Chapter 13

• Wasn't their love story incredibly tragic and sad? When compared to his parents. His uncles. His siblings. It seemed there was no story sadder than his.
• Ignazio still stood there with all the sorrow he thought he could dispel but ultimately made him tear up again and cry silently. He tried to wipe away his tears roughly, although it didn't reduce the pain that stabbed his heart again and constricted his chest.
• Ignazio realized, the girl had sung a different song. The lyrics and melody of the girl's song had changed again. Ignazio didn't know why the girl was singing so loudly. As if she was mocking him.
• Did the girl know who he was? It was possible. If the girl indeed worked with her family, she must have seen his face in some photos that her parents probably displayed on the walls of their house.
• Although he had left America for five years, not much had changed about him.
• Except for his hair, which he now let grow longer than when he married Gianna. The beard and stubble he left unkempt, and he admitted his body had grown bigger—due to muscles, of course, not fat—his face would still look the same, right?
• Or was it because his skin was darker than five years ago? A shade that had formed because he chose to distance himself from civilization for the last five years. Choosing to commune with nature made him look very different?
• He wasn't disappointed with his changes. But perhaps it would surprise those who knew him.
• Ignazio chose to listen again. And answered all of Olivia's lyrics with statements that only echoed in his mind.
• Over time, I nurtured the feeling
• The pain of losing her.
• You were not a mistake
• I never regretted knowing you.
• In fact, Ignazio never regretted knowing Gretta's presence. He was happy instead. He felt like he was living a life full of joy. Until that news slowly numbed his feelings. Killing his desire to continue facing each day."
• "And then it truly took his soul away when the woman he loved was taken by the Owner.
• You and I can't be together
• Because God took you away from me so cruelly.
• Like an unmelodic song lyric
• Goodbye, memories with you
• Should he? Just forget it all?
• My smile lets you go
• 'I can't do it until now,' Ignazio murmured in his mind.
• But this was indeed what he was trying to do. Letting go of the past. He had to let go of all his memories with Syahinaz to find himself again.
• To continue his future. For the family waiting for him and loving him. To forgive himself and return to another person he knew was waiting for him. Gianna. The little child created from their love.
• Ignazio still closed his eyes. Hearing the girl's singing voice, sweet yet painfully lyrical, mocking his heart already laden with guilt.
• Boy, you're such a lost cause
• Had Ignazio truly lost his way?
• Now your name is crossed off
• Who crossed his name off? His mother? His father? Or... his daughter?
• How you gonna fix this? You can't even fix yourself.
• Ignazio wasn't sure he could fix everything, and he indeed couldn't fix himself yet.
• Baby, who you tryna run from?
• Me or all your problems?
• Ignazio didn't know who he was running from. From himself? From his problems? From his pain?
• You know you will never solve 'em
• You don't even know yourself."
• And yes, his escape had yielded nothing because his heart was still tormented. Ignazio didn't know what he truly wanted. What he really needed. From himself, from his closest ones, from nature?
• Shouldn't love you, but I couldn't help it
• I always knew that you were too damn selfish
• (Madison Beer – Selfish)
• Once again, shadows of the past emerged. This time, not about Gretta and her departure. But about his family. The people he loved, whom he left without ever caring about how they felt about him. He truly became a selfish son and father."
• Ignazio felt guilty. He felt so sinful. Once again, tears fell from Ignazio's eyes. The girl's lyrics struck Ignazio hard, making him realize how selfish he had been.
• He had been running away from his problems without considering the consequences.
• Yet, he knew, even if he stayed, there would be people who would embrace him, calm him down, accompany him when he needed it.
• They would always be there without many words, without many questions. They would always listen to his grievances without interruption.
• They... always loved him, no matter how selfish he was.
• Once again, the song ended. The girl's voice disappeared. Ignazio assumed the girl had left, but it seemed she hadn't. Because the girl returned with a vacuum cleaner in her hand. She entered the room again and resumed her work.
• Amidst the soft hum of the vacuum cleaner, Ignazio heard the girl singing again.
• Sometimes it's okay not to be okay
• We're just ordinary humans if we're not perfect.
• Ignazio smiled to himself. This time the girl's voice seemed to motivate him. And Ignazio felt as if there was a push within him.
• When you feel troubled, look into your heart and believe
• Everything complicated can be lightened with a hug.
• Yes, and Ignazio needed his family's embrace. He needed to return to his family's arms.
• We need disappointment to know happiness
• Doesn't pain make us stronger?
• Ignazio had been hurt because he lost the woman he loved. Zello had once said that it was fate from the woman he loved.
• Ignazio had been disappointed, he had been hurt, he had cried because of the pain of loss. And now, he had to create new happiness. He had to go back, even if he had to start everything from scratch.
• He wasn't alone. In this world, he wasn't alone. He had parents, his siblings, his uncles and aunts, and his cousins. And more than that, he had someone—although he felt embarrassed to admit—who undoubtedly needed him, who else if not his daughter.
• Yes. Ignazio wasn't alone. He had a family that was always there for him. Always waiting for his return.
• "W-what are you doing here?" The surprised tone of the question made Ignazio straighten up instantly. He looked at Olivia, and the girl seemed embarrassed. Her expression seemed like she had realized something. "I-I'm sorry." The girl uttered without looking at Ignazio. "I thought you were out, is my voice bothering you?" She asked with a worried expression.
• 'Bothering?' Ignazio asked in his mind. 'At first, it was annoying, but not anymore.' Of course, that answer was also only in his head.
• Ignazio shrugged nonchalantly. "No." Ignazio replied shortly. Olivia responded to Ignazio's reply with a nod.
• "I have to sweep the floor, are you okay with the vacuum cleaner?" she asked again, curious. Ignazio shook his head, allowing Olivia to enter while he returned to his desk.
• Ignazio couldn't focus on the screen in front of him. However, he didn't want to make Olivia uncomfortable by continuously watching her. There were many questions in Ignazio's mind; he wanted to ask Olivia about them, but he hesitated. He wasn't sure how much he could ask and how much the girl knew about him and his family.
• As a result, the atmosphere fell silent. Only the faint sound of the vacuum cleaner could be heard.
• "Do you practice singing?" the question came out of his mouth spontaneously. Purely because there was no other topic of conversation he could think of.
• The girl seemed to freeze for a moment. But then Ignazio saw her shake her head slightly and resume her work as if Ignazio hadn't engaged her in conversation.
• "If someone offered you a chance to be a singer, would you take it?" Ignazio asked again. It seemed like his producer soul had returned, and he felt like he had found a lost pearl now in front of him, ready to be polished into a precious form.
• Olivia straightened her back and shook her head again. "I sing because I love it," she replied briefly, still engrossed in cleaning the floor.
• "Becoming an artist has its advantages."
• "How long will you stay?"
• The questions were asked simultaneously.
• Olivia fell silent, and Ignazio was taken aback. They stared at each other for a moment and then simultaneously averted their gaze.
• "Sorry, I don't have the right to ask," Olivia replied softly.
• "Do you know who I am?" Ignazio asked, curious. Olivia nodded her head in acknowledgment. "I don't know how long I'll stay. But one thing's for sure, I'll be here for quite a while," he said, his statement only met with a nod from Olivia.