Dusk (And Taste)
Chapter 54

Very early in the morning. She woke up earlier than her husband. He rushed to the bathroom with a testpack he had bought yesterday with Reyhan. Carefully and anxiously he used the device.

He stared at the little thing without blinking and with mixed feelings. His heart was beating beyond normal limits.

A few minutes he waited with great hope. The line that appears on the object does not increase. He stared at the red line. However, still with hope that does not fade.

“I'll wait a little while. Maybe this is still wrong.”

One minute.

Two minutes.

Until the next minutes passed without pause. He walked back and forth in the bathroom, praying in his heart. Waiting for the line change that the small object in his hand will show. But hope is only hope. It seems that the sustenance to obtain grace and trust from God has not been obtained. With a downcast and lethargic face he walked out of the bathroom.

“Say ?” call Reyhan who just woke up from his sleep.

“Why are you, Al ?” reyhan asked anxiously and approached his wife who was bowing languidly in her dresser chair. He stared at the small object he still held with tears that had been perfectly well-soaked in his beautiful eyelids.

“Hei! Early in the morning why is my wife sad like this ? What's up, my dear ?” Reyhan caught Nadhira's sad face with both hands.

Her tears fell against her defensive wall. Wildly tracing her smooth cheeks and wetting her husband's hands.

“Honey, tell me! What's up ?” reyhan asked, panicking.

He is unable to speak. Only tears could be shed in front of her husband. Fear, sadness, and grief all came at him simultaneously. The feeling grew because she was unable to meet her husband's high expectations for having children.

Reyhan led her to walk to the bed. Reyhan carefully asked again. “Darling, what really happened to you ? Just tell me. Don't just shut up. I don't know how to.”

“I'm sorry,” he said on the sidelines of increasingly strong and clear cries heard. She hugged her husband while saying the same apology over and over again.

“Iya, Darling. Of course I will forgive you.” Reyhan returned his embrace. Slowly Reyhan stroked his back and tried to calm him down. “Crying! Spill all your sadness and worry in tears. It's okay if that's what makes you feel relieved and calm, honey. Cry!”

He spilled all his stuff in Reyhan's arms. His right hand was still faithfully grasping the small white object that had not yet shown any change in the line.

Feel a little calmer. She took off her embrace and looked at her husband's netra firmly although her net still continued to drip the clear details that flowed through her cheeks.

“Ceradize, Al! What has made you cry like this ?” Reyhan wipes away Nadhira's tears that never stop.

“I'm sorry I haven't fully been able to be a wife. This morning I have managed to crush sister's hopes of becoming a father.” He gave a testpack that had been held since and still showed a line.

It was obvious that he had a disappointed look on Reyhan's face. Nemun, quickly changed his expression to cheerful so that his wife did not get sadder. “Al, tek why, Darling. Don't cry like this, yeah. This is the way God says that we are still not given the opportunity to receive great trust. This is how God tells us to be more patient. We will try harder later.”

“I'm sorry. I have made big brother wish more and in the end lead to disappointment.”

“Aleea, don't we have the same expectations, dear ? want to be parents soon. But, we are still human beings who only rely on the line of God's hand. Our job is to try our best and berdo’a without breaking. The rest of God will take over everything.”

He was crying more and more.

Reyhan felt very sorry to see his wife who was devastated. “Come!” Reyhan spread out both hands. He gestured for Nadhira to embrace him. Very gently Reyhan stroked Nadhira's hair that was not covered with her hijab.

“Already, yes, Dear. Cease crying. We can still strive for the future.”

He just nodded slowly.

“I'll take a quick shower, Al. After that we go down together for breakfast.”

“I haven't prepared anything for breakfast this morning.”

“Let Aunt prepare. Auntie was back last night.”

“Alright. Then let me prepare warm water for brother.”

“No need, Al. Let me just. You rest. I'll wake up after I'm done.”

“Iya. Alright.” He laid his body on the bed sheet and pulled a thick blanket to cover half his body.

Reyhan smiled at her. “already. You do not grieve anymore,” said Reyhan and kissed his forehead.

After shower and getting dressed. Reyhan was sitting next to his sleeping wife. He felt sorry to see the condition of Nadhira who looked very sad. It seemed he could not wake her up. However, inevitably he had to do that because he did not want his wife to be sick just because of late breakfast.

“Aleea ?” Reyhan gently shook Nadhira's body then stroked her cheek.

“Hmmm.” It rubs repeatedly its neutrality to adjust the incoming light.

“Seconds have finished bathing ?”

“Iya, Darling. Up, yuk! We're downstairs for breakfast. Or do you want us to have breakfast outside ? As well as looking for fresh air in the morning.”

“Where only. Origin with husband.” She smiled sweetly. Rise up and embrace her husband.

“Since when was my wife good at seducing like this ?”

“I'm not seducing you, brother. I speak the truth.”

“Iya, Darling. Clean yourself first. I'll wait for you.”

He rushed to the bathroom.

As usual Reyhan was only able to shake his head to see the behavior and behavior of his wife is very childish. “Saballah, Reyhan. You just need time to teach her to slowly become an adult woman.” Reyhan advised and strengthened himself.

While waiting for Nadhira to come out of the bathroom. Reyhan tried to tidy up the bed and clean his room. Since marriage, he has never done that again. Because, there is already a wife who takes over the affairs of the room that both occupy.

“Kak, why are you cleaning the room ? it has become my duty,” he said from the bathroom door.

Reyhan looked at her with a smile that adorned his lips. “It's okay, Honey. Every now and then I want to help my beautiful wife do her job. After all, if it's just cleaning the room I've been used to it since long ago.”

“Thanks for easing my work, Darling.” She approached and kissed her husband's lips.

“If I knew I'd get a morning kiss from you like this. Of course I have done happily this job every morning.”

“That's not a reward because brother already cleaned the room.”

“Then ?”

“That's because I love my husband.” He approached and hugged Reyhan. “Without sister doing it too. I always took the time to present a morning kiss to you,” he whispered.

“So, you often kiss me secretly, Al ?”

“Hmmm.” He nodded.

“You cheated, yes.” Reyhan tickled his hip.

“Kak, no! Amusedly. I'm not strong!” he screamed while laughing loudly.

“No pardon for someone cheating with me.” Reyhan's getting stronger tickling him.

“Sister! Amused, Brother. Amusedly. I surrendered. Really.”

Reyhan pulled Nadhira's small body and locked her in a close embrace. “Other times don't try to cheat with me, Al. Or else you will feel the harshness of my unforgiving reply,” threatened Reyhan to wink at his wife.

Nadhira just frowned.

“In addition to kissing me secretly. What else do you do to me every morning before I wake up ?”

“Enjoying the beauty of God's creation in the form of my husband. Looking at his handsome and stern face. Then whisper the sentence “I love you, Reyhan Akbar Oktara”. So, I've won a few numbers from you, sweetheart.”

Reyhan drowned his gaze into his wife's gaze. “Thanks. Thank you for being the end point of my search. To be the home where I go home and to unwind me. To be a companion for me to step in my path, our path. I love you completely, Aleeanaku.” Reyhan kissed her forehead long ago.

He replied by hugging Reyhan's body. Enjoying the aroma of mint that never bored he absorbed.

The two drowned in a sea of drama-filled romance this morning.