Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Damped, Adler thought as he pursed his lips, and a thought immediately came across his mind.

"Hold on, one second," he told her before turning on his feet and heading back to his bedroom with quick yet profound footsteps.When he arrived, he hastily grabbed his phone from his nightstand, opening his lock screen then started dialing his mother's phone number, the pressure of his thumb pressing on the screen gets harder and harder as well as his rising vexation. He finally pressed the call button and placed the phone on his ear while heading to the bathroom to grab one of his towels. Adler grit his teeth strongly while listening to the dialing sound produced by his phone, impatiently waiting for his mother to answer the call from the other end as he relentlessly took the towel hanging on the tiled wall then left the bathroom, hurrying downstairs.

When he arrived, his irritation faded and like a strike of lightning, pity immediately strung his chest, followed by guilt, slowly latching on his chest. The woman's petite, pale body was shivering while she crossed her arms, her hands gripping tight on each opposite arm, her fingers digging into her skin. He thought that he should have opened the door for her sooner and she wouldn't have suffered the rain's coldness that he enjoyed and eased him to sleep. Adler didn't waste any more time and ceaselessly went to the couch where she was sitting and gently placed the towel behind her shoulders with one hand. The woman slightly gasped.

"Here," he said and gently placed a hand on her shoulder as if he was comforting her. The woman turned her head up and looked at him, her doe-like eyes filled with confusion. "I hope this helps you get a bit warm," he said in a small voice and the woman's eyes immediately softened, the corner of her pale lips slowly lifted into a small smile. Adler stood there, frozen on his spot as he thought that he had seen nothing as beautiful as the sight before him.

"Thank you," she said in a small voice and held the towel's hem to pull it closer to her body, rendering her ice-like cold, slender fingers to brush past his. Adler's breathing hitched and he felt his chest slightly thumping wildly.

"Oh, hello?" Just in time, his mother answered. He mouthed the woman that he'll be right back and the moment she nodded, he turned on his heels and walked to the kitchen where he saw a freight of groceries, recently sent by his mother the other day. His irritation rose when he saw how they were stacking on each disorderly and realized that he hasn't transferred them to the ref and pantry yet.

"Mama," Adler addressed his mother while gritting his molars, preventing himself from sounding impolite as only God knows what will happen if his mother hints a slight disrespect in his tone, not to mention that he hates picking fights with his mom.

"What is it, son?" his mother asked then a slurping sound emerged from the other end. It was clear that she was having breakfast. "What is it? Do you want me to send you another batch of groceries?" she shot another question.

"Mama, you just delivered me a load grocery three days ago!" he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, who knows you emptied your fridge early?"

"Anyway," he sighed, shifting the mood as he grew more serious. "Why in God's word is my fiancée waiting at my door? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"What do you mean, hijo?" Adler became confused hearing his mother's confused voice. "I've told you about it last night, didn't you receive my text? I tried to call you many times last night, too but you never answered so I thought you were busy with work."

"What?" he asked and immediately took his phone away from his ear to open his messages and thought no wonder why his phone notified him that she sent a text message. Sliding his thumb on the screen, scrolling through his list of unread messages that were as long as the River Nile, finding her text. It didn't take a minute for him to find it and he immediately tapped it to see the full message.

"Son, your fiancée's about to arrive there. Prepare yourself and the building, be careful not to embarrass yourself."

Adler almost facepalmed reading it as he had embarrassed himself more than his mother could ever imagine. He asked himself who in their right mind would expect their fiancée who they haven't seen in years would suddenly come for a surprise.

As if that matters, she's already here and I've already embarrassed myself by neglecting her out in the cold, he thought.

"Adler? Adler? Adler Hayes! Have you found it? Can you hear me?" he heard his mother shouting in the other end when he placed his phone back to his ear.

"Yup, just now. It's my fault, I was drinking last night. Sorry for no—"

"Now, do a facetime! I want to see my daughter-in-law!" she cut him off which made him sigh in exasperation and forget about the slight embarrassment he felt earlier.

"She isn't your daughter-in-law, mama."

"Yet," she retorted, and he replied touché before calling her for a Facetime. It didn't take a second for her to answer it. His phone's screen turned black for a second then showed half of his mother's face. Though she's already at her golden age, she had lesser wrinkles on her forehead and the corners of her eyes that weren't visible unless she smiles widely or glares. But it seems that he's going to see those wrinkles a lot today. She was squinting her glaring eyes behind her thick-rimmed eyeglasses while tapping her thin, emaciated-like finger on her phone harshly that it seems she was putting all her arm's strength on it as the fabric of colorful Indonesian Caftan Batik dress. Adler thought that she really has become an old lady. Nevertheless, to him, she's still his beautiful mother who contains ageless strength and underlying magnificence.

He noticed that behind her was their old, rectangular mahogany table full of plates with a variety of sliced fruits, different delicacies, and meals. As well as two glass pitchers, one was full of water while the other was filled with juice. There was also a thermos near the two pitchers. Just looking at the table made him miss his dear old childhood, wherein he would just wake up, eat breakfast and play all day long. No pressure. No suffocating work environment. Just plain fun.