Gavin’s Family
58
With a blossoming smile, Fahira examined herself in front of the mirror. She scrutinized her body, which had undergone drastic changes. From being slim and sexy, she had transformed into a curvier woman, especially in the chest area. The smile at the corners of her lips was momentarily concealed by the sudden appearance of tears in her eyes. Then, her hands lifted to cup her chubby cheeks in front of her reflection. Occasionally, she would gently press her cheeks to make them look slimmer, reminiscent of her appearance ten months ago when she was not pregnant with the twins.
A heavy sigh filled the quiet room. The woman standing in front of the dressing table shook her head repeatedly, trying to dismiss the sudden negative thoughts that rudely disrupted her happiness and wreaked havoc on her emotions.
Fahira reached for the makeup set on the dressing table to apply a bit of powder to conceal the dark circles under her eyes and her pale complexion. She also added a soft pink color to her lips. Satisfied with her appearance, Fahira checked herself from head to toe in the mirror, occasionally twirling her curvier figure, although she was sure that no matter from which angle she looked at herself, her body wouldn’t change.
Suddenly, she realized her mistake. Instead of complaining, she should be more grateful. Out there, many other people were eagerly awaiting the arrival of their own bundles of joy. Was it right for her to complain when Allah had blessed her with two healthy and adorable babies at once?
After realizing her wrongdoing, Fahira hurriedly stepped out of the room to meet her entire family. She wore a knee-length silver plain dress with buttons at the front, hugging her body. Her wet hair cascaded beautifully down her shoulders. However, before she reached the door, she felt pain in her abdomen from the post-surgery.
“Oh god, I forgot to wear the postpartum girdle, no wonder it hurts!” Fahira moaned as she went back inside and put on the girdle to support her abdomen, which, of course, appeared loose after being home to two babies at once. Unlike before, this time Fahira only focused on securing the girdle around her waist, without minding her body looking plumper.
“Is Sister Fahira feeling better now?” Ariel said, coincidentally meeting her at the bottom of the stairs. The teenager observed Fahira’s refreshed and radiant appearance.
“I’m getting there, dear. Still in pain, but it’s nothing compared to having the twins in our lives!” Fahira replied, welcoming Ariel’s warm hug.
Fahira’s arms encircled Ariel’s waist, while Ariel, with her possessive manner, wrapped her arm around Fahira’s shoulders as they descended the stairs. Ariel still couldn’t believe that she now had a new family that truly loved her. Yasmin, the middle-aged woman, treated her with great kindness, just like her own child. Ariel finally received the abundance of love from a mother she had longed for.
“Why is it so crowded?” Fahira asked, noticing the housekeepers busy in the kitchen.
“We’re having a thanksgiving and aqiqah ceremony for the twins, Sister,” Ariel explained as she led Fahira, still hugging her, to the living room.
“Come here, Fahira!” Desi, Gavin’s mother, called out while holding baby Joziah. Meanwhile, baby Jonah was in Farah’s arms.
“Sorry, I didn’t know there were guests!” Fahira released her embrace on Ariel and took the hands of Gavin’s parents, kissing the back of their hands, followed by Ariel.
“How are Gavin and Farah?” Fahira greeted as she sat next to Darian. Without hesitation, Darian took Fahira’s hand and brought it to his lap, holding it tightly.
“We’re doing well, Sister,” Farah replied, stroking the rosy cheeks of baby Jonah who looked comfortable on her lap. “By the way, Fahira, how do you manage to have twins like this?” Farah continued, making Gavin’s eyes widen. Her candid attitude had always been fearless.
“Do you want us to have twins like you and Darian, dear?” Gavin asked with a playful smile. To Farah’s enthusiasm, she nodded her head with an innocent face.
Rania, sitting next to Ariel, rolled her eyes lazily. Gavin had openly refused to marry Farah before, and even after they got married, he never treated Farah like a wife. Rania felt sorry for witnessing how Gavin treated his wife with rudeness and indifference. And now, with his sweet act of calling Farah affectionate names.
“Why are you upset? Isn’t this what we hoped for, that the relationship between Brother Darian and Brother Gavin improves?” Ariel whispered as she noticed Rania’s irritation with her own brother.
“Brother Gavin is just putting on a show, you know! I still don’t believe his sweet words. He probably just wants to show off to Fahira that he has moved on,” Rania whispered back.
Ariel and Rania were witnesses to the love triangle between Fahira, Darian, and Gavin. They often exchanged stories about their own siblings. In the past, Ariel and Rania had even tried to play matchmakers for Gavin and Fahira. However, Ariel couldn’t force Fahira to choose Gavin as her life partner; in the end, Fahira chose Darian.
“Ehem… Ariel, Rania! You shouldn’t get too close!” Darian scolded when he noticed the intimacy between the two teenagers. Although Ariel and Rania claimed to be just friends, their closeness made everyone doubt the true nature of their relationship.
“From now on, Des, Abi. They’re already adults. Besides, isn’t it nice that we could be related by marriage later?” Yasmin laughed, causing everyone to join in. Rania could only bury her blushing face, while Ariel looked embarrassed and scratched the back of her head with an awkward smile.
The warm and lengthy conversation with Gavin’s extended family had made Fahira unintentionally skip her breakfast. After the Gavin family left, Fahira whispered to Darian, “I’m hungry.” At the same time, her stomach growled loudly, and she gently caressed her belly.
“Oops, I forgot that you haven’t had breakfast yet, my love.” Darian hit his forehead with the palm of his hand, then quickly got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen. To soothe the rumbling in her stomach, Fahira turned on the television, looking for a channel that featured Indonesian cuisine – her hobby since she was pregnant with the twins.
Shortly after, Darian returned with a tray in his hand. The dish looked so appetizing, as if it was inviting Fahira to devour it immediately.
“Mommy said you shouldn’t eat spicy food while breastfeeding,” Darian said as he placed the tray on the table, right in front of Fahira.
“Yes, honey. I already know that. After giving birth, mothers should avoid spicy food,” Fahira explained, pausing for a moment. “I’ll eat on my own. You can eat too.”
“Okay. You go ahead, and I’ll get my own food.” Darian got up from the sofa, tousled Fahira’s hair, and left.
Fahira gently caressed her overfilled stomach as the cry of a baby was heard. Yasmin came out of her room carrying baby Jonah and placed him on Fahira’s lap, with Darian preparing a pillow as support. Baby Jonah eagerly latched onto Fahira’s breast, and the sound of his gulping was audible. Darian couldn’t stop admiring his reflection in baby Jonah’s face. He chuckled when the little baby choked a bit due to Fahira’s abundant breast milk. Soon after Jonah was full and fell back asleep, the cries of baby Joziah prompted Darian to get up from his seat.
“See, I just thought about it, and now the other one will start crying,” Darian teased as he took baby Joziah from Santi’s hands.
“I don’t think you need to cover it again, dear. It’s useless!” Darian joked when he noticed Fahira’s unbuttoned shirt.
“Don’t look, later you’ll envy them!” Yasmin retorted with laughter while taking baby Jonah back from Fahira’s lap.
“Mom, you’re always like that!” Darian replied with a laugh. It wasn’t just envy; he already felt some discomfort down there. It seemed like he would be fasting for a longer time, considering Fahira had only undergone the operation a month ago, and it might be 2-3 months before he could break his “fast.” Darian had read from several articles that some mothers only resumed intimate relations after 6 months or more following the surgery.
As explained by Dr. Intan, they were actually allowed to resume intimate relations 6-8 weeks after the operation. However, it all depended on the wife’s physical and psychological condition, as all women after childbirth experience psychological disturbances. From losing self-confidence due to changes in body shape to stress caused by lack of rest and support from family and the surrounding environment. Therefore, Darian tried to always be by Fahira’s side until she could adjust to her current condition. He didn’t want Fahira to experience baby blues, a psychological disorder that could eventually affect their relationship and even the production of breast milk. So, he promised to be a vigilant husband 24/7 for his wife, their two little ones, and of course, for the sake of the “junior.”
“You should rest, my love!” Darian suggested after Fahira fixed her appearance.
“I’m bored in the room, can I stay here?” Fahira offered, looking at the two baby cribs in the corner of the living room. Baby Jonah and Joziah were sleeping soundly in their respective cribs. Fahira was grateful that Yasmin truly understood her desires. Without Fahira even asking, her mother-in-law had already prepared baby cribs in addition to those in the bedroom.
“Mommy is the best, no doubt,” praised Darian as he hugged and kissed Yasmin’s cheek before she left.
“Besides, this is also for mommy’s own convenience. Mama doesn’t need to go upstairs to your room. Let the twins stay here close to Mommy’s room,” explained Yasmin with a laugh. Her graceful hand lovingly caressed Darian’s face.
Not wanting to be carried away by emotions and the memories of her late husband, Yasmin quickly went into the room. But before that, she instructed Darian to adjust the position of the sofa bed that Fahira would use.
While Fahira was sleeping, Darian sat on the side of the sofa, playing with his phone.
“David,” Darian murmured as he saw a WhatsApp message from his friend.
David:
“Alea and I are planning to visit the twins this afternoon. Hope you don’t mind?”
Darian quickly replied to David’s message.
Darian:
“Of course, not at all, Bro! Both of us are looking forward to your visit.”
Meanwhile, inside the room, Fahira woke up from her nap. Her vision was still slightly blurry from just waking up. After moving a little and feeling slightly refreshed, she noticed Darian sitting next to the sofa.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
“Honey, how long did I sleep?” she asked softly.
“About two hours, Honey,” Darian replied, setting his phone aside.
“It’s been three days since I’ve been home, but it feels like I haven’t had a proper rest yet,” Fahira sighed while rubbing her face.
“Is there something bothering you, Honey? Do you feel uncomfortable here?” Darian asked with concern.
“No, it’s not that. I’m just overwhelmed with the joy of having the twins and all the love and care from everyone. I guess it’s just taking some time for me to adjust,” Fahira explained with a smile, reassuring Darian.