"When can I sign the contract?" Elisabeth asked quietly.
Darren closed the medical file on his desk.
"If you don't mind, you can sign it tonight," he said calmly.
"You could also move into my house tonight."
Elisabeth looked surprised.
"Tonight? You mean… we would live together already?"
Darren nodded.
"Yes. My house is prepared. There's also a professional nanny who takes care of the baby," he explained.
"So you won't have to handle everything alone."
Elisabeth stayed silent for a moment before speaking again.
"And my divorce?"
"My lawyer will start handling it tomorrow," Darren replied.
"After your iddah period is over, we can proceed with the marriage registration at the religious office."
Elisabeth nodded slowly.
"Alright."
A moment later she pressed her arm lightly against her chest.
"My breast milk is leaking again," she said softly.
"It keeps soaking my clothes. Is that dangerous?"
Darren shook his head gently.
"No, that's a normal physiological response after childbirth," he explained in a professional tone.
"Your prolactin levels are still high, so the milk glands are actively producing milk."
He looked at her more carefully.
"As long as there's no fever, severe pain, redness, or swelling in the breast, it usually isn't dangerous."
Elisabeth nodded.
"I just feel a lot of pressure and fullness."
"That's called breast engorgement," Darren said.
"It happens when milk accumulates in the breast tissue."
"So what should I do right now?" Elisabeth asked.
"You can express a small amount of milk to relieve the pressure," Darren explained.
"But don't empty the breast completely, because that will stimulate more production."
He paused before adding,
"Actually, since my baby needs breast milk, you can breastfeed her directly once we arrive at my house. That will naturally relieve the pressure."
Darren stood up and took his coat.
"My shift here is already finished," he said.
He looked at Elisabeth.
"If you're ready, we can go to my house now."
"I already have a taxi waiting downstairs," Elisabeth said hesitantly.
"That's not a problem," Darren replied calmly. "I'll pay the driver. Come on."
He walked out of the consultation room and spoke to the nurse at the desk.
"Nurse, my clinic hours are finished for today. I'm heading home."
"Of course, Doctor. Have a good evening," the nurse replied politely.
Darren and Elisabeth walked toward the elevator and stepped inside.
Elisabeth lowered her gaze slightly.
His perfume still smells the same as it did years ago… she thought.
Why is my heart beating so fast just walking beside him?
The elevator doors opened at the lobby.
They walked outside toward the parking area where the taxi was waiting.
Darren approached the driver.
"Excuse me, sir. Ms. Elisabeth will be leaving with me instead," he said politely.
"Could you please move her luggage to my car? Here is your fare."
The driver nodded gratefully.
"Alright, Doctor. Thank you."
He took Elisabeth's suitcase from the taxi and placed it in Darren's car trunk.
Darren then opened the passenger door.
"Please, get in."
"Thank you," Elisabeth said softly as she sat inside the car.
After the luggage was secured, Darren got into the driver's seat and started the engine.
For a moment, silence filled the car as they drove away from the hospital.
Then Darren spoke.
"Why didn't you wait for me to come back to Indonesia?" he asked quietly.
Elisabeth turned her head.
"What?"
"You were daydreaming," Darren said with a faint smile.
"Oh… sorry. What did you ask?"
Darren glanced at her briefly before looking back at the road.
"Why did you marry William?" he asked.
"Didn't you promise you would wait for me to return from London?"
Elisabeth crossed her arms lightly.
"You're asking me that?" she replied.
"You were the one who got married first. You already have a child."
Darren tightened his grip slightly on the steering wheel.
"That's because—"
He stopped himself.
Elisabeth interrupted him gently.
"Forget it," she said quietly. "Everything is in the past."
She looked out the window.
"My marriage with William was arranged by our families."
Then she turned back to Darren.
"But wait… how did you know I married William?"
Darren let out a small chuckle.
"Who doesn't know William Marcelino?" he said.
"He's a member of the parliament. His wedding was all over the news."
"Oh…" Elisabeth murmured.
Silence filled the car again.
Darren glanced at her briefly.
If only you knew, Elsa… he thought to himself.
Aurora isn't even my biological daughter…
The car continued moving through the evening traffic. Streetlights began to glow along the road.
Inside the car, the silence felt heavy.
Elisabeth pressed her arm lightly against her chest again. Her blouse had started to dampen.
Darren noticed from the corner of his eye.
"Is the pressure in your breast getting worse?"
he asked in a calm medical tone.
Elisabeth looked embarrassed but nodded.
"Yes… it feels very full again."
"That's normal," Darren explained while keeping his eyes on the road.
"Your body is still producing milk because the hormone prolactin remains high after childbirth."
Elisabeth sighed softly.
"I already pumped so much milk earlier today," she said.
"I even donated several bottles to the maternity ward… but it still keeps coming."
"That can happen," Darren replied.
"Milk production works through a supply-and-demand mechanism. The more milk that is expressed, the more your body may produce."
"So what should I do?" Elisabeth asked quietly.
"For now, try not to let the breast become too engorged," Darren explained.
"If the pressure becomes painful, you can express a small amount to relieve it."
He paused before adding,
"But once we arrive home, Aurora can breastfeed directly. That will naturally relieve the pressure."
Elisabeth looked down at her hands.
"I hope I can help her," she murmured.
Darren's voice softened slightly.
"You will."
After a few minutes, the car turned into a quiet residential area.
Large houses stood behind tall gates and trees.
Finally, Darren slowed the car in front of a modern two-story house.
"We're here," he said.
The gate opened automatically.
Elisabeth looked around nervously as the car entered the driveway.
"This is your house?" she asked.
Darren nodded.
"Yes."
He parked the car and stepped out first, then walked around to open Elisabeth's door.
"Careful," he said gently.
Elisabeth stepped out and looked at the house again.
"It's… big."
Darren gave a small smile.
"My parents bought it years ago."
At that moment, the front door opened.
A middle-aged woman wearing a nanny uniform came out while carrying a small baby wrapped in a blanket.
"Doctor, you're home," she said.
Darren immediately walked closer.
"How is she?"
"She cried earlier, Doctor," the nanny said softly.
"I think she's hungry."
Darren turned toward Elisabeth.
"This is the nanny, Mrs. Lina," he introduced.
Then he looked at the baby in her arms.
"And this… is Aurora."
Mrs. Lina carefully handed the baby to Darren.
Aurora made a small crying sound.
Darren gently rocked her in his arms before turning to Elisabeth.
"She hasn't had breast milk for several hours," he said quietly.
Elisabeth looked at the tiny baby.
Her heart tightened.
The baby's small face… the tiny fingers…
For a moment, she imagined her own child.
Tears welled in her eyes again.
"She's so small…" Elisabeth whispered.
Aurora cried softly again.
Darren looked at Elisabeth.
"Would you like to hold her?" he asked gently.
Elisabeth hesitated… then slowly nodded.
"Yes."
Darren carefully placed Aurora in Elisabeth's arms.
The moment the baby rested against her chest, Aurora suddenly calmed down.
Elisabeth froze.
The baby instinctively moved her head slightly… searching.
Darren noticed immediately.
"That's a natural rooting reflex," he explained softly.
Elisabeth looked nervous.
"She… she's looking for milk."
Darren nodded.
"Yes."
He spoke gently.
"If you're comfortable… you can feed her now."
Elisabeth swallowed.
Her chest felt tight again… and warm milk was already beginning to leak.
Slowly, she nodded.
"Alright…"
And without realizing it, the first moment of their strange new life together had already begun.
Darren stood a few steps away from Elisabeth, who was holding Aurora in her arms. His gaze was soft, but his thoughts drifted far into the past.
Slowly, a sense of regret began to rise in his heart.
If only time could turn back…
If only I had returned from London sooner, he thought silently.
He watched Elisabeth as she tried to soothe Aurora in her arms.
Maybe by now Elisabeth and I would already be married, he continued in his mind.
We might be living a happy life… with a warm home and children running around in the yard.
The image felt so real in his head.
Elisabeth smiled gently at the baby in her arms, unaware of Darren's gaze.
Aurora might not be the only child in this house, Darren thought bitterly.
Maybe there would be two… or even three little kids calling us Mom and Dad.
He lowered his head for a moment.
But none of that ever happened.
Darren let out a quiet breath.
Now all that remains is regret… and a second chance that comes in such a strange way.
He lifted his eyes and looked at Elisabeth again.
Two years living under the same roof with the woman I once loved…
Will this truly remain just a contract marriage…
Or will it slowly turn into a real one?
The question echoed quietly in his heart.