Senja masih menyapa dengan lembut dari jendela besar di ruang tamu keluarga Datuk Seri Hakimi. Aroma harum teh Earl Grey yang mengepul di dalam cawan porselin bercorak bunga mawar menenangkan suasana. Di antara kerusi empuk dan meja kayu jati, duduklah Datin Seri Mirinda bersama suaminya, masing-masing menikmati waktu petang dengan diam yang berbicara.

Namun, langkah yang perlahan dan lesu dari arah pintu menarik perhatian mereka.

“Emir…” bisik Datin Seri, meletakkan cawan di atas piringnya. Matanya tajam, tetapi lembut, penuh naluri seorang ibu.

Anak lelaki mereka, Dr Emir, melangkah masuk dengan wajah yang keletihan, namun ada sesuatu yang lebih dari sekadar penat. Seperti beban yang berat tergantung di hujung matanya.

“Assalamualaikum, mama… papa,” ucap Emir perlahan, menunduk hormat, lalu memeluk kedua orang tuanya satu persatu.

“Waalaikumsalam, son,” jawab Datuk Seri, mengusap belakang bahu anak lelakinya. “You look exhausted, son.”

“I just need to lie down for a bit… it’s been a long flight,” jawab Emir seraya cuba beredar.

Namun suara Datin Seri menahannya, lembut tapi penuh maksud.

“Wait, Emir. At least sit down with us for a while. Tell us… where have you been all these days? You disappeared to Europe without a proper word.”

Emir mengeluh perlahan, lalu duduk semula di sisi ibunya. Matanya menghala ke karpet, lalu ke jendela. Perlahan-lahan dia bersuara.

“I just got back from the airport… and went straight to La Flora before coming home.”

Suasana sunyi seketika. Hanya detik jam di dinding menjadi latar bunyi yang menghanyutkan perasaan tiga beranak.

“La Flora…” Datin Seri mengulang, seakan mengerti.

“You went to see her?” tanyanya lembut.

Emir mengangguk perlahan.

“But she didn’t expect me. I just… needed to see her.”

“Did she welcome you?”

“She did. As always… gracious. Kind. But I know she never really missed me the way I missed her.”

Datin Seri menggenggam tangan anaknya. “Oh, Emir. I can see it in your eyes. This isn’t just about a visit. It’s about a heart that’s breaking.”

Dr Emir berpaling melihat mamanya.Entah kenapa benteng hatinya bagaikan telah runtuh, seruntuh-runtuhnya.
“Mama… I don’t know how much longer I can keep hoping. I try to move on, but I can’t. I see her in everything. I thought I could win her heart one day. But maybe… she was never meant to be mine.”

Suasana hening kembali. Datin Seri Mirinda mula menuturkan kata. Suaranya tenang.

“My son… listen to me. You’re a man with strength, with kindness, and a heart that truly loves. But love… true love, sometimes… means letting go.”

Emir memandang wajah mamanya, keliru dan sedikit tidak percaya.

“But mama… how do I let go of someone who feels like the missing part of me?”

Datin Seri mengelus lembut rambut anaknya seperti waktu dia masih kecil.

“You pray for her happiness. Even if that happiness doesn’t include you.”

Emir tunduk. Matanya mula berkaca.Seorang lelaki yang berjiwa besar kelihatan rapuh saat cintanya tidak diterima.

“She’s everything I ever wanted…”

“And if she’s truly meant for you, no distance or silence can keep her away,” sambung Datin Seri. “But if she’s not… then your heart must be brave enough to surrender. Not in weakness, but in honour. Pray for her, Emir. Don’t let your sorrow turn into bitterness.”

Datuk Seri Hakimi yang sejak tadi diam, akhirnya bersuara.

“Your mother is right. A man who loves sincerely doesn’t beg. He blesses. And then… he moves forward.”

Emir hanya mengangguk perlahan. Dadanya terasa sesak, tapi kata-kata mama dan papanya menjadi penawar yang perlahan-lahan meresap.

“Thank you, mama… papa. I’ll try.”

Datin Seri senyum, menggenggam jemarinya lebih erat.

“You’ll do more than try, Emir. You will live. And one day… perhaps, you will find a love that comes back to you without having to chase it.”

Datin Seri meletakkan cawannya ke sisi dan mendekat. Tangannya mengusap lembut bahu Emir.

“Oh, my son… sometimes, life doesn’t give us what we want. Even when we want it with all our heart.”

Emir memandang mamanya. Matanya penuh luka yang tak berdarah.

“Then what’s the point of loving, mama… if in the end, we don’t get to keep the person we love?”

Datin Seri tersenyum pahit, namun matanya tetap teduh.

“Love isn’t always about possessing. Sometimes it’s about blessing from afar. True love doesn’t cage, Emir… it frees. And sometimes, the most courageous thing you can do, is to accept that some things are not meant to be yours.”

Emir tunduk. Kata-kata itu seperti hujan kecil yang jatuh ke tanah kering dalam hatinya. Tidak deras, tetapi cukup untuk melembutkan.

“You must learn to receive life with an open heart. Not every door that is closed is a punishment. Sometimes, it’s protection. Perhaps God is saving you for something greater or saving you from something you cannot yet see.”

“But it hurts, mama,” luah Emir perlahan.

“I know, sayang. I’ve been there too. Before your papa, I loved someone who didn’t love me back. And I thought it was the end of my world. But then… Allah gave me something better. A man who chose me every day, even when I had nothing. And now, a family I cherish more than anything.”

Emir akhirnya tersenyum kecil. Senyuman yang penuh luka, tetapi mulai menerima.

“Thank you, mama. For reminding me that loss isn’t always the end.”

Datin Seri menarik Emir ke dalam pelukannya. “It’s not the end, Emir. It’s just a bend in the road. And who knows… maybe one day, when your heart is ready, love will find its way back to you. The kind that doesn’t leave.”