The plane from Jakarta landed precisely at 4:12 PM Western Indonesian Time. The sky was slightly overcast, and the afternoon breeze carried the damp scent of the morning's rain. Sinta descended the plane's stairs with a light step, a small bag slung over her shoulder, and a petite suitcase trailing behind her. She glanced to the right and left, searching for the figure she longed to see.
Her phone rang. Naufal's name appeared on the screen.
"Have you landed?" Naufal asked, his voice calm.
Sinta smiled. "Yes, just now. Are you in the parking lot?"
"At the arrival gate. I'll get out of the car in a moment," Naufal replied.
"Okay. I'm near gate two. Wearing a green dress."
"I'd probably spot you from afar," Naufal chuckled before ending the call.
Sinta turned towards the arrival gate. Some people were greeting their families. Some drivers stood holding name signs. However, there was no sign of the handsome man in a white shirt she had envisioned. Disappointment pricked at her heart.
Just as she was about to call again, hurried footsteps greeted her from behind.
"Sinta." Naufal's voice made Sinta turn around quickly. A relieved smile spread across her face.
"Hey!" she exclaimed cheerfully, giving Naufal a brief hug. A hug that was enough to convey the longing she had suppressed all this time.
"Sorry, the traffic was a bit heavy," Naufal said, taking her suitcase. "How many days are you staying that you brought this much luggage?"
Sinta chuckled. "Three outfits. The rest is cosmetics. Important," she replied jokingly.
Naufal shook his head slightly. "Come on, the car's out front."
Inside the car, the atmosphere was momentarily silent. Sinta gazed at the city streets, still unfamiliar to her, enjoying the short ride to the hotel where Naufal had booked a room for her.
"Who did you have lunch with earlier?" she asked suddenly, breaking the silence. A question that actually arose from a veiled curiosity.
"Aretha," Naufal replied briefly, his tone flat.
Sinta turned. "The one you mentioned before? The new girl on your team?"
Naufal nodded. "She just got out of the hospital. Minor injuries during the raid yesterday."
"Hmm." Sinta bit her lower lip, her mind starting to wander. "Is she pretty?" she asked, a teasing tone in her voice.
Naufal turned quickly, slightly surprised by Sinta's question. "Sinta..."
"I'm just asking, don't be suspicious," Sinta said with a teasing smile, trying to reassure Naufal.
"She's a coworker. I'm the team leader. It's just professional," Naufal replied, trying to explain.
"Yeah, yeah," Sinta rolled her eyes, feigning disbelief. "But you're a man, she's a woman. Who knows if feelings might slip in between tasks."
Naufal chuckled softly, trying to ease the atmosphere. "The only thing slipping in is investigation data. Not feelings. Besides, I'm not the only man on our team."
Sinta turned her face away, pretending to pout. She knew Naufal was trying to reassure her, but a small sense of jealousy still tickled her heart.
"Hey, do you want to go straight to the hotel or somewhere else first?" Naufal asked, changing the subject.
"Why?" Sinta asked back, curious.
"I want to pick up Azam from school. I want to take him to his grandparents' house," Naufal explained. "After that, we'll go to the hotel."
"Seriously? Wow, I want to come!" Sinta seemed excited. "Look, I bought this for Akhzam." She showed a fairly large transformer robot, neatly wrapped in its box. "I know he'll love it."
At 5:00 PM, they arrived in the courtyard of Akhzam's school. The schoolyard was already very quiet. Sinta stood near the gate, waiting for Akhzam with the robot that she knew Naufal's younger brother would definitely like. Anxiety began to resurface.
A few minutes later, Akhzam came out with Bripda Evan, the police officer assigned to guard Naufal's younger brother. However, the sight Sinta saw shocked her. Akhzam looked terrified, hugging Bripda Evan tightly, hiding behind him. Evan carried Akhzam, who was still trembling with fear.
"What's wrong?" Sinta asked, worried. Her voice sounded panicked. "Kak Sinta (older sister) is here to pick up Azam. That's Bang Naufal (older brother) in the car."
"Azam doesn't want to go if he doesn't know them yet, Kak," Bripda Evan explained calmly, while calming Azam. "It takes time for him to be comfortable with new people." He explained the situation patiently.
Sinta nodded in understanding. She approached slowly, trying to calm Azam. She spoke in a soft voice, trying to soothe the little boy.
"Hi Azam, this is Kak Sinta. I brought a gift for you," Sinta said in a gentle voice, showing the transformer robot box. "Look, it's really cool, isn't it?"
Akhzam was still hesitant, but his eyes were fixed on the gift box. Slowly, his fear lessened a little. He peeked from behind Bripda Evan's body.
"Robot?" Akhzam whispered.
"Yes, a transformer robot. Do you want to see it?" Sinta asked, opening the robot box a little.
Slowly, Akhzam mustered the courage to approach. He stared at the transformer robot with sparkling eyes. His fear gradually disappeared, replaced by curiosity and excitement.
"Wow, it's so cool!" Azam exclaimed, finally willing to accept the transformer robot from Sinta's hand.
Sinta smiled in relief. She hugged Akhzam briefly, comforting him. Bripda Evan also smiled, relieved to see Akhzam start to calm down.
"Thank you, Kak Sinta," Akhzam said, his eyes still fixed on the transformer robot in his hand.
"You're welcome, dear. Now let's go home," Sinta took Azam's hand, leading him towards Naufal's car, which was waiting not far away, followed by Evan.
"Abang (older brother), adek (younger brother) has a new robot from Kak Sinta," Akhzam reported while sitting next to Naufal.
"What do you say to Kak Sinta?"
"Thank you, Kak Sinta."
"You're welcome, dear," Sinta replied.
"Adek sit in the back? Won't there be enough space for you and Kak Sinta?"
"Kak Sinta can sit in the back."
"Is that how you treat a guest?" Naufal asked.
"It's okay, I'll just sit behind you," Sinta said.
Naufal looked at Evan.
"Safe, Bripda Evan?" Naufal greeted.
"Yes, safe, Bang."
"Thank you, goodbye?"
"Yes."
Inside the car, the atmosphere became warmer. Akhzam was busy playing with his transformer robot, occasionally telling stories about school and his friends. Sinta and Naufal engaged in light conversation, discussing the raid yesterday and its impact on Akhzam. Their conversation flowed naturally, melting the previous tension.
Arriving at the hotel, Sinta thanked Naufal. She felt relieved that Naufal had taken her safely. She was also happy because she was finally able to meet and entertain Azam.
"Thank you for picking me up and taking me to the hotel," Sinta said, smiling. "And thank you for giving me the opportunity to get to know Azam."
"You're welcome," Naufal replied, smiling back. "Get some rest. Tomorrow we can take a walk around here."
Sinta nodded, feeling happy with Naufal's plan. She knew that Naufal always tried to give the best for her and for the people he cared about. She hoped that their relationship would get better and closer.
Before parting, Sinta hugged Naufal once again. A longer hug this time, as if to convey her gratitude and deepest love. Naufal returned Sinta's hug tightly, feeling the warmth and affection that was so sincere.
"Good night," Naufal said, his voice soft, full of meaning.
"Good night," Sinta replied, smiling. She entered the hotel, carrying with her a new sense of happiness and hope, as well as a little bit of jealousy that still lingered."