Mommy for Billionaire's Baby
Chapter 37 b

Tasya had some hesitation in every step she took towards the hospital. Regardless, Tasya couldn't bear the thought of her mother having to receive treatment in the building right in front of her. She'd been eyeing this three-story, gloomy- looking building for the past five minutes. Her feet were reluctant to move closer, but her heart insisted that she had to go in and make sure her mother was okay.

Ronan had said that her mother was calmer now. She could be communicated with effectively, even though she would sometimes have moments of hysteria. Maybe she felt forced to be in such an unfamiliar environment. But from what Hari had told her, her mother had shown some significant improvement.

"You can do this, Tasya," she muttered to herself softly. Holding onto her peach-colored bag, she continued to walk. She had come this far, with the intention of visiting and checking on her mother's condition, so why was she hesitating? There weren't many people around as she made her way to the reception area. Aside from handling the administrative matters, she also needed to meet the doctor who was treating her mother.

"Can I help you, Miss Tasya?" greeted the receptionist warmly.

Tasya furrowed her brow. "Nurse... Do you know me?"

"Mrs. Abigail often mentioned the names Tasya or Rosmerry. You're Miss Tasya, right?"

A faint smile appeared on Tasya's face.

"Here, almost all the nurses know the patients' conditions, Miss." Her name was Dina, as indicated by the nametag on her bright blue uniform shirt. "Please have a seat, Miss Tasya. I'll check the doctor's schedule for you."

"Thank you," Tasya said with a bit of relief. At least the reception here was friendly and didn't give her any strange thoughts. Perhaps, facing patients who were overwhelmed might make them impatient. They might speak loudly and rudely, showing no empathy for the patients. Maybe they didn't want to listen to complaints or considered everyone in the hospital as truly mentally disturbed.

Tasya's eyes wandered as she observed her surroundings. The place was filled with a clean white ambiance complemented by green decorations in the corner, which gave a refreshing feeling. One thing that caught Tasya's attention was the row of long chairs behind her, like waiting room chairs. Some patients were busy with papers, while others were focused on their fingers. And what made Tasya smile was that one of them was sitting back, completely relaxed, with knitting tools. However, that wasn't the only thing that caught Tasya's attention. A large glass door revealed a vast and well-maintained garden. It felt cool and lush even though Tasya hadn't moved anywhere yet. The gloomy and somber feeling she had earlier slowly disappeared, replaced by a sense of calm and comfort, even though she occasionally heard shouts and laughter that were quite loud.

She started to wonder if all the patients who came here had acute mental disorders. Or was it just trauma? Or did they need more extensive treatment, to the point of being separated from their families?

"Well, that's what they do when they're not having tantrums, Miss."

Tasya immediately paid attention to that statement. "Tantrums?"

"Or, let's say, they're not feeling calm." Dina smiled broadly. "All they need is more attention and appropriate care. I'm sure they can go back to the people waiting for them at home."

"Is that so?"

Without hesitation, Dina nodded. "Do you want to meet with the doctor first or see Mrs. Abigail?"

"Uh... Mrs. Abigail first?"

"Sure." Promptly, Dina approached Tasya. "Come on, follow me. I'll show you her room."

Tasya simply followed her. She traversed the corridor opposite the reception desk. Still dominated by white, most of these spaces seemed to be for hospital administration. At least this hospital wasn't as scary as what Tasya had imagined. "Now, here's her room." Dina stopped right in front of a faded green door. In front of it hung a sign with the engraved name Dr. Respati Dwiangga, sp. KJ. Dina knocked on the door twice until the voice inside responded.

"Good afternoon, Doc," Dina greeted warmly, with Tasya still trailing behind. "There's a visit from the patient's family."

That's when Tasya felt the world closing in on her.

***

"I don't like broccoli," Naina pouted. Her face scrunched up in disapproval as she pushed her plate away. "Just give me fried chicken."

"You can't choose your food, Naina." Tasya understood Naina's behavior this afternoon. The child was tired but hungry at the same time. Unfortunately, Tasya had served a dish that she didn't like. If Tasya hadn't been insistent on teaching Naina to eat vegetables from now on, it would already be too late, and the child's metabolism would likely be disrupted.

Although Tasya had tried hard to persuade her many times, it sometimes worked but often failed because Naina was a stubborn child.

"I'm hungry, Tasya." Naina didn't want to eat a dish like this. She imagined cap cay as a collection of meatballs, sausages, combined with white cabbage that she could quickly get rid of. Not like what was in front of her now, where the smell of broccoli and green beans was very pronounced.

"Just eat a little, okay?"

"I don't want to." Naina chose to rest her head on the dining table. Sulking.

"One bite of broccoli with rice, equivalent to one homework question, Naina. How about that?"

Naina thought quickly, Tasya's offer was tempting, but... "Make it two."

"Two bites for one question?"

"No!" Naina pouted even more. "One bite for two questions."

"Oh... the other way around, huh?" Tasya laughed. She took Naina's plate and reduced the portion of vegetables she had placed earlier. "Alright. One bite, two questions. But Naina has to listen to me when I explain, okay? Don't just listen, but understand."

Naina began to smile. "Okay."

"Is this enough?" Tasya handed the plate of food back to the girl who was now looking at her with a happy expression.

"Enough."

"Alright then, eat up. I already had my meal."

"The same one with the guy in the living room, right?" Naina smirked cynically. "Who is he, anyway?"

"He's, my friend." Tasya sat down next to Naina. "Come on, eat first. We'll talk later."

"Do you want to keep him company?"

"No." Tasya chuckled. She gently stroked Naina's hair, which was tied up high. "I'll keep you company while you eat. No need to bother with Mr. Res. He's not important." "Daddy will come here later, right?"

"Yes."

"I want to tell Daddy that there are cheeky guys hitting on you, Tasya."

"Hey!"

In between bites, Naina had no intention of stopping talking. She ignored Tasya's warnings, especially the one about not making too much noise while eating. Naina casually talked about many things, from her school activities to questions about why Tasya wasn't working today. However, most of her questions revolved around the person sitting in Tasya's living room.

Because of those questions, Tasya couldn't help but occasionally glance at what the man was doing there. He was still busy with his work on the laptop.

The figure reminded Tasya of her high school days when she was still carefree. She was picked up and dropped off by a driver. She had fun with friends and school activities. She didn't have to think about anything other than what she wanted. That included getting to know Respati, her former boyfriend when she wore the gray and white uniform.

Nothing was more enjoyable than spending time with someone you liked, right? Respati wasn't bothered either. He often accompanied Tasya, whether it was for studying or simply having a meal at a place she liked. Although it was only that, in Tasya's heart, Respati's name held a special place. Unfortunately... betrayal came.

Precisely at the moment when her family went bankrupt.

"You're not joking, right, Tasya?" Respati asked with a wounded look.

Respati felt like nothing had happened to their relationship. He wasn't doing anything strange, and Tasya, as a young girl, wasn't behaving oddly either. It was just like any other high school romance. They didn't want to cross any boundaries. They kept it simple. Their relationship was mostly filled with sweet conversations about school and friends around them. Plans for college and the future were sometimes mixed with discussions about places they could visit together on weekends.

"No, Res." Tasya lowered her head. Her eyes were already moist, and if she blinked, the held-back tears would surely fall. No, Tasya had to stay strong. She couldn't let Respati know about her problems. "That's all I wanted to say. I'm sorry, Res." She got up and half-ran away from Respati, taking the last lunchbox she could bring. Tasya must have missed her busy moments in the kitchen, making fried rice for Respati. She also missed their conversations about the soccer club Respati was passionate about.

Her mind was in turmoil because of her father's situation. As the eldest child, she somehow felt a unique responsibility when her family was not doing well. She couldn't let anyone else know what was happening. She would bear it herself. She didn't care if Respati was dating someone else. She wouldn't be hurt. Let alone heartbroken. Those were the consequences she had to face. That's what she thought.

She was sure her feelings for Respati were only temporary.

Unfortunately, their reunion seemed to demand that Tasya provide a definite answer. Because Respati wouldn't stop asking, "Why did you break up with me like that, Tasya?"

"That's in the past, right?" Tasya chose to hand over her mother's medical records. "Could you please explain my mother's condition, Doctor?"

In the name of professionalism, Respati agreed. However, he calculated many possibilities, including his impulsive plan. Regardless of whether the girl would get angry, annoyed, or kick him out later. At least, Tasya needed him.

As a result, he sat in Tasya's living room. A house whose address he hadn't forgotten. Unfortunately, he didn't have the courage to ask what had happened back then. His heartache was too great because Tasya had broken up with him so abruptly. But after learning the general outline of what had happened, Respati began to wonder if their past breakup was related to all of this.

Tasya resigned herself to the fact that she couldn't chase Respati away, who was secretly tailing her all the way to the gate. Her attempt to have a delayed conversation was interrupted by the presence of a girl who stared at her cynically. The girl walked arrogantly with cold and unfriendly eyes, clinging to Tasya as if they were very close.

"Who's that girl? Why does she always mention Daddy? Is Tasya married? Does she have a child?" Respati wondered silently. He didn't realize that Tasya was approaching him with a tray of drinks and some snacks.

"Sorry, just got your drink. I was cooking," Tasya explained.

"Thanks, Tasya." Respati smiled broadly.

"So... what's your business that you've been following me?"