Chapter 11

A few days passed and Cein had begun to recover and return to work. Although Cein still seemed to hold his chest occasionally, Orlyn didn't pay much attention to it, because acid reflux could indeed be that severe if left untreated. Today Orlyn worked from home and decided to cook for lunch and dinner first. She had learned to cook from her mother and was embarrassed to always leave the cooking to Cein.

Orlyn had just finished making beef soup and turned off the stove. She smiled happily when she saw that her dish was ready.

"Cein loves beef soup and potato pancakes. I hope my cooking will make him like it too," Orlyn said to herself.

Then Orlyn decided to wash her hands and take off the apron she was wearing. She had to get back to work so that everything would be ready for the monthly meeting.

Orlyn was absorbed in her work and stopped when her phone rang. She looked at it and saw that it was Diandra calling. Orlyn answered quickly.

"Hello Dra. What's with the call at this hour?" Orlyn asked directly.

"Where are you? I'm at Kozie's Cafe with Sania. Maura is here too," Diandra said on the other end.

"I'm at home. I'm working from home today, so I'm not at the cafe," Orlyn explained.

"Come over! We're having a get-together and Ben is coming soon. We can have a reunion," Diandra invited.

Orlyn paused and thought.

"If I go without telling Cein, he might be worried when he comes home and I'm not there. But if I ask for permission, he probably won't allow me to join them. Cein doesn't like it when I can't prioritize and just do what I want," Orlyn thought, weighing her options.

"Orlyn! What are you thinking? Your husband has to work too, right? Hurry up and come over, I'm waiting!" Diandra said and ended the call. Orlyn looked confused about what to do. To be honest, she wanted to hang out with them as well.

***

Orlyn slowly opened the door of her bedroom. Her mother had called to tell her that Cein had come home and gone straight to bed. Orlyn was really afraid that Cein would be angry with her. She had decided to meet her friends without Cein's permission. She hadn't expected them to lose track of time because they hadn't seen each other for so long.

Orlyn entered her room quietly and found Cein lying on the bed, still wearing the shirt from this morning. With cautious steps, Orlyn approached the bed and carefully sat down on the edge.

"Cein," Orlyn whispered, calling him.

Cein was not asleep; the pale man, even paler than Orlyn, opened his eyes and looked at Orlyn.

"You're home?" Cein asked.

"Yes," Orlyn answered briefly.

"Good, go take a shower! Then we'll go home," Cein instructed Orlyn.

After saying that, Cein closed his eyes again and turned his face away from Orlyn. Orlyn realized that Cein was angry with her now. Then she found the courage to gently hold Cein's arm.

"Are you angry, Cein?" Orlyn asked.

Cein did not answer, only exhaled roughly.

"Shower, Lyn! You smell of cigarette smoke. If daddy smells it on you, he might scold you," Cein said without opening his eyes.

"But I don't smoke, Cein. Isn't it normal to smell cigarette smoke in a cafe? It's a public place. Dad wouldn't think so," Orlyn argued.

Cein opened his eyes and looked at Orlyn with annoyance.

"So you're saying I'm narrow-minded? Is that it?"

"Cein, why do you talk like that? I didn't mean it that way."

Cein huffed, perhaps too angry to control his emotions. Then he turned his body away, refusing to look at Orlyn.

"Do what you want! Whether you shower or not, it's up to you! I won't force you."

Orlyn was stunned by Cein's words. This was the first time her husband was so angry that he didn't want to see her face. Orlyn knew that Cein had never been so angry.

***

Since that incident, Cein had been more silent, and Orlyn, feeling guilty, didn't dare to apologize again. This morning they ate breakfast in silence again. Occasionally Orlyn looked at Cein, who was busy with his food. Cein didn't really want a cold war with Orlyn. He was just disappointed that Orlyn still couldn't change her bad habit of going out and coming home late at will.

Cein stopped eating when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He put the spoon down and took the phone out of his pocket. He cleared his throat before answering the call.

"Yeah, La, what's up?" Cein asked directly.

"It's Sahla. No wonder you're so quick to react," Orlyn thought, suddenly in a bad mood, and took a bite of her food.

"What? Since when? Where are Auntie and Uncle?" Cein's question sounded very panicked. Orlyn looked up and saw Cein with a furrowed brow, confused.

"Yes, wait for me. Take your medicine first and don't forget to eat whatever is available at home. I'm going there right now," Cein said before ending the conversation with Sahla.

Hearing this, Orlyn reacted and stopped eating.

"Where are you going, Cein?" Orlyn asked, holding Cein's hand.

Cein remembered that he was married. He looked at Orlyn.

"I have to go to Bogor. Sahla has had a stomach ache since last night. My aunt and uncle are away for a wedding. Sahla has a history of chronic gastritis, and she can't be left alone in this condition," Cein explained, sounding very worried.

"But Bandung-Bogor is far. Why not ask a neighbor to take Sahla to the hospital? Isn't that more effective?" Orlyn said, disagreeing with Cein's plan to go to Bogor.

"Tsk! Sahla is not you. She's only close to me and the late Endo. She can't be like you, who can easily get close to anyone and go out with anyone as you please". 

Cein was angry and emotional because Orlyn was holding him back. Orlyn herself was silent when she heard Cein's words.

"Why do you compare me to Sahla, Cein? I know that Sahla is not me, and I'm not Sahla. Am I really that worried about Sahla's condition? Even if..."

Orlyn left her sentence unfinished. She looked at Cein with tear-filled eyes. She sighed and turned away.

"Just go! If not, she'll wait too long and get better!" Orlyn said, getting up and leaving the table.

Cein watched Orlyn leave with a hardened face. He groaned in frustration and slapped the table hard. Hearing this, Orlyn jumped, but continued on her way to her room. Meanwhile, Cein was still thinking about whether or not to go to Bogor.

***