Khadijah buried herself in work after Sadiya left which was by five, the kids were back from school. Khadijah locked her room and decided to check out her orders and delivery dates, she needed one of the materials for Asma'u's wedding.

Asma'u, the face of Dee's couture, she had modeled for Khadijah when she'd opened her fashion house, she was pregnant at the time but it didn't stop her.

Up till date, Khadijah hadn't asked what happened between her son's Father and herself, she knew she was divorced but didn't ponder on it, somehow understanding and respecting the lady's situation.

Asma'u was getting remarried and she promised herself to design her dresses as a gift from all the employees, everyone loved her, they were putting their all into it which made even Khadijah's heart flutter, she did deserve the best and her son Ayaan did too, they didn't deserve whatever it was his father did, because as far as she knew the man was never in their lives.

The adhaan being called made her drop her phone, the gadget was more of a answer phone calls and reply messages machine, that was the only thing she did with it.

Her phone rang almost immediately after she said the salam, she ignored the call and said her duas, whoever it was could wait.

"Khadijah, come and take your father's dinner to him" a knock sounded followed by her aunt's request, more like order, with a sigh she got up not removing her hijab and made for the kitchen.

Two of her mother's sisters were seated gisting, which is just gossiping about other people. She picked the grey colored warmer and arranged it on a tray with a serving plate spoon and cup and left the kitchen not bothering to look at them. Like she knew, they changed the topic to her life making snide comments, nothing she wasn't used to.

For as long as Khadijah knew herself, her mother's family had never liked her, only her late grandmother, the woman was an angel but the rest, they hated her guts for whatever reason, always calling her her father's daughter, she'd thought it was because she looked like him, a dark version of him but so did Sadiya, she looked more like him because she was fair, the only difference between her and her sister was their complexion and eyes, but like everything else in her life, she got used to it and it didn't faze her anymore, they could run their mouths like taps, she wouldn't bat an eyelash to that.

"Assalamu alaikum" her father's serene voice answered, she carefully pushed the door open with her leg because of the tray she was holding and entered, he was sat on the two seater in his living room, she slowly walked in and kept the tray on a stool in front of him, he closed the book he was reading and took off his reading glasses assessing his daughter.

"Baba should I serve it?" her voice brought him out of his reverie and he smiled and shook his head no.

She was about to leave when he called her back and asked her to sit on the three seater, the only other chair in his room.

"How are you?" it was a simple question but it conveyed many messages.

Sadeeq Hussein had always been a careful father, with his work and busy schedule, he'd tried to be there for all his children, almost all of them, he was the kind of father you were proud of, the type you dreamed of having, strict but that didn't stop how amazing he was.

He was hurt with his daughter's divorce rather than being disappointed, not many May know but Khadijah was the most patient between her siblings, she was mouthy and stubborn but she was understanding, she'd always had the mentality of giving people benefit of the doubt, a beautiful character she'd possessed.

He had tried talking to her, to know what pushed her to make that decision but she shut him out, that made him realise he'd lost his baby girl. Very little things she did just proved how right he was about her being lost, she used to be carefree never kept much friends but she was lively and her company was amazing, she'd lost her touch and only lived like a survivor, what she was but he didn't want that for her.

Layla saw it too and she'd talked to him three years back and asked what had happened to Khadijah, the same question he asked himself but didn't have an answer to, up till date. Khadijah was a problem solver, that he knew, she'd always tried to solve her problems by herself, not wanting to be a burden to anyone and most at times, she would figure it out but when she was lost, she would ask for help, the new Khadijah would either leave the problem like it didn't exist or exhaust herself in trying to solve it, she didn't ask for help no matter how much she needed it, like she was thought not to count on anyone but herself.

He blamed himself for her state, even if he shouldn't take all the blame, some of it sure was his fault, he'd let his wife manipulate him, like she did with every other decision he had to make, how the woman was an uneducated educated illiterate was complex and slightly destructive, with her primary school certificate, Hajiya Ladidi knew how to live in the modern world and still kept her twisted and ancient beliefs, she'd told him he was letting his daugther be a spinster, she had a man who showed interest in her, why waste time? Get them married, he'd stood his ground and let her graduate university first, Mayhap if he'd let her choose her spouse, she wouldn't be sat opposite him with a dead look in her eyes, the eyes he couldn't look at because of shame, he'd let her down multiple times but she got back up on her own, and perhaps that was the beginning of her downfall.

"I'm fine baba" she plastered the same fake smile she always did, but her eyes, her eyes said it all, she might pretend to be fine and try her hardest to hide her emotions but Her eyes, they showed him everything, her pain, what had happened? The question kept repeating itself with no one to answer, well there was someone to answer, a unwilling person at that.

"Your work? I saw the wedding pictures for the president's daughter, I should've let you study fashion design like you wanted to" he let out a small sad laugh.

"Good alhamdullillah, then I would've realised it isn't a career path, but like this baba, like this, it's perfect" she smiled, a genuine smile.

If she thought back through her childhood and adolescence, some parts of her adulthood too, her decisions always created a rukus.

"May Allah bless you" he'd realised she was over with the conversation, a silent plea for him to round it up, yet another proof of how she wasn't herself, the old her was chatty and would've told him a story about a thing or the other, but this one hoped conversations would end before they even began.

She stood up and left the room silently, like she was never there, leaving him once again to his thoughts of how he could've been a better father, what he didn't realise was how he couldn't fight destiny, love was never fair to them, hopefully hers wouldn't be as destructive as his.

"Baby boo I miss you so much, like see you in my dreams kind of miss you" Layla emphasised her point with a palm on her chest, this time at least where the heart was.

Khadijah hummed with an amused look "When you're there with all those British men and their accents, I know I don't even cross your mind"

"Now I'm very much wounded, I always think of you when they talk, like how you would've rolled your eyes and say 'that's too basic and it's overrated'" she changed her voice to what was supposed to be Khadijah's but completely cartoon granny-like.

"Well, I'm glad you think of me in the most lovely and thoughtful way" sarcasm dripped from her tone like a melted ice cream in the sun.

"Hey hey hey, madam sarcasmo, how was the engagement?" she remembered to ask, Raina called her to ask if it was true.

"Good I guess, Umma forgot to tell me" she rolled her eyes with an emphasis on the forgot, she knew her mother too well for that.

"So, you just heard out of the blue?" Khadijah nodded, the only people in her family that didn't sideline her was her father, Sadiya and Baraka, her mother and other family members pretended she didn't exist, which was fine with her, mo' people, mo' problems.

"That's messed up, sorry b"

"I don't really care, I just pray they don't throw her into a toxic marriage, all those people seem to care about is a man in your life" moments like that was the only time Layla could grasp some things from her friend's marriage, when they were catching up she'd only told her her parents got her married to the devil incarnate and swiftly changed the topic.

"She'll be fine Dee, she has Allah and you, cousin or not we'll beat the shit of him if he tries something funny" they both laughed at that.

Layla was a bleeder and a crier too, always picked fights but couldn't fight, which was surprising seeing she grew up with boys who's dreams was to be wrestlers, Khadijah always ended up fighting back even if it was her friend's fault, "what's the point of being friends if we don't fight for each other?" she had always said.

"It's pretty late there, I'm coming back next weekend and it's a me and you week, no questions asked" Khadijah nodded stifling a yawn, her answer didn't matter, Layla would drag her to wherever it was she wanted, they said their goodbyes and hung up, she would be busy until Asma'u's wedding, which was a week away. She needed all the rest she could get.

I want to call this a fast update but I'm very disappointed in me, laziness sha

How are you people?

Not much to say right now, I need sleep so please vote, comment and share, I gave up my morning sleep for this chapter.

Love y'all

Amyrah