Usually, I wake up before my alarm. But that morning, my body felt heavy, my eyes still swollen from the tears I had shed in last night's dream. I didn't even realize the time had already passed the Alister family's usual breakfast hour.
When I rushed down to the dining room, the atmosphere was different from usual. Plates were still on the table, but they weren't eating leisurely. Una looked anxious, pacing between the table and the kitchen while carrying a teapot that had already gone cold. Jovian tapped his spoon against his glass, his face frowning. Deon glanced at his watch several times, while Gibson sat with a calm expression, though his eyes were clearly searching.
And Efendi—with his wooden cane beside his chair—looked straight at the stairs as I appeared. His old face was relieved, but also full of questions.
"Han!" Una immediately came over as soon as she saw me. "Oh my God, you made everyone panic. You're usually seated before I even pour the tea. What happened? Are you sick?"
I raised my hand, trying to calm them. "I'm sorry… I'm not sick. I just… overslept."
"Overslept?" Jovian blurted out quickly, his tone slightly annoyed but his eyes worried. "That's not you, Han. You always wake up earlier than me. Don't tell me you fell out of bed."
Deon snorted softly, trying to ease the tension. "Or maybe there was a school assignment unfinished last night? You take things too seriously sometimes."
I shook my head, standing awkwardly under all their stares. "No… I… had a dream."
The room fell silent at once. Even Efendi, who was usually calm, only tapped the tip of his cane once on the floor before looking at me deeply. "A dream?" he repeated softly.
I swallowed hard. It felt strange to say this at the big, full dining table. But Una patted my shoulder gently. "If it's important, tell us after breakfast. Sit down first, you haven't eaten anything."
We finally had breakfast in a slightly awkward silence. I tried to swallow the bread, but it tasted bland. The images of my father and mother from last night's dream were still so vivid.
After the table started to be cleared, Efendi tapped the wooden table lightly with his hand. "Han, come with Grandpa for a moment on the porch."
I turned to him, then nodded. Una also looked at me gently. "If you're not comfortable talking to everyone, just talk to one of us. It's okay."
The Story on the Porch
The back porch of the mansion faced a garden with a small pond. The morning air was still cool, and birds were chirping. Efendi sat in a rattan chair, and I sat beside him.
He looked at me for a long time before finally asking in a low voice, almost like a whisper:"Tell me your dream, Han."
I lowered my head, my fingers tightly clasped together. "I… I dreamed of meeting Father and Mother, Grandpa. They were standing in a field, under the evening sky. I ran to them… I could feel their embrace. It felt so real."
My voice began to tremble. "They told me… they were proud of me. And that I wasn't alone anymore. Mother said love doesn't only come from blood… that a home can grow from the heart. Then they left… slowly… leaving me again."
Tears fell uncontrollably. "I woke up with my pillow wet. And I… I was afraid it was just a dream. But it felt too real to be just a dream."
Efendi gazed at me for a long while. Then his old hand, wrinkled but warm, gently patted my shoulder."Han… that wasn't just a dream. It was a gift."
I turned quickly, confused. "A gift?"
"Yes." A faint smile appeared on his face. "When a child's heart is too full of longing, sometimes God gives a way for them to meet their parents once more. Not to make you feel the loss again, but to make sure you know… they are still with you."
I sobbed, covering my face with both hands. "I… I want them to truly be here, Grandpa. I want to bring them here, to introduce them to you, to Una, to everyone…"
Efendi didn't answer right away. He simply waited until my crying began to ease. Then, with a deep voice full of meaning, he said:"Maybe you can't introduce them in person. But through you, Han, they live again. Every act of courage, every kindness you show, that's a part of them. And now, you have a place to keep it safe."
I turned to him with tearful eyes. "You… all of you really accept me?"
Efendi smiled, this time wider. "You've been our grandson since the first time you stepped into this house. Only now, you finally believe it. And that is what matters."
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came. Una appeared on the porch, carrying two cups of warm tea. She set them on the small table, then looked at me gently.
"I heard part of it," she said softly. "Han, that dream isn't an ending. It's a beginning. Your parents gave you their blessing to keep moving forward. And we… we will walk beside you."
I looked at Una, then at Efendi, and tears fell again. But this time, not just from longing—this time from warmth, a warmth I had rarely felt.
I lifted the teacup with trembling hands. "Thank you… for being a home, when I no longer knew where mine was."
Una smiled, patting my shoulder. Efendi looked up at the sky for a moment, then murmured:"This child has finally arrived at the right porch."
One Table, One Dream
That afternoon, without me realizing it, news of my dream had already reached everyone in the mansion. Maybe Una had told them, maybe Efendi had. All I knew was that during lunch, every gaze turned toward me.
I lowered my head, my face warm. "I… I didn't mean to worry you all," I said softly. "It's just… last night I dreamed of meeting my father and mother. It felt so real. That's why I overslept."
There was a brief silence. Then, as always, Jovian was the first to speak—of course in his usual teasing tone.
"No wonder you overslept," he said, raising his spoon. "If I could meet my parents in a dream, I wouldn't want to wake up either. But next time… ask them to give you an alarm clock. So we don't panic because you're late."
Everyone chuckled softly, and even I laughed a little though my eyes were still wet. Jovian might tease, but he always knew how to break the tension.
Deon slowly set down his spoon, looking at me with a serious expression. "Han, if that dream felt so real, think of it as a memory your body is holding onto very deeply. It's not a coincidence. It's your body and soul giving you a message: your parents are still part of you. You haven't lost them, you're just carrying them in a different way."
I nodded quietly, his words sinking deep inside me.
Then Gibson, in his calm voice, spoke:"Han, I've experienced loss too. That feeling never fully goes away, but it slowly changes shape. It stops being a wound and becomes a foundation. When you walk, you're not walking alone—you're carrying their prayers on your shoulders. And you've already proven those prayers work."
I looked at him, feeling a strange calm every time Gibson spoke. It was as if his words weren't just words, but pillars I could lean on.
Then Nadine, sitting beside Una, reached for my hand on the table. Her touch was soft, full of care.
"Han… I may never replace your mother. No one can. But I want you to know, in this house, you have another mother. If one day you want to talk, cry, or even just sit beside me in silence… consider me your place to come home. You don't need permission for that."
Tears streamed down my face again. I nodded quickly, unable to speak.
Una added with a gentle smile, "And you also have a talkative older sister, ready to hug you anytime you need it. You're not alone anymore, Han. That's the most important message from your dream."
I turned to Efendi, who had been silent, watching me with deep eyes. He tapped his cane once on the floor, then spoke softly:"Family isn't about blood. Family is about who sits with you when you're crying… and stays when you're laughing. You're here now, Han. And we will stay here."
There was a moment of silence before Jovian chimed in again, this time with a mischievous smile:"So… if I tease you now, Han, that means I'm officially your little brother. You can't complain anymore. Deal?"
I laughed through my tears. "Deal."
Everyone laughed, and for the first time I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time: a dining table full, not just with food, but with love.
Inside, I knew: last night's dream wasn't just nostalgia. It was a blessing. A blessing from my father and mother to accept my new family, and to believe that I finally had a home again.
Two Homes in the Heart
The night settled quietly over the Alister mansion. The garden lights had been dimmed, leaving only a soft glow brushing across the glass of my bedroom window. On my desk, a notebook lay open, its blank page waiting. I switched on the desk lamp, picked up a pen, and took a deep breath.
My hand trembled slightly before I began to write.
"Father, Mother… earlier I dreamed of you. The dream felt so real, as if I could truly hold your hands again. When I woke, I cried, realizing it was only a dream. But today… I feel different. I'm not only someone who has lost. I am also someone who has found."
I paused, staring at the faint reflection of my face in the window. There were still traces of tears there, but also the hint of a smile.
"In this house, I am called a son. I have a grandfather who advises me with eyes full of wisdom. I have a father who is calm and steady, a mother filled with love, older siblings who protect me, and a younger brother who is annoying but warm. They accept me not because they must, but because they want to."
My chest tightened—not with pain, but with something overflowing, too full of beauty to contain.
"I realize now that I have two homes. One that will never fade—the memories with you. And one here, where I've learned to laugh again. You may no longer walk beside me in body, but your prayers and blessings have led me here. Maybe this is the answer to the prayers we once shared together."
A tear dropped onto the page. I let it stay there, as if it were extra ink carving honesty into my words.
"I promise, Father, Mother… I will protect this new home just as I protect the memory of you. I am no longer alone. And for the first time since you left, I can truly say: I am home."
I closed the notebook slowly, pressing it against my chest. The night was utterly still, filled only with the ticking of the clock. Yet within that silence, I felt a soft whisper—the voices of Father and Mother—not heard by my ears, but by my heart.
And so I lay down, closed my eyes with a smile, and let dreams carry me—whether back to the old home or the new. Because now I know, I have both.
A Busy Morning, A Warm Morning
The morning sun swept through the Alister mansion's wide glass windows, spreading golden light into the dining room. The aroma of coffee and toasted bread filled the air, blending with the sound of footsteps and light chatter as the family prepared for their day.
At the long dining table, Gibson was already dressed neatly in his work suit. He read the newspaper, pausing now and then to sip his coffee. Across from him, Nadine was busy checking the day's schedule on her tablet, her face focused but still warm as she glanced at her children.
"Deon, don't forget the presentation file on your laptop. I heard you typing late last night," Nadine reminded.
Deon, sitting next to Una, sighed and reached for his glass of milk. "I saved it in the cloud, Mom. Don't worry. I'm more worried about my little sister here who only studied last night but has a test today." He glanced at Una.
Una immediately frowned. "I'll be fine, big brother! Don't underestimate me."
Jovian, spreading jam on his bread, chimed in with a laugh. "If Una gets a bad grade, I'll post it in the family group."
"Jovian!" Una nearly stood up, her face turning red.
Yohanes, sitting at the end of the table, chuckled quietly. The scene felt like a dream. He had been used to silent breakfasts in the past, but now the table was full of voices.
Gibson lowered his newspaper, smiling faintly. "No noise. Breakfast isn't for fighting, it's for gathering strength. Jovian, stop teasing. Una, eat your bread, not your anger."
Everyone laughed. Nadine patted her husband's shoulder gently. "See, your father finally spoke."
Effendi entered a little late, the sound of his wooden cane echoing on the marble floor. "Already noisy this morning? Good. A house that's too quiet just makes you old faster."
"So that means you're still young, Grandpa?" Jovian shot back quickly.
Effendi smiled meaningfully. "Compared to you, I'm definitely more experienced. That's the difference."
Laughter filled the room once again. Yohanes lowered his head, hiding the smile he couldn't stop. His heart was warm—this was what it truly felt like to have a family.
After breakfast, the busy routine began. Gibson left first with his driver, carrying his work files to the office. Nadine followed with another car after making sure all the children were ready. Deon was picked up by the university driver, with his laptop and presentation folder in his backpack. Una and Yohanes left almost at the same time, each with a school car waiting at the front.
Jovian was the last, still struggling with his tie. "Why does this thing always rebel?" he grumbled.
Una shook her head. "Because the tie doesn't want to be worn by someone lazy."
"Shut up, you!" Jovian tried again, until finally Effendi stepped in, patiently fixing the tie for him.
"That's how you do it. Don't rush. Life is the same, boy," Effendi said softly.
"Even a tie can turn into a life lecture," Jovian muttered, but a small smile appeared on his face.
One by one, the cars rolled out of the mansion, taking each family member to their own routine. Yet the laughter and warmth of that morning still lingered in the air.