"Mommy I haven't seen mr neighbor sinceeeee" Anam complained.

"He is in the hospital my dear" Layla said.

"Hospital? Is he sick?" Aman asked.

"Yes but he will be fine soon" She washed the carrots she was cutting earlier

"Mommy? Can we go and visit him? I told you that he doesn't have anyone with him so he will be sad and he won't get well soon" Aman pouted.

"Baby he doesn't even know who we are so how can we visit just like that?" She poured the vegetables into the grilling pan and faced the twins.

"Yes mommy we can just say that we're his neighbors"  Aman suggested.

"But don't you think it will be a little bit weird?" She cupped his face.

"Weyerd? What's that?" They chorused and Layla chuckled.

"Sorry babies! I meant that he will think we are invading since we don't even know each other"

"But mommy we know him since he is black too like us yay!" Anam said.

"Anam not all blacks are Nigerians" Layla said.

"But mommy I think I have seen his picture somewhere" Anam added.

"Anam" Layla said in a warning tone stirring the pan.

Where could she have seen his picture? In the tv? Maybe he is a celebrity "Layla thought

"Mommy pwetty pweesh and a cherry on top" Anam said with a puppy face which Layla obviously can't resist.

"Okay fine but you two will be the only ones that will enter and I will wait for you" Layla said.

"Yayyy!" They squealed.

"When are we going?" A curious Aman asked.

"After lunch" Layla said and they ran to their playroom happily.

What is the connection between my kids and that man? They just met few days ago "She thought.

She shrugged the thought off and mixed the grilled veggies with the boiled potatoes and served it into a warmer.

"Kids! Lunch is ready" Layla shouted enough for them to hear since the playroom is close to the kitchen

They rushed out of the room cause they are foodies which Layla is happy and grateful for cause kids that don't like eating make their mom follow them all around the house just to eat

"Yayy! Boiled vegetable powtatoes!!" Anam squealed cause it's her favorite food.

"And some Golden morn for Aman since you don't like potatoes" She added alot of powdered milk which Aman loves alot.

"Yayyy! Me too I have my gwolden mornnn" Aman stuck his tongue out at his twin sister who is already digging into her food.

"Who wants mommy to feed ..."  Aman shouted "Me" before she could even finish

For your information,Aman is a mommy's boy (sometimes though)

The bowl was almost empty when she turned to see Anam already eating the last potato

"Baby you are eating much this days im proud" Layla grinned.

"Yes mommy I want to be big like you"

"You can only be as big as I am when you've aged like me okay? Take your plates to the kitchen now"

"Okay" They chorused.

She got dressed in an ash and white Abaya and tied her hair in a low bun before covering it with a turban and a veil

"Mommy me too I want my hair to be like yours" Anam pointed at Layla's bun.

"InshaAllah baby now come here let me pack your hair" Anam walked to her mother.

She combed Anam's hair which stops on her neck

"Mommy I want a ponytail" Anam said and she nodded.

She did Anam's edges perfectly and Aman walked in looking sad

"What's wrong mommy's baby?" Layla bent down to his height.

"My spiderman watch fell into the water" He said with a sad face.

"Aww it's alright I promise to buy you that latest spiderman watch soon okay?" She said.

"Yay!" He hugged his mother which in a few seconds,Anam joined.

"Vwoom vwoom! Mommy me too i want to get my car!!" Aman said.

"InshaAllah Aman" Layla grinned.

"Anam give me my phone" Layla said.

"Mommy pleaseee I want to finish this level" Anam said concentrating on the game she is playing.

"If you don't give me then how are we going to know the hospital?"

"Sorry" Anam giggled and handed the iPhone 11 Pro Max over to her mother.

Layla searched her contact list and put on her airpod before calling Fadoul

"Fadoul please which hospital is that man admitted in?" She asked.

"George's Hospital,what are you going to do there?"

"The kids want to see him I don't even know what relationship they have" Layla chuckled.

"Maybe he is friendly that's why they got closer"

"Yeah true,bye I'm driving" She said.

"Okay bye drive safe" He hung up.

She parked her car and the kids stepped out immediately

"Mr Neighbor! Mr Neighbor!" They kept chanting.

"Shhh" Layla shushed them up.

They walked into the hospital and Layla immediately hissed remembering that she doesn't even know his name

"Kids you should wait for me here okay?" She sat them down on the chairs in the reception.

"Don't go anywhere" She warned and they nodded.

"Aman look that's Mr Neighbor" Anal whispered to her twin brother pointing at the room where she saw their Neighbors face.

"Let's goo!" Aman said cheerfully.

"Mommy said that we shouldn't go anywhere" Anam said.

"She won't know!" Aman dragged his sister.

"Please their was a patient that was brought here yesterday because fire broke out in his home and his hands got burnt" She explained.

"You mean Mr Muhammad?" The nurse asked.

"I don't know his name but please what is his room number?" She asked.

"Room 2 it's close to the reception" She said and Layla nodded.

"Kids let's go" She turned around but she didn't see them.

"Oh my gosh! Where did they go? Aman! Anam" She called.

She started to get worried so she stopped to ask people

"Have you seen a little girl and a boy please? The boy is wearing an ash jeans and a shirt while the girl is wearing a jumpsuit" She described.

"I think I've seen them entering room 2 but the patient has been moved to a room in the third floor" A chubby and short woman said.

"Okay thank you very much" Layla sighed and ran to check the Room 2 but she found it empty.

"Please where are the kids that were in this room with a guy?" She asked a wardboy.

"Yes they've followed him to the third floor" He walked away.

"Oh my! This kids are such a pain in the ass wallahi" She hissed and walked to the elevator.

~

He sat quietly on his hospital bed and was asking about his discharge papers when two kids came running

"Woah woah what's wrong?" He asked.

"Hey I'm Aman and she's Anam my twin" Aman introduced.

"You have such nice names but why are you here?"

"Because you're our Mr Neighbor" Anam said.

"Mr Neighbor? You mean that you're my neighbor?" He asked with a grin

For the first time in 3 years he is smiling from his heart

"Yes and mommy brought us here to meet you but when we saw you we rushed to see you"

"You mean mommy doesn't know that you're here? That's not good,I'm sure mommy is worried you should go back to her"He said.

"Mommy is going to find us we will wait here" Aman sat down on the bed beside him.

"How sure are you?" He raised his eye brow.

"100 percent!" Aman grinned.

"Uhmmm wow!"

He doesn't know why but he feels very attached to this two kids even though he doesn't know them

"We should go down now then I'll meet your mommy"

"Nooooo your hand is not good so we will stay here" Anam said.

"Okay but ..." Aman cut him off.

"What is your name Mr Neighbor?" Aman asked.

"I'm Aaban" He smiled.

"I like your name sooooo much" Anam said.

"Me too" Aman said.

•••••••••••

She kept draping her veil cause it kept falling off due to how light it was

"Alhamdulillah" She muttered under her breath.

"Please Mr Muhammad" Layla asked the old nurse in charge of the floor.

"Room 55" She said.

"I don't know why but I'm feeling so restless I hope the kids are fine" She said to herself.

She stopped right in front of room 55 and as soon as she heard Anam and Aman's giggles,she sighed and turned the knob

Not caring to look at the guy on the bed,she walked to her kids.

"Mommy mommy! You found us" The twins said in unison hugging their mother

Meanwhile Aaban was struggling to believe who is right in front of him

"Y-you? L-lay-la?" He said not believing his eyes

She knows that voice! It will forever be stuck in her memory

Its her husband,she means her ex

"Aaban!" She raised her head sharply and their eyes clashed.

They had an eye contact for atleast 12 seconds

"Mommy meet Mr Neighbor but his real name is Aabban and Mr Neighbor,meet our Mommy"

"Aman and Anam let's go" She said as soon as she regained back her senses

"No Layla please don't leave again please!" Aaban hopped off the bed immediately.

"I'm not staying anywhere!" She yelled at him.

"Layla please" He grabbed her hand stopping her from leaving the room.

"Don't! DON'T-YOU-EVER-TOUCH-ME!" She yanked his hand off hers.

"Im sure you were even the one that took my kids to your room" She hissed and turned the knob but only to be stopped by Aaban who pulled Anam and Aman into a hug.

"You mean they are mine? Mm-y kids?" He kissed their foreheads.

"No mister,they are mine and mine alone! Remember three years ago I told you that you don't have any right over me or my kids"

"Mommy why is he saying that?" Anam asked innocently.

"No no it's nothing baby girl this man you see him here? He is a very bad man don't ever talk to him okay?" Layla said to her kids and they stared at Aaban and then her before nodding.

"What is wrong with you Layla!? Why are you telling them that their father is a bad person? Why ..." she cut him off.

"Anam and Aman don't have a father! I'm enough for them" She said.

"But you can't take care of them all alone" He argued.

"You didn't think of that when you decided to break every thing" She let out a dry chuckle.

"But you were the one who made me do that Layla" He said.

"I was? Really? If you didn't do all those things then it would have never reached to this point but you went as far as asking me who the father is? Wow! You're a very disgusting and selfish man"

"No Layla it's not like that please you have to listen to me danAllah please can we meet at StarBucks?" He asked.

"No!" She said.

They got into the car immediately and drove back home.

She regrets ever taking the kids to the hospital

She bathed the kids and put some comfortable clothes for them cause they are going to take a nap

"Hey Umm Anam!" Fadoul said.

"Hiii Fadoul" She faked a grin.

"I just came to inform you that I'll be going to Nigeria next week" He said.

"Okay I wish you a very safe flight"

"Thank you where are the twins?" He asked.

"Their taking one of their famous naps" She chuckled.

"I see" He also chuckled.

She wanted to tell him about everything but she just couldn't this man here has done something that even her father couldn't do for her

How can she just come and be bombarding him with her endless problems when he too has his own? No! That's called pure selfishness

"I'll be leaving now bye"

"Bye Fadoul" He left and she felt lonely

Once again she is feeling very lonely

Should I go?" She thought.

I don't know why but I feel like listening to him

I picked up my phone and dialed his number cause it is already in my head

Hopefully,he picked up

"I'll meet you" She said and hung up.

Sup! Sup! Sup! Sup! Suppppppp!

How was the chapter? So they've finally met after 3 years! Chai

Would you have agreed to meet Aaban if you were Layla?

P.s: Remember to put yourself in everyone's shoe before making a decision and remember again 3 years no be beans

Would you rather cuddle a human being or a stuffed animal while watching a horror movie?

Oya bye bye

2114 words

Don't forget to vote,
Comment,Share
And follow