Diary of Fragile Heart (Spin of Loving You Too Long)

They had just finished their routine event at the orphanage, and Eijaz was driving while Flavia sat casually beside the steering wheel. Eijaz intended to invite her to dinner, and Flavia agreed.

Flavia looked at the man beside her, Eijaz Dominic, also known as Dr. Eijaz. A tall man with tan skin and thick, shiny black hair, he had a handsome face. His smile was always warm, and his voice was calming. His demeanor was nurturing, and his attention?

Flavia had known him for five years. Let’s skip the details of their first meeting. The next day, she was reintroduced to him, revealing that he was the son of her father’s acquaintance, a businessman who chose to become a doctor instead of continuing the family business.

Eijaz was extremely, even excessively, polite. He always spoke politely but didn’t hesitate to be sharp if Flavia made a mistake. Everyone assumed they were a couple, but in reality, only Flavia and Eijaz knew the truth.

Eijaz had expressed his feelings to Flavia about his liking and love for her. Flavia tried to open her heart to him. However, until now, all she had for him was respect, awe, and affection for a brother Flavia never had.

Flashback

Dinner was enjoyable until Flavia felt an unusual atmosphere afterward. Eijaz’s gaze towards her seemed so intense. He looked at her with a hesitant but trusting look.

“Via,” he uttered softly. Flavia still looked at him flatly. Not that she couldn’t guess what he was going to say, but she didn’t want to feel conceited, so she chose to listen.

“Hmm?”

“Once again, I want you to know. I like you. Are you really not willing to give me a chance?” Eijaz asked with a hopeful expression.

Flavia looked at the man in front of her with a confident gaze. “You’re the one who knows my situation best. Are you sure you still want to accept me?” She asked in return. She saw the man nodding. “What about your family? What about your parents? I don’t want to hurt them.”

“Via, I accept you as you are. I love you no matter what your condition is. I know, the only reason you reject me is because of him. Right?” He asked with a disappointed expression.

“You know that, and I don’t want that to hurt you.” Flavia always gave the same reason. Because, in fact, that was the only reason she had for rejecting Eijaz.

“I won’t be hurt. But I still hope you’re willing to give me a chance. Or even, I will give you a chance to fight for your feelings with him.”

“I can’t fight for him. That’s because I know we can’t be together. So, I don’t have any expectations for him. But you? You still have a story you can pursue. I don’t want someday, after we’re together, you feel regret and end up hurting my feelings because of my condition.”

The man reached for both of her hands and held them tightly. “I can’t promise what the future will be like. Even I’m not sure how long God will give us in this world. But one thing I can promise you. My feelings for you are genuine. At least, consider that.” Flavia looked at him teary-eyed.

“Give me a chance, Via. I will help you open your heart to accept me. Or at least, try to suggest to your mind that there is love for me in your heart. Respond to my statements every time I say I Love You. Even though I know it’s just a word. But who knows, someday it will become real.” He pleaded again.

Flavia had no more reasons. In the end, she could only nod. And from that day on, Eijaz vowed that they would embrace this arranged marriage.

Flashback Off

And now six months have passed. Although they never exchanged rings, both families already considered them officially engaged.

“Are you unsure, Via?” the man asked. His gaze wasn’t accusatory, nor did it carry anger. However, Flavia knew there was a hint of sadness in his face.

“Don’t ask that, Dominic,” she pleaded softly.

“I know. I’m sorry,” he said again. “I just feel…” The man trailed off. “Forget it. Forgive me. How’s the cafe?” Eijaz redirected the conversation.

“Everything’s good. It’ll be ready to reopen next week. I’ll let you know the exact date. I hope you can come for a visit.”

“Of course, I’ll be there. I don’t want to miss your historic day,” he said, affectionately patting Flavia’s head. “How are you feeling? Still dizzy?”

“For the past few days, no more,” she honestly replied. Despite having a rough patch, her condition had improved lately.

“Don’t ignore it if you feel anything, okay?” he gently requested. Flavia nodded. The man gave her a warm kiss on the top of her head just before the traffic light turned green.

‘Oh God, why don’t You open my heart to a man as good as him? Because truly, this feeling is comfortable when I’m with him. But I myself don’t know if this comfort is a form of love,’ Flavia whispered in her heart. She looked at the man beside her, still focused on driving, occasionally holding her hand.

A week has passed.

Today, Flavia was cleaning up with Abigail, preparing to open their cafe. The seven employees were ready with their respective tasks. “Finally, may it start from the opening event until forever, without any significant problems in our business,” Abigail said when they felt satisfied with their work.

They were now standing together with the seven employees in the area between the kitchen and the cashier, which were positioned side by side. Unlike on TV, where there’s a ribbon-cutting ceremony and other events during a store opening, they simply stood together in a circle, praying with loud words from each person and affirmed by the others.

“May our cafe be a hit.”

“May there be no more issues with our cafe.”

“May Ms. Via and Ms. Abigail raise our salaries.”

“May I find a rich customer soulmate like in romantic movies.”

And other prayers that they affirmed to each other, interspersed with a few smiles and laughter. Then, they joined their hands, cheered, and clapped afterward.

“Get ready, our time is only five minutes away from opening,” Abigail clapped her hands, and the employees returned to their respective positions.

Two chefs entered the kitchen area, one cashier walked behind the counter with a set of computers and invoice machines. The remaining four stood ready in the front of the store.

They were the seven employees who had worked together in the previous cafe that caught fire. Employees who had become like family to Abigail and Flavia. Polite and respectful, yet familiar at the same time.

After that, Abigail and Flavia went up to the third floor of the shop. This floor had been designed as an office, storage room, and two three-by-three-meter rooms for employees, along with a three-by-four-meter room for either Abigail or Flavia’s special room. All these spaces were separated by partitions with wallpaper-covered walls, making them look comfortable.

At least Abigail and Flavia made it comfortable, so they, along with their employees, could feel at home there. Sometimes, Flavia herself liked staying in the shop if she felt too lazy to go home.

Flavia’s own workspace was mostly made of dark glass with a balcony facing the front area of the shop, allowing her to see the shop’s parking area through specially made iron trellises by the shop owner.

Flavia sat behind her desk, turning on the square screen showing the entire cafe area. They had installed CCTV in all areas of the shop, not because they didn’t trust their employees, but more as a precaution in case a customer caused trouble, or if there were losses, CCTV could serve as evidence.

The entire area, from the first to the third floor, each had four CCTV cameras, not including the ones in the kitchen and storage areas. Meanwhile, two CCTV cameras were installed in the parking area, and two more were placed by the back door leading to the goods receiving area. So, in total, there were 19 CCTV cameras in their cafe.

Expensive? Definitely. Just purchasing one camera required a considerable amount, multiplied by nineteen, it was indeed a substantial investment. However, for the sake of security and mutual comfort, Flavia and Abigail didn’t mind.

After all, all the expenses were calculated. They only hoped that their cafe would run successfully as they envisioned.

“How’s your college going? Easy?” Abigail asked.

“So far, so good. How about your job? Any fantastic photo shoots?” Flavia looked at her friend, and suddenly her friend’s face turned red. “Why? Is there something?” Flavia asked suspiciously.

“Um… well…” Abigail hesitated.

“What is it, Abby, just speak.”

“I’m sorry, Via.”

Flavia frowned in confusion. “Sorry for what? Did you do something wrong to me?”