The Perfect Sanctuary

"Oh, you stay outside." 

"What?! Did you mean it? When you told me, that you 'welcome' me? Am I a 'welcome' rug or something? Why on earth do I have to stay outside?" 

Lim couldn't articulate his words well. His language is always meant as an action button. He talked to others only if there was something that needed to be done. In contrast, Miya used language to negotiate, brainstorm, and express her thoughts and feelings, seeking to be heard and be understood.

Lim tried to be clear, "There's a tiny house outside. You can stay there. I prefer to have my own privacy. I'm not used to be in one shelter with others." 

"Owh… OK then… I used to live anywhere, after all. So, as long as it has a roof, I think I'm OK with that." 

Miya was grinning while thinking, "This man is just extra. Look at how he uses his words. I welcome you? Shelter? SIGH…"

"Follow me to the backyard." 

"Ok, Boss!" 

Miya walked languidly in the direction Lim pointed. When she realized she was alone, she turned back, "What's wrong, Boss?" 

"The automatic button of this wheelchair is broken. I bet it bumped something when I fell. I think you have to push this wheelchair." 

Miya was about to push the wheelchair when Lim exclaimed, "WAIT! What you wanna do?"

"Push your wheelchair—" She was baffled. 

"No! Push it... From... In front of me." 

"Push? From in front of you? You mean— I have to PULL... PULL the wheelchair?" 

"Yes, it is what it is. Because I feel it strange to let people stand behind me. I can't get any clues of what are people gonna do behind my back, right?" 

"How can I see the way if I am pulling the wheelchair? Should I walk backward like antlions?" 

"Please. No offense." 

Miya took a deep breath and smirked while thinking, "How come, I work with only one youngster, but it's very exhausting? Just because he's too finicky. Argh, this job is much more complicated rather than taking care of the whole oldster in a nursing home. No wonder he offers a huge salary yet nobody interested in doing this job." 

Miya was standing in front of Lim. 

She had to bend down to grab the wheelchair and pull it along the way to the backyard. 

This position brought her face close to Lim's. Creating an awkward moment for both of them. 

Lim leaned back, giving more space for Miya. 

Miya was walking backward while taking a look at their surrounding once in a while, afraid that she might bump into something. 

"Watch out! There's a door!" 

"Sure Boss. The door is so big, I could see it even if you blindfolded me," Miya was trying to make a joke and smile. 

DEG! 

With such a close face, they've just made eye contact. 

Lim's eyes spotted Miya's hair, eyes, nose, cheeks, and smiling lips. 

Being stared at like that made her flustered. 

She stumbled on the doorstep and fell into Lim's chest. 

"I've told you to be careful!" 

"Sorry… Sorry Boss. My bad." 

Miya stood up hastily to check whether she accidentally bumped into Lim's injured leg or not. Lucky her! Her body was mindful enough to not destroy her chance to get a job. 

Because she probably be expelled if she did so. 

"I've just got my leg fracture—" 

"Yea, and heart failure!"

"Yes, leg fracture and heart failure. Thank you for mentioning all of my illnesses with your smiling—" 

"No! No! I've not mentioned all of your illnesses yet!" Miya didn't know what to say. "I mean, everything is OK, right? Just consider that as another CPR I gave to you— I saved your life once, this is the second time. Imagine if I fell on your feet? It will be the end of—" 

Indeed, she knew that she was not supposed to say that.

"Um… Sorry Boss. My bad. I will be more careful next time," Miya looked down, missing her chance to see how Lim gave a beautiful smile toward her acts. 

"Look at that! Behind you! You will stay there." 

Miya turned around. 

She saw a beautiful glass house. 

Literally, a glasshouse made of glass and green-painted steel. 

Miya was dumbfounded. 

Especially when she opened the door and saw what was inside of it. She couldn't believe her eyes. 

"Woaaaaahhhh!" 

From inside of the glasshouse, Miya could see the night sky through its see-through glass roof. The yellow light from the chandeliers reflected the whole parts of the room and created a warm atmosphere, especially on the floor made of wooden planks. 

That glasshouse has freshly appeared magically in Lim's house. 

Yes, Lim had used his magical drawing tablet to manifest that glasshouse after he had eaten the meals cooked by Miya before all of today's disaster and misunderstanding. 

The small glasshouse was actually three times bigger than Miya's rented room. 

It has a living room with a set of sofas in terra color and a wooden TV cabinet. 

As she walked in, there were small classic European kitchen cabinets and a 4-seat wooden dining table. 

"It's so beautiful! Like a fairy house in a bedtime story that my grandma used to read to me when I was 5!" 

She was so happy. 

Her eyes seemed to forget their ability to blink, even they got more sparkled when seeing a comfy wooden bed near a warm tiny fireplace. 

As she found an ebony desk and some bookshelves, she screamed stifled, "Aaaakkkk… Can I use all of this during my free time, Boss?" 

"Just tell me if you need something. Now, please bring me back to my room. I will give you extra blankets and some of my clothes for you to change. You're totally in a mess." 

"With my pleasure, Boss! Um… Can I just push your wheelchair?" Miya took a hand mirror and gave it to Lim, "You can use it as a rear-view mirror to see me. How?" 

"You can push it." 

Miya was about to push the wheelchair, but Lim grabbed her left hand and put it on his left shoulder. He chose to put away the mirror. 

"I think, this way will be saver. You can do nothing if I have your hand." 

All the way heading to Lim's room, he kept on holding Miya's hand, making her heart flutter. 

She talked on her mind, "For the first time, since years ago, there's a man holds my hand— An annoying man, but still— A man! Holds my hand! Before this, there's no one holds my hand, as simple as for doing a short hand-shake to say thanks or nice to meet you. All of this time, every single hand of peoples is used to angrily pointing at my face because of my unpaid bills."

Miya was busy with her own heartbeat which pounding faster and faster. 

She didn't have any idea that there's another person's heartbeat trying to harmonize hers. 

Lim was blushing. 

For the last eighteen years, he had never encountered this kind of feeling. 

A feeling of being safe to be around other people. 

Lim smiled…