Forgotten Again

Nanette pulled into the driveway of the Dharmawangsa Hotel at precisely seven-thirty. She turned off the engine, exhaled deeply, and glanced at her phone. No messages from Valdi. That wasn’t surprising. He was probably still in his lab, immersed in his work.

She stepped out of the car, straightened her dress, and made her way inside. The restaurant was dimly lit, its elegant chandeliers casting a soft golden glow over the neatly arranged tables. A waiter greeted her with a warm smile.

"Welcome, Mrs. Amarta. Your table is ready. Please wait for Mr. Amarta over there."

"Thank you," she replied, returning the smile, though there was a weight in her chest.

The table was beautifully set. Rose in a delicate vase, tall candles flickering gently, and two glasses of wine already poured. She had gone all out again, hoping, just maybe, this time Valdi would remember on his own.

She checked the time. Eight o’clock. Still no sign of him.

Nanette hesitated, debating whether to call. Maybe he was stuck in traffic. Maybe he had simply lost track of time. She didn’t want to disturb him while he was driving, so she decided to wait a little longer. Instead, she busied herself replying to student emails, forcing herself to stay calm.

Meanwhile, across town, Valdi pulled into their home garage, humming a tune. It had been a long day, and all he wanted was to unwind. He expected to walk in and find Nanette and Viona, maybe even share a late dinner together. But as he stepped out of his car, something felt off.

Nanette’s silver car wasn’t there.

A flicker of confusion crossed his face. He frowned. Where was she? Normally, she’d be home by six-thirty.

Valdi rushed inside, his heartbeat quickening. His eyes darted around the dimly lit living room. Empty.

Sumi, their elderly maid, looked up in surprise from the small TV room near the pool. She quickly stood and approached him.

"Sir, aren’t you supposed to be at the hotel with Madam?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Valdi froze.

"The hotel?"

Sumi nodded. "Yes, Madam told me you both would be staying there for two nights. Viona is with her grandparents."

His heart plummeted. His stomach twisted.

Oh no.

With a sharp inhale, Valdi smacked his forehead. How could he forget?

Nanette had sent him a message earlier, reminding him about dinner at the Dharmawangsa Hotel .And yet, in the chaos of work, he had driven straight home, completely wiping their plans from his mind.

As if on cue, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw Nanette’s name on the screen. He swallowed hard and pressed the answer button.

"Yes, dear. I’m so sorry, I’m running late," he said quickly, gripping the phone like a lifeline.

"Go ahead and eat if you’re hungry. I had some issues in the lab one of the genomes got contaminated, and I had to redo my research. I’m on my way now."

He lied.

Guilt wrapped around his chest like a vise. How had he not even remembered until this moment?

Sumi watched him with a knowing look but said nothing. Valdi cleared his throat, grabbed his bag, and rushed back to his car.

"Please don’t tell Madam," he murmured as he passed her.

Sumi simply nodded.

Valdi sped towards the Dharmawangsa, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. The Jakarta traffic was relentless, every red light stretching his anxiety further. He couldn’t believe himself. It had been five years. Five anniversaries. And not once had he remembered on his own. Nanette always forgave him, always smiled, always pretended it didn’t hurt. But did it?

And worse, lately, he had been forgetting things more often. Small things at first. his ATM PIN, where he put his keys, a conversation from a few days ago. But tonight, forgetting their anniversary completely? That was a new level of failure.

What if one day he forgot something even more important?

By the time he finally pulled into the hotel parking lot, it was nine o’clock. His heart pounded as he rushed inside, his eyes scanning the restaurant. And then he saw her.

Nanette sat alone at their beautifully decorated table, her red dress hugging her frame elegantly, her hair cascading over her shoulder. She wasn’t checking her phone. She wasn’t fidgeting. She was just waiting.

Waiting for him.

His stomach twisted with guilt. Yet, when her eyes met his, she didn’t look angry. She didn’t even look disappointed. Instead, she smiled, soft, patient, understanding. And that hurt more than if she had been furious.

Without thinking, he strode to the table and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"Forgive me," he whispered into her hair.

Nanette chuckled softly, patting his back. "It’s okay, dear. People are watching."

"Let them watch," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "I don’t deserve you. I’m so sorry for making you wait so long."

She pulled back slightly, her eyes warm. "You must have been dealing with those contaminated samples. It’s alright, I waited. Let’s eat first. We can continue this embrace in the room."

A small smile played on his lips. God, he loved her.

They sat down, and for the next hour, they enjoyed their meal. They talked, laughed, and even teased each other. The air between them felt lighter, even as Valdi still wrestled with guilt.

As they sipped the last of their wine, he reached across the table and took her hand in his.

"I’ll make it up to you," he promised. "I’ll give you warmth and affection you won’t forget. How many rounds would you like?"

Nanette raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. "Oh? Since when did my husband become so cheeky?"

Valdi grinned. "Since I realized how much I need to cherish you."

She shook her head, laughing softly. "Just don’t forget again, okay?"

He squeezed her hand. "I won’t. I swear."

And he meant it.

But deep inside, a small voice nagged at him.

Could he really keep that promise? Because lately, his forgetfulness had been getting worse.

And he didn’t know why.