Lyyana shook her head. "Daddy isn't angry, he just has something to do outside. When Garret comes home, what will you say to Daddy?"
"Sorry, Mommy." Lyyana smiled and gently patted Garret's head.
"Mommy's little hero is indeed clever! Today, what kind of fruit juice does Garret want?" Lyyana asked, showing a basket of various fruits that she had already washed.
Garret seemed to think for a moment, then pointed to the tempting mangoes and strawberries. Lyyana nodded, quickly preparing the fruits and putting them into the blender. Soon, the sound of the blender filled the kitchen.
Actually, Garret didn't help much; the toddler instead sat sweetly on the table, observing Lyyana's actions. Occasionally, he would ask questions or disturb Lyyana while she prepared her meal. Nevertheless, Lyyana didn't get angry or annoyed at all. She answered every question from Garret and patiently dealt with him when he
Lyyana fell silent for a moment as she waited to see what Petra would do, but gradually his hand weakened and released its grip. Lyyana breathed a sigh of relief, then turned briefly and took a deep breath.Having made her decision, Lyyana was now standing at the main gate of the villa, meeting the villa guard who had just returned from dropping off Liza at the station. "Can I help you, Miss?" the guard greeted, bowing slightly."Um, Sir, could you please help me replace Mr. Petra's clothes?"The middle-aged man furrowed his brow, looking puzzled. "What do you mean, Miss?"Lyyana took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's better if you come with me for a moment."Though confused, the man nodded and followed Lyyana into the villa. Along the way, Lyyana tried to explain Petra's condition and gave the man instructions to assist her.Before long, Lyyana arrived at Petra's bedroom door. She immediately opened it and ushered the middle-aged man inside. Lyyana fetched some of Petra's cl
"We were very close before, to the extent that Garret called me father. Not without reason, it was all because my brother was rarely at home. He was busy managing the company and rarely at home. Garret often spent time with me, because at that time my status was just a regular caretaker. Because we were together too often, eventually Garret started calling me father." Lyyana just remained silent, listening to the story flowing from Petra's lips."However, that accident took away all my happiness. Father, mother, brother, and my in-laws were all gone without a trace. Everyone blamed me, everyone thought I was the cause of the accident... .""Why would they think that?" Lyyana interrupted Petra's speech.Petra turned and stared at Lyyana with a blank face, making Lyyana feel uncomfortable as she lowered her head, regretting the foolish question she should have kept to herself. "Because I was the only one who survived.""Garret?"Petra smirked, "Garret was still young. He didn't know any
Lyyana couldn't believe what she saw inside Petra's room; she almost shed tears at the rare sight. Sensing her presence, Petra stopped what he was doing and gazed at Lyyana standing at the doorway. Lyyana lowered her head and moved into the room."Mom, is dad hot?" Garret asked, holding Lyyana's hand.Lyyana nodded and smiled at Garret. "Can Mama take a look?" Lyyana requested, rubbing Garret's head. Garret nodded and shifted his body so Lyyana could check Petra's condition."I'm fine," Petra said, looking at Lyyana about to touch his forehead.Lyyana just smiled, continuing to check Petra's temperature and placing the back of her hand on his forehead. "His temperature hasn't gone down yet," Lyyana said, furrowing her brow.Lyyana took a bowl of hot water and a towel, checking the water which had already turned cold. "Just a moment," Lyyana said, moving towards the kitchen.Lyyana hurriedly boiled hot water again and poured it into the bowl, then rushed back to Petra's room. Her steps
"Yeah, you should know that if you're sick with the flu, either Garrett or I could catch it. My immune system might still fight it off, but what about Garrett? Do you ever think about that? Do you want Garrett to get sick again?" Lyyana's voice trembled. Truth be told, Lyyana didn't dare to speak like that, especially since Petra was her employer. However, Lyyana didn't have any other option if she wanted Petra to take her medicine. Petra fell silent, staring alternately at Garret and Lyyana. "I won't infect anyone," she finally said. "Fine, it's up to you," Lyyana replied, placing the glass and medications in her hands on the nightstand beside Petra's bed. "Come on, sweetheart, let's go out," Lyyana invited Garret, who was still silent, observing the debate between the two adults. "Daddy?" Garret asked, looking at Petra. Lyyana glanced at Petra from the corner of her eye and then said, "Just leave it. Your father doesn't want to get better. Come on, darling," she said, reaching ou
"I'll prepare it first, sir, the food and the medicine.""Why do I have to eat?" Petra asked, causing Lyyana to stop in her tracks and turn to look at him with sharp eyes."Do you want to damage your kidneys? If you take this medicine, you have to eat first." Without listening to any protests Petra might have, Lyyana hurried to the kitchen and made some rice porridge with whatever toppings were available.In less than 30 minutes, Lyyana returned to Petra's room with a tray of porridge and a warm drink. Like before, with diligence and suppressing her own drowsiness, she fed Petra. Petra actually wanted to protest because he didn't particularly like porridge, especially the bland kind. However, he couldn't bring himself to refuse Lyyana's offering, seeing how tired she looked.After spending quite a while helping Petra eat, Lyyana's task finally ended. She then gave Petra a warm white drink and some pills that she had consulted with Dr. Jasmine about while cooking dinner earlier."Here
"Hey there, Dad," Lyyana greeted with a friendly tone and a faint smile on her face.Petra was taken aback by the greeting from Lyyana. Somehow, his heart felt warm, and unconsciously his cheeks turned slightly red. Fortunately, he was still feverish, so it wasn't too noticeable if he was feeling embarrassed."Come on, Dad, join us," Lyyana invited Petra, who was still standing hesitantly.Actually, Lyyana was also afraid and hesitant to call Petra by the title 'dad,' but she had no other way to follow Dr. Jasmine's instructions. She did all of this solely to heal Garrett's mental state and the relationship between uncle and nephew."Dad, come here!" Now it was Garrett calling him. Finally, with unsteady steps, Petra walked slowly towards the dining table.Seeing Petra's weak body, Lyyana took the initiative to help him. Although their bodies were not balanced, Lyyana still tried to assist the tall and sturdy man. After much effort, Lyyana and Petra finally reached the dining table.T
And here Petra is now, after informing about the arrival of the guests earlier. Lyyana asked for the man's help to buy cooking ingredients. However, the man refused, claiming not to know the ingredients requested by Lyyana. After a small debate, they both decided to go together, of course, with Garret who continued to carry Petra.Actually, Lyyana intended to bring Petra and Garret closer, but she also felt sorry because after all, Petra never went shopping and Petra was her employer. Finally, she joined the two men of different generations. Now they were like a small, happy, and harmonious family."Is anything missing?" Petra asked as Lyyana stopped at the spice section in the kitchen.Lyyana turned with a slight furrow of her brow. "It seems like we're lacking fruits," she said, scanning the area for fruit racks."Over there," Petra said, pointing to a rack a few meters away.Lyyana nodded, pushing the shopping cart in the direction Petra indicated. Once there, Lyyana picked up some
"Thank you for taking care of Garret," she whispered, not so quietly that Petra, who was nearby, could hear.Lyyana was taken aback; she couldn't deny that her heart warmed inexplicably. Somehow, Lyyana could hear the sincerity mingled with sadness in Garret's small lips. Lyyana smiled sweetly, her eyes glistening. "You're welcome, sweetheart. Grow up healthy and good, okay?"Garret nodded, and the stepmother and son embraced warmly. Watching Garret and Lyyana together unexpectedly stirred jealousy in Petra. "Ahem, what about Dad?" Petra asked, her face appearing sad."Come here, Dad!" Garret called.Soon, Lyyana felt a strong arm wrap around her back. She tried to act normal. "Dad, Garret can't breathe," Garret said because he was squished between Petra's muscular body.Petra quickly released her embrace, repeatedly apologizing to Garret. Garret just smiled and nodded. "Alright then, Dad's here now. Mama, shall we cook first?"Garret and Petra nodded in agreement. Lyyana smiled and h
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