The Broken Ring's
The Extraordinary Man

After lunch, Erick took Kalandra home. The house is the result of Erick's hard work over the last few years. There they continue together by spending time in the backyard of a house that Erick conjured into a orchard and vegetables. There is also a fish pond which is a favorite place of Kalandra. The boy could sit by the pond for hours just to feed the fish and watch the movements of the aquatic animals.

"Well, the fish is big, Pa!" kalandra exclaimed with excitement when she saw the fish in the pond.

"Cock's really big fast, huh? When Kalan saw yesterday, he was a kid." The boy added with a slight murmur.

Erick chuckled at the confusion of the son.

"Fish the little ones the other day die all because of stress. Papa replace with fish that are larger in size" said Erick.

"Are fish stress too, Pa?" kalandra asked, getting confused.

"Yes, Honey. All living things can be stressed, but of course the stress is not like humans" Erick explained.

"Oh, if humans are stressed out, you're angry, Pa?" Kalandra asked again.

"Well, you know where?" Erick asked back. There's no way Lalita's angry about stress, right?

"Daffa said that. He said Daffa's mother likes to be angry because of stress," Kalan said innocently.

"Oh ...." Erick involuntarily let out a sigh of relief.

"What is important is not that Kalan's mother likes to get angry because of stress," Erick said then half muttered.

"Mama never gets angry, even likes to smile on her own" Kalan said.

"Like your own smile?" reset Erick.

Kalandra nodded.

"Daddy said, Mama likes to smile herself because she's happy. Mom and Daddy are gonna be a bride soon." The Daddy Kalandra meant was definitely Rainer. The man had indeed been close for a long time to Kalandra, even before Lalita accepted her feelings.

It felt like there was a sharp object hitting Erick's chest at the moment. He closed his eyes for a moment while sighing softly. Of course there is no burden for Kalandra to talk about Rainer, because in the eyes of the boy, Erick and Lalita are just friends, while Rainer is a prospective Lalita couple.

I don't know, maybe because since birth Kalandra never watched his parents live together, so for him Lalita and Erick were just friends. He also does not understand the meaning of a divorced couple. All she knew was that her papa mama was always there for her, so no matter what the relationship, Kalandra was happy.

"Well you like it when Mom and Daddy get married?" erick asked and went fishing.

"Like!" Unexpectedly, Kalandra replied excitedly, making Erick's heart even more wry.

"Why do you like?"

"Nw ...." Kalandra seemed to think for a moment. "Can Daddy be good. Daddy loves gifts for Mama and Kalan. I love taking Mama and Kalan for a walk. Continue ... Daddy likes to make Mama smile too."

Erick smiled bitterly at Kalandra's reply. Right, Rainer can give something he can't give to Lalita. There is no reason for him not to feel happy because that man will now be his ex-wife's companion. But why is his heart so difficult to compromise, even though his brain has accepted?

"Then Papa? Kalan doesn't like Papa, does he?" Erick asked again. This time it was a question that sounded quite childish.

"Like, dong! Time not like? Papa is Kalan's superhero. Papa is the best!" Kalandra answered while giving her two thumbs. Pretty comforting answer Erick's heart.

"alright. Then, we feed the fish only," said Erick then while moving to take fish food. Ending the conversation about Rainer and Lalita is the wisest choice so that his heart does not feel more pain.

"Horay!" Kalandra welcomed pleased. Feeding fish is her favorite part. The boy rose up cheerfully, waiting for Erick to take the fish feed for him.

In the afternoon Erick drove Kalandra home. Of course after she bathed Kalandra and returned to feed her even though it was not time for dinner yet. At home Erick is available Kalandra dressing clothes so as not to be confused again if at any time the boy needs it, as it is today.

Erick didn't drive Kalandra home. Lalita asks him to go to the boutique because the distance is closer. It turns out Lalita is still there. The woman is still working even though in a few days she will hold a wedding.

"Daddy!" Kalandra immediately exclaimed when she found Lalita not alone, but with Rainer.

Rainer immediately spread his arms and was immediately greeted with a warm embrace from Kalandra.

"Walk out the streets with Papa. Play car bombs, continue to feed the fish" Kalandra said. He was always enthusiastic whenever he told me about what he was doing.

"Well, that must be exciting. Too bad Daddy didn't come." Rainer winapi.

"Next time Kalan asked Papa to invite Daddy too. Daddy wants?" Kalandra asked innocently.

Rainer laughs. Swiping the head of Kalandra with love.

Erick who saw the scene could only faintly smile. On the one hand he was relieved because Kalandra would get a connecting father who loved her sincerely. But on the other hand, he also felt jealous. She was afraid that Kalandra would love Rainer more than she did.

"Me and Kalan go home first. Mama must have waited. He has been calling constantly." Lalita's voice interrupts Erick's head.

Rainer. She offers to drive home, but Lalita refuses to take her own car.

"Erick, I go first, yeah. Thank you for picking up and looking after Kalan all day" Lalita told Erick.

"Don't thank me. I'm happy instead" said Erick. It was quite sad to hear Lalita thanking him just because he had replaced taking care of their son.

"alright. Then we go home first." Lalita said goodbye once again. While Kalandra waved her hands alternately towards Erick and Rainer.

Lalita and Kalandra pass, leaving Erick and Rainer both in a situation that is quite uncomfortable for Erick.

"Want to have coffee? Nearby there's a nice coffee spot," Rainer bargained for Erick to break the silence.

Erick wanted to refuse, but had no reasonable reason. They both ended up in a cafe located not far from Lalita's boutique.

Actually, this isn't the first time Erick and Rainer have talked together. The two have often interacted, or rather Rainer who often first invites Erick to talk. Only, Erick always felt uncomfortable being near Rainer, even though it did not seem to apply to Rainer himself. Lalita's husband-to-be seemed so happy and told anything casually to Erick, as it is now. It was as if Erick was his friend, not the ex-husband of his future wife.

"Rainer, can I ask you something?" Erick interrupts in the middle of the conversation.

"Just ask," Rainer said casually.

"I know this sounds kind of childish, but I've been curious for a long time. You and Lita are getting married soon, but you're comfortable with me. You also don't mind when Lita and I have to go together for Kalan's sake. Don't you feel jealous?" ask Erick seriously.

"Jealous?" Rainer chuckles. The man sipped his coffee for a moment.

"Of course I'm jealous, Erick. Where there is a man who is not jealous to see his future wife interacting with an ex-husband, for whatever reason," Rainer continued in a more serious tone.

"Then?" Erick frowned cluelessly, considering Rainer's casual attitude all along. It does not reflect a jealous man.

"Then?" reset Rainer. "Because I'm jealous, doesn't mean I should be hostile to you and keep you away from Lita, right? Even after we got married, I had no intention of doing that."

"Why?" Erick doesn't understand.

Rainer turned to look at Erick and looked at him for a moment. The man's face turned very serious.

"Because you mean to Lita. Whether it's as the person he once loved, or as the father of Kalan" Rainer said.

Erick was silent, not knowing what to say.

"I appreciate Lita along with all the things that are on her. When I decided to make her my life partner, I also decided to accept her for who she was, including accepting that she had a past she could never let go of for Kalandra. After all, she was a female figure who would hold firm to the trust placed in her. So I don't have to worry even if he keeps interacting with you" Rainer said.

"For jealousy, even the ants that bite their feet, I feel jealous. But let it be my own suffering. Don't let him suffer because of my jealousy." Rainer added again.

Erick looked away speechless. Even if he tried to match Rainer with all his might even though it felt like he would still lose. That guy is too amazing. Erick realized, Lalita deserves an extraordinary partner like Rainer. Inevitably, he had to admit it, although once again his heart still felt unwilling.

Connect ....