The Light of Love (Children of Genius)
Chapter 4. Meet Reo

With a hesitant step, Ella guides Roberto through the hospital hallways filled with patients and families waiting. His face looked worried and worried.

When they finally arrived at Reo's room, an atmosphere of silence and tension seemed to fill the air.

Reo, sitting on a hospital bed with a pale and weak face, smiled faintly when he saw the arrival of Ella and a man he did not know.

"Hi, Ma," Reo greeted in a weak voice.

"Hi, Reo," Ella replied gently, trying to hold back her emotions.

"This is Roberto's Om, someone who wants to help us." Ella, introduce. Roberto on Reo.

Reo nodded slowly, but his eyes were full of questions as he looked at the man standing beside Ella.

"Who is he, Ma? Is he, Mama's friend?" tanyanya.

Ella gulped, feeling her chest pounding. He sat on a chair near Reo's bed, clasping his hands gently.

"Reo, there's something Mama wants to tell you. Roberto is no stranger. She is .. she__"

"Me, your father."

Roberto, instead cut Ella's answer that could not be smooth when introducing himself as the father of Reo.

Reo's face switched between Ella and Roberto, an expression of confusion and surprise mixed his mind.

"Dad? But ... Reo thought Reo's father was dead."

Roberto, with a look full of regret, spoke for the first time. Regretting Ella's decisions in the past.

"I've been away, Reo, but I want to be in your life now. When I hear about your condition, I want to help in any way I can."

Reo was silent for a moment, pondering over all the information he had just received. After a few seconds, he finally said in a hesitant voice.

"My, I don't know how to accept all this. But, if you're really my father, I want to get to know him better."

Reo is an intelligent child, so his mind has already surpassed the limits of his actual age.

The gazes of the three of them met in an emotion-laden moment. Ella is relieved to finally reveal the secret she has been craving for all this time, while Reo and Roberto try to understand the feelings they have just felt.

The silence was finally broken by the sound of the medical machine Reo used, but the tension in their hearts still continued, waiting for a future filled with uncertainty.

"So, if you're my father, why haven't you been around all this time? What made you come now?" ask Reo suddenly.

As the two of them sat in the hospital room, Reo looked sharply at Roberto. Ella went to the cafeteria to buy a drink.

Reo is a critical boy, so there are questions he asks so Roberto himself is overwhelmed.

Roberto finally took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to get the right answer.

"Reo, there are many reasons that make you and your mom make the wrong decision first, and your dad and mom are very sorry. I never wanted to leave you, but .. There's a factor that makes things more complicated."

Reo tilted his head, his sharp gaze keeping Roberto's eyes locked.

"What factor? What could be more important than his own son?" reo asked with a suppressed voice.

"You have every right to be angry and to ask. But please understand, too, that there are many things you cannot explain in one sentence. I was scared and confused at that time. But now, I want to fix it."

Reo still looked doubtful, so he again asked another question.

"So, what are you going to do now? What makes me so sure you're not leaving again?"

"Dad understands your doubts, Reo. I want to prove this goodwill by being here for you, and also by offering my spinal cord to help treat your illness."

With great care, Roberto gives an explanation that is considered easy to understand children as small as Reo. But he forgot, if Reo was no ordinary kid.

Reo seemed to ponder for a moment to give his brain a thought, processing all the answers he received.

"It's not easy to believe. I need proof" Reo said in the end.

"Dad, understood. Dad, don't expect everything to be okay right away. Dad, ready to wait and prove my goodwill through action."

Their gazes met again, this time with the meaning of layers of understanding and hope. Although the meeting was filled with difficult questions, this was the first step towards a deeper understanding between the two of them.

***

A few days after the introduction and a fairly difficult conversation that time, the three of them regrouped at the hospital to check the spinal cord match between Roberto and Reo.

In a quiet room, medics explained the process to them about what to do before and after the examination.

"This process involves a feasibility test and a spinal cord match. We will examine a variety of factors such as blood type, HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen), and other factors to ensure compatibility between donor and recipient. This is an important step to ensure the success of the transplant," about the medical personnel who handle them.

Reo, Roberto and Ella nodded, looking gravely at the medics explanation.

"I understand. What should I do?" ask Roberto.

Medics described the screening procedures to be performed on Roberto, including blood tests and a genetic examination. The medical team also provided information on how the examination would help determine the degree of conformity to Roberto's spinal cord.

Roberto, sitting next to Reo, gave his support with a gentle smile filled with great expectations.

"We're going through this with you, Reo."

Reo nodded, still looking serious. Ella herself was relieved to get answers to all her efforts, prayers and hopes.

After undergoing a series of examinations, they were told that the results of the baby could be ascertained within a few days.

Eventually they come home with a mix of expectations and anxieties, looking forward to the results that will affect the next steps. Although no guarantees have been made, they all feel that this move is a concrete manifestation of an attempt to improve their relationship and help Reo in his fight against cancer.

"We can do it, baby." Ella, hugging Reo with teary eyes.

***

A few days later, when the results of the examination finally arrived, Reo, Ella, and Roberto again gathered at the hospital to hear the awaited news.

They sat in the waiting room with their hearts pounding, trying to stay calm but having difficulty coping with the continuous waves of emotions.

The medics finally called them. With a serious face, the medics sat in front of them and gave an explanation of the examination results.

"The results showed that there was a good level of compatibility between Roberto and Reo's spinal cord. This is positive news."