry, what's up ahead, sir?" Rafka lowered the window glass asking one of the fathers who was walking from the opposite direction.

"There was a woman fainted because she slipped on the sidewalk, maybe her head first hit the asphalt, where else was pregnant." Obviously the man whose clothes got a little wet from not using an umbrella. "People say he just got out of Kempinski."

Rafka was surprised not to play hear the father's explanation, he immediately marginalized his car and went out to see the woman. His body trembled at the thought of Caramel falling and fainting. Rafka ran no matter if her shoes and pants were wet, the most important thing was that she immediately saw the woman's condition.

Rafka's mind was afraid, if something happened to Caramel then he would not be able to forgive himself let alone the wife was pregnant with their child.

"Excuse me sir." Rafka slightly pushed some people who were crowding, he could see blood mixed with water. His body was heating up, tense and afraid of being mixed into one.

Rafka was stunned, her eyes were heated and teary but a sense of relief immediately enveloped her when not the Caramel she saw. He turned to run to his car to go home and meet Caramel.

Kempinksi is only about 300 metres away from the site but that feels very long for Rafka. In addition to hurry, flooding also blocks the movement of his car. He felt guilty for silencing Caramel from yesterday. He should have been generous to forgive Caramel sooner so there was no guilt like this.

"How!" Rafka unconsciously shouted as she entered the apartment.

"Hm?" Caramel who was standing near the dining table was shocked to hear Rafka's scream. What was? "Tock your pants bas—"

"I'm sorry." Rafka squanders pulling Caramel into his arms.

For a few seconds Caramel's body stiffened but over time he was able to enjoy the warmth of Rafka's embrace. He did not know what happened so Rafka suddenly came with a panicked face and apologized.

"I'm sorry I'm so angry with you." Rafka took off her embrace grasping Caramel's hand and looking at him fixedly, just as she felt such intense fear. Rafka could not imagine that if the woman was Caramel then he would not be able to forgive himself.

"I understand, I won't see your stepmom again." Caramel smiled gently.

Rafka nods, she will never be able to accept Sandra in her life even though it has been years since her father was caught cheating and went to choose Sandra. They will not know how Mama Rafka struggle to support the family until now without shortcomings.

For Rafka someone who has cheated can never be forgiven. They betrayed a love that should have remained holy until the end.

"Why don't you wait for me to go to Mama's house?" Ask Rafka.

"I deliberately go alone, let's hunt for clothes, you why the rain?"

Rafka nodded without answering Caramel's question, stepping into the room to clean up and change.

Caramel continued his activities that had been delayed due to the arrival of Rafka. He had just heated his father-in-law's homemade rendang with his homemade balado eggs for dinner. Caramel is increasingly intensively learning to cook because soon he will stop working, that means he has a lot of time to learn to cook.

Caramel has also been thinking about what activities he will do after quitting work later. He wants to keep working from home, a job that has a flexible schedule and is related to his favorite.

"Cock-a-pocket?" Caramel was astonished to see Rafka changing clothes so quickly.

"I smell rendang." Without being asked Rafka immediately sat at the dining table, from the smell he could guess that it was rendang made by his mother.

Caramel gave a brief laugh praising Rafka's sense of smell. She immediately sat down next to Rafka after taking rice for her husband.

"Tomorrow we go to the doctor." Tukas Rafka received a spoon and fork from Caramel.

"Well?"

"We haven't checked your contents in a long time."

"Just two weeks ago."

"Aren't we able to see her gender?"

Caramel nodded, if lucky then the gender of the fetus inside her stomach would be visible.

They were silent for a long time enjoying each other's food. The atmosphere was quite awkward as they had just made up. Caramel most expertly melted the atmosphere but he had to finish his meal first.

"Yes." Call Caramel after they finish cleaning the table after eating.

"Hm?"

"What if I make my own pajama brand?" Caramel finally expressed the wish he had thought of the past two days.

Rafka seemed to think, "you've thought about it carefully, isn't it easy to make a brand?"

"I know." Caramel nodded, "i haven't thought too far about this."

"I agree, I will always support you." Rafka stroked Caramel's head, "let's go after this we're more relented and think about each other's feelings."

"Yes." Yeah." Caramel nodded back and developed her smile. Although for women succumbing to the ego is a difficult thing but as a wife and mother-to-be he must learn to succumb and think about Rafka's feelings. Caramel did not want them to fight and silence each other again. Caramel is most afraid Rafka is angry, he prefers to watch a horror film alone at midnight rather than accept the anger of Rafka. Horror movie joke.