It took forty minutes to drive back home, and Amir arrived while the sun was still high in the sky. It felt like the first time he had come home this early in over a year.

As his car pulled into the garage of his house in the Jakarta Gelora City housing area, East Jakarta, Amir spotted a thin, petite middle-aged woman about to lock the door. She froze upon seeing his white Toyota Rush pull in.


Amir grabbed his backpack from the passenger seat, got out, and picked up the half-eaten piece of fruit he had left behind.

"Huh, sir? It's rare for you to come home at this hour," the woman said in a loud voice, her thick accent unmistakable. She scratched her thinning ponytail in surprise.

"Hi, Aunt Lasmi. Yeah, I have an event later, so I didn't go back to my mom's house first. Can I have the key?"


"Oh, yes, of course, sir," she said, handing him the key while still frowning. "It's Saturday night, isn't it? Are you going out tonight?"

Amir could only smile in response. Aunt Lasmi had been with his family for years, helping around the house. She had witnessed countless phases of his life. Her puzzled expression quickly turned cheerful, her wrinkles seemingly disappearing as she added, "Ah, I see! When are you bringing her here?"


"Ah, no, it's not like that. She's just a friend."

"A friend, huh? Well, people often start as friends and then grow fond of each other!" Aunt Lasmi grinned, revealing the gap where her lower teeth were missing. "She must be beautiful, right, sir?"

Amir's thoughts immediately drifted to Erin.

Erin wasn't just beautiful—her beauty was unique, unlike anything you'd usually see. Maybe it was a combination of her parents' good genes and her diligent self-care.

"Wow, wow!" Aunt Lasmi patted his arm playfully. "She must be beautiful! Your smile doesn't lie!"

"Hehe... Pray for me, Aunt."

"Of course! I'll pray it goes smoothly and lasts long."

"Amen, Aunt. Let me help you with that." Amir grabbed the large bag Aunt Lasmi was carrying. It contained his dirty laundry, which she was taking to her daughter's place to wash.

Just as they reached the front gate, a motorbike pulled up. The middle-aged man grinned at Amir—it was Ulo, Aunt Lasmi's son-in-law, who picked her up daily.

"Take care, Ulo."

"See you later, sir!" Ulo called as he revved the engine and drove off.

Amir's house was modest. It had originally been like any other house in the complex, but he'd renovated it two years ago, painting over the default blue with a clean, pure white.

The small living room led directly to the family room, which was elongated and mostly empty. With Amir living alone now, he didn't need much furniture. To the left was the main bedroom, where a large bed sat in the center. One of the walls was painted with an abstract pattern of triangles in black, gray, and blue.

A white granite mini-bar separated the living room from the kitchen, which was adjacent to a storage room and a small back garden with a fishpond, bordered by glass—typical of minimalist homes.

Since he was rarely home during the day, Amir enjoyed the afternoon sunlight streaming into the garden. He sat cross-legged on the synthetic grass, watching two small white-and-orange koi swim happily in the pond. The sound of trickling water, the occasional splash that reached him, and the fresh outdoor air soothed his senses.

His peace was short-lived when his phone buzzed.

Amir pulled his Samsung from his pocket and saw that his mother was video calling him.

The screen went dark for a moment before the face of an elderly woman with bobbed hair appeared. Her expression was worried.

"Hi, Mom. What's up? I told you earlier that I wouldn't be coming home this week."

His mother's anxious gaze pierced through the screen. She stepped back to lean against the wall, making her face look even darker. "You haven't told me why, son. Are you going out with someone?"

Amir hadn't given her the full details, and he understood his parents' concern. As their only child, his weekly visits were routine. Any deviation from that was bound to make them uneasy.

"That's the plan, Mom," he admitted, keeping his response short, curious to see what she was getting at.

"Who is she? Is she that girl who's been chasing you around the office?"

Last week, Amir had mentioned a new girl at work who'd been getting on his nerves, but his mother hadn't reacted much at the time. Probably because she didn't think an assertive woman like that would be his type.

"I feel like I should give her a chance, Mom. We're not rushing into anything serious. We're just going out as friends."

"You've told us you didn't want to play around anymore. So why now, all of a sudden, do you want to go out with her?" his mother asked.

"Mom..." Amir began, but she interrupted him, her anxious gaze fixed ahead.

"Amir, remember, this is not the time for you to be reckless. Your father and I trust that you can choose wisely, but don't rush into anything. You know how it is—women can bring both sweetness and poison, and it's not always easy to see which one."

"Mom, I'm not at that stage yet. We're just getting to know each other. Even though I'm serious about my intentions, we have to start from zero, right?"

"But what if your father finds out?" she said, her voice lowering in concern. "Just last month, you turned down the daughter of my friend from church. If he hears you're seeing someone else, he might go off on one of his rants again..."

"Where is Dad now?" Amir asked, trying to gauge how much time he had.

"He's at the park, but he'll be back soon. That's why I'm hiding in the back room."

"Okay, then don't tell him why I'm not home. Just say I've got overtime at the office. How about that?"

"See? This woman already has you lying to your family, and you haven't even started anything yet."

"Mom, Erin didn't ask me to lie. This is my choice. Please, support me this once. I need to see where this could go. Ignoring her would be like ignoring an opportunity that God gave me."

"But son..." she started again.

"Mom, I promise I won't fall for her if her background isn't good. I won't let myself have feelings if she can't love her family. If I do, you can curse me to turn to stone."

Her tense expression softened, and though her breathing was still uneven, she seemed more relaxed. "Alright, son. Just give her your best, and most importantly, be honest with her. I trust you've learned a lot from your past."

"Of course, Mom. I'm more careful now. I've scanned her thoroughly before letting her anywhere near my heart."

"I believe you, son. Now go get ready. Take a proper bath—don't rush it."

"Yes, Mom, thank you. I love you."

"Love you too, son."

Amir could already imagine how the rest of the evening would go. His father, older than his mother and not very good with cell phones, would probably nag at her about his absence. But that was a worry for later. For now, Amir had to focus on tonight. He got up quickly, pushing aside his thoughts as he started deciding on what clothes to wear.

*

In front of the wide bathroom mirror, Amir was brushing his teeth. His body, wrapped in a gray towel around his waist, gleamed from the serious shower he'd just taken. Not the quick shower his mother always teased him about, since he usually rushed through his routine. But tonight was different—he scrubbed his body thoroughly, even though he knew he wouldn't be getting undressed in front of Erin. Still, the cleanliness boosted his confidence.

After rinsing his mouth, Amir turned to the three outfits he'd hung behind the door.

The first was a plain black shirt, ridiculously overpriced, but he'd been pressured into buying it by Steve for a dinner with Mrs. Berta and the other big bosses. The second was a black shirt paired with a brown plaid outer layer. The third option was a turquoise shirt he'd recently bought online.

Tonight's plan was simple: a casual walk around the mall and maybe a movie if there was anything good. He didn't need anything too formal.

Amir held up each shirt in front of the mirror, displaying them one by one against his broad, square frame. The black shirts definitely suited him, but they felt too ordinary—Erin saw him in black shirts almost every day at work. He finally decided on the black shirt with the plaid outer layer, nodding in approval.

By the time he stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in the chosen outfit and paired with black jeans, the sky had already darkened. It was just past dusk. The date was set for eight, but it was Saturday night, and the traffic from East to South Jakarta would be a nightmare. He needed to plan ahead.

In his room, Amir started rummaging through his collection of ten watches, searching for the perfect one. He was so engrossed that he didn't notice the constant buzzing of notifications on his phone. After much deliberation, he narrowed it down to two choices: a black, old-fashioned watch or a silver one that looked a bit strange on his wrist. Both were the only ones left with working batteries.

His focus was broken by two loud pings from his phone. "What the hell is so noisy?" he muttered, putting the watches aside as he grabbed his phone from the bed.

The message on the screen hit him like a ton of bricks:

AMIRI WANT TO APOLOGIZE

I CAN'T GO OUT TONIGHT BECAUSE DAD SUDDENLY INVITED ME AND MY BROTHER TO A FAMILY ANNIVERSARY DINNER.

Amir's entire body tensed, feeling as if all his bones had just shattered at once. He collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at Erin's message.

PLEASE DON'T BE MAD, PLEASEEE, I BEG YOU! I SWEAR, I'M CRYING BECAUSE THIS WASN'T PLANNED.

A photo followed, showing Erin's face, makeup-free, with puffy eyes and a pout.

Seeing that Amir hadn't responded, Erin continued typing frantically.

I SWEAR I'M SOOO SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME, AMIR. MY DAD WOULD NEVER LET ME GO OUT IF HE KNEW I WANTED TO SEE A GUY TONIGHT.

Amir sighed and typed back:

What if I come and pick you up? I'll meet your dad, it's fine.

NO WAY! IF HE KNEW I WANTED TO GO OUT WITH A GUY, HE'D LOSE IT! IT'S A LONG STORY. JUST PLEASE FORGIVE ME THIS TIME.

Amir felt his frustration rising. He'd already made plans with Erin and had been looking forward to this. He wanted to show her that he wasn't messing around.

Are you serious? It's not like you'll be going out with someone else?

I SWEAR I'M NOT! I PROMISE I'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED TONIGHT. PLEASE FORGIVE ME!

Amir took a deep breath before replying:

Okay, so what are you doing now?

I'M GETTING READY FOR THE DINNER.

Amir didn't respond. He exhaled sharply, flopping back onto the bed. 'So this is how Saturday nights go? And to think I wasted a good shower for nothing," he muttered to himself, grabbing a bolster pillow and propping it under his head.

He scrolled through Erin's messages, trying to gauge if she was serious or just playing around. Thirty minutes passed. Then an hour. Amir found himself rolling around in bed, switching positions constantly. An hour and a half went by with no word from Erin.

"If she's messing with me, I swear, I'll send a virus to her computer so Steve will haunt her every day," Amir grumbled. Almost as if Erin had heard his idle threat, a video call notification popped up.

The thumbnail was dark. When the video played, Amir could hear a snippet of an Elvis Presley song playing from car speakers. The camera panned from the driver to Erin's face, barely visible in the dim light. 'Hello! I'm in the car with my little brother, Nathan!" Erin's voice echoed as she roughly grabbed her brother in a headlock. The video showed nothing but Nathan's whining and Erin's teasing before it abruptly ended at fifteen seconds.

'Well..." Amir muttered, confused.

This short video was enough to reassure him—at least she wasn't lying. But still, ten minutes, then twenty, passed with no further updates. Just as Amir's eyes started to grow heavy, a notification finally appeared. He quickly opened Erin's message.

Amir stared at the photo of Erin and her family, letting out a long breath. It wasn't just Erin's beauty that captivated him, but the elegance of her entire family. Her mother, young and radiant, exuded the same charm Erin had. Nathan, her brother, looked like a playful younger version of her, and her father had that composed, intellectual vibe. They seemed like the perfect family, and for a moment, Amir's frustration melted away.

He zoomed in on Erin's photo again, focusing on every detail. The maroon off-shoulder dress hugged her curves perfectly, and her long, toned legs were hard to miss. He could feel his heart racing. "How could someone be this perfect?" he thought to himself.

Just as he was lost in admiration, his phone rang—Erin was calling him via video. Amir's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at his reflection on the phone's screen, frowning at his messy hair and tired eyes. But he answered anyway, knowing he couldn't resist seeing her.

To his surprise, Erin still had her full makeup on, her bare shoulders visible in the frame. She was lounging on her bed, looking relaxed. "I thought you were asleep, Amir," she said, her voice hoarse with a slight whine, making her sound even cuter.

"No, not yet. I was waiting for you," Amir admitted, his tone soft.

"I know, I'm terrible. I'm sorry," Erin said, rubbing one eye like a sleepy child.

"Never mind, just go to sleep. You should be resting, not staying up on your phone," Amir replied, trying to sound casual.

Erin pouted playfully. "But you didn't reply to my messages!"

"What was I supposed to reply to? You sent me a picture of shrimp," Amir said, shaking his head in amusement.

"Hmm, yes... shrimp." Erin chuckled, realizing how ridiculous that sounded now.

Amir shifted on the bed, relaxing more. "Go to sleep. Remove your makeup first and then rest properly."

Suddenly, Erin's eyes widened. "Wait a second... Are you not wearing a shirt?!"

Amir's face flushed as he quickly moved the camera closer to his face. "Don't focus on the wrong thing!" he said, his voice a mix of embarrassment and laughter.

"Lower the camera, let me see!" Erin teased, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Erin, don't mess around..." Amir warned, but Erin wasn't one to give up easily.

"Oh my gosh, Amir! I always guessed you had the perfect build, but now that I see it… Your shoulders look so muscular, and your back—oh! I bet it's sexy, right? I love a man with a strong back. It's so manly and hot!"

Amir felt his face heat up even more as he quickly pulled the blanket up to his neck. "Skip!"

"C'mon, just lower the camera a bit, baby! Or let's just... have a naughty video call?" Erin's mischievous grin widened.

"STOP!" Amir shouted, both in shock and laughter, making Erin giggle.

This girl never stopped surprising him. And despite her teasing, he could tell she was being honest, and that honesty, in turn, made his heart skip a beat. Even though she was playful, her compliments left an impact.

"Hehe, I'm sorry. Really, I apologize for today. Let's reschedule for next week, okay?" Erin said, her tone finally softening.

Amir sighed. He knew how hard it was for him to spend time in Jakarta, let alone another weekend in Tangerang. He wasn't sure if they could make it work, but hearing her voice, even through the teasing, made him want to try again.

Erin giggled, her playful nature always shining through, but he could sense the underlying tension. 'Amir, I really want this to work. I know I messed up, but I'm trying," she said, her tone becoming more serious.

He sighed, feeling the weight of the conversation. 'I understand that, Rin. But time is something I can't afford to waste. I'm already juggling a lot as it is."

'But you're still here talking to me," Erin pressed, her eyes narrowing in determination. 'You could've easily walked away after I canceled on you, but you didn't."

'Because…" Amir hesitated, unsure how to express his feelings. 'Because I care, I guess. But that doesn't mean I can just forget about my priorities."

'Then how do I fit into those priorities?" Erin asked, her voice softer now.

'Right now, I honestly don't know," Amir admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling the pressure of her gaze. 'I want to make time for you, but I can't promise that I'll always be available. Life gets complicated, you know?"

She nodded, her expression wavering between disappointment and understanding. 'I get it. But it feels like you're putting up walls, Amir. I'm here, trying to get close to you, and it's like you're pulling away."

'I'm not trying to push you away," Amir assured her. 'I'm just trying to protect myself. I don't want to get hurt or hurt you if things don't work out."

'Then let's take it slow. We can figure it out together," Erin said earnestly. 'You've already shown me so much of yourself. I want to show you mine too."

Amir paused, considering her words. There was sincerity in her voice that made it hard to resist. 'I know you've been trying, and I appreciate that. It just feels like a lot."

Erin's gaze softened, and Amir could see a flicker of hope in her eyes. 'What if we just focus on having fun together? No pressure, no expectations?"

He thought for a moment. 'That might work," he said slowly. 'But I still need to keep my priorities straight. I hope you can understand that."

'Of course!" Erin exclaimed, her enthusiasm bubbling over. 'Just promise me that we'll keep talking, and I'll keep trying to make you smile."

'I can promise that," Amir replied, his lips curving into a slight smile.

'Good! Now, back to the important stuff. Now try lowering that blanket a little! It's not fair that I can't see your perfect muscles!"

'ERINNNN!" Amir groaned, bursting into laughter. This girl had a way of turning serious moments into lighthearted banter, and despite everything, he couldn't help but enjoy their playful back-and-forth.

'Okay, okay! Just promise me you won't forget to text me after this," Erin said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

'Yeah, I promise," Amir replied, realizing that no matter the distance or the complications, Erin was worth the effort. And for the first time in a while, he felt like he could be open to what lay ahead.

***