Only Raised Children
120. The Strange Nature of Rico

In the morning at the Renaldi residence, as usual, breakfast together will be done with the child and daughter-in-law if they do not stay at the Wilson residence. Although Alina has not experienced strange symptoms again in her pregnancy, but Santi will always be excited about her daughter-in-law. Unlike Zara who will look more relaxed on her daughter. I don't know, maybe it was Zara who had gotten used to dealing with situations like this, thus making her more relaxed in acting.

"Honey, when can we find out the gender of your child?" santi asked her daughter-in-law between their meals.

Alina stared at her mother-in-law, followed by Rico and Irfan. 

"Ma, you ask Alina almost every week. Patience first dong, later if it is time we will definitely know the gender of our grandchildren," Irfan told his wife.

Indeed, almost every week Santi always asked about this to Alina and Rico.he really can't wait to know the gender of his first grandchild. 

"What's the matter, Pa? Mama will be curious, can not wait to welcome the birth of our first grandchild" said Santi. Then he turned his gaze towards Alina.

"Em, later this month Alina has an ultrasound appointment with Siska's doctor, Ma. Maybe we can ask him at that time," said Alina who gave hope to her mother-in-law.

Santi who heard the answer from his daughter-in-law smiled happily. After six months, he will finally find out the gender of his grandson. All right, wait six months he can be this patient, so it doesn't matter if you have to wait until the end of the month. 

"Want a grandson or a daughter?" ask Rico to his mom.

Santi looked up, as if thinking, as if she was staring at her or her husband.

"Why do you want a boy or a girl?" tanyanya.

"If any Papa who is loved by God will accept it, it is important that Alina and her baby are healthy."

Santi nodded his head. True too, the important thing is that the baby and his mother are healthy until labor is complete. 

"Mama also agrees with your Papa. The boy or girl, the important thing is that Alina and Mama's granddaughter were born safely" Santi said with a smile, making Alina and Rico smile.

Alina was happy to hear that, at least her parents would not demand that they give birth to a child of the gender they wanted. And that way, there will be no burden for them to think about because they also do not really matter if it will be given by God later a boy or a girl.

**

The next day, since morning Rico looks busy with documents that he will use for meetings with important clients today. The man's face looks very serious, even he did not have time to do his routine activities while saying goodbye to his wife because of the rush. 

Alina was a little sad because Rico forgot her routine activities that always kissed her forehead before going and talking to her son who was in her stomach. But because she did not want to add to the burden of thought, Alina also chose to think positively about her husband who was very busy. He thought Rico had forgotten because he was so nervous to face a client at a big meeting today. 

As soon as Rico, Alina immediately did her job which was now available on her desk. In order not to think too much about the events this morning, Alina chose to focus her mind on her work. 

Until lunchtime arrived, Alina did not realize that she had been in the room for half a day. Even so focused on her work, Alina also forgot that today her husband has not contacted her at all. 

After Rico arrives at the office, the man will usually call him or make video calls while they are at work. But today her husband has never contacted her, even if it is just to give news. Alina did not want to raise what she was currently thinking, but her uncooperable mind led her to think of the strangeness in her husband that made her instantly sad. 

Alina stared at her lit phone screen. He saw some incoming messages from chat groups, co-workers, and also some unknown numbers.

Alina let out a long sigh when she was almost 5 minutes staring at the screen of her phone, but did not also find a message or call from her beloved husband. 

"Where is Rico going? It's lunchtime why he hasn't called me yet. Is the meeting not over yet?" muttered Alina.

"But even if it's not finished, at least this morning he can give me the news that he has arrived at the office. But why hasn't he contacted me at all?" Alina took her breath back. 

"Actually mas Rico where the hell," he said again with annoyance.

He placed his phone roughly on the table, then threw his body on the back of the chair. Alina looked at her distended stomach and stroked it gently.

"Where are you going, honey? Why has she not heard from him since this morning" Alina said to the child inside her stomach. 

While daydreaming, the sudden ringing of a voice call from her phone made Alina surprised and made her immediately reach for her phone that was on the table. He seemed excited to answer the call, but when he saw that the one who called him was Rena, Alina relaxed her shoulders while letting out a small sigh. He thought Rico had contacted him at the time, but it wasn't. Alina immediately answered the call from her friend, she cleared her throat for a moment to normalize her emotions so that her voice did not sound upset. 

"Hello, Ren," said Alina first.

"Hello, Al. Al, where are you?" ask Rena. 

"In the office, why?"

"Lunch with yuk. Are you the same as Rico?" ask Rena again.

Hearing the name of her husband called, Alina again sighed for the umpteenth time. The breath turned out to make Rena frown in wonder.

"What's wrong with you, Al?" ask Rena before Alina answers.

"I'm alone, come here if you want to eat together. I can't get out without Rico's time permit. Are you the same as Andi?" alina asked then who was turning Rena's question.

"No. Andi again meeting, so I call you to ngajakin lunch together."

"Just be here, I'll wait in the office."

After Rena agreed, they immediately closed the call. Alina turned her body to the window, staring blankly at the scene outside wondering what her husband was doing.

a knock on the door from the outside made Alina wake up from her daydream and turn to look at the door After she made a sound, the door opened and Morgan appeared from there.

"Al, you don't have lunch? Where's rico?" asked his brother as he walked up to him.

"I'm waiting for Rena. He is again on his way here to lunch together" Alina replied without changing her position.

He was very lazy to move because his mood was not okay. 

"Why you?" morgan asked as he looked at his uninspired sister.

This was not the Alina he knew. Although Alina was not a woman who was an installment, but her sister never looked this weak even though she was sick. 

"Are you sick, Al?" ask Morgan again. 

"No. I'm not sick, I'm just in a bad mood" Alina said with a bland smile. 

As if he understood what his sister meant, Morgan also agreed. A really annoying response to a brother.

"You want to eat with your brother, right? tanyanya.

"May, but wait for Rena first. He's on his way here again."

"Yes, then you stay in the room first huh. Later if your friend has just come by the phone."

Alina agreed and after that Morgan left her room.

**

"Al, why aren't you excited today? What's up?" asked Rena who had been very curious to see her friend who was very excited.

Just as Morgan thought, Alina was indeed not an active woman like herself, but all she knew was that Alina had never been this quiet before. He suspected that if something made his friend lose his mood this afternoon, but what made his friend lose his mood, Rena had to find out because she was very curious about it.

"No papa. I'm not in the mood anymore" said Alina with a faint smile. 

"I know you're not in the mood anymore, but why? What reason?"

Morgan who sat opposite the two women only occasionally glanced at them while enjoying the dish. As if he had no intention of chiming in on the words of the two women, he had only been a listener in between. 

"No papa, Ren. I'm just tired, like a ketchup," said Alina reasoned. 

Rena knew if that was not the reason Alina's mood became like this, because she knew very well if the woman was not typical of someone who easily gave up just because of fatigue. There must have been something that stuck with his friend that one, but he did not know what. Upon seeing Morgan occasionally staring at them, Rena thought that Alina would not open up to her if there was still that man there. And when Morgan said goodbye to go first to her room, Rena also threw a similar question to her friend because her current curiosity really had to be resolved immediately

"Al, you're being honest with me, what's wrong? You don't usually like this, I'm afraid you're okay, Al." 

Alina who initially still did not want to speak up, but Rena continued to force her finally the woman also collapsed. Alina sighed after gulping down her fruit juice.

"I'm upset with Rico, Ren." 

"Why Rico?' ask Rena.

" I don't know, today he's weird to know."

"Any? Why strange?" ask her impatiently again. 

"Where is it .. Since this morning Rico's face looks so serious, there is no friendly with me. On the way to the office, he did not intend to respond to my words. After escorting me to my room, he left without kissing me or stroking my stomach. He also did not know me when he arrived at the office, even until now I do not know how he is doing. Even my call was not answered, my message was not read until now. He was already a rich man living in the interior, it was hard to contact. I don't even know if she's alive or not" Alina said at length and ended with a joke. 

"Maybe he's been busy times, Al. You said, right, since he looks serious in the morning, maybe there's some pretty serious work that he has to do today.,

"Yes, today he had a meeting with an important client in his office. Yes ... I don't know how important the client is to him, but what should be up to me at all? Although it's just a short message if he has arrived at the office."

Hearing the story of his friend, Rena did not immediately respond to Alina. He fell silent and thought about the reason Rico simply ignored his wife. Is the man really having a very important business to forget his family? If it's true like that, it might be understandable, but .. does it have to be indifferent to his wife too? If he was in Alina's current position, it seemed like he would be furious at Andi.

Now Rena is also thinking about it. She was very curious why Rico could be this cute, especially her husband once said if Rico is the type of man who is very family man. Although the outside looks cute with the surrounding, but for the family Rico will always unite it. 

"Ren, why are you quiet?" alina asked as she touched the shoulder of her dreamy friend.

"Well, Al, I'm confused too. All I know from Andi, Rico is a real family man. It was impossible for him to ignore his family just because of work, especially for his wife who he loved so much. I'm so confused by Rico's attitude today which is really strange" he exclaimed. 

The two women were silent with their own thoughts. But not for two minutes, suddenly Rena reacted spontaneously to make Alina surprised instead of playing. 

"Jeez, you why the hell, Ren, just ngagetin," said Alina.

"Al, what date is it?" ask Rena with her excitement.

"Date? This ... a minute, I'll take a look at the calendar first." Alina opened her phone to see the date on the calendar that was inside there. When she realized the date and the month on this day, Alina was instantly speechless. He looked at Rena with his sad gaze, thus making Rena astonished.

"Why, Al?" ask Rena. Though he had been very excited to think if today is Alika's birthday and thought if Rico deliberately cheeked to his wife because he wanted to surprise, but from the reaction of Alina like that, Alina, looks like he's wrong. 

"Ren, it turns out it's my birthday, but why didn't Rico say congratulations? Does he not remember?"

And it's true that Rena guessed that this was Alina's birthday. He thought his guess was wrong, it turned out to be true. It turns out that Rico deliberately behaved like that to harass his wife who is on his birthday to give a surprise to him. Rena knows this old trick very well, because Andi often does it when they are dating first. Rico's attitude is very strange today. 

"Al, are you really having a birthday today?" rena's question was convincing.

"Yes, but why do I have a birthday, while my husband doesn't even remember my date of birth."

"Jeez Alina, why are you so stupid."

Alina frowned in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"It's your birthday today, isn't it?" Alina nodded. "Well, I'm sure Rico didn't call you on purpose because he wanted to surprise you later?"

"Surprise?" Alina who still did not understand the meaning of her friend then made Rena pat her forehead with annoyance.

"Gini, actually Rico was deliberately acting indifferent to you so that you are sad. And in the afternoon or evening, he will give you a surprise so that it makes you touched. Andi used to surprise me with tricks like that, even I remember that if he silenced me on my birthday, he would definitely give me a surprise. Rico could be like that too. He deliberately did not contact you because he wanted to surprise you later."

Alina was speechless thinking about that long word of Rena. Is his friend right? But come to think of it, there is also a point in what Rena said. Rico has never been this way, and it just so happens to be his birthday. It could be that her husband was given trick advice by Andi and modeled it directly on her.

"But, if he really wants to surprise me, why would it be this way anyway?" alina said in surprise. 

"Eitherway. Maybe he followed Andi's way, because this way always works to make me touched."

Alina, who was sad about her different husband, is now upset. She was really upset because her husband had deliberately silenced her since this morning.

"Awas aja, later I will reply you," muttered Alina quietly, but managed to be heard by Rena who was beside her.

"What if we work Rico back?"

Rena's words at that time made Alina turn her head towards him.

"Training back? How's it going?" ask Alina.

"You're still pretending you don't know about her plan. When you meet with Rico later, you have to follow the acting of him who pretends to be cute."

"You mean, I have to fuck with him too?"

"Yes, let him stress out. I'm sure he must have felt guilty for keeping you quiet since morning."

"OK, continues?" ask Alina who is now starting to be curious about her friend's next plan.

"If it's true that Rico wants to surprise you, when you get that surprise, you have to react as flat as possible. You cannot react by removing the sun water or smiling happily. Anyway you have to act that you don't like the surprise."

Rena kept telling the plan to Alina. The plan he had done to Andi in his last surprise two years ago. 

Alina who agreed with Rena's plan then agreed. As a form of pretense, Alina again sent a message to her husband to ask his whereabouts. Despite knowing that Rico will not return the message, Alina still does it as if she still does not know her husband's plan.

Because of her trust with Rena, Alina did not even think on the other side of her husband's nature today. What if that makes her husband cut her off not because of his birthday?