Ten years later
In a flower field, the sound of a boy's cheerful laughter rang out. His small steps ran here and there, as if he were a free bird released from the golden cage that had bound him all this time.
Although it was still too early to judge, the boy was already very handsome. His hair was black and his eyes were as blue as the sky on that day.
"Jeremy, don't run around like that. You might fall," his mother, Sienna Monroe, scolded.
Jeremy Monroe only laughed as if he didn't hear his mother's reprimand. This made Sienna shake her head, feeling exhausted dealing with her only child's behavior.
"It seems he's enjoying his vacation very much," said an old woman standing behind Sienna. Her gaze followed Jeremy running across the expanse of grass with blooming flowers.
Indeed, this wasn't a long school holiday like usual, but for Jeremy, it was a very pleasant vacation. For him, as long as he didn't have to go to school and didn't have homework, it was happy enough.
Sienna smiled. "He's always liked holidays, whenever they happen."
"By the way, here's the food. Call Jeremy to eat. I'll grab some more snacks from the car," said the old woman, handing over a lunch box.
Sienna nodded and immediately called Jeremy to eat.
Hearing his mother's call, Jeremy frowned in annoyance. With lazy steps and occasionally stomping his feet on the ground, he complained, "Can't I eat later?"
"No, you have to eat now. And look at your clothes, they're already dirty. How will Mama clean them later?" Sienna shook her head, seeing Jeremy's white shirt starting to get dirty from rolling around on the grass.
Jeremy pouted his lips in annoyance. However, his smile returned when he saw a small green caterpillar. A mischievous idea immediately popped into his head. He quickly picked up the caterpillar and hid it, waiting for the right moment.
While Sienna was opening the lunch box, Jeremy suddenly took out the caterpillar and showed it to his mother, who was indeed afraid of caterpillars. Instantly, Sienna was shocked and screamed in fear. Accidentally, the small creature fell from Jeremy's hand and landed right on Sienna's skirt, making his mother scream even more hysterically while asking for the caterpillar to be removed immediately.
"Jeremy, Mama told you to please get rid of that. Didn't you hear? And how many times has Mama told you not to tease Mama like this?" Sienna said firmly.
Jeremy removed the caterpillar from his mother's skirt while chuckling. "Mama is too much. It's just a small caterpillar. It can't even fight a human."
"You—!" Sienna exclaimed, but her words were cut off when a calmer voice interjected.
"What are you two arguing about?" asked the old woman as she returned to them carrying a bag of snacks.
"Nothing, Grandma. Mom is just being her usual dramatic self," Jeremy replied quickly while walking towards her and taking over the shopping bag. Meanwhile, Sienna was still busy flicking her skirt, making sure there was no trace of the caterpillar left.
The old woman chuckled softly, shaking her head. She knew Jeremy's mischievous nature very well, especially towards his own mother.
"You rascal, Jeremy. What else did you do to your mom, hmm?" she asked with an amused smile.
"Just showed her a cute caterpillar, Grandma," Jeremy replied half-jokingly.
"Cute for you, maybe. But it could make your mom faint later," the old woman replied, gently stroking Jeremy's head. "Alright, let's eat first."
Although not directly related by blood, Jeremy considered the old woman his own grandmother because she was a distant aunt from his mother's side who had lived in the Netherlands for a long time. Her affection for Jeremy was immense, no different from a biological grandmother's love for her grandson.
Jeremy nodded slightly and smiled warmly. He always felt comfortable around the old woman, who was not only loving but also wise and caring. He often opened up to her more than to his own mother.
They then sat down on the picnic mat that had been laid out earlier. Around them, wildflowers bloomed beautifully, blown by a gentle breeze that carried the scent of warm grass and soil. Jeremy sat between Sienna and the old woman, eagerly opening another food box.
Jeremy's eyes lit up with happiness when he saw various of his favorite foods: frikandel, patat, chicken nuggets, fried chicken, omelette, even pieces of cheese and small bread rolls.
"Did Grandma cook all this herself?" he asked in amazement.
"Of course. Who else but Grandma?" the old woman replied with a smile.
"Your mom? Ah, that's impossible," she continued, waving her hand. "Your mom's hands can't possibly make all this."
Sienna chuckled. "Mama's hands are already too busy taking care of a naughty boy who loves to tease people and are only suitable for tending flowers."
For the past ten years living in the Netherlands, Sienna had lived a simple life. She opened a small flower shop on the outskirts of the city. Every day she arranged flowers, greeted customers with a sincere smile, and cared for ornamental plants with patience. Occasionally, she took on landscaping jobs for neighbors or regular clients. If she had free time, she would write. Whether it was a diary, poems, or short stories that she only read herself or published in various media for additional income.
She realized that she couldn't keep relying on her aunt. The old woman had helped her survive during difficult times, especially in the early days of her arrival in the Netherlands. In the past few years, Sienna had gone through a lot. She came to this country pregnant, then gave birth to and raised Jeremy without the support of Azka Xavier, the father of the child. Only her aunt and a few close people knew her struggles.
Jeremy grinned widely, his mouth already full of fried chicken.
"But Mama is still beautiful even though she can't cook," he said while chewing.
Sienna rolled her eyes. "You're very good at sweet-talking. Where did you learn that, huh?" she asked, pretending to glare annoyedly, even though the corners of her lips couldn't hide a smile.
"Learned it from Mama," Jeremy replied quickly.
They began to enjoy their respective meals. Occasionally, light laughter was heard from Jeremy as he recounted funny incidents at school. He told a story about his friend who slipped on a banana peel and made everyone in the class laugh. The story was greeted with hearty laughter by his grandmother. The old woman then responded with stories from Sienna's childhood, which turned out to be just as naughty.
"You were the same way back then, Sienna," said the old woman, looking at Sienna amused. "In fact, you once used the boys to..."
The words were immediately cut off when Sienna gently nudged her aunt's arm, signaling her to stop talking before Jeremy heard too much.
"Used them for what?" Jeremy asked confused, looking at the two women in front of him who were now laughing awkwardly at each other.
"Nothing," Sienna replied quickly.
"And forget what Grandma just said," added the old woman, pretending to look at the sky.
Jeremy still looked confused, but his attention was immediately diverted when his eyes caught the figure of a little girl his age laughing and joking with her parents in the distance. Jeremy's expression changed slightly. Secretly, he felt envious seeing such a warm and harmonious complete family.
Sienna, who was sitting beside him, noticed the change in her son's expression. She patted Jeremy's shoulder gently.
"Don't think about it. You better finish your food so you can grow big and strong," Sienna said softly, thinking Jeremy was still thinking about his aunt's chatter.
Jeremy only hummed softly and continued to put food into his mouth.
After enjoying the food and the warm, relaxing time that afternoon, they began to pack up. Jeremy helped fold the mat, Sienna tidied up the lunch box, and the old woman gathered the light trash to throw in the nearest trash can.
While walking towards the car, they continued to chat lightly. They talked about weekend plans and the new flowers Sienna wanted to plant in her yard.
Water droplets dripped onto the floor from Jeremy's still wet hair. In front of him, Sienna sat kneeling, gently rubbing her son's hair with a soft light blue towel. Her movements were meticulous and caring, as if wanting to ensure no remaining water could make the boy catch a cold.
That face... so much like Azka.
Sienna stared intently at Jeremy, observing the curve of his cheeks, the line of his jaw, even the innocent expressions that often appeared unconsciously. Nothing resembled her, except the eye color, and even that was only faint.
Sometimes she wondered to herself... why someone she had carried for nine months, born from her own body, showed almost no trace of her in that child's face.
"Ma," Jeremy called softly, his voice still a little hoarse after his bath.
"Hmm?" Sienna replied while still rubbing her son's hair.
Jeremy looked down for a moment, then looked at his mother. "Where is Papa... now?"
That question again.
Sienna fell silent. The hand that had been busy drying her son's hair also stopped. Her eyes stared blankly at the wall, as if holding back something that wanted to explode.
"Jeremy... how many times has Mama told you, don't ask about Papa," she replied softly, trying to remain calm.