That afternoon...
Sinta watched Raisa hug Naufal tightly, a hug filled with long-suppressed longing. That day, they had deliberately come to Clara's house, where Raisa had been living for the past few months, to pick her up. Sinta felt a twinge of jealousy, but she tried to hide it behind her friendly smile. She knew that Raisa was her sister-in-law, and Naufal loved his younger sister very much. She had to learn to accept and understand this newfound family bond. The air that afternoon felt hot, but Sinta's mood felt warmer because of Raisa's presence, even though there was a slight tension that she felt.
"Brother, why don't you ever see Echa?" Raisa asked, her voice still a little shaky, showing her longing for her brother.
Naufal smiled, gently stroking Raisa's hair. "Brother had some business, say hello to Kak Sinta first," he said, his voice full of affection. He tried to remain calm, trying to ease the tension he felt.
The little girl looked at Sinta who was sitting next to Naufal, then greeted Sinta politely. Her movements were gentle, showing her refined personality.
"So beautiful," Sinta praised, trying to break the ice. She wanted to show her friendliness to Raisa, wanting to make the little girl feel comfortable around her. She hoped to build a good relationship with Raisa.
Raisa turned her gaze back to Naufal, her eyes sparkling.
"Where are we going?" Raisa asked, her voice full of curiosity. She seemed enthusiastic, looking forward to a new adventure with her brother.
"Let's sleep at Brother's house tonight," Naufal said, his voice full of gentleness. He deliberately invited Raisa to stay at his house, wanting to give Sinta a chance to get to know her stepsister better, and also to build a bond between them.
"Brother's house?" Raisa asked again, showing her surprise. She seemed happy with her brother's invitation.
"Yes," Naufal replied, nodding firmly. He had planned this carefully. Before meeting Raisa, he had deliberately said goodbye to Adelia, his mother, that he intended to sleep at his new house with Sinta that night. His goal was for Sinta to have time to get to know Raisa better, and for Raisa to also feel comfortable with Sinta's presence in her life. He hoped this could be a good start for their small family.
"Is Kak Clara coming?" Raisa asked, her voice a little hesitant. She seemed still attached to Clara, the woman who had taken care of her for the past few months. Raisa didn't seem ready to part with Clara.
"No, Raisa is going with Brother and Kak Sinta tonight, okay?" Clara said, her voice gentle, but sounding a little tense. She supported Naufal's decision, but she also felt sad because she had to part with Raisa.
"Want to be with Kak Clara," Raisa reached out her hand, holding Clara's hand tightly. She seemed reluctant to part with the woman who had taken care of her with love. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Hey, didn't you say yesterday you wanted to go with Bang Naufal?" Clara reminded Raisa gently, trying to persuade her.
"Kak Clara come along," Raisa whined, her voice starting to tremble with tears. She was still not ready to part from Clara.
"Can't, dear... Tomorrow Raisa can play here again," Clara coaxed, trying to calm Raisa's tears. She tried to explain patiently, trying to convince Raisa that this separation was only temporary.
"Don't want to... Kak Clara come along," Raisa cried even harder, showing her strong refusal. The atmosphere became increasingly tense. Sinta felt a little disappointed, but she tried to remain calm. She understood that Raisa still needed time to adjust.
"I'll take her out for a bit," Naufal said, patting Sinta's shoulder gently, trying to ease his wife's disappointment at Raisa's rejection of Sinta. He understood Sinta's feelings, but he also had to handle the situation with Raisa. He took Raisa out for a moment, hoping to persuade her to come to their house. He knew that it would take patience and understanding to build a good relationship between Sinta and Raisa.
Clara looked at Sinta, who was bowing her head. This was the first time she could sit face to face with the wife of the man she secretly loved.
"It's okay... Raisa doesn't not want to. She's just used to being here. She knows I'm the doctor who takes care of her, as well as her brother's friend. She's been with me for 3 months," Clara explained.
Sinta tried to smile.
That night, after finishing his work at the office, Naufal rushed home. The atmosphere of the house felt a little different, the atmosphere felt quieter. His mother, Adelia, was sitting in front of the TV.
"You two didn't end up sleeping at the new house, son?" Adelia asked, her voice sounding a little worried.
Naufal frowned. He and Sinta had indeed planned to spend the night at their new house, but that plan seemed to have to change.
"I suddenly had to go to the crime scene earlier, Ma. Didn't Sinta tell you?" Naufal asked, trying to find an explanation. He still didn't understand what was really happening.
"No, she just said you had work. Then she asked to sleep, said she had a headache. You should check in the room," Adelia said, giving a clue. Something was wrong.
"Yes, I'll go inside, Ma," Naufal replied, his curiosity growing. He immediately headed to their room.
Carefully, Naufal opened the door to the room. His gaze immediately fell on Sinta who was busy packing clothes into a travel bag. The atmosphere of the room felt different, colder and quieter than usual.
"Honey..." Naufal called, his voice gentle but sounding a little tense.
Sinta turned around.
"Where are you going? Why are you putting clothes in a travel bag?" Naufal asked, his voice full of worry. He felt that Sinta was hiding something.
"I'm going back to Jakarta tomorrow, okay?" Sinta replied, her voice sounding soft. She tried to remain calm, but the tremor in her voice could not be hidden.
"Hey, why?" Naufal asked, his brow furrowing even more. He felt that something was wrong. Sinta's decision to return to Jakarta suddenly was very surprising.
"It's okay. I have to go to college. I can't just take a break. What about the exams later?" Sinta replied, trying to give a plausible reason. However, Naufal knew that there was something more than just college.
"Mom said you said you had a headache earlier?" Naufal asked, trying to dig up more information. He tried to connect his mother's story with Sinta's sudden desire to go home.
"Yes, I already took medicine. Mom gave it to me. After that, I was told to rest," Sinta replied, her voice still sounding soft. She tried to hide her true feelings.
Naufal sat in front of Sinta, looking at his wife's face attentively. He felt that Sinta was hiding something, something that made him feel uncomfortable.
"What's wrong? If you go home suddenly like this, Mom will be surprised... Mom will think you're not comfortable here," Naufal said, trying to understand the situation. He understood that Sinta's decision to return to Jakarta must have a reason, and he wanted to know the real reason.
"I'll leave in the afternoon after you get off work. So tomorrow morning, let me talk to Mom. So Mom won't be shocked," Sinta replied, explaining her plan. She wanted to avoid a direct confrontation with her mother-in-law, and she chose to explain everything herself to Adelia the next day.
Naufal looked at his wife's face, trying to read what was on Sinta's mind. He felt a restlessness emanating from Sinta's eyes.
"Is this about Raisa not wanting to move if Clara doesn't come along?" Naufal asked, finally mentioning the problem that was actually causing Sinta's discomfort. He had suspected that the problem with Raisa and Clara was the root of all this.
Sinta frowned, her face showing her displeasure. She could no longer hide her feelings.
"How close are you to that doctor?" Sinta asked, her voice rising slightly. The jealousy she had been holding back finally exploded. She could no longer bear the discomfort she felt.
Naufal took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. He knew that his explanation had to be clear and convincing so that Sinta could calm down.
"There's nothing going on, honey... Clara and I are just friends," Naufal replied, his voice gentle but firm. He tried to convince Sinta that his relationship with Clara was only as friends and the doctor who took care of Raisa.
Sinta was silent for a moment, pondering Naufal's words. She tried to trust her husband, but jealousy still left a little discomfort in her heart. She knew that building a new family took time and patience, but today's events made her feelings mixed.
"She's very close to Raisa," Sinta said, finally expressing her concern. She felt that Clara was too close to Raisa, and that made her feel uncomfortable.
Naufal nodded, understanding Sinta's concern. He understood that Sinta felt jealous and worried about the closeness between Clara and Raisa. He tried to explain the situation in more detail.
"Clara is the doctor who has been taking care of Raisa for the past few months. I understand your concern, honey. But I assure you there is no relationship more than that between me and Clara," Naufal explained, his voice full of conviction. He wanted to convince Sinta that he had no special relationship with Clara.
Sinta still looked doubtful, but she tried to trust her husband. She knew that Naufal was an honest and loyal person. However, today's events had sown seeds of distrust in her heart.
"I need time," Sinta said, her voice soft. She needed time to calm down and reflect on everything.
Naufal hugged Sinta tightly, giving her support and understanding.
"Alright, then. You rest, okay?" Naufal whispered in Sinta's ear. He kissed Sinta's forehead.
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet, I'll take a shower first."
"Alright, then. I'll prepare your dinner," Sinta said.
"Thank you, honey..."