It was not yet fully light when the clock on the living room wall pointed to six. Dimly, the dawn light filtered through the half-closed curtains of the apartment. In his room, Gavin had already been awake for thirty minutes. Not because he had suddenly become diligent or been moved by Aruna's threat the night before, but because his mind was filled with a devious plan to escape babysitting Kenzie.
"Like hell I'm going to be stuck here all day as a babysitter," Gavin whispered as he carefully buttoned his blue shirt in front of the mirror, minimizing even the slightest sound.
His thoughts drifted to the romantic lunch date he had planned with a popular magazine model at eleven. Canceling it to change diapers, feed a meal to, and watch a little kid? Oh, absolutely not. That wasn't in Gavin's vocabulary. As lightly as possible, he snatched his jacket, car keys, and wallet from the table. Before stepping out, he glanced at Aruna's bedroom door, which was still tightly closed.
A contemptuous smile curved across his handsome face. "Sorry, Una. You don't get to run my life. Consider this a lesson so you know I can't be threatened," he muttered inwardly.
Click.
He closed the apartment's front door so slowly that it was almost inaudible, then hurried toward the elevator, escaping the responsibility he was supposed to share with her.
An hour later, exactly at seven in the morning, the door to the room across the hall opened. Aruna came out dressed neatly and ready to teach—a modest pastel blouse paired with black slacks. Kenzie was awake in her arms, wearing his favorite T-shirt with a little monkey on it as he rubbed his still-sleepy eyes.
"Gavin?" Aruna called softly as she walked toward the kitchen.
The apartment was utterly silent. Aruna walked to Gavin's bedroom door and knocked gently. "Gavin, I'm leaving for work. Kenzie's awake. Please give him a bath."
There was no answer.
A sense of unease began spreading through Aruna's chest. She worked up the nerve to turn the knob on Gavin's bedroom door, which, as it turned out, wasn't locked. As soon as the door opened, she was greeted by the sight of a neatly made but empty bed. A faint trace of Gavin's distinctive masculine cologne still lingered, but its owner had vanished.
Aruna stood stunned in the doorway. Her hand tightened around Kenzie's little T-shirt. She hurried to the dining table and living room, hoping the man had merely gone down to the lobby or stepped out to buy coffee or breakfast. But there was nothing. There wasn't even a note or a quick message on her phone. Gavin was really gone. He had fled before his shift had even started.
"That selfish, chameleon-ass playboy... this is too much!" Aruna hissed, holding back the angry tears welling at the corners of her eyes. Her chest heaved with exasperation. Gavin had deliberately challenged her, intentionally leaving her in a bind on her very first day back at work.
"Ante Una... where's Uncle Gavin?" Kenzie's lisping voice broke through Aruna's thoughts. The little boy looked around with an innocent expression.
Aruna took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions in her chest so she wouldn't frighten her nephew. She forced a sweet smile, then kissed Kenzie's chubby cheek. "Uncle Gavin went to work, sweetheart. Today, do you want to come to school with Auntie?"
Kenzie blinked his round eyes. "School? With friends?"
"Yeah, with the little kids at Auntie's school. We'll play there, okay?"
Though her heart was boiling with anger at Gavin, Aruna had to remain rational. Finding a last-minute babysitter within an hour was clearly impossible and risky for Kenzie's still-traumatized state. Contacting Mr. Sidiq or Mbok Rin would also take too long, since her sister's old house was quite far away and Jakarta's morning traffic was already heavy. The only viable option was to bring Kenzie with her.
Quickly, Aruna packed everything Kenzie needed—his milk bottle, a change of clothes, snacks, and even Adisti's blue notebook—into a large backpack. After making sure everything was ready, she locked the apartment and left with firm resolve.
At 7:45 a.m., Aruna arrived at the gates of Children Smart School. The school was already growing busy with the murmur of children's voices and parents dropping them off. Aruna's arrival, carrying a toddler while wearing a large backpack, immediately drew the attention of several teachers welcoming students at the gate.
"Oh, Miss Aruna? Thank goodness you're back. But... who are you bringing with you, Miss?" asked Ms. Desi, one of her fellow teachers, with a puzzled furrow between her brows.
"This is Kenzie, Miss... my nephew. My late sister's son," Aruna replied with an apologetic smile. "Ms. Desi, is the principal in her office yet? I need to report to her now."
"Oh, yes, she's inside. Go right in."
Aruna walked down the school corridor with her heart pounding. She knew perfectly well that bringing a child or family member into the workplace, especially while teaching, was unprofessional. But her circumstances were forcing her to take the risk.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Come in," a voice called from inside.
Aruna opened the door and entered Ms. Widya's office. Ms. Widya was the principal of Children Smart School, known for being strict yet wise. The bespectacled middle-aged woman looked up from her stack of files, then smiled warmly when she saw Aruna.
"Aruna! You're finally back to teaching. We all mourn the tragedy that happened to you," Ms. Widya said sincerely. But her gaze immediately shifted to the little boy in Aruna's arms. "And... who is this handsome little guy?"
Aruna carefully set Kenzie down, letting him stand beside her legs while clutching the hem of her blouse. Aruna bowed her head, gathering all her courage.
"I'm sorry in advance, Ms. Widya. Besides coming to report that my leave has ended, I also wanted to ask for your permission and understanding," Aruna said, her voice trembling slightly.
Ms. Widya adjusted her glasses and listened intently. "Understanding about what, Aruna?"
"This is Kenzie, ma'am. He's my nephew, and he just lost both of his parents in an accident a week ago. Right now, Kenzie is still severely traumatized and can't be left with strangers or a caregiver." Aruna paused, glancing at Kenzie as he stared intently at the cat-shaped clock on the office wall.
"Because of an urgent situation at home, I had no choice but to bring Kenzie to school today. I promise, ma'am, he won't disrupt the learning process in my class. I'll seat him in the corner with his toys. Please let me teach while looking after him for the time being."
The room suddenly fell silent. Ms. Widya stared at Aruna for quite a while, making panic ripple through Aruna's chest. She was afraid that if her request was denied, she'd have to choose between professional responsibility and abandoning her nephew.
Ms. Widya let out a long sigh, then rose from her chair. She approached them and knelt in front of Kenzie, who immediately hid behind Aruna's legs out of shyness.
"His name is Kenzie, right? What a handsome boy," Ms. Widya praised gently before looking back at Aruna. "Aruna, you know our foundation's rules about teachers maintaining professionalism in the classroom, don't you?"
"I do, ma'am. I really do. That's why I sincerely apologize. If this violates the rules, I..." Aruna's sentence broke off as her throat suddenly tightened with a mixture of guilt and exhaustion.
Ms. Widya placed a comforting, maternal hand on Aruna's shoulder. "Listen first. I haven't finished speaking. Technically, this isn't normal. But I'm a mother too, Aruna. I know how difficult your position is right now, suddenly having to become a parent to a child this young while you're still grieving."
She gave a faint smile. "You may bring Kenzie to class today and tomorrow. Think of Kenzie as a temporary 'honorary student' in your playgroup class. But you have to make sure he remains well-behaved, all right? And find a long-term solution after this. What about Kenzie's uncle? Can't he help?"
At the words "Kenzie's uncle," Gavin's shamelessly smiling face as he fled that morning flashed through Aruna's mind. Her irritation and exasperation flared in her chest again.
"Kenzie's uncle, my brother-in-law's younger brother... is very busy with company matters he can't leave, ma'am," Aruna replied, concealing the bitterness in her voice as best she could.
"All right, then go straight to your classroom. The bell will ring soon. Take good care of Kenzie."
"Thank you so much, Ms. Widya. Thank you for understanding," Aruna said repeatedly, bowing respectfully.
As she left the principal's office for her classroom, Aruna tightened her grip on Kenzie's hand. Her affection for the little boy had grown deeper, but at the same time, her disgust with Gavin and her wounded pride had reached their breaking point.
Just wait until tonight, Gavin. You think you're going to get away with ruining my day? Aruna thought sharply, ready to make that chameleon-ass playboy pay for his selfishness.
To be continued...