My husband is not the CEO

The Seventy Five

From a distance Rafka sees a woman who is no stranger to him when he steps into the apartment lobby. The woman had just stepped out of the elevator and seemed to rub her eyes and then looked up a little as if she was trying to swallow her tears back. Rafka sped up her pace because of her bad feelings and even half ran up to the woman.

"Mama!" Rafka held her mother's arm and looked at her.

Mama Rafka lowered her head two seconds later she returned Rafka's gaze by commenting on the thin, forced smile.

"Mama's coming home?" Although his mother hid the cries from Rafka but he still knew, he could not be lied to with just a fake smile like that.

"Mama just jerky balado for your dinner." Mama Rafka avoids her son's gaze, she realizes that as hard as possible hiding Rafka's cry will still know it. Somehow she cried just by meeting with Bayu her ex-husband. It's been years, but he can't forget the pain that Bayu did not only to him but also to Rafka and Febi. He raised two children alone, after marrying again Bayu never even saw the situation of Rafka and Febi again. Bayu is busy with his new family especially shortly after marriage Sandra gave birth to children.

"Why not wait for me, we can have dinner together, Caramel is also happy if Mama is here longer."

"Rafka, above is your Papa." Finally he gave up, rather than Rafka surprised when he arrived at the apartment later he should tell first.

Rafka did not look so surprised, his eyes only widened a little to hear the words of his mother, he was not an expressive person.

"Why did Mama leave?" Rafka did not accept that Bayu's existence there actually made his mother have to give up and leave.

"Tomorrow Mama here again really, now let Papa you and Sandra enjoy their time here, Mama does not want the existence of Mama will actually disturb them." He said that in his heart he could not be in the same room with Bayu and Sandra.

"Ma, don't let her make Mama cry again." Rafka rubbed her mother's arm, she also felt the same pain.

Mama Rafka shook her head, "No, Mama go first."

"Let me take you." Rafka pulls out her mother's hand intending to drive her home.

"Mama's booked a taxi online." Mama Rafka refused not because she did not want to be escorted, she had already booked a taxi online since the time she left Caramel's apartment just now.

"Why didn't Mama ask for Mr. Ryan to come here." Rafka could not let her mother go alone with such a sad feeling.

"Sir Ryan took Febi to his father-in-law's house, you know Febi hasn't been driving her car very well."

Rafka nodded, "be careful on Ma's path."

"Take a look at your Papa and Mama Sandra, even though they've been kind enough to come here to see Arnesh."

"I know how to behave, Ma." Rafka again put on a flat face when his mother discussed Bayu and Sandra anyway he never asked them to come here. Why only now they pretended to care, from the first anywhere. Bayu was never responsible as the head of the family and thought of his own pleasure.

They split up in the lobby of the apartment, Rafka stepped into the private elevator hoping that if her father and Sandra had gone home she would not cross paths on the street. Rafka and her papa's relationship will never be as good as it used to be, though Caramel remains familiar with them. Rafka understands Caramel's personality rightly so, easily getting along with others.

"Yeay Papa is coming." Caramel welcomes the arrival of Rafka in front of the elevator door that opens, who else can access the elevator if not Rafka. He was holding Arnesh who suddenly woke up after a few minutes held Sandra, probably because Arnesh was satisfied to sleep.

Rafka rubbed Arnesh's cheek with her index finger and gave a gentle kiss on Caramel's forehead, it had become his habit when he was about to leave and go home from work.

"There's Papa with Mama." Caramel lowered her voice, she took over Rafka's bag to put it in the study.

"Thank you dear." Rafka steps past Caramel, thanking her for helping him save the bag not for Bayu and Sandra's arrival. Rafka has no reason to thank them for coming.

"Rafka, are you home?" Bayu greets Rafka first.

Rafka saw two cups of coffee that were still puffing smoke on the table, meaning they had just arrived. But Rafka doesn't expect them to linger here.

"Do you want coffee too?" Bayu brandished coffee to Rafka, he inhaled the delicious aroma of the coffee before sipping it slowly.

The question brought Caramel's steps to a standstill as he was about to break into Rafka's study to put down the bag. For a while Caramel held his breath waiting for Rafka to answer.

"Papa's family enjoyed the role of a new parent so I forgot that I can't drink coffee, Papa must have also forgotten that Febi didn't like chocolate by giving him brownies on his birthday yesterday."

Caramel hastily entered Rafka's workspace, he felt the atmosphere there was getting hot when they had just met. Suddenly the AC in the room did not work. Caramel also puts Arnesh on top of his box, he does not want Arnesh to witness how the relationship Rafka and Bayu are not okay.

Sandra glanced at her husband not daring to look at Rafka, she was afraid of making things worse. However, it is also the cause of the strained relationship Bayu and Rafka.

"Rafka." Caramel touched Rafka's shoulder, "you better take a shower first, I'm ready for your clothes too."

Without saying anything more Rafka moved from his seat into the room at Caramel's request, he should cool his entire body with a splash of water.

Bayu's face turned pias, the atmosphere turned awkward in an instant even after Rafka left. Rafka had built a barrier wall that Bayu could not penetrate even after many years had passed. Rafka did not allow Bayu or Sandra to enter his territory.

"Sorry attitude Rafka Pa, Ma." Caramel sat back on the sofa, expecting Rafka to behave like this to Bayu and Sandra. However, Rafka and her father and stepmom, Caramel try to mediate between them. Caramel should be the AC in this hot room.

"Rafka's nature is like her Papa, stubborn." Bayu nyengir hide his disappointment because of Rafka's attitude, he grabbed coffee made by Caramel as well as Sandra.

Bayu inhaled the delicious aroma of coffee and sipped it slowly, warmth instantly flowing throughout his body.

"What a hell, Pa." Caramel shook his head, "I made him use a coffee machine." He scratched his nape wrong behavior, since when Caramel is good at making coffee he is only good at drinking it.

"You have a coffee machine." Sandra was amazed, she knew the coffee maker was not cheap.

"Rafka bought it because I like to drink coffee."

Bayu put his coffee glass is empty, actually drinking coffee in a hurry is not delicious but he must leave immediately before Rafka again stab him with sharp sentences like that. Rafka rarely spoke but once the sentence came out of his mouth then it managed to stab to the heart.

"Papa's sorry for forgetting that Rafka can't drink coffee, Papa shouldn't have forgotten such an important thing."

Caramel shook his head slowly, "You rarely meet so naturally Papa forgot, but after this if you still forget too then Papa must apologize." He smiled at the end of his sentence.

Bayu laughed briefly at Caramel's joke, the son-in-law was indeed good at melting the atmosphere. Caramel and Rafka are two human beings who have opposite natures, which is how they complement each other. Like Bayu who would never be accepted back by Rafka, Caramel accepted it with open arms despite his mistakes in the past. Although Caramel has not entered Rafka's life, Bayu believes Rafka has told Caramel everything.

Before going home they once again see Arnesh in his room. They bid farewell to the grandson because they believe the meeting will not happen often considering Rafka's heart is still as hard as a rock against Bayu and Sandra.

*******

That night Caramel accidentally did not close the curtains because the sky was bright so that he could see the only light of the earth satellite accompanied by a stretch of stars. Caramel sits huddled to her knees in front of a glass window that presents a beautiful view of Jakarta. He deliberately took the time to daydream, haha it sounds silly but he did not have time to daydream because he was preoccupied with the affairs of Caramel Sleepwear and Arnesh. Sometimes he needs a moment of rest to empty his mind even though it is impossible. His mind is always filled with work, children and husbands, always so. Marriage makes him grow up not only age but also his way of thinking.

"Your hat, baby." Rafka came up from behind. The aroma of coffee instantly filled the room mixed with the Citrus aroma of the humidifier above the nightstand. Rafka likes the aroma of coffee but unfortunately he can only inhale without drinking it.

"Thank you, yeah." Caramel smiled taking the coffee, he only got one glass of coffee per day because he had to drink more breastfeeding vitamins. "The sky's great tonight." He grabbed Rafka's cheek and kissed her briefly as a sign of gratitude for making coffee for her.

"Arnesh is asleep?" Rafka glanced at Arnesh on their bed who had just fallen asleep after nursing for an hour.

Caramel nodded, though she put a smaller box in the room but Arnesh stayed asleep in their bed. Caramel can't bear to let Arnesh sleep in his own box.

"Not as pretty as you." Rafka sat next to Caramel in a chair that was not too big so they crammed in.

Caramel choked on hearing Rafka's frenzied chatter, even today's Middle School children are not using such a mishap to their partners. Rafka is like living in the time of ancient civilization with such a fight.

"It's still hot don't drink at once." Rafka took over the glass and placed it on the floor.

Caramel's face was red, so she remembered the first moment they met, exactly like this. Rafka made Caramel choke with her words. But Rafka really didn't mean that.

"Sorry yes, I didn't say that Papa and Mama Sandra came." Caramel justifies his sitting position slightly to the end so that Rafka more comfortable.

"That's not a mistake." Rafka. "I just met Mama in the lobby, she said that Papa and his wife came so I wasn't too surprised when I got to the apartment."

"Mama is fine, Mama was in a hurry to go home even before seeing Arnesh."

"He's crying." Rafka saidu's gaze, he could at least see the woman he loved crying.

"May you not think too much about this."

"You just calm down, Mama always has a way to have fun, every week Mama always has a show with her friends." Rafka commented on the thin smile, she turned her gaze to the night sky before her at this moment.

"Our mama's the same." Caramel puts her head on Rafka's arm and hugs her. "I'd like to have an offline store Caramel Sleepwear." His gaze glared at the expanse of sky full of stars.

"I support you." Rafka touched Caramel's wiggly fingers and held them, "you can tell me where it is and I'll buy it."

Caramel chuckled, Rafka said it was like buying food when buildings in Jakarta were not cheap. Caramel must drain his savings if he wants to open an offline store.

"Papa." Caramel suddenly raised her head making Rafka surprised.

"Hm? what's?" Rafka.

"From now on I have to call you Papa." Caramel brought her face closer to Rafka.

"Why?"

"Because we have children." Of course especially.

"That sounds weird."

"Yes I feel that way too, but even though Arnesh doesn't understand, I want him to just hear good things from us."

"God, M ... Mama." Rafka is nervous, he used to call Caramel by name or dear. But early is better for them to get used to it.

Caramel laughed softly, it sure did sound strange but he had to hold back the laughter if he did not want to make Arnesh wake up after he painstakingly put him to sleep. The two-month-old baby is not used to noise because their villa in Bali is very quiet in contrast to the busy city of Jakarta.