"Please do your best for Garrett," Petra said, still with his head bowed.
Lyyana was taken aback by Petra's words and husky tone. It took her even longer to process what Petra had said. "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm just a babysitter here. I mean... anyway, Garrett will need you in his growing process."
Lyyana grimaced, regretting saying that out loud. She was surprised by her own words, which should have remained in her thoughts.
Slowly, Petra lifted his head and looked at Lyyana expressionlessly. "I have to work," Petra replied flatly.
Lyyana was again taken aback by Petra's response. "All parents are busy with work, sir. But they can still find time." Lyyana's spontaneous response made Petra stare at her sharply and piercingly, causing Lyyana to grimace under that gaze.
"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to—"
"When is Garrett's therapy schedule?" Petra interr
Before Petra could respond to Lyyana's offer, Garret had already given her a piece of Lyyana's homemade snack on Petra's plate. Petra looked at Garret with a furrowed brow, observing a broad smile on Garret's face. There was no trace of fear in his eyes as usual; Garret appeared more relaxed and calm than Petra, who felt awkward in the situation. "Garret, eat a lot, I'll go over there," said Lyyana as she gently patted Garret's head. Garret nodded and returned to enjoying his food. Lyyana respectfully lowered her head towards Petra, and they exchanged glances. Lyyana then walked towards the kitchen, determined to prepare more healthy snacks for Garret, who had been consuming instant and packaged snacks that weren't conducive to his growth. "You're amazing, Lyyana!" praised Chava, approaching Lyyana. "Yeah, Lyyana. You're really cool!" added Milla, admiringly looking at Lyyana. Adelia, on the other hand, remained silent, gazing at Lyyana in awe. "You're exaggerating; I'm just doing
Petra finally relented, nodding and gesturing for Lyyana to sit in the seat next to her. Initially silent, Lyyana was pulled by Garret, forcing her to sit next to Petra who was driving the car.Throughout the journey, Garret kept a tight grip on Lyyana's hand as if unwilling to be separated from her. Occasionally, Petra glanced using the corner of her eye, observing Garret's interaction with the unfamiliar woman he had encountered a few days ago.Petra couldn't fathom how Garret, who was known for being difficult to be close to, suddenly became so clingy and obedient to Lyyana. What puzzled Petra even more was Garret calling Lyyana "mama." While Lyyana did resemble Garret's mother at a glance, Petra still found Garret's behavior strange."Sorry, sir," Lyyana broke Petra's reverie.The man glanced briefly, then resumed listening to Lyyana. "It seems we've missed the convenience store.""I wasn't going to the convenience store," Petra replied flatly.Lyyana furrowed her brow upon hearin
"Em, sorry, it looks like I need to visit another shelf," said Lyyana as the tension increased and Garret became more restless.Petra nodded and slightly shifted her body to give space for Lyyana to leave her place. However, her movement halted when she heard the comment of the attractive woman in front of her. "Why in such a hurry? Your style is so tacky, probably your parents didn't teach you how to dress trendy!"Lyyana took a deep breath, then turned back to face the woman. "What did you say? My style is tacky, and my parents didn't teach me? Maybe what you mean is my parents didn't teach me to dress provocatively like you?" Lyyana spoke candidly with a sharp gaze."I don't know you, and I don't think I need to. You can insult me all you want, even though I don't know who you are. But one thing you should remember, I don't like people like you insulting my parents, no matter how bad they were at educating me, it's none of your business."The attractive woman stared at Lyyana with
"Ahem!" The five women in the room straightened up and slowly turned their bodies to look at the figure of a man standing at the doorway. "Did I pay for you to gather and discuss here?" he asked with a cold aura.The four women shook their heads with bowed heads, not daring to look at the man. "Do you have tasks here?"Again, they could only shake their heads. "Adelia, Chava, take care of Garret. I'll talk to Lyyana.""Alright, Sir," Chava and Adelia replied simultaneously.Lyyana rose with a smile on her face. "Lyyana, forgive us, we should have -""It's okay. Mr. Petra is a good person and understands. I'll go first. Take care of Garret." Lyyana stepped out of the room with a smile, as if saying she was fine.Lyyana's footsteps headed towards Petra's office. Before knocking on the door, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Come in!" Petra shouted fro
"It's okay. Forget it. By the way, is there a special menu for Mr. Petra?" Lyyana asked Amber, who was still looking at her confused. Lyyana intentionally changed the topic of their conversation. "I will prepare dinner for Garret, maybe I can make something for Mr. Petra too."Amber nodded, explaining some types of food that Petra doesn't eat. She also described some of Petra's habits regarding food and daily life. "Hmm, now I understand why Garret prefers instant noodles over other healthy foods," Lyyana responded to Amber's words.Amber nodded, "Although he looks healthy and has an athletic body, Mr. Petra has poor eating habits. Actually, he wasn't like this before, but everything changed when that devilish woman came and changed Mr. Petra.""The devilish woman?" Lyyana turned her attention to Amber, who seemed to hold back irritation when mentioning the devilish woman.Amber nodded, placing the i
Chava nodded and continued to gaze at Lyyana with curiosity. "I didn't do anything, why?"Chava was about to speak, but he stopped as they had arrived in front of Garret's room. Lyyana smiled and entered the room, pushing the door halfway open. Lyyana saw Garret sitting with a sulky face. "Hi!" Lyyana greeted, making Garret look up and run towards her.Lyyana hugged Garret tightly, genuinely showing affection unlike pretending or just doing her job. Lyyana really treated Garret like her own child, maybe that's what made her closer to Garret than any other babysitter."Let's wash our faces first, then have dinner?" Lyyana invited, unraveling her embrace and leading Garret to the bathroom.After 10 minutes, Garret and Lyyana came out of the bathroom, with Garret's face looking much fresher than before. Lyyana led Garret to leave the room, followed by Chava and Adelia behind her. Along the way, Garret c
Lyyana threw a smile towards the window and then entered the house, closing the back door. Lyyana's footsteps walked towards her room, and once there, she quickly cleaned herself and changed her clothes. Actually, Lyyana didn't have many clothes; luckily, some other employees gave her new clothes, some because they were the wrong size, and others intentionally gave them to express their gratitude for lightening their task of taking care of the notoriously uncontrollable Garret.After changing clothes and cleaning herself, Lyyana immediately laid down and prepared to explore the dream world. In her dream, Lyyana saw a woman who looked like her standing at the end of the road, smiling sweetly at her."I entrust him to you, take care of him." Lyyana then screamed as she woke up from her sleep."Who is he?" Lyyana asked after managing to regulate her breathing and taking the mineral water beside her bed.
"Mama, I'm hungry," said Garrett, diverting the attention of Lyyana and other employees. Lyyana sighed in relief because, thanks to Garrett's request, she avoided Adelia's questions. She smiled, nodded, and quickly finished her planting. After finishing, Lyyana placed her plants in one corner of the room. "Let's put it here, and later in the evening, we'll water it. Starting today, Garrett has a new task of taking care of these plants until they grow and bear fruit. Agreed?" Lyyana asked, looking at Garrett with a serene gaze. Garrett nodded, "Agreed, Mama." Lyyana kissed Garrett's forehead. After washing her hands, Lyyana led Garrett inside. Before entering, Lyyana took a moment to say goodbye to the other employees. In the kitchen, Lyyana carried Garrett and sat him on one of the barstools. "So, handsome hero, what would you like for breakfast this morning?" Lyyana asked, putting on her apron. Garrett seemed to think for a moment. "Grandma's fried rice?" Garrett requested, lookin
Petra smiled mischievously, then ran and shut the bathroom door, ignoring Lyyana’s playful shouts at her. Lyyana then changed into her usual nightgown. After that, she sat at the vanity and looked at her reflection in the mirror.Lyyana applied her usual skincare routine, getting so absorbed in it that she didn't notice Petra had come out of the bathroom and was now standing behind her. "Honey," Petra called in his baritone voice.Lyyana jumped in surprise but then gave a small smile. "What?" She got up from her chair and stood in front of Petra.Unexpectedly, he lunged at her and hugged her tightly. "Sweetheart, I can't believe this dream has come true. You and I will be together forever."Lyyana returned Petra's embrace, stroking his back while trying to calm her racing heart. "Me too. I still can't believe I ended up marrying a nerd like you.""Haha, that was in the past, darling. I'm not a nerd anymore," Petra said, loosening his embrace and gazing intently at Lyyana.Lyyana raise
"Yes, it's me, Sarah. Do you remember me, Laura?" said the woman with a sweet smile on her face.Laura nodded. "Of course I remember, come in." Laura pulled the woman named Sarah into the room and introduced her to Lyyana."Sis! Look who's here!" exclaimed Laura, standing in front of Lyyana. "It's Sarah!" she added, unable to hide her joyful expression.Lyyana looked at Laura in disbelief, her eyes stopping on the beautiful woman in a peach dress that matched Laura's dress. "Sarah!" Lyyana stood up from her seat and walked towards Sarah, who also approached her.Lyyana hugged Sarah tightly, unable to believe that the woman could attend her important event. "Sarah, how have you been?" Lyyana asked, releasing her embrace."I've been good, Lyyana, really good. Congratulations, I hope you are always happy." Lyyana smiled happily, her eyes looking teary. "Don't cry, your makeup is expensive, haha!" said Sarah, laughing at her friend."Where have you been, Sarah?"Sarah gave a thin smile. "
Lyyana turned slightly in her seat and excitedly recounted her day. Petra listened attentively and responded warmly. One thing that brought them closer was their mutual respect and understanding of how to treat each other.Time passed, and the next morning Petra’s house was bustling with Lyyana and others preparing to leave for the wedding venue. Lyyana and Petra weren’t going alone; they were bringing along several staff members to help, as well as Robert, Olive, Laura, and their friends Denzel and Berli, along with Benji, Petra’s assistant and friend.“Is everyone ready?” Petra asked, looking at the group gathered in front of him.“Yes!” they replied in unison.Petra nodded and started giving directions for the journey and car assignments. “Benji, please drive the car. Amber, Liza, Chala, Mila, and Adelia will go in one car with Tomy. The rest will stick to the usual cars,” Petra said, looking at each of them. “Oh, and please check the cars before we leave. We don’t want a repeat of
Lyyana smiled, remembering their past relationship and how they met. “I still can't believe it, honey, that now I've been reunited with the woman of my dreams.”Lyyana blushed at Petra's words, “I also never expected that fate would bring me back to you.”That night, under the starlight, they shared their feelings, reminisced about their childhood, and talked about their goals and plans for after their wedding.Time passed, and for two days, Petra had been increasingly busy with his company affairs, but he still made time to prepare for their wedding. Lyyana, too, despite being busy taking care of Garret, helped Petra with the wedding preparations, such as handling the souvenirs and organizing the wedding attire for their siblings.Of course, Lyyana wasn't alone; Berli was always there with her. Since getting out of the hospital, Berli often visited her home and spent time together, either learning to cook or helping Lyyana wrap the souvenirs. Berli’s presence was still a source of an
"Simply put, Lyyana, try talking to Petra about this. Even though it’s a trivial matter, we need to prepare now. Otherwise, you’ll end up confused and possibly facing more issues." Lyyana sighed, nodded, and went back to finishing her drink.After finishing the dinner preparations, Olive asked Lyyana to invite Petra and Robert for dinner. Lyyana nodded and walked to the living room where Petra and Robert were. From a distance, she saw the three men of different ages laughing and playing with a Rubik’s cube."Looks like fun?" Lyyana greeted as she sat next to Petra.They turned to look at Lyyana, who smiled at them. Garret immediately stood up when he saw Lyyana nearby. "Mom! Can we stay here tonight? Garret wants to sleep with Grandpa," he pleaded with an adorable, begging face.Lyyana glanced at Petra and Robert, who both nodded in unison, understanding Lyyana’s questioning look. "Alright, we’ll stay here tonight.""Yay! Thank you, Mom!" Garret exclaimed joyfully, giving Lyyana a qui
"Why wouldn't I? Uncle Robert is like our substitute parent, darling. If he invites us for dinner, it means no matter what, we should make an effort to attend. Besides, his house is close to ours. After Garret's bath this evening, we'll visit him. Is there anything you want to buy?"Lyyana shook her head, taking Petra's finger, which was near her, and bringing it to her lips. Unexpectedly, Lyyana kissed the back and palm of his hand. "Thank you, you've accepted me and my family so well."Petra smiled broadly. "Your family is my family too, darling. Whatever the circumstances, I'll wholeheartedly accept." Lyyana smiled as she looked at Petra, and he gently kissed the back of her hand.Petra then played romantic songs to accompany their journey. Along the way, they both softly sang along to the songs playing on the car radio. Before they knew it, Petra's car had arrived at their home. As usual, Petra got out first and opened the door for Lyyana. Petra took Garret from Lyyana's lap and c
“Because you smell like cigarettes‼ Clean yourself up first, Denzel‼” Berli yelled, her face looking adorably exasperated.“Sweetheart‼ you’re scaring me‼” Denzel said as he ran to hug Berli. He didn’t care if she would push him away; all he wanted was to hold the woman he deeply loved and cherished.Berli chuckled softly, allowing him to hug her, her other hand still connected to an IV drip. “Please don’t do that again, I’m so afraid of losing you.” Denzel wept in her embrace.Petra and Lyyana smiled happily, watching the two people who had been through so much come back together and reconcile. Petra wrapped his arm around Lyyana’s shoulders, holding close the woman who would soon be his wife. “Thank you for still accepting me,” Berli whispered with a hoarse voice.Denzel loosened his embrace, cupping Berli’s face, kissing her forehead, and then tightly gripping her hand. “There’s not a single reason for me to leave you, my love. No matter what, in any situation, you will always be m
"Darling, don't be like this," Denzel said, gently patting his wife's head. However, to everyone's surprise, Berli refused Denzel's hand and tried to distance herself from him."Sweetheart, what's wrong with you?" Denzel asked, still trying to persuade Berli.Berli shook her head and didn't want to be close to him, her attitude confusing and worrying Denzel. Lyyana took the initiative to talk to Berli face-to-face, as it would be much more comfortable for Berli to confide in her fellow woman.Initially, Denzel refused Lyyana's suggestion because he wanted to always be by Berli's side no matter what. Fortunately, Petra understood Lyyana's intention. She tapped Denzel's shoulder and asked him to step out for a moment. "Dad, Garret will stay here, okay? To keep mom company?" Garret requested, holding Lyyana's hand.Petra looked at Lyyana, waiting for her response. Lyyana nodded and smiled. "Alright, then take care of mom and aunty Berli, okay?" Petra instructed Garret, the toddler noddin
"Where are you going? We're already here!" Petra said in a raspy voice, pulling Lyyana's hand, causing her small body to fall onto Petra's chest."I'm going to catch up with Garret," Lyyana replied, trying to steady her surprise and racing heartbeat due to their close proximity.Petra smiled mischievously, gazing at Lyyana without blinking. "You're forgetting my morning kiss, honey!" he said, immediately capturing Lyyana's lips and kissing her lovingly without demanding anything more.Petra kissed Lyyana for quite a while until he let go when Lyyana ran out of breath and gently pounded his broad chest. "Petra!" Lyyana said, straightening her clothes."What, honey?" Petra replied, pulling Lyyana back and hugging her from the side.Lyyana tried to resist, but Petra tightened his embrace, stroking Lyyana's flat stomach and whispering, "Soon there will be a Petra Junior, Garret's sibling. Are you ready, honey?"Lyyana looked up and bumped into Petra's chin. "Is it okay?""Why?""I mean, G