Around A Year Ago #2

"Mommy!!!" Bethany shouts while running when she sees Dara walking towards her. Dara squats down and hugs Beth, raising her high, "hello sweet doughnut! How's class today?", pressing her lips to litter Beth's chubby cheeks with kisses. Bethany laughs in happiness, "fun, Mommy!!! I made a butterfly!!!" She doesn't stop shouting out each word in a very cute squealing. "Oh wow! Show me later at home, okay?" Then they high five.

Dara stares afar, looking at her son sauntering over to them and she waves her hand. "Look, look, that's Koko Tian," she tells Bethany while smiling happily and pointing her finger to him with Beth still on her arm. "Kokoo!" Bethany shouts again. She shouts a lot today. Christian waves back to them and smiles jogging over.

***

Dara's family is essentially Indonesian, with a splash of Chinese. Indonesian culture has many ways to address older people, and one of them is "Koko", which's an adaptation from "Gege" in Chinese. 

Dara herself used to call Eric "Koko" before they got into a relationship and then changed their nicknames by themselves.

***

They arrive home with Beth sleeping in Dara's arm. Dara puts her on the couch and tells Christian to go to the bathroom for a wash and change his clothes. She's been annoyed with the notifications from her phone. They kept on bipping, the new different ringtone that she had after she finished installing the chatting application. But she just couldn't open it because she's been so distracted by her children.

"Are you hungry, Christian?" She asks Tian from the kitchen.

"No, not yet, Mommy," he answeres right away while putting his dirty clothes into the washing machine.

"Hmm… snack, maybe?"

"I think I want some milk or juice, Mom, it's very hot."

"It is… we will be cooked. Hahaha"

Christian chuckles with her and opens the fridge, "can I have the apple juice, Mom?"

"Sure, here's your glass," Dara hands him a glass.

"One more for Beth, Mom"

"But she's still sleeping"

"I will wake her up, I want to see the butterfly she told us she made in the class"

"Ohh, right! The butterfly! Here you go," she hands him another glass and smiles wide.

Christian is a calm, caring and nurturing older brother for Beth. Dara's lucky that Beth appeared as a baby girl. She just can't imagine having two boys at her young age, facing wrestles and fights. She saw it herself, how tough that could be. One of her best friends showed Dara her crazy life with two boys with one and a half years gap, 10 and 9. It's hilariously insane. And Dara has always told her, "I wouldn't survive if I was you."

Dara hears Christian wake Beth up gently, "Beth, wake up," she stands at her spot watching them both, how she's grateful. And she smiles genuinely. 

Dara finishes changing her clothes with a cozy home suit. A large t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Walking towards her kids, she sees that Bethany is awake and leaning onto Christian and giggling together. "What are you guys giggling at?"

"Look, Mommy! Koko made this," Bethany continues chuckling while showing her the drawing Christian has made on her drawing book. It's an imaginary animal that they created together.

"What is this…?" Dara chuckles

"It's a cat, Mommy…" Bethany tells her with her spoilt voice and a cute giggle

"Noo… hahaha… what an ugly cat!"

"She wanted me to put the weird beak, Mom, hahaha…" Christian explains

"I thought you said you want to see the butterfly," Dara reminds him.

"We were waiting for you, Mom."

They spend some time together while having the apple juice. Bethany shows them the butterfly finger-painting, then Christian tells them about his day and unpacks his backpack to show them his score and homework for today. But Dara's mind has been a little bit fidgeting between kids and curiosity about her phone.

Dara sighs. "Mommy have to leave to prepare lunch now, okay? Do your homework, Christian. And what are you going to do waiting for lunch, Bethany?" She takes Beth into her lap and hugs her. "Hmm…," Bethany pokes her nose up as if she is thinking. "Can I do the finger-painting as I did at school, Mom?", " ah, okay then, let's find your watercolour."

***

Dara fetches her phone then walks into the kitchen. She opens it and sees so many new chats on the new chatting application. She picks the very first room that surprised her when she walked into the elevator before picking up the kids from school, his name is "K". She raises her hand covering her gaping mouth. "Goodness, abs!!!"

She taps the information symbol about the man that texted her before she opens the chat room. "Greek, male, 33, single, straight, dominant, fitness coach and trainer." That's what she learns. She leans onto the washing sink and thinks, "should I open the chat room?" Tapping her finger on the side of her phone and clenching her lips. He just sent one more text, "are you there?" She widens her eyes, "what, can he see me being online?"

He can. She didn't hide her online status, she didn't know that option does exist. "Oh well, embarrassing, but, okay."

She starts to reply to him, "yes, I am, hello," Dara is a bit nervous since she never talked to any guys besides Eric for years. She sees a small dot next to K's name, it's an online symbol.

"Hello there Catwoman!" 

Dara chuckles at his reply.

"Have you punished any bad guy today?" He continues.

Dara chuckles again, "he's fun!"

"Oh, not yet, too bad. I was busy creating my diamond claws, haha"

"Mmm, sounds sexy to me!"

"Oh, you think so?"

''Absolutely, yes. Anyway, I'm from Greece, what about you?"

"Oh, actually, I'm an Indonesian, but I live in Singapore."

"Oh, that's nice. I like Asian people! You are all beautiful!"

Dara feels shy and holds her blushing cheek. Eric is not a direct person, and he barely calls her beautiful.

"Thank you," and she suddenly loses her words feeling nervous being called beautiful.

"Anyway, I read your bio, and it says that you are a fitness coach?" She tries to change the topic to stretch the conversation.

"Yeah, I am. I had weight issues for years, but now, you can see it yourself."

"Wow! Really awesome! I can't believe you ever had weight problems!!"

Dara holds her belly and pinches it.

"If you are a coach, maybe that means you can help me?"

"Of course! Why not?!"

Dara gets eager and hops excitedly holding her phone.

"Mooommm…," Christian calls her from the living room.

"Yes, honey," she stops hopping and tilts her head.

"Is our lunch ready yet?"

"Oops," Dara comes to realize that she has been on the phone for quite a while.