Chapter 4 - Haven
1390 Words
Lya had always believed that the way someone started their morning often determined the rest of the day.
It was seven-thirty in the morning.
Still dressed in her dusty pink satin pyjamas, with a short-sleeved top and matching long pants, she had already been awake for nearly an hour.
Her bed was made.
Always.
No matter how exhausted she was the night before.
No matter how late she slept.
It was a routine she refused to break.
She smoothed the last wrinkle from the ice silk bedding before stepping back to admire it with quiet satisfaction.
Perfect.
Her bedroom alone was larger than most apartments.
The walk-in wardrobe occupied one side of the room, while the opposite side opened into a luxurious en-suite bathroom, complete with a freestanding bathtub, marble vanity, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The interior had been designed years ago by her mother, who insisted every corner should feel like home rather than a showroom.
To Lya, it was simply...
Her room.
She walked towards the tall French windows and drew the curtains apart.
Morning sunlight spilled across the polished wooden floor.
The cool breeze drifted in, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming jasmine from the garden below.
Lya closed her eyes.
She inhaled deeply.
Then smiled.
"Heaven."
The single word escaped her lips almost as a whisper.
After months of assignments, deadlines, and noisy dormitory corridors, this semester break felt like the first proper breath she had taken in a long time.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Could compete with home.
Downstairs, the kitchen was already alive.
The aroma of stir-fried noodles filled the entire space, blending with the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee.
Mommy stood by the stove, effortlessly tossing the noodles in the wok.
Fried noodles.
Their family's ultimate comfort food.
Breakfast.
Lunch.
Dinner.
It did not matter.
No one in the family had ever complained whenever fried noodles appeared on the table.
"Morning, Mommy."
Lya wrapped her arms around her mother's waist from behind, resting her chin lightly on her shoulder.
"I missed you."
Her mother laughed softly, gently patting Lya's arm.
"I missed you too, sweetheart."
She turned the stove off before facing her daughter.
"Sleep well?"
"Mmhmm. Best sleep I've had in months."
"I told you the dormitory wasn't good for you."
"The dormitory is fine." Lya grinned. "I just prefer my room."
"So does everyone."
Lya stole a piece of fried egg from the serving plate.
"Hey."
"I'm quality-checking."
"You've been quality-checking since you were five."
"It still tastes amazing."
Her mother laughed, shaking her head.
"Where's your brother?"
Lya shrugged.
"Not sure. Probably still getting ready."
"That boy..." Mommy sighed. "He's going to be late one day."
"He says being fashionably late is part of being a CEO."
Her mother rolled her eyes.
"He learned that from your father."
Lya giggled as she began plating the fried noodles.
Once everything was arranged neatly, she walked towards the coffee machine.
Preparing everyone's morning coffee had somehow become her unofficial responsibility whenever she was home.
A double espresso for Daddy.
Another for Aidan.
And finally...
Her favourite.
An almond latte.
The household had long stopped relying on live-in maids.
Everyone was grown up now, and somehow, doing little things together had become part of what made this house feel like home.
Their former nanny still visited every now and then.
Sometimes for tea.
Sometimes just to chat.
Sometimes carrying tins filled with her homemade cookies or pastries.
After spending nearly twenty years helping raise the children, she had long since stopped being an employee.
She was family.
Her husband had once been their family driver too.
Even after retirement, they never really left.
Some bonds simply refused to be defined by salary or job titles.
By the time everything was ready, Daddy had already settled into his usual seat at the dining table, scrolling through the morning news on his tablet while sipping his espresso.
Aidan appeared moments later, still adjusting the cuffs of his white shirt.
"You actually woke up before me?" he asked, looking at Lya in disbelief.
She flashed him a smug smile.
"Miracles happen."
Before Aidan could come up with a comeback, the front door opened.
A familiar figure walked in without knocking.
"Morning."
"Morning, Is," Mommy answered casually without even looking up from pouring orange juice into a glass.
Daddy folded his newspaper and nodded.
"You're just in time."
"Traffic wasn't too bad this morning," Iskandar replied as he loosened his tie slightly.
His gaze swept across the dining table.
Every seat was already occupied.
Except one.
The chair beside Lya.
She looked up and smiled.
"Sit. I'll grab your plate."
Without waiting for an answer, she stood and disappeared into the kitchen.
Iskandar watched her go for a brief second before taking the empty seat.
"So," Daddy said as he reached for the fried noodles, "ready for today's board meeting?"
Iskandar nodded.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
Aidan snorted.
"That's CEO language for 'I haven't even opened the presentation yet.'"
"I reviewed it at two this morning."
"Exactly my point."
Laughter echoed around the dining table.
Meanwhile, Lya returned carrying a plate piled generously with fried noodles.
She placed it in front of Iskandar before setting down a steaming cup of black coffee beside it.
"No chilli," she reminded him.
"I know."
"You always forget when you're stressed."
"I don't."
"You do."
"I don't."
Mommy chuckled softly.
"You two have been arguing over the same things since you were children."
Lya and Iskandar exchanged a glance.
Then, almost at the same time...
"...I know."
The identical answer made everyone at the table laugh.
Only Lya failed to notice the small smile that lingered on Iskandar's face a little longer than everyone else's.
Once Aidan and Iskandar headed to the office, Lya stayed behind to help Mommy clean up the kitchen.
Daddy carried two medium-sized suitcases downstairs before placing them neatly beside the front door. A few minutes later, he loaded them into the trunk of the family car while Mommy made one last trip upstairs to check that she hadn't forgotten anything.
Five days.
Another business trip.
When everything was finally ready, the three of them settled onto the large cream-coloured sofa in the main hall.
Daddy glanced at Lya.
"You sure you don't want to come with us?"
Lya tucked one leg beneath her and smiled.
"Not this time, Daddy."
"It's five days," Mommy reminded her gently. "I don't like the thought of you staying here alone."
"I'm not alone."
She smiled reassuringly.
"I have Aidan."
Then, almost unconsciously, another name slipped from her lips.
"...and Iskandar."
The moment she said it, something stirred quietly inside her chest.
Strange.
Unfamiliar.
She couldn't quite explain it.
Daddy exchanged a brief glance with Mommy.
Neither of them said a word.
Instead, Daddy smiled as he rose to his feet.
"We should get going, Soph."
Mommy nodded, slipping the strap of her handbag over her shoulder.
"The traffic will be terrible if we leave any later."
She walked over to Lya and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before kissing her forehead.
"Take care of yourself, sweetheart."
"I will."
"And promise me you'll eat properly."
Lya chuckled.
"I always do."
Mommy raised an eyebrow.
"Lya."
"...Okay, maybe not always."
"That's what I thought."
They both laughed.
Daddy opened the front door before turning around one last time.
"If anything happens, call us immediately."
"I will."
"And don't stay up until three in the morning watching dramas."
"Daddy!"
"What? Your mother deserves to know."
"I'm twenty-two."
"You'll still be our little girl when you're fifty."
Lya couldn't help smiling.
"I know."
With one last wave, her parents walked towards the car.
She stood at the front porch, watching until the black SUV slowly disappeared beyond the main gate.
The morning suddenly felt... quieter.
After closing the gate, Lya didn't head back inside immediately.
Instead, her feet carried her towards the garden.
The old wooden bench beneath the sprawling rain tree had always been her favourite spot.
She sat down, letting the cool morning breeze brush against her face.
Birds chirped somewhere above the branches.
The fountain trickled softly nearby.
For the first time in months...
She had absolutely nowhere she needed to be.
And somehow...
That felt like the greatest luxury of all.
- Writer
