"Doc, why haven't you come here yet? Mrs. Lisa has already had therapy, I think her uterus is in better condition."

"I've persuaded her. We'll be there tomorrow."

"I'll wait!"

Arka put his phone back down. He was lost in reverie before being startled by a pat on the head.

"Mr. Doctor!" the man exclaimed.

Arka made an annoyed face as he looked at the man sitting in front of him. A very sweet smile with a thin mustache. A whistle hanging from his neck and training uniform. Reza, his best friend. He rubbed Arka's head.

"Don't do that! It's not polite! We're old," Arka scolded.

Reza laughed. He took Arka's potato sticks off his plate.

"We? You're the one who's old, already a husband, already a father. I'm still the single handsome and successful one in my mature age," Reza swaggered.

Arka laughed heartily. "Hm, ya. Just say 'weathered old bachelor,' Za!"

"What are you doing here? Don't work?"

"I'm picking up Farrel."

Reza's expression turned serious when he realized his friend's gloomy face. Arka looked at Farrel's class.

"Yeah, this week I've also seen Farrel's lack of enthusiasm during my gym class. Is there something wrong with him, bro?"

Arka nodded. A sigh was released along with a sad smile.

"My dad keeps telling Farrel that I'm not his father. Farrel must be confused."

"Farrel has to know that he's not your son someday."

"But, Za, I don't want to lose him."

The bell after class rang loudly. The class and the cafeteria were not far away. The cheerful laughter of the innocent children began to sound and they scattered outside.

"Papa!"

His face was so happy when his dear papa picked him up.

He ran to get into Arka's arms. The broad shoulders of his father drowned out his longing.

"You pick me up? Not working?" asked Farrell.

"I came home early today. Don't you miss papa?"

"Miss you so much!"

Afterward, Arka called out to Farrel after arriving at the side of his car. The journey became longer when the sound of laughter could be heard.

*

Frans and Wendi had finished lunch, but Lisa was anxiously waiting for Arka and Farrel who had not arrived.

"Are they still coming home yet?" worried Frans.

"Maybe there's traffic, Dad. Mom and Dad eat first. Arka and Farrel will eat with me later."

Lisa moved and sat down on the veranda. There is incoming message from Arka.

[I'm taking him out for ice cream. Don't be jealous! Just eat first. If I come home and you haven't eaten, I'll eat you!]

Lisa smiled.

The next day, the sight disturbed Lisa.
From upstairs, she saw Frans talking to a beautiful and authoritative woman. She didn't want past events to disturb her mind again.
"Who is that woman?"
Lisa was getting scared and didn't want to be left behind by Arka, but Frans was very serious when he said he wanted a grandchild.
Two years ago, in the bedroom, Lisa and Arka had finally gotten into a tense conflict over the unborn baby after eight years of marriage.
"How many times have I told you, I don't want it!"
"Why are you acting like this, Lis? It's been eight years since we've been married, there's nothing wrong with a surrogacy program."
Lisa cried, sitting on the edge of the bed while holding back the screams of her heart. It wasn't wrong that Arka was getting tired, but she still wasn't ready to lose her husband.
"We tried IVF before, but it didn't work. Don't give me empty hope again, Ka."
Arka began to calm his emotions, and touching Lisa's tiny fingers was all he could do to soothe her.
"We're just humans who are always trying, Lisa. The IVF process failed because your uterus is not strong. We'll continue to heal you, and during that wait, maybe the surrogacy program will work and we can have children."
Despite Arka's persuasion, Lisa was not ready for its decision. She was furious and swatted away her husband's hand.
"Then be patient until I can conceive on my own! What does it mean to have a child but from another woman's womb? I want to know what it's like to be pregnant and give birth. It will make me more perfect as a woman. Why don't you understand?"
Arka began to get annoyed as he walked to the side of the table. Not knowing who to vent his anger at, the files on the table scattered to the floor.
"You're selfish! Why don't you think about me? I just don't want to see you sad! It's not just a child I want, but I want to keep our home. It's been almost eight years, Lisa!"
Lisa cried softly. She understood Arka's desire, but it also hurt to realize that so many people were hurt by it.
"How long will this go on, Lisa? We never even told dad about your condition! If he'd known you couldn't have children because of the cysts you had and the removal of one of your ovaries, he would never have wanted you as his daughter-in-law."
Lisa felt like she'd been slapped. He didn't mean to be rude, just wanted Lisa to realize it.
"If he finds out about this, our marriage could be finished right now. Maybe he will ask us to separate and I...."
Lisa immediately hugged Arka. Her husband was only hunted by fear of being separated from his wife, not because he really wanted to have a child.
As Arka and Lisa drowned in their sorrow, the presence of Frans and Wendi at the door of the room finally became a bomb ready to destroy their hopes.
"Dad, I can explain everything," Arka coaxed.
They stopped in the living room. Wendi looked shocked although she couldn't judge Lisa who was crying hysterically with fear. Frans and Arka's fight had shattered the peace of their family.
"How could you lie to us, Arka! What kind of woman did you marry, huh? And now, what do you want me to do, forgive you?" snapped the head of the Wijaya family.