After 6 years…“Understood?” I ask.“Yes, Ma’am.” I smiled when all of them answered me.“You may now dismissed,” I announced as I saw that it’s exact 4pm already.Everyone left the room except the seven students who are in charge to clean the room for the whole week.I’ve been teaching officially in this school for two years. After I got my licensure as a LPT, I applied immediately to provide our basic needs.After they cleaned, they said their goodbye to me. I’m teaching secondary education, third year to be exact, and I’m an english major.A lot of things changed in my life after six years which is I took it as an advantage for me to focus on my goals especially now that I’m not providing my only needs only.“Mommy!” I looked at the door when I heard a cute voice from outside.A smile plastered on my face when I saw Pauline, my daughter.“Hi, baby, how’s school?” I ask as I kneel down to give her a hug.“Look, Mommy, I got 10 stars earlier,” she says before she raised her two arms

After that day, I almost don’t want to be in public with Pauline as I’m scared that we might see him again.I saw Shia talking to Pauline while Pauline is looking at Shia’s phone screen. Tomorrow is Pauline’s contest already, so Shia is teaching her. I’m glad that Pauline is fast-learner, so it’s not hard to teach her.I took a peek of the screen, I grabbed it when I saw the picture that made both of them look at me. I gave Shia a look to tell her that we should talk.“Pauline, solve this problem, I’m going to check it later. I’m just going to talk to Mommy,” Shia says to Pauline before she stand up.I followed her, “What do you think are you doing?” I ask as I close the door of our room.“I’m doing what is right?” she says with her unsure voice, “Pauline is growing up already, Bavina. You can’t keep that in her whole life. She asked why does she have to put Ethan’s name and picture on the family tree when Ethan is not her Father. Do you think my conscience is not killing me for lying

“Please, Bavina… Don’t do this. I-I’m sorry, please give me an---”I cut his line by slapping his face.“Do you think everything can be fixed by just saying ‘sorry’? This is bullsh*t! Paul, where were you when I was still pregnant? Your reaction that day was still vivid to me! I still remember how you denied her in front of me! Why are you doing this now that I don’t need you?!” I yelled.I can’t understand my feelings right now. I’m happy that he’s here again and want to compensate with my daughter but everytime I remember how he left me, I still feel scared for my daughter.He didn’t do his responsibilities as a Father when I was still pregnant, what if he won’t do his responsibilites as well now that my child is slowly growing up?I’m scared of the possibilities.I gasped when he suddenly knelt down and held my hand while his tears are dropping endlessly.“Please, Bina… I love you, I still love you. I want to c-compensate with the both o-of you. I know I-I was an a-asshole for maki

We’re watching Pauline playing with other kids here in the park. They are running while they are playing, I can hear her laughs and giggles from here.“She looks happy,” Paul says.“Yeah, she is,” I answer without looking at him. We’re sitting on a blanket that he brought while we’re on the grass.Yeah, Shia tricked me. She pranked me, only to see my daughter holding Paul’s hand. I don’t know when they started talking and they agreed to do this st*pid thing!I’m a bit guilty about what happened from the past knowing that I know his side now, but I don’t know how to start.“I should bring her more often here, then.” I look at him while he’s looking at Pauline. He turned his head to see me, he smiled at me.”I don’t care if you don’t want to see me, but I want to do everything to make my daughter happy. And I know that this can make you happy too,” he says, I look away.I hugged myself when the wind hugged me, the sky is getting dark, so the others are fixing their things to go home.“

I opened the door when I heard the doorbell. It seems like Paul is here already since he texted me earlier that he’s going to visit Pauline.I saw his wide smile while he’s holding a cake and gift on his hands, he’s holding a flower as well. I opened the door widely to make him go inside but he handed me the flowers without stepping his feet to go inside.I looked at him, he gave me a this-flower-is-for-you look.“This flower is for my thank you for letting me meet my daughter,” he says, I force myself to smile before I get the flower.He went inside and greeted Pauline. Pauline became loud and jolly when she saw Paul. I watched them talking while Paul is giving his gift to Pauline.They are really alike, Pauline got her cheeks on me but it’s obvious that most of the parts of her face are from Paul.“Mommy, look! He gave me a gift!” Pauline said lively before she raised the gift, I smile and nod my head.I look at the red roses he gave me, I sniffed it to smell the flower which made m