"Hubby, wake up~!"
A slightly high-pitched voice filled the cozy bedroom, where a newlywed couple was still wrapped in the warmth of their first week of marriage.
Newlyweds. Still basking in love.
"Hmmm..."
The husband, still lying lazily on the bed, responded only with a low hum, his eyes refusing to open.
"Hubby, wake up already. It's getting late."
Silence. No response.
Seeing no reaction, the girl—known as Amel—put her hands on her hips and huffed.
"Hubby, if you don't get up, I'll pour water on you! Do you want that?"
"Yeah, just a minute..."
He said a minute, but his eyes stayed firmly shut.
Growing impatient, Amel yanked away the blanket that cocooned her husband.
"Get up! I mean it—if you don't, I'll really pour water on you!"
"..."
"Adrian Cole, come on! If you don't—"
THUD!
By accident, as Amelia pulled Adrian arm, he sat up first. Startled, she lost her balance and fell—right into his arms.
"Ouch..." Nadila winced as her nose bumped against Adrian broad chest.
"Hey, you okay?" Adrian asked, trying not to laugh.
"Okay? My nose hit your chest, it hurts!" she grumbled.
Adrian helped her sit up and rubbed the tip of her nose gently with his finger.
"You should be more careful," he said with a teasing smile.
"Well, if you weren't so hard to wake up, this wouldn't have happened," she pouted.
Adrian chuckled softly, leaned forward, and kissed her nose.
"There. A kiss from me. It'll heal now."
Amelia couldn't help but smile, her annoyance melting away.
---
Let's talk a little about this couple.
Amelia Hart—often called Amel or Lia—was only twenty-three years old. Quite young to be married.
Her marriage was the result of her parents' wishes. They had introduced her to Adrian Cole—or Adrian—a mature, well-established man who now stood as her husband.
A police officer with a respectable rank, Adrian had given up his bachelor life just a week ago to marry the young, beautiful Amelia.
---
"Adrian, you're still on leave, right?" Amelia asked as they sat in the car together.
They were on their way to visit her parents.
Adrian nodded. "Yeah, I've got three days left. So the day after tomorrow, I'll be back on duty."
Amelia pouted. "Guess I'll be home alone again..."
Adrian smiled at her expression. "Don't pout like that—you look ugly, you know?" He tugged gently at her cheek.
"I'll spend as much time as I can with you before I go," he added softly, patting her head. "And if anything happens, just call me, okay?"
Amelia smiled and nodded.
From now on, she had to prepare herself to live as a police officer's wife.
---
They soon arrived at her parents' house.
Her parents and Adrian were old friends—very close ones, in fact. That was probably why the two of them had been matched in the first place.
At first, Amelia had refused.
She was still young and hadn't developed any feelings for Adrian.
But after much persuasion from her parents, she finally gave in and agreed to the arranged marriage.
"How many days of leave do you have left, Drian?" asked Artio, her father.
"The day after tomorrow, I'll be back on duty, Dad" Adrian replied respectfully.
Artio turned to his daughter. "You okay being left alone at home?"
"Amel used to being alone. It's fine," she answered while playing with her phone.
"Your wife needs company, Adrian," said Yurike as she poured some tea and joined them at the table. "And that company should be... the cry of a baby."
Choke!
Amelia nearly spat out her drink.
"What's wrong? Surprised?" Yurike asked with an innocent face.
"Mom! I'm still young, and you're already talking about babies?"
"What's wrong with that? These days, young moms and dads are in style! Your age is perfect for it," her mother insisted.
Amelia could only sigh. It was clear Mama Yurike couldn't wait to hold a grandchild.
---
That night, Adrian and Ameliastayed over at her parents' house. Since Adrian still had three days off, they decided to spend a night there.
Amelia lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, while Adrian stepped outside to take a phone call.
"Mommy really wants a grandchild from me and Adrian, huh..." she murmured to herself.
---
Flashback
"Lia, I know you actually want a baby too,"Yurike had said one evening.
Amelia had clicked her tongue. "No way. I'll wait until Adrian ask first. Then I'll agree."
"Don't be so proud, honey. You're husband and wife—it's normal to want each other. Maybe Adrian wants it too, but he's afraid to say it."
Amelia had fallen silent then, realizing her mother might have a point.
End Flashback
---
Amelia sighed deeply and sat up.
"Should I be the one to ask first? But what if he thinks I'm desperate to have a baby?" she muttered.
Moments later, Adrian entered the room.
"Hey, still awake?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Who were you talking to, Hubby? You took forever."
"My superior," Adrian replied. "He asked me to drop by the office tomorrow."
"But tomorrow's still your day off," she frowned.
"Yeah, he just wants to talk. My commander couldn't come to our wedding, remember?"
"Oh... right."
Adrian climbed into bed beside her.
"Adri?"
"Hmm?"
"When do you want to have a baby?"
Her sudden question made Adrian turn toward her. "Still thinking about what Mommy said?"
Amelia went silent.
"Don't worry about that," he said softly. "I'm not in a hurry. We'll wait until you're ready."
"..."
"All parents are like that," he continued. "Even my mom asked me the same thing—she wants a grandchild soon too. But if you're not ready, that's okay. I'll wait for you."
"But what if Mommy and Daddy keep asking?" she asked again.
"Then we'll just tell them it'll happen when the time's right."
Amelia nodded slowly.
"But really, Adri" she whispered. "When do you want to have one?"
Adrian smiled faintly. "If it were up to me, as soon as possible. But if you're not ready... I won't force you."
"Thank you," she said softly. "For understanding me."
He smiled and kissed her forehead gently. "Now go to sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow."
"Good night, my husband."
Adrian chuckled. "Good night, my wife."
As Amelia closed her eyes, Adrian kept watching her for a moment, his gaze tender yet thoughtful.
"There are two reasons why you might not want a child yet, Amelia. First, because you're not ready. And second... because maybe, you haven't learned to love me yet."
To Be Continued