The Golden Mending

CHAPTER 15 - Between Compassion and Sacred Boundaries

The hospital lights were a pale, sickly white that always made me shiver. In the hallway of the pediatric ward, I saw Mrs. Widya sitting limply on a plastic bench. The face that used to look up in arrogance was now bowed low. Roy was nowhere to be seen. The man had truly vanished when his mother and his niece needed him most.

"Lala..." Mrs. Widya stood up immediately upon seeing me. She reached for my hand, but I kept a polite distance. "Thank you for coming. I... I didn't know who else to call. Intan has a high fever; the doctor says it’s an infection passed down from Maya’s condition."

I stared at the glass door of the treatment room. That baby, Intan, was fighting all alone. "Where is Roy, Mother?"

Mrs. Widya sobbed. "He’s been locked in his room since that day. He won't eat, he won't speak. He says he failed as a son, failed as a brother, and failed as a husband. He’s broken, Lala."

"He broke himself, Mother," I said flatly. "But Intan shouldn't have to break with him."

I glanced at Adrian, who stood a few paces behind me. He gave me space, not wanting to intrude on this family privacy, yet his presence was like an anchor keeping me grounded.

"I’m sorry, Lala," Mrs. Widya’s voice trembled violently. "For seven years, I only demanded a grandchild from you. I insulted you, looked down on you as useless because you couldn't give us an heir. It turns out... my own son was the one lying to me. You were the one who endured. You were the most sincere."

I took a long breath. "I’m sorry you realized it too late, but I appreciate your honesty now. I didn't come here to be your daughter-in-law again. I came because Intan is Maya’s flesh and blood, and I cannot let an orphan fight alone."

I entered the treatment room after the nurse gave me permission. Inside the crib, Intan looked so small. Her body was burning with fever. I touched her tiny hand, and she suddenly gripped my finger. So tight.

Tears fell without warning. Not because I missed Roy, but because I realized how expensive honesty could be. Maya had to die in a secret, and this baby had to start her life in a lie.

"Don't be afraid, Intan," I whispered. "Auntie Lala is here. This time, there will be no more lies for you."

As I walked out of the room, I saw a figure standing at the end of the hallway. It was Roy. He looked disheveled, his clothes wrinkled, and his eyes bloodshot. He looked at me, then at Adrian, who stood there calmly.

Roy wasn't angry. He just looked down, unable to meet my eyes. He realized that between us, there was now a canyon that could never be bridged again.

"Lala," Roy called softly as I passed him. "Thank you for coming for Intan."

I stopped for a moment, without turning back. "Do your duty as a good uncle, Roy. That’s the only way you can atone for your mistake to Maya. Don't look for me again. We are finished."

I walked over to Adrian. He gave me a small smile and made way for me. We walked out of the hospital, leaving behind a past that was finally learning to face its own reality.