Chapter 3

After the end of their conversation, Lucrecia drives her car in silence. For a while there's no talk in the car. Lucrecia focuses on her thoughts, whereas Xavier focuses on the game in his hands. It continues until they arrive at the apartment basement.

Along the way, Lucrecia seems to think hardly whether she should tell to her son about his biological father's existence or she keeps on standing on her stance to cover it tightly.

But her heart hurts for her son, it's because when he asked his father's coming, she couldn't explain anything. If she tells the truth, it's likely he will be glad, and it's possible that Xavier doesn't feel like being with Ramon for family event in this year. It has been assured that Xavier will ask Mario to come to the event in the next month.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Xavier asks, looking at his Mommy who seems restless since then.

"I'm okay, why do you ask?" Lucrecia asks her son back who is standing in her right side.

"You look uneasy after meeting that stranger," Xavier conveys his anxiety.

Lucrecia grabs her son with her right hand, then holding him. "Actually, he is ... Em..." Lucrecia's hesitant to disclose what in her mind is.

"Actually, he is ... Em..."

"Mommy, was that man wicked?" Xavier's cutting her words while looking at her.

"No-no, honey. that wasn't what I'm going to say. The man is a kind person, it is just I'm afraid he would take you away from me," Lucrecia says, hugging her son tightly.

Lucrecia opens the door of her apartment, getting in along with her son who is in her arms. Knowing there's another person inside, Lucrecia gives a greet first.

"We're home,"

"Welcome," The person replies.

"Uncle Ramon?" Xavier shouts excitedly.

That boy gets off of his Mom's arms, he takes off his shoes quickly, then running towards Ramon who is still wearing an apron on his body.

"Yeay, yeay, this dinner menu is delicious," Xavier's cheering, jumping to hug Ramon who has just served the food on the dining table.

"hehehe, you should consider proposing to me, " Ramon's joking while taking off the apron on his burly body, then hangs it next to the refrigerator.

"I suppose so," Lucrecia says, walking towards the dining table then she sits down on the chair she's used to using.

"Really?" Ramon squeals, can't believe what he just heard.

"At last, after a long time for struggling, you put attention to me." Ramon says dramatically.

"Yeah, I'll hire you as a housekeeper in my house," Lucrecia says, making Ramon back to reality.

"Your mom is so cruel, little boy. You're not allowed to imitate it," Ramon says pitifully to Xavier who's sitting next to him.

Xavier who saw his mother's umpteenth rejection, only chuckled amusedly. He assumes that is only a joke that is often thrown by Ramon to his mother. Besides, they both know that his mother will refuse it, and it's not rarely she will throw scathing words to Ramon.

That is their daily life, full of jokes and laughter, even without the presence of a father figure.

***

"Did you met that bastard?" Ramon squeals histerically of hearing Lucrecia's admission.

"Sttt.. Lower your voice, you might be waking up my son," Lucrecia gives a command in annoyance, how he could scream while she's explaining in whisper of what has happened a few hours ago.

"hehehe, he's at the room," Ramon replies, scratching his head guiltlessly.

"So, what? Does he know that Xavier is his son?" Ramon's asking for the next question.

"He has asked, but I didn't tell him that Xavier is his son," Lucrecia says, leaning against the back of the sofa she is sitting on.

"If he's still trying to find out about Xavier, you can tell me that Xavier is my son," Ramon states seriously.

Ramon isn't joking anymore in his last sentence, as he knows how precious Xavier is for the woman next to him. Because anything is about Xavier, moreover, Mario's connected to this all, he can't make it as a joke.

Ramon is as sensitive as Lucrecia if things are connected with Xavier. It's enough for him to see his best friend hurts for all this time and he will never give Mario another chance to do the same thing for the second time.

Because if this happen again, Ramon can't think for the worse of how Lucrecia will break down in Mario's hands. Just think to imagine it is already hard for him, let alone if this thing really went on.

Lucrecia rolls her eyes as she listens to what Ramon just said, as if Mario will believe it easily. 'is he really shrewd?' Lucrecia thought.

"Did you just curse me?" Ramon asks of seeing Lucrecia's response.

"It's indeed! As you're too stupid!" Lucrecia replies and she keeps on saying. "He will not believe it, he knows you and it's impossible , he's not easy to fool," Lucrecia says, closing her eyes, remembering of how genius and great her ex-husband was.

"If that the case, you have to find a partner," Ramon says, looking at the woman next to him with innocent facial expression.

The woman who officiates as the boss, as well as his childhood's friend. He loves Lucrecia very much, even he calls her as his own sister although they are the same age. Even he can take responsibility if Lucrecia wanted him as a partner, even though he's still loving someone else. But it would never happen, as until this point, Lucrecia decides to hold on with her solitude.

"Are you mad? It's not that easy to find out a husband, do you think it's like buying a car carelessly?" Lucrecia hits Ramon's head in annoyance because she's already peeved.

She can't believe of how this man next to her lightly asks her to find a partner with an innocent face like this time? If she had found one, she had been married away before.

The problem is, no one she wants to marry so far. Or even there's no such thing of just being attracted to someone.

"That is not what I mean, just make a cooperative relationship. In other words, just dating someone on paper. A contractual relationship!" Ramon says, explaining a new idea that has just crossed in his mind.

"What?"

.

.

TBC