CHAPTER | TWENTY TWO | ALIZA | POV

The sound of Shoaib's cry echoed throughout the house and more importantly, over to our room. Complaining about getting up to attend to him seemed pointless since I was barely sleeping in the first place, but Isa was. Without making any noise to wake the boy beside me, I got up and walked out the room to see our baby squirming around in his crib wailing his head off. 

Sighing and pulling my head back I bent over and got Shoaib in my hands as an attempt to quiet the baby down. It seemed to have work since the sound of his cries were no longer heard but I decided to keep him in my arms just a little longer in case he woke up again. By the time I figured it was okay to put him down again ten minutes had passed yet I had no intention of going to sleep; I just wasn't sleepy. 

Quietly I opened the door and got out making sure not to make a sound and continued my way downstairs instead of our room. Once downstairs I saw my phone sprawled around on the couch next to some stuffed animals in all shapes and sizes with annoying songs playing on them. I guess I was too tired to remember about where I had put it last but nonetheless I took the phone in my hands and saw that I had about twenty missed calls from Farah herself. 

Looking at the time and debating whether or not I should call at this time made me wonder what it was she wanted to talk about and by the looks of it, it must be really important. Without thinking about it I pressed the call button and waited until she picked the phone up. 

By the fourth ring I was about to give up when a scream erupted from the other side of the line, "ALIZA! I've been trying to call you all night and this is when you decide to pick up?! This is life changing news woman and I need my best friends thought about this!" The volume of her voice hurt my ear but I still tried to pick out what she was shouting at me since this is 'life changing news' after all. 

"Far calm down okay! Its four in the morning and you're making my ears hurt, so tell me what's up." I settled down on the couch after putting all the toys away into a corner where I'm sure they would be taken out again when the boys would wake up. 

"Ali you knew Noah was going to ask for my hand didn't you?" I didn't answer her question and she carried on, "well I'm so confused about it. Like do I say yes or no? Please help me." Her voice was pleading out to me and I had to help my best friends in her time of need after all that she's done for me. 

"Fars the best advice I could possibly give you is to just do what you think is right. I know you're confused and everything but I also know that deep down you've always had a thing for him." I had to add the last bit in there and by now I could tell she was rolling her eyes at me. When it came to giving advice I surely wasn't the best at it but I tried to think of something that would be useful. Knowing Farah though she probably didn't even need help about this and is already planning the colour scheme of her wedding. 

I heard her grunt on the line before speaking up, "Whatever you choose Fars just make sure I'm invited okay?" I heard her laugh on the other line and call me a donkey before saying Salaam and hanging up. 

Talking to my best friend for a while seemed to remind me of old times when we used to tell each other our problems all the time, especially in school. There was more that I could have said but even though I wasn't tired, my brain just doesn't want to function properly. 

Leaning back on the couch I began thinking how these past few days have been for the whole household: I got out the hospital five days ago along with Shoaib and Isa who insisted on staying with us and ever since we've had family come over with presents, money, cards and a whole lot of Dua's for our new family. Both families were impressed with the name we had chosen for our baby and I couldn't have been happier that we have a little one amongst us now. 

To think that we will be there to help him learn how to walk, talk and eat with his own hands. All these years me and the boys at home used to think it was weird that mama and baba couldn't stop talking about how we've grown up but now I understand - its a parent reaction and I'm pretty sure Isa felt the same way. There was no way that we wouldn't try our hardest for our child but I know that not every one turns out to be perfect. Sure we'll make mistakes here and there but I guess I just want the best for him, that's all. 

An absentminded tear made its way down my face but I quickly wiped it off considering this wasn't something to be crying about. Having a baby changes one's perspective of life and whether its for the good or worse, something for sure changes in you. "Pull yourself together Aliza." I mumbled to myself before getting up and making my way back upstairs to our room but before I got to the stairs the door to the front room was open revealing all the gifts we had stored away, so instinctively I stepped foot inside the room. 

There was about a dozen bags in the room filled with baby clothes and all sorts but there was others in here that contained baby bottles and baby books too. Considering this wasn't a time to be sorting out presents I still found myself two hours later cross legged on the floor folding the last bit of clothing away into a set of drawers. Standing up and looking round I was proud of the progress so far and that now it was out of the way we could worry on other things. The clock read 6:56 when I looked up and stifled a yawn; I guess I was finally tired enough to go to sleep. 

Once upstairs, I opened the door to our room to see Isa playing with Shoaib on the bed who had wrapped his hand around just one of Isa's fingers. I was dumbfounded to say the least that these two had been awake but even more that I didn't hear any crying, shouting or screaming from the baby - he seemed peaceful with his dad. 

"When did you two get up?" I asked making my way over to them on the bed and settling myself down beside them. 

"Not too long ago, I figured you were downstairs but its my turn to look after the devil now." He said that and began tickling Shoaib in the stomach and something that almost sounded like a laugh erupted from the baby. I couldn't help but laugh along with him. 

"Ha well I think the devil needs feeding so come on." I didn't want to get out of bed again but I had to go make his bottle. 

"Its okay. You stay here and I'll go get it." I didn't bother protesting against it and just let him get out of bed and saw him go put a shirt on over his bare chest. Looking back down to the baby I gently got him up on my lap and began making strange noises to him which he again laughed about. 

"Hello baby, how are you today?" Of course nothing came out his mouth apart from strange noises but I continued talking until Isa came through the door with a bottle of hot milk. I put Shoaib upright and took the bottle out of Isa's hand and placed it inside our baby's mouth for him to drink. His hands gripped the bottles that was in his mouth and a little 'aww' slipped out of my mouth which made Isa chuckle and lightly punch my shoulder. 

"Hey! I'm sensitive." I whined to him and set down the bottle when I saw that he had drunk enough milk to fill his belly. 

"Sure you are." He replied back sarcastically which made me punch his shoulder. He took Shoaib in his own arms and began patting his back to try and get him to burp. It was nice to see Isa spending so much time with Shoaib and being the good dad I always knew he would be.

The conversation that we had when we just got newly married seemed to pop up in my head and I remembered just how excited and scared he happened to be about being a new husband as well as a father in the future - if only I could take his face in my hands and scream 'I told you so!' because Alhamdulilah it seems like he's a natural at parenting. 

"Hey, what do you want to do today?" I asked randomly seeing as all the people we knew had already come round to see us and the baby. 

"Don't hit me or anything but I asked my mom if she could look after Shoaib today. I wanna take you out somewhere today." He said and looked at me warily. I restrained myself from actually hitting him or saying something stupid to him. We've only had Shoaib less than a week and he wants someone else to look after him?! Instead of even glaring at him like I planned to, I gave him a smile and nodded my head at him. I wonder where he wanted to take me. 

"That's okay, I'm going to go pray Fajr then." Getting up from the bed I went to the bathroom to do my wudhu and pray Fajr. About five minutes I could tell Isa began praying next to me and as I finished I folded my mat and waited for Isa to finish while I played with Shoaib a bit. 

"Lets go back to bed, its too early to be up right now." Isa commented and took off the thobe he was wearing back inside the wardrobe. 

"We can't go to sleep if he's awake." I said in a duh tone watching him process that and groan in frustration. Still though we both got in bed and played with baby Shoaib for a while before all three of us began yawning and before we knew it our eyes were closed and sleep overtook us.

***

"Call us if anything happens though, okay Ma?" I begged my mother in law in front of me while watching her play with the baby in her arms and give us a small smile. She rolled her eyes at me and shooed us out of the house promising she would call if anything happens.

 It still felt weird not to be around Shoaib even though we were only going to be gone for a few hours - I had gotten used to being around our child that I forgot what to do when I wasn't busy feeding him, changing or giving him a bath. 

"Isa how long is this trip going to take?" I asked the boy beside me in the car who seemed to have a never ending smile on his face, not that it wasn't a good thing though. 

"Depends." Was all he said before shrugging his shoulder and leaving the rest of my questions unanswered. I could tell that he was definitely excited about this place we were going to since the smile plastered on his face hadn't been moved off. It was a happy feeling though that I could finally have some time alone with my husband since these past few months have been hectic for us both. 

"Okay we're here." I didn't get a chance to see where we were before he rushed me out the car but that all changed when the sight of partly crumbled buildings and shattered glass on the floor came in the surroundings. We were in the bad part of town but something didn't look right - as if the atmosphere was changing. 

"Isa why are we here?" I asked worriedly. Whether it was because it looked more frightening in the night from the last time that we were here or not, but something was changing about this place. 

"Well if you knew these people as well as I do, you'd be able to tell that all they want is to not be treated like outcasts. So, we're renovating the whole area as well as getting the people who are living here a proper education." He finished with a smile and I couldn't help but feel pride in my heart that I was blessed with such a husband. 

"Mashallah, this is amazing! Why didn't you tell me this before?" I questioned him as he took my hand and walked me down the road where people were busy chatting and getting work done to stores and houses. 

"I wanted it to be a surprise. There's many bad things I've done in my life and this place was what kept me sane and I owe it to these people to help make their life better too. Most importantly I wanted you to see that I really have changed - for the better." I could see a tear making its way down his cheek and I wiped it off for him. Rare times like these I've seen Isa cry but I didn't like it. 

"Isa I know you've changed and Alhamdulilah for the better reason but I'm also proud of what you've done here." With that, I stood on my tiptoes and placed a kiss on his lips and stood in front of him. 

He stared at me for a minute before pulling me closer to him and placing a kiss on my forehead with his lips lingering there for a moment. "I don't think I'll ever get used to your kindness." He admitted and moving away to grab something that was on the floor; a stone. "This might sound cheesy and I know you don't like that bug tough. When I think about our love, it reminds me of a rock - strong yet beautiful. I get that we're gonna have times when we don't agree, but whatever happens we're not going to let it crack." 

All in all that sounded like a quote he got off Tumblr, but I knew he was sincere in what he had just said and that he meant every word of it. Instead of me replying to him I gave a small nod and took the stone in my hands to feel the smoothness of it; indeed it was too precious to be broken. Just then I felt my hand being tugged my someone and looking down I saw a little boy about five years old with my hand in his. 

"Looks like Jake already likes you." I looked up at Isa wondering what he was talking about when I figured that the little boy must be Jake. 

"Kids love me, don't get jealous now." I replied back before squatting down to Jake's level and move the hair out of his eyes. 

"Hi there. You okay?" I asked to be polite but no answer came from the boys mouth which made me turn to Isa again.

 "Jake's mute habibti. Still that doesn't stop him from being on hell of a hyper kid!" He finished with a chuckle which made Jake stick his tongue out at him and run away and in turn made me laugh. Isa stretched out his hand for me take so I could get up and I gladly took his hand in mine. 

"I guess this shows how happy one can be even if they're not fortunate to have what others do." I said in a whisper. "Just how I'm happy that I have you as a husband and all those thoughts about whether marrying you would be a bad thing seems stupid right now. I love you." I waited for his answer but this was all he said, "Always." 

***

Salaam everyone, I know I took forever to upload such a short chapter and I'm very sorry! But this is it now, the last chapter of this book and there is the epilogue and sequel too but I would like to thank everyone who has supported me, I love you xD.

This is dedicated to @loveunconditionally because she is my favourite writer of all time :)

Have a Good Day and May God Bless You All.