He is Enchanted

A Void that Nobody Could Fill

"We will have new neighbors, and they moved to a new house in front of our house."

Liana was opening a bag of food that had just arrived and nodded. If Roman didn't stand in front of her with a clean bowl, maybe no one would be aware of that slight move.

"They have a son who's the same age as Liana."

As Liana made a clear yet heavy sigh, even Anette, who didn't get to see her weak nod, heard the sigh.

"He is good-looking. Not only that, he's smart. He fits perfectly with my gorgeous daughter."

She's pretending not to look at Liana's face, sending her an unmistakable signal, a heavy sigh, and rolled eyes, but she continues her sentence.

"He studies at one of the most famous universities in England. He looks dignified, a perfect man for you, trust me."

Even her beef steak, something that she can't leave without, looks tasteless with only one sentence from her mother.

Unfortunately, "No matter how perfect he is in your eyes, if Liana didn't feel the connection with him, what can we do? It's not about being with someone that looks perfect."

At several points in her life, Liana wishes she could be born at least two or three generations before her, meet her dad when he was young, fall in love, and get married.

She always loves everything about that man. He always says something that is sometimes stuck in her throat. "It's not about being with someone that looks perfect. It's the opposite of perfect! Someone that has an imperfection."

"Then that person will fill my void, as I will fill their void too."

Liana smiled. Though his joke was never gonna be funny, that old man never failed to make her smile.

Anette doesn't care about their conversation. "You and your dad can check that later. There's good news, they invite us to dinner at a restaurant on Saturday after everything is done in their new house."

***

Since this morning, many large cars seem to come and go, unloading things in front of that house. So many unknown men were arriving and leaving. Liana lost count because so many unidentified men filled their yards.

However, neither the girl with her youthful spirit nor her dad, who seems to still have a small amount of youthful energy left in him, didn't find a young, good-looking man with the same characteristics as the young man Anette talked about yesterday. Even though they spend the whole morning staring at that house like a stupid donkeys.

"How about the man mom is talking about pass by in front of our eyes? It is just because our mind and her mind function in a different code, so we missed him?"

He knit his brow, but after thinking for a second, Liana wasn't wrong, yet he still couldn't make sure if what she said was true.

"Somehow, your mother was never wrong regarding physical appearance. We would agree that he's good-looking."

This is Liana's turn. She is looking up, thinking and analyzing, trying to understand how his mother thinks.

Then Roman continued. "There was a time before we married she told me that I'm a romantic person. I give her flowers and a surprise, and he says I am handsome."

Liana gives his father a blank gaze. Her face shows she's confused between agreeing or refuting her father's statement.

"You know that she mentions four statements."

Liana then lifts her four fingers, placing her fingers between her face and his face to count. "The three of the statements that she's mentioned are wrong, and the one that was left is true," he said while closing three of the four fingers that were raised.

"Can we conclude that only 25% of her statements are believable?"

Roman opened his mouth, but it closed as fast as he opened it, then leaned his old back against the sofa behind him; he folded his arms in front of his chest.

Liana turned her gaze back to the bustle in front of her while Roman processed all the new information. She now had to look for that person and at the same time think like his mother.

"So then."

That sentence stopped by itself, making Liana turn her gaze because it took too long for her dad to give her the rest of the sentence.

"There was an 85% possibility that I'm not handsome."

Two wrong things were going on in here.

"It's 75%, but dad, it's not a big problem now."

She doesn't know what she should do; laughing at someone's life falling in front of him or laughing at herself looks pathetic now.

Moreover, why are both still looking for someone they didn't know about in the first place?

One thing is for sure, they need a holiday, right?

"You want to order something?"

Roman nodded, between wanting it and refusing it, letting her daughter choose her drinking. At least he can trust Liana to select the taste of modern food or drink that she will order.

When Roman feels a bit better, he then turns his gaze to the screen in front of Liana, peeking at her choice, which turns out to be a kind of drink with colorful crowded colors.

Is this the time for Roman to think twice about whether he can trust Liana every time?

Nevermind.

His eyes fall unintentionally to the outside. Now he sees a grey sports car, small but practical, without looking through the inside of the vehicle or what that car can do, everyone will have the same thought.

Expensive.

As far as he knows, time moves constantly and is stable but never changes its pace. Let's forget for a second about time travel or how time in outer space is slower than time on earth.

At least the time in his current position is constant and stable but never changes its pace.

But right now, without him knowing, time seems to just disappear, as if such a concept wasn't created.

When someone stepped out of the car, he raked his fingers through his night-sky hair.

"Is he the person we're looking for?"

***

Ethan Oakland.

Liana's eyes bored into everything that happened from the beginning of the dinner until now. Roman understands that the young man named Ethan that's not gained her attention.

Of course, Ethan is way too perfect in Liana's eyes until it's boring.

While Ethan, the young man that stepped outside the grey sports car and raked his fingers through his night sky hair, looks perfectly perfect, there's not even a tiny clue about what he's thinking about her daughter.

Maybe Roman failed this time, or Ethan was indeed too clever to hide something. Even though Roman never feels this hard to guess what's on his client or new co-workers, Ethan is an exception.

"He has just finished his degree in England, as Mrs. Pearson might tell you," said the old woman, Mrs. Oakland.

Her mood may become miserable because she has to face someone like a "copy and paste" version from her mother without going through the editing process, leaving so many mistakes.

"So, Liana and I understand how great and flawless you are, it's awesome, and there should be no reason for either me nor Liana to reject your offer."

Roman, who's been silent all this time, now starts showing what kind of person he is.

"But unfortunately, I have a reason to refuse your offer."

His smile faded, so thin, but it's not Roman if he can't catch it up. Yet that smile rose as fast as it disappeared. A formidable wall that eyes can't see, it's starting to have a hole. Slowly but surely, Roman will knock him down, so the young man is not an exception anymore; he just takes longer time to bring him down.

"Thank you, Mr. Pearson, for your compliment. But no human is perfect, right, Mr. Pearson?"

Roman, without anything holding him back, nodded his head. "So do you."

His smile did not fade like before. How stupid that young man is if he let the second attack from Roman destroy another side of his wall. That young man would probably go straight away to his front door. He will never allow a spoiled child with no responsibilities to be his daughter's life partner.

"Well, tell me, kids."

"I'm sorry, sir?"

"About your imperfections."

That smile doesn't disappear like before. Roman admits that wall was pretty impressive for a kid that seemed to never have received any criticism or rebuttal in his life. Roman even doubts whether he knows what a complaint or objection is.

"A void that no one could fill?"

***

"A void that no one could fill?"

Ethan stared at Roman, hoping he gave him more or anything! Because that question will lead to a long answer. Their gaze locks for a second; it just happens without anyone trying to open the lock.

"What do you mean? My son certainly has no flaws."

The way the gaze locks for a second, that gaze just unlocks when Roman turns his head to Mrs. Oakland, which surprises Ethan.

"If he's perfect by himself, we're not gonna be here, wasting each other's time," Roman says while reaching his right arm for a glass of water, taking a few sips. This will take taking so much time, isn't it?

Besides, hydrating yourself is very important, right?

Meanwhile, his wife, Anette smiles awkwardly. "Does Ethan have the plan to continue his education? Maybe be a professor?" she asked, hoping everyone would forget his confusing question.

"Why did you ask that question?" asked Ethan. He didn't care about that giant wall he had worked so much to build.

His focus has changed its course. It's not about looking perfect anymore.

Now it's his father's turn; Mr. Edric Oakland laughed, then patted his shoulder gently as if giving a signal that he will take this conversation with Roman, so Ethan has to step back and just let his father do the rest. "As far as I know, you are the CEO of your company. Isn't asking such a thing the job of your employee?"

Roman laughed to respond to his father's statement. Meanwhile, his sharp eyes keep appraising Ethan, making him seem to drink poison to shrink in size as Alice did in Alice in Wonderland. "Well, kids, it's simple. If you're perfect, don't you need someone to live with you?"

Everyone is drunk in silence, Ethan still trying to process what just happened and why everything that happened was not something he had prepared for? Or did he not prepare himself enough?

While Ethan and everybody are still busy with their mind. Roman instead grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth, then threw the napkin carelessly on the table after he thought he didn't need that thing. Then what makes Ethan hold his breath is when he gets up from his chair.

He's gonna leave the table.

Ethan is not the only person who's in shock. His mom raised her eyebrows, and at the same time, her eyes widened as they were about to explode in just a few seconds to Mrs. Pearson. Mrs. Pearson herself called Roman with a feeble voice, it was almost impossible to hear, while his father stood up looking confused, and Liana seemed like she wanted to join her dad.

Before, someone was seriously trying to stop him. Roman says, "And it all leads to the real question. Of all the people in this world, why did you want to marry my daughter? Why did you choose her?"

That is called a trick question!

Everyone at this table knows the answer to that question. It's because their mother and Ethan's father planned this dinner to introduce their children so they could quickly hold a marriage. Why else would that old man like Ethan do such a thing? He is supposed to be on their side.

Roman must have been drunk before this dinner was held, Ethan thought.

"Don't come to see me unless you have the answers to all those questions."