We headed back home to get ready for the parent meeting.
"Oh my God… I need to book a Grab," I muttered, already feeling rushed.
At home, the kids quickly cleaned up and started choosing their outfits—taking it very seriously, as if it were a special event.
As usual, Xia went for her signature style—a light purple and white dress. She looked like a little princess, but not over the top. Handbag, headband, sunglasses… all perfectly matched.
Her brother, on the other hand, kept it simple but neat. A white shirt with a touch of purple, paired with khaki shorts.
Honestly, I don't even remember teaching them how to dress this well.
I chuckled to myself.
As for me, I grabbed a sweatshirt and jeans. Simple. Comfortable.
"Waittt, Mom! Choose something else!" – Xia stopped me.
"This is fine. Simple and makes me look younger," I teased.
"Nooo, Mom. A simple flowy dress would look so nice on you. I'll pick one for you!" – Xia insisted.
"No need, baby… this is already good," I tried to argue.
But of course… I never win against them.
They pushed me into the room, and Xia handed me a dress. I had no choice but to follow. Besides, we were planning to go shopping later—so maybe she had a point.
Soon after, I booked a Grab to the international school.
Thirty minutes later, we arrived.
I carried all the necessary documents in my Coach handbag—it was big enough to fit everything neatly.
We made it just in time for the meeting.
At the reception, we were guided to our table. The hall was already filled with parents and children, all chatting softly.
Then the session began.
The headmaster gave a welcoming speech, followed by a briefing from the teachers.
"Okay, parents, we have provided all the guidelines for you to follow. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us," said Teacher Nori.
We were then given time to familiarise ourselves with the school system and choose elective modules for the first semester.
We found a table and sat down together.
I looked at the kids.
I've always been the kind of mother who lets them choose what they want to learn—but I'll always ask why.
"Okay, kids. Take ten minutes to look through everything. Then we'll discuss, okay?"
"Okay, Mommm," – Xia and Xayden replied.
Ten minutes later…
"So, have you both decided?" I asked.
"Yes, Mom. Me and Gege want to be in the same classes—except for sports. We'll choose different ones. Gege, you start," – Xia said.
"Mom, for language, we want to continue with Chinese. And we want to add Japanese, Korean, and Spanish," – Xayden explained confidently.
I raised my eyebrows slightly.
"Then for activities—taekwondo, drama or musical class, and piano. For sports, swimming is a must. For me, I'll take basketball and football. Xia wants gymnastics and netball."
I looked at them for a moment.
"Hmmm… that's quite a full schedule. But it's good. As long as you can manage it. And don't forget—night time is for religious class."
"Okay, Mom!"
"Alright, if you're sure… we'll go with this."
"Yayyy! Then we can go shopping!" they cheered.
I leaned back slightly, watching them smile.
Everything felt… normal.
Calm.
Safe.
Maybe I was overthinking everything.
Maybe… I wouldn't see him after all.