The Jakarta sky was overcast that afternoon, as if mourning along with Adisti and Rendy's return home. In Rendy's large house, Aruna knelt in front of her sister's coffin.
Tears streamed endlessly down her smooth cheeks.
"Don't leave me, Sis. I don't have anyone else here anymore. Sob, sob." Aruna's sobs made everyone who heard her feel sorrowful too.
Meanwhile, Gavin stood rigidly beside his sibling's body, his eyes vacant. He tried to remain strong in front of the mourners.
When he saw his little niece's innocent face in the arms of one of his sister's household staff, his heart ached. Little Kenzie had already been left behind by both her parents forever.
"Big Bro, Sis. I promise I'll always give Kenzie and Aruna warmth and happiness," Gavin vowed silently, gazing at his sibling's two coffins.
Aruna stood motionless beside the freshly covered grave. Her black clothes contrasted with her pale skin. She had no tears left to shed; her eyes were already too sore and swollen.
She had fainted before the bodies of her two siblings were taken to the mosque for the funeral prayer. She was truly fragile now. The people closest to her had gone far away, leaving her behind.
Beside her, Gavin stood wearing sunglasses that hid his red eyes. He carried Kenzie, who looked confused as she gazed at the crowd of people dressed in black.
"Mom? Where's Mom, Uncle Apin? Where's Daddy too?" Kenzie's lisping voice broke the silence after the prayer ended.
Gavin cleared his throat, which felt as though a stone were lodged in it. "Mom and Dad... are resting in a beautiful place, sweetheart. From now on, Kenzie will stay with Uncle and Auntie, okay?"
"Why do I have to stay with Uncle and Auntie? I don't get to stay with Mom and Daddy anymore?" Kenzie's question left Gavin speechless. He had no idea how to answer the little boy.
Aruna turned and looked at Kenzie with a shattered heart. She wanted to take Kenzie from Gavin's arms, but her body felt too weak even to lift a hand. She also glanced at Gavin—the man who was usually busy charming everyone around him now looked utterly devastated by Rendy's death, and even more so by Kenzie's question.
"Let's go home, Aruna. It's about to rain," Gavin said softly. He deliberately changed the subject so his niece wouldn't ask about her parents again.
Aruna didn't answer. She simply walked ahead of Gavin toward the parking lot. Her thoughts drifted to the large house her sister had left behind, which was now their shared responsibility.
Aruna stared at the large building where Adisti, Rendy, and their niece had lived. She couldn't bear to stay in her sister's home. The memories of them were surely still vivid in her mind.
Seeing that Aruna couldn't bear to stay in her sister's home, Gavin invited Kenzie and Aruna to stay at his apartment that night.
"If you can't bear to stay here, come with me to my apartment," Gavin said gently, looking at Aruna's sorrowful face.
"Then what about this house?"
"Let Mbok Rin, Teh Imah, and Pak Sidiq take care of it."
"Once you're ready to stay here, we'll move back," Gavin continued.
Aruna nodded slowly in response.
Gavin asked Mbok Rin and Teh Imah to pack Kenzie's things to take to his apartment.
Before long, Mbok Rin and Teh Imah had packed all of Kenzie's necessities into two large suitcases.
"Young Master Gavin, I've put all of Young Master Kenzie's things in these suitcases," Mbok Rin said as she handed the two suitcases to Gavin.
"Thank you so much, Mbok."
"Please take care of Bang Rendy's house," Gavin continued, his voice slightly hoarse as he held back his tears.
"You're welcome, Young Master. Of course. Imah, Pak Sidiq, and I will take good care of this house."
"Come visit the house often when you're not busy," Mbok Rin added.
"God willing, Mbok. In that case, Aruna and I will be on our way," Gavin said as he took Kenzie's two suitcases.
"Take care, Young Master. Make sure to keep me updated too."
"I will, Mbok. We'll be going now. Assalamualaikum."
Gavin had just stepped outside to meet Aruna and Kenzie, who were waiting for him on the front porch, when Teh Imah called out to him, carrying a large tote bag in her hand.
"Wait, Young Master. I want to give you this," Teh Imah said, slightly out of breath after reaching Gavin.
"What's that, Teh?" Gavin asked, furrowing his brow.
"Milk and baby snacks for Young Master Kenzie," Teh Imah replied, holding out the large tote bag.
"And this is Young Master Kenzie's notebook, written by the late Mrs. Adisti herself." Teh Imah handed Gavin a light-blue book with a picture of baby Kenzie's face on the cover.
"What kind of notebook is this, Teh?"
"It's a record of Young Master Kenzie's needs. Mrs. Adisti wrote everything down in it—from the foods Young Master Kenzie likes to the foods he's not allowed to eat. She wrote it all in there."
Gavin nodded in understanding, then placed it inside the tote bag filled with Kenzie's milk and snacks.
"All right. Thank you, Teh. In that case, I'll be going. Please take good care of the house."
"I certainly will, Young Master. I'll take good care of the late Mrs. Adisti and Mr. Rendy's home."
"Then I'll head out. I feel bad making Aruna and Kenzie wait for me outside."
Gavin immediately left his sister's home and headed toward where Aruna and Kenzie were waiting.
Seeing Aruna holding Kenzie in her lap while staring blankly at the plants that had belonged to her late brother-in-law made Gavin feel sad for her.
He knew how close Aruna had been to her sister. That sweet girl must have been shattered after being left forever by the family who had always been there for her.
"Let's go home," Gavin said, breaking Aruna out of her daze.
"Hmm, y-yeah. Let's go," Aruna replied nervously. She stood up and lifted Kenzie into her arms.