Chapter 5: The Stolen Peace
1295 Words
Elara Dwijaya
Our laughter slowly ebbed, replaced by a silence that felt strangely, impossibly comfortable. It was the kind of quiet that didn't demand to be filled with polite small talk or corporate posturing.
I turned my focus back to the workbook. Lyra was still perched on my lap, the sweet scent of strawberry shampoo wafting from her hair every time she leaned forward. Dio’s denim jacket remained draped over my shoulders.
It was far too large, completely swallowing the expensive ivory silk of my dress, but the warmth was a welcome sanctuary. The faint trail of citrus and cinnamon embedded in the fabric acted like a sensory anchor, grounding me.
"Let's try this one, Lyra. What is this animal doing?" I asked, pointing to a colorful illustration of a farm.
Lyra tapped the page with a small, sticky finger.
"The cow is eating grass!" she chirped, her voice bright with pride.
"Perfect. And what about the little bird on the fence?"
"He's... he's singing!"
I couldn't help but smile. Her enthusiasm was infectious, a sharp contrast to the suffocating, scripted dinner I had just fled. Here, under the amber glow of the cafe lights, the weight of Rei’s expectations and my mother’s cold judgment seemed to evaporate.
From the corner of my eye, I felt Dio watching us. He was sitting directly opposite, his chin resting on his interlaced fingers. There was a soft, unhurried curve to his lips that made the skin at the corners of his eyes crinkle.
When I glanced up, our eyes locked.
Dio jolted slightly, like a student caught daydreaming. He reached for his coffee cup, only to realize it was already empty.
"Is there something on my face, Mr. Dio?" I teased softly.
He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck with a stiff, awkward motion.
"No. Nothing, Ms. Elara."
I bit back a grin and returned my attention to Lyra. The cafe was beginning to empty out. The boisterous regulars had settled into low murmurs, and the dominant sound was the rhythmic hiss of the espresso machine.
A middle-aged woman emerged from the door behind the counter. She wore a simple, modest dress and had a kind, maternal face.
"Dio, it's nine o'clock. Time for Lyra’s bed," she announced.
Dio straightened his back immediately, his 'Protective Father' mode clicking into place. He checked his watch with a quick flick of his wrist.
"Right. Thank you, Yani."
Lyra stiffened in my lap, pouting as she hugged her workbook to her chest.
"But... I still want to be with Ms. Elara," she whined, her eyes going wide and glassy—the ultimate weapon.
Dio stood up, walked around the table, and crouched beside my chair.
"You'll see Ms. Elara again at school tomorrow, sweetheart. Right now, your batteries need to be recharged."
I rubbed Lyra’s back gently.
"Your Dad is right. I’ll be waiting for you in the classroom tomorrow, okay?"
Lyra looked down, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve.
"It's not fair," she muttered.
"Daddy still gets to date Ms. Elara."
My heart skipped a beat.
The world went silent. One second. Two seconds.
My face felt like it had been splashed with boiling water. Dio and I froze, our eyes locking in a moment of pure shock before we both looked away as fast as lightning.
Dio let out a violent cough, clutching his throat.
"That—that’s not—Lyra! Who told you that?" he stammered, his hands waving frantically.
I scrambled to lift Lyra off my lap, hiding my burning face.
"I’m going home now too, Lyra. No one is... no one is dating," I managed to say, my voice an octave higher than usual.
Lyra looked at us both with profound, terrifyingly observant innocence. She let out a long sigh, as if we were the children who simply didn't understand how the world worked.
"Fine." The little girl took a step forward and opened her arms wide.
"Bye-bye, Ms. Elara."
I leaned in so she could plant a kiss on my cheek. Mwah.
"Sweet dreams, honey."
"Goodnight, Mommy—I mean, Ms. Elara!"
Lyra slapped both hands over her mouth, her eyes widening in genuine surprise at her own slip.
Time stopped.
The word 'Mommy' hung in the air like a live wire, sparking and dangerous. It hit the room with the force of a wrecking ball. Lyra let out a giggling shriek and turned tail, sprinting toward Yani.
"Come on! Run!"
They vanished through the private door, leaving Dio and me standing there like two mannequins caught in a glitch. The silence was thick and incredibly awkward.
"I’m sorry..." Dio broke the silence, his voice rasping.
"Lyra has... a very vivid imagination."
I stood up, smoothing the wrinkles in my skirt with trembling hands.
"It’s fine, Dio. She’s a child. It was just a slip of the tongue."
"Right. But..." Dio scratched his head, looking genuinely flustered.
"You aren't offended? I mean... being called that?"
"No, of course not. I mean... I don't mind if she's comfortable, I—" I tripped over my own words, the explanation turning into a verbal train wreck.
"What she means is, she’s down to be the mom, she just needs a few dates first! Right, lady?" The shout came from the corner table. The man in the leather jacket was grinning like a shark.
In a moment of pure, panicked reflex, I blurted out: "Exactly! That's what I meant!"
Silence again. I saw Dio’s jaw drop. Then the weight of what I had just agreed to crashed down on me.
"WHOOOOOO!" The cafe erupted.
"Go for it, Boss! She gave you the green light!"
"Get the ring ready, Dio!"
I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. I ducked my head, hiding behind my hair. Dio was no better, massaging the bridge of his nose in silent resignation.
"Let's get out of here," Dio whispered.
"The air in here is getting a bit... thin."
• • •
The outdoor air was a mercy. The humid Jakarta breeze helped cool my burning skin.
We sat on a long wooden bench. Dio set down two glasses of iced tea. I kept his jacket pulled tight around me.
"Sorry about them," Dio said quietly.
"They’re a bunch of idiots, but they mean well."
I took a long sip of the tea.
"It’s okay. It was... actually kind of funny."
Dio let out a low, dry chuckle.
"They were there when I first opened this place. When I was at my lowest. Right after I was left..." He trailed off.
"By Lyra’s mother?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Dio looked at me. His smile was thin, tinged with an old bitterness.
"Yeah. It’s a long story, and not a particularly good one for a night like this."
I felt a sudden urge to ask more, to know how anyone could walk away from a man like him. But I held back.
"At least you have her," I said sincerely.
"She’s incredible."
Dio’s expression softened instantly.
"She is. She’s my entire world."
Silence fell again, but this time, it was peaceful. Until the phone in my clutch vibrated with a violent intensity.
Bzzzzzt!
I saw the name on the screen. MOTHER.
My lungs seized. The fairytale was over.
"I... I have to take this," I murmured.
Dio turned his gaze toward the passing cars to give me space.
"Hello, Mother—"
"ELARA!" Her voice was a shrill blade.
"Where are you?! We are home and you are nowhere to be found! Rei said you jumped out of the car in the middle of the street! Have you lost your mind?!"
My hand began to shake. It was time to go back to the cage.
- Writer
