This was a thing Kris always did in the morning.He went to a flower shop. He always bought a purple tulip. He started to buy a purple tulip every morning about a year ago. He often bought tulips in other flower shop, but when he moved to this area, he looked for a flower shop and found one, quite far from his flat, but not far from his favorite café. The florist, a tall guy with curly brown hair and always-happy face, knew that Kris always came to buy a tulip. It was not the first time he asked why Kris always bought just a tulip. He always asked Kris and sometimes he forced him to tell the reason, too. But Kris didn’t say much to the florist because he didn’t want to talk much in the morning, although the florist is the friendliest person he ever knew.

Kris didn’t really like flowers, but why did he buy a tulip? Well, he didn’t buy it for himself.

He walked slowly to his favorite café. The café was the most crowded in the city. It was everyone’s favorite. Kris always sat in a table in the corner, near the glass wall. He already sat down there, ordered a cup of coffee from a skinny waiter and looked around. This was almost 9 in the morning. He saw some people busy drinking their coffee. Some of them ate their sandwiches in hurry and then hurriedly came out from the café. Kris also saw a guy who was busy calling and yelling on the phone—and it was louder than the music—while biting his fairy cake. Seconds later after hanging up, the guy collected his stuff, phone, books, and iPad and put them into his bag. Kris glued his eyes to the noisy guy until the guy reached the door.

And then he saw her.

She pulled the door open, looked confused with the noisy guy who walked out in hurry. As the guy gone, she walked slowly to a table that was visible from Kris’s table right now. She sat down, called out a waiter. Kris couldn’t hear what she was saying to the waiter but he knew exactly what she wanted to order. A cup of green tea. She also ordered a chocolate muffin. Sometimes she ordered nothing but a cup of green tea. Sometimes she just bought take home bread and tea if she was really busy. But today she wasn’t. She slowly opened her bag and took out a phone and a small book-note. She looked busy writing something on the book and when her orders coming, she thanked the waiter with a huge warm smile.

Ah, Kris always loved that smile.

She did not have to do many things, but when people looked at her, they would feel happiness they never felt before. She always smiled to everyone, greeted in very warm way. That’s why Kris always found men stared at her, including the waiters. All the waiters knew her. She’s like the happiness they looked for. And for Kris too, she’s the happiness.

Even Kris already sat here like forever, she never noticed him. She never knew that he was there.She was too busy to do things that related to her work. She just looked down at her book, not knowing waiters and some people stared at her in admiration. She’s so popular since forever, Kris admitted it. She was here about a half hour before going to her office. She always came at the same time, sat on the same chair, and ordered the same food and drink. And she always left at the same time. Kris looked down at the tulip he bought before. He then looked up and stared at her. He felt anxious, even it’s not plastered on his face.

It was about ten minutes before she left.

He still looked at her as he heard a bell ringing. Then he glanced to the door. A little girl, her age about 4 years, pulled the door open with a help from a waiter. She giggled cutely and said thanks to the waiter. She walked toward a table quickly, ignoring the waiter who was asking about where her parents were.

“Mommy!” the little girl reached the table where the warm lady sitting. The lady looked surprised, also all the waiters and men in the café. The waiters and male costumers were surprised to know that the lady already had a daughter. O-oh, they were late. They never expected this. No matter what happened around him—Kris heard some disappointed voices— he kept his eyes on the lady’s table.

“Dear, how did you get here?” she lifted her daughter to her lap after she put the book down on the table. The little girl giggled cutely and told her mother something.

Kris tried to listen to the mother-daughter conversation but he heard nothing. He sighed. They will leave soon though, he thought. He then pulled his chair and stood. That’s when the little girl noticed him. She asked her mother to put her down. She then ran toward him quickly.

“Daddy!”

Kris’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw his daughter running toward him.He bent down and pulled her into a hug. He could feel stares from all people in the café. This fact was just surprised them even more.

“Gongju~” Kris smiled widely. He rarely smiled, but he always did it in front of his lovely daughter. He lifted her and stood. “How is Gongju doing? What will Gongju do today?” his daughter giggled cutely when he gave her a kiss on her cheek. It would be never changed, he always called her Gongju. She’s still his little princess.

Instead of answering his questions, she said,”I miss Daddy so much.”

Kris felt that something just punched him on his stomach. His expression became bitter. He tried to smile. “Daddy misses Gongju, too.” He gave her a kiss on her cheek again.

“Daddy busy? Not come home?” she asked innocently.

Kris couldn’t answer his daughter this time.

“So, you’re here?” he heard another voice. The lady has reached him. She looked surprised a bit. She didn’t know that she would meet him in this café. Again, Kris felt stares from all people in the café. The stares, he really knew them. Jealous stares. It was bit annoying though, but it didn’t affect Kris. She still plastered confused expression on her face. Oh really, she didn’t need to be too surprised. Kris always came here everyday, everyday since a year ago and she just never noticed it.

Kris didn’t say a word and kept looking at his daughter. He did miss her so much, and he also missed her mother. Kris glanced at the lady who was looking at him. She looked bit annoyed because he didn’t answer her. She glanced at the table behind Kris and saw the purple tulip. She widened her eyes.

“Tulip? You bought it for me?” she said.

“No, it’s not for you.” he said quickly, lying.

“Is there any woman you like now? And she likes tulip like I do?” she asked.

Of course Kris only loved one woman till now. And she’s standing in front of him, the one who gave him a lovely little princess.

“Daddy, please come home.” his daughter pleaded when they headed out the café. Kris just smiled bitterly. She gave him a quick peck on his cheek before he put her down. She ran toward her grandmother who was waiting for her in front of a car that parked near the café. The old lady looked at Kris and then she smiled. Kris smiled back at her.

“So, how are you?”

Kris looked at the lady standing in front of him. He coughed before answered. “I’m good.” He wanted to ask back but he couldn’t find himself asking.

The lady stared at Kris for a while then looked down at a tulip in her hand. She then glanced at their daughter. “You know, she missed you.”

“I know.” He replied.

“You barely visit her.” she laughed awkwardly. “I know you’re too busy to do that.” She looked down at the ground. “You live nearby?”

“Yes.” He replied. And he knew that she and their daughter still lived in their old house, the house they lived in together before Kris and she decided to live separated. It had been a year Kris moved to a flat far from their old house.

Actually Kris didn’t want a divorce. But he couldn’t help but askedfor it. He was too busy with his work. He scarcely came home and he seemed like didn’t care with his daughter. His wife was angry about that and they got into fights. They got the divorce and Kris moved house. Their daughter didn’t know about this. She just knew that Kris was too busy working so he rarely came home. After the divorce, Kris found that his wife always came to the café every morning for thirty minutes. She never had breakfast in this café when they were still together. She always cooked breakfast for him and for their daughter. And now seemed like she still cooked breakfast for their daughter but she never ate at home.

Kris felt so lonely. He had no one to care about him. He didn’t have someone to cook for him. No one greeted him when he came home. No one asked him to play. He regretted that he was so stubborn and selfish so he asked her to get a divorce. He missed his little family so much. He missed his wife and his daughter, but he couldn’t say nor express it. So he just ended up going to the café to see his wife secretly. And sometimes he could see his daughter too, like today. He always bought the tulip which was his wife favorite, but never gave it to her. The tulip would be ended in the trash can.

But today he could give it to her.

She looked so happy seeing the tulip in her hand. When they were still together, Kris got used to buy her many tulips.

“Why did you buy this?” she asked, she looked up and gazed at him. Kris looked away. He couldn’t make many expressions on his face, but now he felt nervous. He didn’t answer her. She smiled brightly. “Thanks anyway.”

Kris just nodded awkwardly. His heart bit faster.

“You miss our daughter, don’t you?” she asked again. She breathed in and breathed out. “Don’t you also miss me?” She said in hesitation.

Kris looked at her. She looked like waiting for his answer. She stared straight at Kris’ eyes. She looked restless, and maybe Kris looked the same. He sighed. He couldn’t hide this feeling anymore.

“I do. I do miss you.” he said seconds later. She looked surprised. She blinked many times.  Kris sighed once again. “Do you… miss me?” he found himself asking. There was a long silence between them.

“Always.” She replied a minute later. Kris blinked in surprise. He didn’t believe what he just heard. She stared at him in the eyes. “I always miss you, Kris. And I miss…our little family. You, me and our daughter.”

Kris didn’t know what to say. He saw her smiling. It’s too beautiful and it could make him smiling too. It’s like he got some energy from nowhere. He felt that his world brighter and happier. He never felt like this after he got the divorce. He didn’t want to be alone all his life. All he needed was she and their daughter. And then he would have a complete life. And then he would be the happiest guy alive.

She tiptoed and gave him a tight hug. He then put his hands around her body.Being in her embrace made him feeling warm and safe. It was always nice to have her like this. He really missed this warm feeling. He really did. Seconds later he pulled away. He saw her happy face. Her smile was so precious. He smiled a little before he cupped her face with both of his hands and kissed her on the forehead lovingly. Soon their daughter joined them. She laughed happily seeing her parents together. Kris carried her as she asked.

“Daddy come home, right?”

He glanced at his daughter, and then at her mother. His right hand intertwined with his wife’s. His wife looked like crying. They smiled to each other. He would have his complete family back.

“Yes. Daddy will come home.”

Fin

August 29^th 2012