The World Abroad

1. For a better future

“Are you nervous?” Rodin asked.

He sat beside his wife aboard the airplane, their hands resting between them. He gently placed his hand over hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze as the plane carried them farther and farther from the life they had known.

Enika glanced at him.

“A little, maybe,” she admitted.

Rodin smiled faintly.

For Enika, even admitting that much was significant.

She had never been an outgoing person. For most of her life, she had been comfortable keeping to herself, living quietly within the familiar boundaries of her home and family. Her circle of friends had always been small, and she had never felt the need to seek out crowds or constantly surround herself with new people.

She was, by nature, introverted.

And now, everything was changing.

They weren't simply going on a trip. They weren't visiting another country for a few weeks or months. They were moving there. Permanently.

A new country. A new home. New neighbors. New people. New customs. A completely different way of life.

It was a lifestyle change that Enika couldn't simply brush aside.

There was still a part of her that felt tied to the home she was leaving behind: the familiar streets, familiar faces, familiar routines, and the quiet life she had spent years building.

But she had made her decision.

For Olen.

Their eighteen-year-old son had recently been accepted into one of the best colleges in the country, and Rodin had already established several businesses there. The opportunity was too important to ignore.

If this was what Olen needed for his future, Enika was willing to take the leap with him.

Even if it scared her.

Rodin gave her hand another gentle squeeze.

“It'll be alright,” he said softly.

Enika looked at him for a second before resting her head against his shoulder.

She closed her eyes. The familiar warmth of his presence relaxed something inside her. It was something she had always done whenever life became overwhelming, she leaned into Rodin's quiet reassurance and allowed herself to believe that, somehow, everything would work out.

For a while, neither of them said anything.

The steady hum of the airplane surrounded them as they continued toward the life waiting on the other side of the journey.

A life neither of them could fully imagine yet.

________________________________________

By the time they arrived, several hours had passed.

Their new home was unlike anything Enika had ever lived in before.

Located in one of the wealthier neighborhoods of the city, the property was enormous. The house itself was closer to a mansion than an ordinary family home, with spacious rooms, elegant furnishings, and more space than the three of them could possibly need.

Outside, the property was even more impressive.

A large swimming pool stretched across part of the backyard, surrounded by a beautifully maintained outdoor area. There was a spacious private patio, landscaped grounds, and enough open space to make the entire property feel almost like a private resort.

Olen had already disappeared upstairs to look around his new room. Rodin was occupied with the last few details of the move.

And Enika stood quietly near one of the large windows, looking out at the unfamiliar neighborhood. The house was beautiful. Everything they could have wanted was right there.

Yet as she looked outside at the unfamiliar streets of a city she still barely knew, Enika couldn't help feeling that this was only the beginning. She had left her old life behind. Now she had to learn how to live a new one.

By nightfall, the family had finally settled into their new home.

“Whew… been quite a day,” Rodin said as he sat down with a cup of coffee, letting out a tired sigh. “At least, I’m glad everything worked out smoothly,” he added, taking a sip.

“Yeah, I was stressing for no reason,” Enika replied with a small smile, standing in front of the mirror as she applied some skincare before going to bed.

Rodin looked around the room for a moment before noticing that someone was missing. “Where’s Olen? I didn’t see him around,” he asked curiously.

“Oh, he already went to sleep,” Enika replied. “He was talking about depositing his enrollment fee tomorrow.”

“Heh, seems like someone is very excited,” Rodin said with an amused smile.

Enika chuckled softly. “Well, it’s the beginning of a very important and precious phase of his life, after all. I hope he enjoys it to his heart’s content,” she said warmly, though she couldn't help yawning as she spoke.

“Yeah,” Rodin replied, leaning back in his chair. “I remember my days of youth. Oh, sweet days… where have you gone?” he said dramatically, placing a hand against his chest.

Enika glanced at him through the mirror with an amused expression. “Oh, here we go,” she remarked.

Rodin grinned mischievously. “You know, I was quite something back then,” he said proudly. “*T**here were so many beautiful girls around me back then. Every single one of them was head over heels for me,*” Rodin said with a smug grin, clearly enjoying his own little trip down memory lane.

“Really?” Enika asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow as she tried to hide her amusement.

“Oh, absolutely,” Rodin replied confidently. “You should have seen me. I was very popular.”

Enika turned toward him with a playful smile. “Well, if we’re talking about the past, I suppose I should mention that all eyes were on me too,” she said teasingly. “There were plenty of boys who used to find excuses just to get close to me.”

Rodin's smile slowly faded into a playful glare. “Oh?” he said, narrowing his eyes. “Someone is trying to make me jealous?”

He walked over to her and gently held her from behind, wrapping his arms around her as Enika laughed.

“Hmmm…?” Rodin teased, resting his chin lightly near her shoulder.

Enika smiled mischievously. “Who started it?” she asked.

“You did,” Rodin replied immediately.

“No, you did,” Enika shot back with a laugh.

“I was simply remembering my youth,” Rodin said defensively, though the grin on his face gave him away.

“And I was simply sharing mine,” Enika replied with a playful shrug.

Their teasing continued for a while, the two of them playfully trying to outdo each other with exaggerated stories of how popular they had supposedly been in their younger days.

Eventually, Enika let out another tired yawn. “Ugh… I’m getting very sleepy now,” she said, rubbing her eyes.

Rodin smiled and released her. “Alright, goodnight, honey,” he replied.

Enika began walking toward the bedroom, but then turned around and looked at him. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked.

“I’ll be back in an hour or so,” Rodin replied. “Got some stuff to do.”

“An hour?” Enika asked, sounding slightly surprised.

“Just a few things I need to take care of,” Rodin answered casually.

Enika gave him a tired but affectionate look. “Well, goodnight, Rodin. And don’t be up too late,” she said.

“I won’t. Goodnight,” Rodin replied with a smile.

With that, Enika headed into the bedroom, leaving Rodin alone for the night as he returned to his coffee and the things he still had to take care of.

Their first day in their new home was finally coming to an end.