Belia continued to cry as if looking for Anara's whereabouts. Neo, who understood his nephew's cries, only tried to calm Belia's baby by holding her and talking to her.
"What are you doing, honey? Do you miss Mother Anara?" Neo asked the baby Belia who had been fussy since Anara left her.
"Owekkk... mamamamama..." Belia's baby babbled in the middle of her crying.
"Drinking milk, huh? Big Daddy asked Mbok Ijah to make milk for you, honey?" asked Neo, getting worried when he saw the baby Belia crying.
Neo picked up Belia's baby and brought her down to the first floor with one hand carrying the baby's milk and drinking bottle.
"Miss Young, why?" Mbok Ijah looked at the crying baby Belia.
"It seems that Belia is thirsty, Mbok! Please make milk for him!" Neo handed over the milk and baby bottle to Mbok Ijah.
Mrs. Sonya, who heard the baby Belia's crying, immediately came out of her room and approached Neo who was holding her baby.
"Still crying too?" Mrs. Sonya took over baby Belia from Neo's arms.
Instead of stopping crying, the baby Belia started crying hysterically in Mrs. Sonya's arms.
"How about this?" thought Neo.
"It looks like Belia won't stop crying if it's not Anara who is holding her. Have you asked Mbok Ijah to make milk for Belia?" asked Mrs. Sonya.
"Already!" answered Neo flatly.
Mbok Ijah came to bring milk for Belia's baby. Immediately the baby was given milk by Mrs. Sonya. A moment later the baby's crying stopped because he drank milk.
Neo breathed a little relieved to see that Belia's baby had stopped crying. But that was only for a moment, as soon as the milk in the bottle ran out the baby began to cry hysterically again.
"What makes Belia cry like this?" Mrs. Sonya was confused when she saw her baby crying.
"Try carrying me!" Neo again took over the baby Belia from Mrs. Sonya's hands.
Neo remembered when Anara took Belia's baby to play, Anara often read blessings for the baby. Sometimes when Belia's baby was crying waiting for the milk Anara made to finish, Belia's baby stopped crying when Anara recited a shalawat.
"Do you want to hear big Daddy recite blessings for you?" asked Neo making baby Belia silent.
Neo then recited blessings for Belia's baby. For a while the baby was silent when he heard Neo reading blessings for him, but soon the baby was crying again.
If baby Belia is good at talking, maybe she will say 'where is mother Anara?' But baby Belia can only cry, while Neo and Mrs. Sonya don't understand baby Belia's wishes.
In a different place, Anara had just finished the evening prayer. Tonight Anara gathered with Grandma Azizah, Alif and Alfi after having dinner together.
"When did you come back to Brother Neo's house?" asked Alfi.
"Next week! Mrs. Sonya, Mr. Nuh, and Brother Neo only give you one week off." Reply Anara.
"Why only a moment, Sis?" asked Alif.
"The older sister over there doesn't work as a household helper, Alif! Older sister there works as a nanny for her baby. If I take too long off, I'm worried that the baby will forget about me. Later, I don't want to play anymore if my brother asks me to play." Anara's reply made Alif nod his head.
The night was getting late, Anara had returned to her room to rest. Anara hopes that tonight she can sleep well, remembering that no young baby will wake up at night when she is thirsty and asks for milk to be made.
Krusak…
Krusuk…
Krusak…
Krusuk…
Anara repeatedly turned her body from right to left, stretched out even face down, but Anara remained awake and could not sleep. The image of the cute little face of Belia's baby kept bothering her memory.
"Why can't I sleep? Where does the image of a baby Belia keep dancing in my memory, it seems like I already love baby Belia and can't be away from that child!" muttered Anara trying to close her eyes.
In his room, Neo had been trying to recite blessings for Belia's baby. However, the baby was still crying. Mr. Nuh and Mrs. Sonya as well as Atha had taken turns holding Belia's baby, but it seemed that was not what Belia's baby wanted but Anara beside the tiny baby.
"At this rate, poor Belia! It could hurt him crying like this!" said Mr. Nuh.
"Then what should we do, Dad?" Mrs. Sonya asked back.
"Shall we take Belia to Anara's house? Just let Anara enjoy her vacation time by bringing Belia there! After all, Anara's family is good, it seems they also love Belia." Atha's words made all eyes fall on her.
"If you think about it first!" Neo glared at Atha.
"Not like that, Atha! It's also a pity for Anara that her vacation time is still bothered by Belia's presence! Don't we allow Anara to take a break from her activities taking care of Belia?" Mr. Nuh's opinion was justified by Neo and Mrs. Sonya.
Neo, who couldn't bear to see Belia's baby crying, finally gave up and accepted Atha's suggestion. This is also the reason for Neo to be able to accompany Belia while he is in the village with Anara. That way Neo won't be separated from Anara, he can even see her every day.
"Looks like I have to take Belia off at home, Anara!" Neo's chirp suddenly surprised the others.
"You mean?" asked Mr. Nuh curiously.
"I admit that Belia is very close to Anara, Anara has never even let Belia cry. When he was with Anara, he seemed comfortable. It's as if Belia feels Sister Arsyila's presence here." Neo said with teary eyes.
Mrs. Sonya, Mr. Nuh and Atha had never seen Neo like that before. Neo, who always looks cold, has a straight face, speaks sparingly, this time has shown his weak side when he sees Belia cry.
"I can at least see Belia cry!" Neo understood the gazes of Mr. Nuh, Mrs. Sonya and Atha.
"So what's your plan?" asked Mr. Nuh.
"Tomorrow I will return to Grandma Azizah's house to bring Belia. We will stay there during Anara's holiday. That's the best for Belia right now." said Neo flatly.
"Hmm. Alright, if you think that's the best for Belia. Daddy and Mommy could not refuse it. But what about Anara and Grandma Azizah?" asked Mr. Nuh then.
"I think Grandma Azizah and Anara won't mind!" replied Neo coldly.
In the end, Neo, Mr. Nuh, Mrs. Sonya and Atha were awake all night because of Belia's crying. After being tired of crying, the baby fell asleep just before dawn.
"Young is sleeping! I'd better pray the dawn prayer first, before Belia wakes up again." Neo rushed to take ablution water and perform the dawn prayer in his room.
Anara rushed to the kitchen after finishing the dawn prayer and prayed. Anara will help Grandma Azizah make wet cakes which have been ordered by many customers.
"Anara!" who is Grandma Azizah.
"Yes, Grandma?" Anara stopped what she was doing for a moment.
"This is money from Neo's father, he gave this to Grandma yesterday. He said to protect us from fasting later." Said Grandma Azizah.
"Grandma keep it! For the needs of fasting later, I still have savings and money that Neo gave me." Reply Anara.
"No, girl! You just save your money for your needs later when you go back to their house." Azizah refused smoothly.
"Don't be like that, Grandma! There I do not need a penny. All my needs are always fulfilled by them both Neo, Mrs. Sonya and Mr. Noah. They are all good to me, without me asking they always prepare all my needs." Anara's words made Grandmother Azizah cry with emotion.
Anara hugged Grandma Azizah who was already crying and helped wipe her tears. Without Grandma Azizah knowing, Anara has to hold back her longing for Grandma Azizah, Alif, and Alfi in order to save herself from the entanglements of the law that Neo always threatens her with.
Actually, if Anara only relies on money from selling wet cakes, it can help financially for Grandma Azizah and her twin brothers Alif and Alfi. But because of the contract agreement with Neo, Azizah is forced to do that even though she has to hold back her longing.
"Why are you sad?" asked Grandma Azizah.
"I'm sad when I remember that Alfi and Alif and Grandma live in poverty, while at Daddy Nuh's house I always live well enough, eat delicious food, and even have all my needs met. While Granny, Alif, and Alfi?" Anara's eyes started to water now.
"You don't think about it, Anara! If you really like working for them, then you have to be prepared for all the risks." Said Grandma Azizah.
"Of course I like it, Grandma! What else can I raise a baby as beautiful and cute as Belia. Their family is also very good to me." Anara said with a slight smile.
Azizah's grandmother rubbed the top of Anara's head gently. Anara hugged Grandma Azizah tightly. Alif and Alfi who saw this immediately rushed to hug Anara and Grandma Azizah.
"We love you, Sister, and Grandma!" said Alif and Alfi in unison while hugging Anara and Grandma Azizah.
Neo has prepared all the needs for Belia's baby and himself to be at Anara's house in the next few days. Currently Neo is ordering pizza and kebabs which he promised Anara, to bring them to Alif and Alfi as well as Grandma Azizah and Grandpa Badrun.
"We will meet again with Mother Anara, are you happy dear?" asked Neo gently pinching Belia's chubby cheeks.
As if he understood, the young baby just chuckled while chattering spoiled, typical of an almost 9 month old baby. Neo laid Belia's baby in the front seat so he could look after her and take good care of her.
"I'm like a father as well as a husband who is going to meet the wife of my child, tsk… how ridiculous! But quite happy." muttered Neo staring at his own face from the reflection of the rearview mirror.
After almost four hours, Neo finally arrived in front of Grandma Azizah's house with her baby Belia. Hearing the baby's crying voice faintly in the car, made Anara frown he squinted.
"Did I miss Belia too much? To the extent that the voice of a tiny baby seems to be heard in my ears at this time." muttered Anara while cleaning the house after sending wet cake orders to customers.
"Owekkk… mamamamama…" the chattering and crying of the baby Belia could be heard more and more clearly.
Anara opened the door to her house, her eyes widened when she saw Neo already standing at the door with Belia's baby in her arms.
"Brother…? Young…?" Anara's happy smile radiated from her very pretty face.
"Anara, it's so pretty when you're smiling like that!" thought Neo.
For a moment Anara and Neo stared at each other with a sweet smile etched in the corners of each other's lips. The longing gazes of the two people who were in love were locked for some time, until Grandma Azizah's voice startled the two of them.