My Ex Next Door

She had seen how her teachers shouted to their students and how they always bring their work to their houses and work overnight, and yet the salary was not high.

Novie finished her high school at the age of sixteen, then she took a four-year course for education, after getting her licensed her mother urged her to proceed and take a major but her mind was too focused with her ex-boyfriend who was a psychiatrist.

After being in a relationship with him for four years, she saw his weird attitude, his obsession with her and that freaks her out, but he was her first love so she decided to study and be a psychologist.

After studying for a half year, she realized how expensive it was, her salary as a part-time nursery teacher could not pay her tuition and she doesn't want to ask money to her boyfriend since they had some issue, and even her parents refused to help her.

With no help from anyone, she went to the city and find a job that can help her pay the tuition, and after some months of living and looking for a job, her cousin Anders offered her to work as a babysitter to his boss.

Remembering the reason why she left, Novie's face crinkled. Since she met Ken, her mind acted crazy, she could not think straight, and all she has in her mind was Ken.

She sighed and stood up after seeing her father's car stops in front of their small gate.

"Papa," she said faintly and walked towards them.

A fifty-five-year-old Angelo McSalter stared at her, dumbstruck, wondering if he was dreaming. He fell silent, lost for words.

Novie noticed that he just came back from work since he still has his uniform though she wonders where is her mother.

Her father pulled her body to hug and she could feel by his embraced how much he misses her, a warm hand touches her heart, she encircled her hands around his waist and hug him back.

"Papa, I am sorry for leaving" she spoke in an apologetic tone, the man didn't respond, instead he pushed her body away in a slow way and stared at her eyes.

"Your brother is in trouble" she could hear the concern in his voice, she nodded as understanding because she knows it already.

The man creased his brows and carried her luggage back in the house.

"You know?" he asked, confused.

Novie bites her lips, "Hm… well, I heard from Anders" but she's lying, Anders doesn't know about her brother's situation at all.

As she entered the living room, everything was the same. Their two-storey house with 3 bedrooms, it was a simple house but anyone could guess that it's old.

Novie and her brother's graduation pictures were hanging on the wall, the white wall that turned to crème, she's guessing that her mother has decided to not paint the house again.

The leather couch in the living room had some scratches caused by their previous cat, their television and the flower vases around remained. She felt her heart lifting, finally, she's home, a place where she can be true to herself, a place that was so familiar in her heart. She runs her eyes around the house, checking if something has been changed but no, everything was the same as she left.

Her father stood and went to the kitchen, she watches him as he walks out, and Novie could see that he's still the father she remembered. She sighed and followed him to the kitchen,

"What happened? I heard from Anders that you took a job as a babysitter" her father asked and handed her the tea.

Novie uses the teaspoon to dissolves the sugar in the tea, then she removed the tea bag and throws it in the garbage.

"Yes, but looking after the triplets is kind of exhausting but my boss and everyone was nice" she sat back and drink the tea slowly.

Angelo sat opposite her with a serious face.

"Have you met anyone?" hearing those words, Novie almost choke by the tea, she gulped and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Papa, no. I was busy working" she lowered her eyes, guilty for lying.

(yeah.. duh! Busy flirting with the baby's uncle) a sarcastic voice yelled in her mind. She shook her head and concentrate on her father.

"Where's mama?" she asked and looked around, her father buried his face to his hand and sighed.

"She probably at her friend's house, you know her, she loves gossip" and for the first time, her father smile.

Novie laughed as she tried to picture her mother with her friends sitting in the park or in the house, gossiping about the neighbours.

"Mama hasn't changed at all," she said in between her laugh. The surrounding atmosphere was too awkward but Novie was trying her best to ease it.

"Why didn't you call?" he asked, Novie stared at him, her eyes wanted to cry but she tried to fight it, if she cries, her father will only ask and right now, she wants no one to know what she'd done.

"Well, I thought you and mama are still angry," it was the truth since she left her province, she didn't call or message them because they were against about her leaving the Island, somehow her parents don't want her to know the cruelty of the city.

"At first yes, you quit your job and left, even Malvin came here to ask about you. I didn't know that you two had broken up" he held her hands and gripped it slowly, concern was all over his face.

Novie gave him a faint smile, "A lot of things had happened between me and Malvin, there are things he wants but I can't give him" she sighed and blinked repeatedly.

"We gave each other space, but right now I don't love him anymore" her father nodded, he got up and walks to the stairs with her luggage.

"I will bring your luggage in your room, If you want your job back, I can contact the school" Novie giggled and went to the door, before leaving she looked back at her father.

"Thank you, Pa'," then she left the house to get her mother.