The Second Choice (English Version)

Chapter 05

"I know, there must be a lot of questions you want to ask Dad, right?" Aluna was silent, did not answer. The father could only smile bitterly, feeling very guilty and regretful. He actually knew that his daughter was confused about what reaction to show him. Because all of Aluna's emotions were mixed up and clashing for a while.

"I don't expect my apology to be accepted, because I realize that the wound I gave you is too damaged to be able to be treated." Father took his daughter's hand, then held it tightly. Aluna was silent, letting her father hold her hand tightly but it felt soft and warm.

"But darling, please don't hate Daddy..." the father gently kissed his daughter's hand, full of regret. Aluna, who was confused about what to do, opened her voice. "To be honest, Aluna is confused about what to say and what to do. But one thing Aluna can do is forgive Dad. And Aluna is very happy, because Dad doesn't hate Aluna, and thinks of Aluna as Aluna, not as Alana's shadow." Aluna smiled back while holding her father's hand tightly and warmly.

The father, who heard his daughter's very touching and gentle words, immediately broke down and cried. Luckily this restaurant has a VVIP room, where no one except customers ordering. So the father cried with satisfaction while holding and placing his daughter's hand on her forehead, feeling very guilty and regretful.

"I don't expect you to just forgive me, Aluna. I hope you let go of all the emotions and questions you want to ask Dad. And you can also be angry, disappointed, and even punish Dad, Aluna. I hope you release all your emotions to Dad, son. And you can even scold Dad, or hit Dad, the important thing is that it makes you relieved. And you can also say that you are disappointed with Dad, and cry as much as you like until your bad feelings go away." The father said as he got up from his seat and walked over to his daughter. Then he knelt down, hugging his daughter's knees, crying bitterly. Aluna, who saw her father kneeling and hugging shis legs, immediately panicked. And she hurriedly touched his father's hand which was on his knee, trying to calm his father down. But suddenly...

"Eh?" Aluna was confused as to why there were drops of water falling from the corners of her eyes to touch her already wet face. Is she crying? But why? Even though she doesn't need to cry about anything, because she doesn't have the right to. However, when his father cried while hugging his legs, it made him feel strange. And suddenly she realized that this was a mixture of emotions between anger, disappointment and sadness that had been hidden for a long time.

The reason is, when she wanted to hide his emotions until the end, his father disturbed him and destroyed his defensive walls just by crying. The father and son were sobbing so hard at each other, that perhaps if someone passed by and heard them, they would cry like them. Because their cries sounded very heart-wrenching and heart-rending to those who heard them. Because this is where the words 'REGRET' and 'SORRY' come from for them.

It didn't feel like time was passing, and the two pairs of people, father and son, who had been crying, were now sitting in their respective seats calmly and with puffy faces and swollen eyes. Aluna and her father, who had been crying, only stopped when the waiter who delivered their order came over.

"Woah!! Steak!!" Aluna cheered enthusiastically and couldn't believe what she saw, amazed. Dad just smiled a little, then gently pinched his daughter's white cheek, exasperated.

Even though just now Aluna was crying loudly while hitting him, asking a lot of questions, and blaming him, because he had made her kind-hearted daughter have to suffer a lot of injuries from him. Trying to release all the emotions that his daughter had been holding back. And now her daughter is back to being as cheerful as before, the smile he always saw when Aluna was little. And that was the smile he had missed so much for almost ten years.

"Dad! Is it okay if Aluna eats this much?" Aluna asked after all the orders were ready, and the waiter left, feeling hesitant, confused by the food that filled their table. Dad nodded, "Yes. All that food I ordered for you on purpose, Aluna." Dad answered, smiling gently. Aluna nodded in understanding, then she immediately lifted the knife and fork that were nearby to cut the steak.

"Do you want Dad to help you cut the meat, hum?" asked the father, offering help while looking pityingly at his daughter who was having difficulty cutting her steak. Aluna, who was trying hard to cut her steak, looked at her father while shaking her head. "No need, Dad. Aluna can cut it herself." Aluna refused gently, still trying to cut the steak.

One minute passed. And Aluna's steak was still intact, as if it hadn't been scratched by a knife at all. Dad just smiled faintly seeing his daughter's cuteness mixed with excitement, because Aluna still insisted on cutting her own steak.

"Give me your steak plate, here! And take Dad's piece of steak." Dad took Aluna's steak plate, then handed the steak plate to Aluna. Aluna was confused as to why her father took her plate and instead the plate that should have belonged to her father became hers.

"Here, why did Dad take Aluna's plate? And hand Dad's plate to Aluna?" Aluna asked confused while looking at her plate and her father's plate. Dad just smiled warmly, then waved his hand. "Just eat, Aluna." Tell his father while waving his hand. Aluna, who was still confused, just nodded slightly. Just obey what his father ordered.

After fifteen minutes, the father and son ate their food, finally they were finished. All the food and drinks on the table were apparently left empty.

"How? Do the food and drinks suit your taste, hum?" Dad asked, looking at Aluna who was full, smiling. Aluna, who was leaning on the sofa in the room, holding her full stomach, looked at her father. "Yes! The food is very delicious, and suits Aluna's taste, Dad." Aluna answered, nodding, smiling broadly. The father just smiled with satisfaction, because his daughter was happy with the dinner he prepared for his beloved daughter.

"But, Dad. What about Mom and Alana, Dad? Didn't you buy them food too?" Aluna asked, remembering the two people they had left behind. Dad was only silent for a few seconds, then asked again. "Do you really want to buy them food, hum?" asked the father looking at his good daughter, curious. Aluna just nodded her head in response.

"Okay, then, before we go home, we will order food for Mom and Alana first." The father took a deep breath, then gently patted his daughter's head. Aluna, who still felt awkward being treated like that by her father, held her head. Become awkward.

After Aluna's father ordered food and drinks for Alana and her mother, Aluna and her father chatted lightly about stories at school, or about what happened to her father while he was away on duty. Sometimes Aluna and her father laugh, sometimes they make light jokes, sometimes they confide in each other, sometimes they apologize to each other. Until the order his father ordered to be wrapped arrived.

"Then let's go home, Aluna." Invite the father to take his daughter's hand warmly. Aluna nodded while trying to match her father's long strides. Aluna and her father walked hand in hand to the parked car, then got into it.

"Dad," Aluna called softly as she turned to her father who was driving the car. Dad turned around, "Yeah?" Dad answered, returning his focus to driving, responding.

"Will Mom and Alana be angry with Aluna for taking Dad away from them?" Aluna asked suddenly while staring blankly ahead. Suddenly his head looked far ahead. The father, who saw his daughter's hands shaking, gently touched the back of her hand, calming her.

"They won't be angry, Aluna. Because Dad will talk to Mom and Alana. Don't worry, Aluna." Dad answered with a reassuring smile. Aluna was silent, stared at her father's face for a long time, then nodded. Just believe what his father said, try to calm down.

The car continued to drive on the streets which were starting to get quiet, because it was already half past eleven at night. Several cars were seen passing by, about to return to their respective homes. Because tomorrow is people's school and work time, namely Monday.