Water droplets dripped onto the floor from Jeremy's still wet hair. In front of him, Sienna sat kneeling, gently rubbing her son's hair with a soft light blue towel. Her movements were meticulous and caring, as if wanting to ensure no remaining water could make the boy catch a cold.
That face... so much like Azka.
Sienna stared intently at Jeremy, observing the curve of his cheeks, the line of his jaw, even the innocent expressions that often appeared unconsciously. Nothing resembled her, except the eye color, and even that was only faint.
Sometimes she wondered to herself... why someone she had carried for nine months, born from her own body, showed almost no trace of her in that child's face.
"Ma," Jeremy called softly, his voice still a little hoarse after his bath.
"Hmm?" Sienna replied while still rubbing her son's hair.
Jeremy looked down for a moment, then looked at his mother. "Where is Papa... now?"
That question again.
Sienna fell silent. The hand that had been busy drying her son's hair also stopped. Her eyes stared blankly at the wall, as if holding back something that wanted to explode.
"Jeremy... how many times has Mama told you, don't ask about Papa," she replied softly, trying to remain calm.
"But why? I just want to know. My friends at school have a Papa, why don't I?" Jeremy looked at his mother with pleading eyes. "I want to be like them too. To be able to go for walks, eat, play, and do fun things together. Is it wrong for me to want to know who my Papa is?"
Sienna sighed deeply. This time, her tone began to rise. "Jeremy, enough. Mama is tired of hearing the same question over and over again."
"But I have the right to know, Ma. I have a Papa too, don't I?" Jeremy's voice also rose, hinting at the anger he had been suppressing all this time.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Sienna stood up, placing the towel on the chair a little roughly. Her emotions erupted, she couldn't hold them back anymore.
"Your Papa is gone! He's left, and you don't need to know anything about him!"
Jeremy fell silent. His eyes widened, shocked to hear his mother's tone of voice. "So Papa is dead?" he muttered.
His hopes were shattered. Jeremy had always thought that one day he could do fun things with his Papa if they met.
"Are you satisfied now?!" Sienna continued, still carried away by her emotions. "Stop asking about him! And Mama doesn't want to talk about Papa anymore. Mama also doesn't want you to talk about Papa in the future, understand?"
Jeremy took a step back, looking at his mother with teary eyes.
Realizing the change in her son's face, Sienna immediately said, "Jeremy... I'm sorry, Mama didn't mean to..."
But the boy no longer wanted to listen. Quickly, he ran towards his room. "I hate Mama!" he shouted. "I hate you! Mama is mean!"
For a moment, Sienna stood frozen in place. Her heart pounded heavily. Instantly, her anger turned into regret. She stepped quickly to the door and knocked gently.
"Jeremy... listen to Mama first, okay?" her voice began to crack, her body trembling hearing the sound of her son's crying clearly, sobbing and desperate.
There was no reply.
Sienna leaned her body against the door, staring at the floor with a blank look.
"I'm sorry, Mama was wrong. Mama didn't mean to talk like that..."
But the sobs from inside the room did not subside.
A suffocating silence filled the room. That night, Sienna sat silently in front of her son's room, with a shattered heart.
In fact, she did all that for her only child, so that in the future Jeremy would not be involved in the Xavier family's problems and could live happily and comfortably, by keeping him away from his own biological father.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Jeremy sat pensively at the edge of his bed. His eyes were still swollen, but now his gaze showed determination. He glanced at his school bag hanging behind the door, then looked back at the slightly open window. His mother's words still echoed in his head, making his heart ache. However, behind that hurt, disbelief arose. For some reason, he was sure that his mother was lying.
"If Papa is really gone... why hasn't Mama ever wanted to tell me anything all this time?" he muttered softly. "And why was Mama so angry just now? She didn't even want to talk about it? Did Papa do something wrong that made Mama act like that?"
Slowly, Jeremy got off the bed, opened the closet, and began putting a few pieces of clothing into his bag. He also took a small box from under the bed containing his savings. He would go look for Papa. Prove that Mama was wrong.
After making sure nothing was left behind, he pondered for a moment.
How should he run away and meet his Papa? Where was his Papa? What did his Papa look like?
Jeremy opened the door slightly, leaving a narrow gap to peek outside. He made sure his mother was still not around his now silent room. Maybe the woman had already returned to her own room?
As soon as he saw the hallway looked empty and quiet, Jeremy sighed in relief. Carefully and cautiously, he stepped out, trying not to make even the slightest sound.
In his mind, there was only one goal: to find answers. All the questions about Papa that he had never known all this time continued to haunt his thoughts.
"Maybe I can find something in Mama's study..." he muttered softly.
He then walked slowly through the dark and silent house, heading towards Mama's study, hoping to find a glimmer of a clue that had been hidden from him all this time.
The next morning, Sienna woke up as usual. She wore a simple white dress, her hair tied with a white ribbon made of fabric, and a pair of flat shoes adorned her feet. After standing for a moment in front of her son's bedroom door, she knocked gently while calling her son's name repeatedly.
"Jeremy, Mama has cooked your favorite food. Don't forget to eat it, okay?" Sienna said softly, even though the menu looked simple: vegetable-filled eggs, a few small apple slices, and a glass of milk. Jeremy really liked that combination.
There was no answer from inside the room. Maybe her son was still angry with her.
"Mama's leaving now. If you need anything, let Mama know, okay?" she continued before stepping away, as if hoping those words could penetrate the door and reach her son's heart.
She walked away calmly, but her eyes glanced at that room once more. There was an unspoken hope, that Jeremy would open the door and hug her as usual. But that morning remained silent.
At work, Sienna wiped sweat from her forehead. The morning sun began to rise higher, shining on the expanse of the flower garden she tended every day. But this time, her mind wasn't focused. She kept glancing at her phone. There was still no message from Jeremy. Not like usual.
"This is for you." A man's voice startled her. She turned and found her friend standing beside her, offering a bottle of cold drinking water.
"Thank you," Sienna replied after the man said the water was indeed for her.
"No problem. By the way, where's Jeremy? Usually he always helps you when he has time," the man asked, looking around the flower garden Sienna tended.
Sienna smiled faintly. "He's at home. Maybe he's playing." Sienna couldn't tell the truth that she and Jeremy had actually had a fight.
"Playing? That's unusual," the man muttered in surprise. Usually Jeremy preferred helping his mother over playing. Even if he did play, it was usually in the afternoon with his friends.
Since Sienna and Jeremy had lived in the Netherlands, the man had often helped them. Secretly, he also had feelings for Sienna and tried to get closer through small, sincere acts of attention.
But on the other hand, Sienna always kept her distance. Not because she didn't understand the man's good intentions, but because her heart wasn't open to anyone yet. For her, living with Jeremy and taking care of her small family was more than enough.
Towards noon, Sienna began to feel uneasy. Usually, Jeremy would show up at her workplace. Whether to have lunch together, just say hello, or just sit quietly while hugging his knees, waiting with a sullen face that always managed to steal her attention. But today... there was no sign of the boy's presence.
After trying to call and not getting an answer, the vague feeling of anxiety now turned into panic. Without thinking, Sienna immediately rushed home. Along the way, she asked Jeremy's friends who happened to be on the street. She also took the time to check the playground, hoping the boy was playing there. However, there was no answer or sign of Jeremy's presence.
Arriving home, she immediately searched the entire house. His room, Jeremy's room, the kitchen, the back room. All empty. Silent. Eerie.
"Jeremy!" she called again, this time with a voice that almost broke. Her heart pounded wildly, her breath quickened.
Her steps then led her to the study. The door was half open, and from the gap, the light from the computer screen seemed to be on. Her eyebrows furrowed suspiciously.
She quickly went inside, then was stunned.
Her study was a mess. Papers were scattered on the floor. Several books had fallen from the shelves, and the computer on the desk was on, displaying a page that made her heart sink.
She remembered very well, before arguing with Jeremy last night, she had tidied up this room. She was even sure she had turned off the computer.
The drawer where important documents were stored was wide open. She immediately checked its contents. Everything was still there, except for one thing: Jeremy's passport and visa.
All sorts of bad thoughts hit her one after another. With trembling hands, she moved the cursor to the computer, then opened the recently accessed search history.
Her breath caught in her throat. Several files that she had carefully hidden in the past... had been opened.
And what almost made her unable to stand was when Azka Xavier's personal information was clearly displayed on the screen. Including old addresses and information about his departures abroad. Everything was complete. Everything was read.
"Oh God..." she whispered in a choked voice. "What are you doing, Jeremy...?"
Meanwhile, at the airport, Jeremy stood awkwardly near the departure counter. A small school bag hung on his shoulder, and his tiny hands clutched his passport and visa tightly. His gaze swept over the crowded airport area, but he remained in place, trying to convince a kind-looking female passenger to help him.
"Auntie, please... I just want to get on this plane. I have to meet Papa who works overseas. I know I'm not allowed to go alone without a parent, but Mama is very angry with me, and they are also fighting. I just want to meet Papa..."
"So, please, Auntie... could you be my guardian for just a little while?"
The woman was silent for a moment, looking at Jeremy who kept trying to appear strong even though his voice almost trembled. That innocent face was full of hope, and his small hands gripped the passport and visa as if they were the only hope he had.
"Huh, these modern parents," she muttered annoyed, but not at Jeremy. "They fight, and this little kid becomes the victim."
She looked at Jeremy once more, this time with a softer gaze. "Alright. Auntie will help you. But you have to promise, after this we'll find a way for your Mama to know you're okay. Okay?"
Jeremy nodded quickly. His eyes sparkled, as if a glimmer of hope emerged from behind the confusion and sadness he had been suppressing.