The Wedding
8. The Woman He Loves

I stopped my steps when I saw someone standing in front of me right now. That man I know very well and I miss, who else if not Fariq, my ex-lover.

Someone I love so much but left me. What is it that he came here, to my workplace, my mind.

I saw a sweet smile on his face, a smile that I missed so much, a smile that made me smile, but that was before, now I just keep looking at him. I don't know what I feel right now. There was a great desire to hold her tightly. The feeling of wanting to go back to how it used to be was so strong but there was a sense of resentment for leaving me just like that.

I ventured closer and approached her. I saw her right hand carrying my favorite matcha ice cream.

"Make you, your favorite ice cream" said Fariq, his smile not missing from his increasingly handsome face.

My heart trembles, pain, longing, joy, united in my heart and my present self. My eyes were hot, the tears were already pooling ready to spill them in an instant. I'm unmoving. Can only look at him.

"Sorry, Daisy. I'm sorry" he said again

"I just came here to apologize to you in person, sorry I just now came to see you after months of disappearing from your life" his smile was now nowhere to be seen on his face, replaced with regret visible from the look in his eyes.

I'm still quiet. Now my tears are pouring down my cheeks, trying to hold it, but I can't.

"I'm sorry I hurt you like this, Daisy. Sorry for making you cry" now Fariq feels so close, his warm hands touch my cheeks and wipe away the tears that continue to flow.

How much I miss him, Lord. I want to hug her now. Either for the first or last time. But I'm abandoning my intentions. My hands were shaking because I was holding back my tears.

"That's why I didn't meet when I decided on you, because I would never be able to leave you when I met you" Fariq said, his eyes teary, as he hugged me. Close, very tight.

Finally my tears broke, I couldn't hold it anymore. I just cried, shed all the feelings that I had been holding on to, my life felt so empty without it, the heartache I had felt all along, the disappointment that was so painful, my hands were too weak to hold her back, I honestly seemed unable to support my own body at this moment. I feel comfort in my body, right.doesn't change the taste, Fariq's embrace still feels comfortable like before.

I was still crying for a while, but I started to control myself. I slightly loosened Fariq's embrace, wiping away my tears. Unknowingly I had wet Fariq's clothes because of tears and had known not if crying what liquid came out of the nose. I felt guilty but I couldn't control myself a moment ago. I just looked at the wet part of Fariq's clothes while occasionally rubbing my hands on it.

"That's okay" said Fariq, as if he could read my mind, his voice sounding soft.

"Es the cream melted" I said stammeringly.

"Haha.engga anything later I buy a new one" his laughter sounded pleasant.

"Do it" I answered while taking out the ice cream and eating it.

"Have you felt better?" she asked while stroking my hair.

"I'll take you home" Fariq said as he took the ice cream parcel from my hand.

"Yes" I replied in a weak voice.

My feeling was relieved, but I felt weak, crying like it had almost consumed some of my remaining energy today after being busy at work.

Thirty minutes later, Fariq's car was already on the road to my house. We just kept quiet. I can't say anything. My brain is still thinking, is this a dream I can be with Fariq again in this car like we used to do, he always tried to take the time to drive me home.

Before long, the X-trail was parked in front of my house.

"Daisy, can I talk to you for a second?" said Fariq while holding my hand as I was going down.

I closed the car door and looked at him.

"What's wrong?" I said flat.

"I'm meeting you today really to apologize. I want to make sure you're okay without me, sorry I didn't come back to you again, Daisy. Although I want to be back with you, like I used to be. But it can't be. My parents were very angry and immediately found a woman to be betrothed to me, so that I would not come back with you. I tried to keep you, but I failed, Daisy. I'm sorry, I hope you get a better replacement than me" said Fariq, his word for word feeling very clear in my ear and brain.

Kreekkk, my heart is broken again. Unknowingly this meeting inserted hope in my heart that is now broken again. Fariq had clearly spoken of not being able to get back together and he was getting married, because his parents had already found a match for him.

I went back to silence, just looking at her face, maybe for the last time I could see her face this close.

"I'm fine, Fariq" I replied trying to calm down.

"Thank God. I really love you, love you so much, Daisy. But I failed to fight for you in front of my parents" Fariq's eyes looked sad.

I hugged her tightly, the last hug before we really had to part, a breakup that wasn't out of our will, because of her parents. The selfishness of parents sometimes brings their own suffering to their children without them noticing.

I took off my arms and kissed her soft lips, not feeling my tears dripping.

"Acope is the same, Fariq. Still love you so much" I said smiling, tears still dripping down my cheeks.

I hurried out of the car, trying to strengthen my heart and myself. I don't want to look back, it'll only make me more fragile, if I see Fariq leaving my house.