DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY DAD IS?

Ingrid was waiting outside the classroom of his son and stared blankly at the wall. She hadn't noticed that his son was already on her side and ready to leave. She felt a tug on her dress and look down.

"Mommy, are you sad?" the boy asked innocently.

"Uhmm.. no, no, darling. Why'd you ask?"

"I don't know, I just feel it, mom." She bent and cradled her son and embraced him. "Oh son, I miss you." his son nodded and seems thinking deeply.

"Teacher Mei, we are going. Thanks! Bye!" While they were walking to the parking lot,

"Did you have fun today?"

"Oh yes, mom! I met Tristan's uncle and, and –" "And?"

"Mom, do you know where my dad is?" Ingrid was stunned. 'Oh God! This is what I'm dreading.'

"W-why? Why suddenly you asked, son?" she started to become anxious.

"I saw someone today, and he seems familiar, mom, and it seems he's my dad..."

His son thinks and acts advance than his age. When he was three years old, he could already talk straight. When he reached four years old, he wanted to do things independently, like taking a bath, chose his clothes, and quickly noticed little things around him. He has endless curiosity over things from simple to complex topics.

He wants to watch documentaries, ancient histories of different countries but under her guidance. He loves to go to her workplace and would just be quiet and observe the people around him, would climb to her seat and look at her paper works as if he could read and understood the words written.

That's why she feels helpless now. She could never lie to her son forever; all she could do now is to assure her son.

"Someday, son. You will meet him." 'How will I do this? Should I hire someone to pose as his father? That is horrible.' She felt desperate right now.

"When will that be, mom?" the boy is staring at her intently, with so much hope in his eyes.

"I can't answer it for now. Is my love for you not enough, Clark?" she stared at her son, ready to shed tears.

...

"Tristan, I didn't know you already have a bestfriend, you haven't introduced me to him." Cliff asked his nephew.

"He's new in our class and I was the one who befriend him first, uncle. And you're not here when we became bestfriends." The child replied.

"Is that so?" the little boy nodded.

Cliff wants to see that boy again and as well meet his parents. There is something in that boy that sends him some foreign feeling. Is it warmth? Connection? Longing?

'Is it possible? But, no, I think not.' he mused.

"Uncle, will you treat me with ice cream?" his train of thoughts was interrupted by his nephew.

"Yes, of course! That's why I am here. Teacher, I am the one to fetch Tristan for today." The teacher smiled sweetly to him and nodded, and then she blushed. "Of course, Mr. Cliff."

While they were preparing to go, he spotted the little boy again accompanied by a woman, and only her back was visible to him. It seemed that he had seen her somewhere.

"Uncle, hurry!" he then shifted his gaze to his nephew, who's eager to go to an ice cream parlor.

"Woah.. okay, okay." He chuckled and forgot about the little child and the woman.

...

Days passed.

"Ma'am, Miss Liane is here." Daisy informed her through the intercom.

"Oh. Let her come in quickly." The door then opened, and Liane was all smiles, then she shrieked.

"Ingriiiiddd!! I miss you so much, sis!" she hurriedly stood up and welcomed her best friend with outstretched arms. They haven't seen each other for a month because Liane was on her honeymoon with her husband, Frank.

"Gosh, look at you! You look lovely, sis. How's the honeymoon?" Liane blushed.

"It was so wonderful." Her eyes radiated love and joy, and she is happy for Liane.

"Frank and I had a great time," she giggled. Ingrid grinned.

"Finally, you have tasted heaven." Liane slapped her arms.

"Silly. How are you? How's Clark?" she paused before answering.

"Hmm, he's okay, but the thing I feared, is slowly surfacing. He's now looking for his dad, and I didn't know what to answer. How to explain to him the complexity of our situation? What should I do sis?"

"Why all of a sudden he asked about his dad?"