A Scattered Fear

The morning sun bathed Jakarta in golden light as Valdi and Nanette made their way to Soekarno-Hatta Airport. The city was already alive with movement, the streets bustling with motorcycles weaving between cars, honking impatiently. The radio played a mellow tune in the background, but the atmosphere inside the car was unusually quiet.

Nanette glanced at Valdi, her fingers tracing the fabric of her blouse absentmindedly. “Dear, please don’t come home too late while I’m gone. It would be tough for Mom to handle everything alone.”

“Don’t worry, love. Just focus on your symposium. I’ll only be late tonight, but I already told Mom.”

Nanette furrowed her brows. “Why? Why will you be late?”

It was a simple question, yet for a moment, Valdi hesitated, as if the answer was buried somewhere in his mind, just out of reach. Then, it hit him.

“Oh...uh, my lab is having a dinner to welcome a new researcher from our Singapore branch.”