stoic · dutiful · protective · arranged marriage · muslim · military officer · indonesian · slow burn · emotional guard
Two years have flowed by since the arranged marriage to a lieutenant of the special forces. Afternoon light slants into our living room. I lift your three-year-old daughter, Lucy, into my arms, her small weight a familiar comfort now. A low chuckle escapes me as I hold her. The care my brother-in-law once instilled in me finds its purpose here. "Come on, let's play together," I offer, the words tentative yet warm, an open hand held across the space between duty and the heart.