Blooming At It's Time
³⁶ Disappointment

That morning, Alden woke up with a head that felt very heavy, even his eyes could not open fully. Alden blinked his eyes a few times, then woke up slowly from his sleep. He looked around, still with his head slightly turning. A few moments later, he realized that this room was not his room. The bed he was sleeping on was not his. ****! Alden swore in his heart, wondering where he slept last night. Shouldn't he be coming home?

Unmindful of his spinning head, Alden rushed outside the room and immediately met a woman he knew very well. Shella was standing by the dining table in her nightgown, pouring water into a glass. The woman's lips curled up, greeting Alden with a smile. Instead of smiling back, Alden scrunched his forehead in wonder, why did he see even Shella? Not Alora?

"Wake up? You're not dizzy? Or nauseous?"

"Why am I sleeping here?"

"Alden's? You forgot what we were doing last night?"

"Don't joke you, Shel!" Alden's voice rose, his eyes staring intently at Shella, not accepting the woman's nonsense. No, obviously Alden didn't do anything. It's impossible, isn't it?

"You mad?"

Alden let out a long sigh, his fingers combing his hair back, while slightly pulling the ends. Alden was silent for a moment, trying to remember the events before this, before everything felt terribly wrong. Okay, last night Shella called her, made the drama seem like she didn't want to live anymore, so Alden was lured to come here, to Shella's apartment. Then what he got was a surprise birthday, there is evidence of the incident, where now the middle room of Shella looks messy with the rest of the cake and excessive decoration. And yes, Shella whined for Alden to stay longer to accompany her to drink the whiskey that was specially purchased for the day. Finally Alden stayed for a few glasses of whiskey, then...

And that's where everything went wrong. Alden shouldn't have drunk a single bit. Now Alden can not remember the slightest incident after he was drunk. Alden rubbed his face rough, and rushed to find his cell phone.

"Where's my phone?"

"Alden!"

"Where?!" Alden sneered, staring at Shella mercilessly. This was the first time Alden had looked at Shella like that. And it made Shella feel very unwanted. Then Shella immediately took Alden's phone which she put on the dresser. Alden grabbed the phone from Shella's hand, then checked the contents. In his mind now there were only Alora, Alora, and Alora.

"You play with my phone." Alden said, ending up with a dot, not a question, and now he's very upset.

Shella squeaked, then crossed her arms. "He calls on! It's so annoying to know!"

"It could be you, Shel!"

"Alden! You're what the hell?"

"You're the shit!" Alden sounded a little screamed. "What do you mean send that picture? Huh uh?"

"Al, are you kidding me? I think you care about him. You're going to divorce her next year!"

Hearing Shella's sentence, Alden seemed to return to the fact that his relationship with Alora was only written in a few sheets of paper. Alden shook his head slowly, unwilling to accept a reality so bitter that it undermined his logic. Then he looked at Shella sharply. "No, Shel. It's you. You're the one I broke up with."

Shella immediately lowered her hand that had been folded haughtily. His eyes looked at Alden, unable to believe what he had just heard. "Not funny, Al!" His voice is rising.

"I'm done with you, Shel." Alden's voice was firm, his face was loud. With all his consciousness, Alden gathered all the luggage to prepare to leave this stifling apartment.

"But why? Don't tell me you'd prefer him over me?"

Alden stopped his activity, then turned to look at Shella who seemed unable to accept reality.

"Yes. I picked him."

"Alden!"

"Oh!" Alden flicked his finger, then pointed at Shella with his index finger. "Where's my card?"

"You must be kidding!"

"Or am I looking for it myself?"

"Alden!"

After a moment of searching, Alden returned outside while showing Alden's own unlimited credit card that had been occupied for a long time by Shella. This time sternly, Alden walked out of the apartment without another word. And at that instant, along with his stride away, his shoulders felt extremely light, as if half of his weight was lifted. His body felt much lighter, and his mind was more free to think of another woman, Alora Agni Bestari.

Unfortunately, that day Alden could not immediately run on Alora. Unfortunately, in the wrong time, there is an important meeting that cannot be missed. So Alden had to be stuck in the office until his working hours were over. Until that time came, Alden was feeling restless. The entire message was unread by Alora. Or, more accurately, ignored. So Alden rushed home right after everything was done. Unfortunately, Alora was not in the apartment. Alora hasn't come home yet.

Bizarrely. Alora used to hang out in front of the TV, but now she's nowhere. Even Alden had searched all over the apartment, but no trace of Alora at all. But at least Alden could breathe a sigh of relief, after seeing Alora's belongings still in his room. At least now Alden just needs to wait for Alora to come home. But apparently, waiting is not an easy thing, after all this time just being the person who awaited by Alora. Now Alden felt his own anxiety, almost every minute turning towards the door, or checking out the balcony hoping to find a shadow of Alora entering the apartment building.

Niente.

Alden almost lost hope, and no longer knew what to do. His uneasiness continued to gnaw until his throat was dry, so Alden headed for the kitchen to fetch cold water from the refrigerator. As soon as the refrigerator door opened, Alden was immediately stunned to see a cake with strawberry slices on it lying on one of the shelves in the refrigerator. Alden can't feel more guilty than this. She was supposed to come home last night, celebrate her birthday with Alora, her wife. It should be this way, it should be, and it should be other things that make him feel bad.

One long sigh full of regret escaped from Alden who rubbed his rough face. Right after, there was the sound of a key button being pressed open. Alden closed the refrigerator door, and rushed towards the open door. There, Alora stood with a face that looked completely uninspired. There was no smile etched on his lips, what more blushing cheeks like yesterday morning, even a faint black color started to circle under his eyes. Alora looked gloomy as if she had just had such a bad day, and Alden clearly knew the cause. So, with all his disturbing feelings, Alden tried to get close to Alora, but the woman moved faster to get past Alden without a word.

"Iora..." Ogre Alden.

"Yes?" Alora won't look at Alden.

"Everything's not what you think, Al."

"You mean?" This time Alora turned around, and looked at Alden with a frowning forehead.

"She tricked me, Al. He lied so I could come and-"

"And you came."

Alden stared straight at the pair of eyes I had lost their light. Highlight those eyes, suddenly making his body crumble and running a terrible pain from the core of his chest. Alden can't believe he hurt a good woman like Alora. And whether or not Alora would forgive him, Alden didn't want any of this to go wrong. He wants to justify everything.

"Al, please catch me first."

"I don't need anything, Al. You're not wrong."

"I was wrong. Sorry me. I was too drunk to fall asleep, but that's it. Nothing more."

"Yes, Al. Now can I rest?"

"I'm sorry... You must be tired." Alden's voice weakened.

"Yes..." Alora is like that too. His energy was already very drained thinking of the man who spent the night with another woman. Alora was tired of herself expecting so much from Alden, who was not hers. Resentfully, and ready to leave all her feelings to Alden, Alora opened the door of the room as the man made his voice again. So Alora stopped at the doorway, waiting for Alden to continue his sentence.

"I... Look at the cake in the fridge. Excuse me. Thank you, too."

"Oh." Alora turned. "Wait." He said, before going into the room to look for something that he stored away in the corner of the wardrobe, covered with a pile of clothes. Alora came back to Alden with a black box that was not wrapped. "Sorry can only love this, after everything you've given me."

Alden swallowed his saliva, trying to relieve the pain from his heart that felt down to the throat. He received the box, without looking at Alora, just looking at what was happening while pensive. Now she knew, how Alora was waiting for her restlessly last night. Now he knows how destroyed Alora was when the photo was sent deliberately by Shella. Now he knows better, and he's hurting himself more and more. Nothing hurts more than hurting the people you love. Now Alden knows the meaning of that sentence.

Without a word, Alora went back into her room, closed the door behind her and leaned on her. Pain that he thought was impossible to present, back crawling to the surface, open up to the body. Alora could not hold the sparkling fur at the end of her eyes, until the tears fell down for the umpteenth time. Alora closed her mouth, trying to muffle the sobbing sound that was starting to sound. His already weak body, fell curled up hugging his folded legs.

Meanwhile, behind the door, Alden could only lean his forehead, looking for Alora's warmth on the other side. Next to her hand held tightly to Alora's gift box, the other one was directed to the door, touching her as if she wanted to hug Alora while patting her tiny back. But none of that will happen tonight.

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