Lina's last week in Jakarta began with the usual message.
Arga: In front of the minimarket.
She read it after leaving the church.
She looked across the street.
Arga's car was in the same spot.
Under the minimarket sign, whose colors had grown increasingly faded.
Near the little tree that had never really grown.
Lina stood at the edge of the road a few seconds longer than usual.
Next week, that spot would be empty.
Or maybe there would still be another car.
Someone else.
The only thing that had changed was them.
Lina got into the car.
"It's so hot."
Arga turned to her.
"Tradition?"
Lina laughed.
"The last one."
"Don't say that."
"It is the last week."
"In Jakarta."
"Yeah."
Arga turned up the AC.
"You're late."
"How late?"
"Twenty-one minutes."
"Better."
"Your standards are slipping."
"Because I'm leaving."
Arga looked at her.
Lina put on her seat belt.
"Don't make that face."
"What's wrong with my face?"
"Like you want to protest, but you're too lazy."
"I do."
They drove out of the parking lot.
Arga asked, "Eat?"
"Sure."
"What do you want to eat?"
"Whatever."
Arga shot her a sharp look.
Lina laughed.
"Just not Padang food."
"So not whatever."
"Whatever, with conditions."
Arga shook his head.
Some things didn't change even when time was almost up.
They didn't go to their usual bakmi noodles place.
They didn't go to the restaurant with special memories, either.
Arga drove aimlessly for almost twenty minutes.
Lina didn't ask.
Finally, they stopped at a little eatery they had never even been to before.
"Why here?" Lina asked.
"Easy parking."
"Romantic."
"Efficient."
They sat by the window.
Lina ordered iced tea with no sugar.
Arga watched her.
"Still?"
"What?"
"Iced tea."
"Why should it change?"
"No reason."
The food arrived.
Arga automatically moved the pickles onto Lina's plate.
Lina froze.
They both looked at the movement.
Lina smiled.
"Who'll give me pickles in Singapore?"
Arga immediately started eating.
"Order it without pickles."
"It's not the same."
"Why not?"
"The good part is taking yours."
Arga stared at her.
"Criminal."
Lina laughed.
Then the conversation fell quiet for a moment.
The little pile of pickles at the edge of the plate suddenly carried an absurd amount of weight.
After they ate, Lina asked, "Where are we going?"
Arga paid.
"I don't know."
"Good."
"Why?"
"I'm tired of itineraries."
Arga looked at her.
"Even though I already made one."
Lina stopped.
"Seriously?"
Arga pulled out his phone.
Lina snatched it immediately.
In Notes, it said:
Sunday - eat - bookstore? - coffee - sunset if it doesn't rain - take you home
Lina stared at the list.
Then at Arga.
"You really made one."
"So we don't waste time."
"Ga."
"Hm?"
"Let's just waste time."
Arga fell silent.
Lina handed back his phone.
"We don't have to make our last day good."
"Not the last day."
"The last week."
Arga sighed.
"Yeah."
Lina stood up.
"Let's just go."
They walked through a shopping mall without buying anything.
They went into a bookstore.
Then left.
Looked at shoes.
Didn't buy any.
Lina stopped in front of a luggage store.
They both laughed.
"Don't," Lina said.
"Trauma."
They kept going.
There was a photo booth upstairs.
Lina stopped.
Arga looked at it.
"No."
"Why?"
"Our last picture together is going to be ugly."
"Exactly."
Lina tugged on his arm.
Arga followed.
They went inside.
Picked a frame.
Sat too close together.
The countdown began.
First photo: Arga wasn't ready.
Second photo: Lina laughed.
Third photo: They both looked at the camera.
Fourth photo: Lina suddenly rested her head on Arga's shoulder.
Flash.
Done.
Arga was silent.
Lina sat up straight again.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Why are you so quiet?"
"So cheesy."
Lina punched his arm.
"You're happy."
"A little."
They waited for the prints.
Lina took one strip.
Arga took one.
"Don't split this one up again," Lina said.
"Okay."
Lina put hers in her wallet.
Arga put his in his phone case, behind an old photo.
Lina noticed.
"Two?"
"Yeah."
"It's cramped."
"There's still room."
Lina smiled.
In the afternoon, it rained.
The sunset plan was a bust.
Arga parked near the city park.
They stayed inside the car.
The windshield wipers were off.
Rainwater streamed down the windshield.
Lina looked outside.
"Do you remember the first time I brought you food?"
Arga laughed.
"When you said you just happened to be passing by?"
"Yeah."
"My office was in the opposite direction."
"I know."
"So you were lying."
Lina nodded.
"A little."
"Why did you come?"
Lina turned the little ring on her finger.
"I don't know."
Arga looked at her.
"Lin."
"Okay. I wanted to see you."
Arga smiled.
"Took you long enough to admit it."
"You used to pretend your meetings ended early, too."
Arga fell silent.
Lina turned to him immediately.
"Aha."
"What?"
"So it's true?"
"No."
"Your face says otherwise."
Arga laughed.
Lina pointed at him.
"Liar."
"Okay. I came early."
"Why?"
Arga looked at the rain.
"I wanted to see you."
Lina didn't answer.
Her smile was small.
They had only admitted it three years later.
It didn't matter.
But it felt nice.
The rain didn't stop.
Lina rolled the window down a little.
The damp air drifted in.
"Ga."
"Hm?"
"Do you think you'll come here later?"
"To the park?"
"To our places."
Arga thought about it.
"Maybe."
"Alone?"
"Sometimes."
Lina looked at her hands.
"It's weird, huh?"
"What is?"
"The places stay."
Arga looked outside.
"The people move away."
"Yeah."
Arga didn't like where the conversation was going.
But they had promised not to avoid it.
"Lin."
"Hm?"
"If you're happy there, don't feel guilty."
Lina turned to him.
Arga continued, "I'm serious."
"Why are you saying that?"
"Because I know you."
Lina was silent.
"You'll think that being happy there means you're leaving something behind here."
Lina watched the rain.
"Including you."
"Yeah."
Arga answered quickly.
Lina pressed her lips together.
"What if I'm happier there?"
Arga looked at the steering wheel.
"Then that's good."
"What about you?"
"I'll figure something out."
Lina laughed softly.
"There you go, being reasonable again."
"This time, I'm sad too."
Lina looked at him.
Arga shrugged.
"Two things can exist at once."
Lina didn't say anything.
Her hand moved toward the center console.
Arga watched.
Then he placed his hand over hers.
He didn't hold it too tightly.
It was enough.
As evening approached, they returned to the car after buying coffee.
Lina held the warm cup.
"Do you work tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
"Tuesday?"
"Yeah."
"Wednesday?"
"Why do you sound like HR?"
"I'm counting."
Arga knew.
"We'll still see each other."
"When?"
"Every day, if you want."
Lina stared at him.
"Don't say that."
"Why not?"
"It'll make things harder."
"They're already hard."
Lina laughed.
"True."
Arga took a sip of coffee.
Lina said, "I'm doing my final packing tomorrow."
"I'll come over."
"Ga."
"Hm?"
"If you're tired, you don't have to."
Arga looked at her.
Lina smiled immediately.
"Okay, my mistake."
"You're learning."
"I'll come."
"Yeah."
They arrived at Lina's house at eight that night.
Earlier than usual.
Lina didn't get out.
Arga didn't tell her to, either.
The gate was a few yards ahead.
The porch light was on.
"Ga."
"Hm?"
"Where will I be this time next week?"
Arga calculated.
"Singapore."
"Probably in my apartment."
"Yeah."
"And you?"
"Who knows?"
Lina nodded.
"Don't deliberately drive past here."
"Why not?"
"It'll be sad."
"I'm not that weak."
Lina stared at him.
Arga corrected himself.
"Maybe."
Lina laughed.
Then, little by little, she fell quiet again.
"I love you."
Arga turned to her.
Lina looked straight ahead.
She seemed to be speaking to the gate, not Arga.
"I love you too."
"If I get busy later..."
"Lin."
"What?"
"You haven't even left yet."
"I know."
"Don't practice losing me already."
Lina swallowed what she was about to say.
Then she nodded.
"Okay."
Arga picked something up from the dashboard.
A small key.
Lina looked at it.
"What is it?"
"The key to my house."
Lina furrowed her brow.
"Why are you giving it to me now?"
Lina reached into her bag.
She already had one.
Arga laughed.
"See?"
"What?"
"Give it back."
Lina handed it over.
Arga took it.
Lina looked at her empty palm.
There was something painful about an object that small.
Arga realized it.
He said immediately, "It's not because we're breaking up."
"I know."
"It's because you won't need it in Singapore."
"I know."
"When you come home, I'll give it back."
Lina stared at him.
"Promise?"
Arga paused.
Then nodded.
"Yeah."
Lina smiled faintly.
"Good."
She opened the door.
Before she got out, Arga said, "Lin."
Lina turned.
"Next week..."
"Hm?"
"I'll still be in front of the minimarket."
Lina furrowed her brow.
"What for?"
"Video call."
Lina laughed.
"Don't be an idiot."
"I'm serious."
"Don't."
"Fine."
Lina was still laughing when she got out.
Arga watched her go inside.
The last week ended without a sunset.
Without an extravagant dinner.
Without a grand goodbye.
Just rain, a photo booth, coffee, pickles, and a few things they had only admitted after three years.
Maybe that was simply how their relationship worked.
The important things always came in forms that looked ordinary.