Dear Husband
Say

"Lho...The elle? why is he sleeping here?" ask Nando wonder. A few hours ago he spent in the workroom of Dady Teguh. They are busy chatting with business affairs until they forget a little time. If the Ashar Adhan had not reverberated, perhaps the boy's father would have remained focused on their conversation.

"Elle miss me mas." Sofia confirmed the location of her little daughter's blanket that was slightly sagging because of her movement earlier.

"Don't get kids Elle's age to sleep with us baby. Overseas even children far below Elle now sleep in separate rooms." Sofia straightened her body. There was a bit of disappointment when she heard her husband talk about it. The incident between Elle and Momy Sisca comes to mind.

"Don't it before meeting me that Elle also slept alone? what's wrong if she wants to sleep with her mom?"

"There is nothing wrong dear.I just said not to get used to it." said Nando while removing the clothes attached to his body to clean himself into the bathroom.

"Why do you Caucasians always have another view of education and independence? without you thinking if a child also needs the love of his parents. They also have feelings." Sofia grumbled annoyedly. Nando stopped his movements. Her blue ocean iris stared intently at Sofia's intense brownish iris. He approached the wife who looked upset.

"Wait for me to take a bath and pray ashar first. We can talk about this in the garden." - Nando made Sofia speechless because of it.

Nando is still Nando. He has his own way of solving problems in his small family. Seeing Sofia's upset face that brings Elle to sleep in their room and let baby Rafa in the care of her parents is a big question mark for her. It was not usual for his gentle and loving wife to do such a strange thing.

"Come on." Take Nando to Sofia's arm to get out of her room. Yeah, it was really his private room before he got his own house and married Emma.

"But Elle ..." prevent Sofia from shrinking. He's the one who took Elle there. He was afraid that the little boy would wake up suddenly and look for him.

"There's Bella who's gonna take care of it." Nando's chimpanzee. Inevitably Sofia follows her handsome husband to the back of Hutama's spacious and tidy residence. Instead of sitting on the bench of the garden, Nando took him under a shady tree and sat facing each other there.

"Now tell me what really bothers you" asked Nando gently. Her fingers stroked Sofia's head wrapped in a bright pink hijab, matching the tunic she wore.

"No. I'm just surprised by the way you educate kids."

"You guys?" Nando raised one of his eyebrows.

"Yes.kalian bule." said Sofia again while emphasizing the word 'bule' which of course makes Nando's feelings flushed. There was European blood flowing in his body. Her stature is also 90% bule mother's legacy. He was also born and raised in America. But Sofia doesn't usually talk about race after they get married. Something is strange.

"Honey, just like you natives who have customs and traditions, we have them too. If our habit of making our own room in a child is indeed disturbing and unworthy of your opinion, then we will change it. Sleeping with us or not is not a big deal for me. Whose traditions make no difference to me. We marry to unite differences, not to make them into divisions and separation distances" Nando said patiently. Netra Sofia widened because of it. Why did her husband suddenly change? where is the arrogant man who usually maintains an ego in front of him? Is this really Fernando satria Hutama her husband? every now and then Sofia's eyes pricked convincing her of her vision.

"May I ask you one thing?" Sofia can only nod her head, still confused by the drastic changes of her husband who is very patient and mature. If not being upset with her maybe now she will hug the sturdy body and drown her head in the chest of the field of the husband.

"Never talk about anything in front of children even though they are still sleeping."

"What hemm??"

"No." All the neatly arranged words in her mind disappeared already due to being too focused on the great change of the husband.

"I know there's something you're hiding, baby. Say it!" Nando grabbed Sofia's fingers and kissed her affectionately.

"If I say I'm afraid you're offended." sighed Sofia as she put their fingers into her lap.

"We Caucasians love openness." Nando's subtle innuendo is very much realized by his wife.

"It's about mom and Elle" said Sofia very slowly, barely audible with her head down. He is a new member of the Hutama family. Would it be nice if she talked about in-laws and Elle to her husband who just loved her? Will there be no misunderstanding that makes Fernando's love disappear on him? Just imagining it made her a little afraid to talk. But he can't let Elle be sad every time, can he?

"What's wrong with them?" Nando looked back at him sharply. He lifted Sofia's bowed head by cupping her cheeks.

"Dear, speak. Trouble won't be solved if you keep quiet." he continued.

"Mom talks about ..Elle is not part of this family. It made Elle cry and I took her to the room to calm her down. I didn't mean to get her used to sleeping in our room, but I felt sorry for her. Elle doesn't know anything about all of you. He's just an innocent child who doesn't even know from whose womb he was born. He's suffered enough with all this mas." Sofia shrank her tears that began to fall. Elle is not her real daughter, but she has loved the child since she first met.

"Sofia listen.....Elle must know everything."

"What do you mean, Mom? You support mom?"

"Mom is not entirely wrong, dear, but it is also not true. He just wanted me to be firm and start sorting things out. Between love, duty and truth. There is Rafa now. Elle's not my real son. That's what I need to start implementing. I can't keep sharing my love with her."

"She was your daughter too."

"Then my duty is over Sofia. I raised him with affection, and sent him to the best school until he graduated. That was more than enough for him. My biological child born from your womb will have his right to be the little master of this family. Rights that Elle would never have even if you asked for them. You may love him, but never make him equal to our son. He'll backfire on our family if you keep being weak. And about mom.I'll talk to her." Sofia looked at her husband. The man who was very firm, realistic with eyes full of love smiled at him. Suddenly he couldn't help but squander into her arms.

"I'm sorry mas." she said. Nando hugged her warmly, pecking at her head full of love.

"You know, when I decided to start loving you, I was completely free of the past. You're the only one in my heart, Sofia hutama."