Nadia couldn't believe how so much time had passed, how it felt as if it was yesterday yet when she opened her eyes she felt that it had really longed so much. The grief in her heart was even deeper than the time. She was healing, as much as she could say she was healing. The only things that had kept her going was her baby, and the families Allah blessed her with. There were days she had a mental breakdown and she could spend two days without eating or sleeping, just crying and when she was tired of that too, she'd pray.

But with Hajia and Social, and her family, she was able to have less and less of those days. They were strolling with Sohila in the area in the late evening, she was nine months along and heavier than when Hassan died. She couldn't pin point her EDD but she knew it was around this time, yet she didn't know the exact date. The doctor asked her to be having a stroll in the evening and she was doing that just now, if not for anything, but to have some peace.

For all those months after he had left, they hadn't spoken for once on the phone. It was as if both of them have never existed, Hassan was dead and Hussain gone, not calling often. She only prayed he was doing pretty good, as she was. They both had an popsicle in their hands, licking leisurely. Nadia loved the way the ice felt while being crushed in her mouth.

"Do you think we have more of this left, Sohila? We could tell the driver to get more of it before he closes for the day." She said, throwing away the wood, suddenly feeling sad. She had almost forgotten, nothing kept her going like ice cream, she knew it was bad for the baby but she at least had to be alive for the baby to be born, right? And it was one of the few things that kept her going.

Sohila watched the way she walked, "I can't wait to finally see this baby, Aunt Nadia. What's the gender?" She chuckled when Nadia glared at her, "As for the popsicles, Hajia have hidden some in her bedroom fridge, she said she could only give them to you when you're having those breakdowns, I'll steal some because I'm pretty sure Danladi has closed work for today."

"Steal five for me, please, okay? I don't think I'll be able to eat something tonight...." Before she was done talking, a call came through Sohila's phone and she staggered backward, lessening the pace of her walk.

"Can you move ahead, Aunt Nadia? I'll have to answer this call."

Nadia chuckled softly, "Is it him? I heard Hajia said she's going to marry you off, soon." Sohila only pouted and took a few steps backward, while Nadia smiled and walked further.

She walked silently, and when she got bored of the silent because it did nothing but reminded her of the pain she was in and the emptiness and silence of her bedroom, she began humming her then favorite Indian song. A soft smile was plastered on her lips as she softly closed her eyes, walking in a calming manner to enjoy the breeze, the song and her solitude.

She was softly and melodiously singing when she heard a voice singing along with her, and she chuckled, her eyes still closed. "Sohila, so you know this song too?" She opened her eyes to a popsicle being handed to her and she chuckled. "What a darling you are, you asked him to bring that for me? Hajia should better know you're helping me in breaking her rule."

When she looked up at the face that gave her the popsicle, for a mean time, she went back to her past, a few months ago actually and hugged him by the side. "Twin! So it's you?" She was grinning from ear to ear and one could easily see the joy dancing from her eyes. "And I thought you hated that song? You always shut me with a kiss when I sing it." She chuckled, completely forgotten, unaware of the fact that she was oblivion to her pretty painful reality.

He smiled softly, holding her lightly as she wasn't ready to let go. "No, I've always loved it. For you, of course." And he lightly pecked her forehead, they both were staring into each other's eyes, he knew she got carried away by his face and had completely forgotten who he was, and that this face now only belonged to him. "Like this?" He referred to the kiss and softly released her, because he knew she would likely remember who he was now.

And she did, when her once happy eyes were now filled with grief, guilt and confusion. Was she guilty that even though her heart knew he was no more she still mistook him for Hussain? She stepped back and had a frown on her face, "I'm sure you know that I got carried away, Hussain."

He ignored that, he watched how peaceful the evening was for her, how lovely she had looked and if he could add, happy. And he wasn't in any way ready to let it be spoilt. "Aren't you going to ask me when I got back or how I knew that was the one thing you wanted?" She looked askance at him, and finally she rolled her eyes before she tried to walk faster. He waited until she moved a few inches away from him, finally thanking himself for sending Sohila back home because even he himself didn't have the idea that he'd do what he just did.

He ran after her, calling her name. "Come on, Singleton, I thought you'd be happy to see me? I even bought you a popsicle to make you happier." She looked cute when furious, he noted for the first time and smiled at her when she glared at him.

"Stop calling me that, Hussain." Hands up with palms out, Hussain smiled at her.

"Should I call you Aunt Nadia then?" She nearly spurted out the ice cream in her mouth. "What was that? Aren't you like..." She began to think.

"A few years older than you? Yes." He grinned, he was truly happy seeing her and when she wanted to walk pass him in a past pace, he held the edge of her hijab, "Careful there, my baby is still in you. You can be all reckless when you want, but atleast, push my baby out."

"What the hell is wrong with you, Hussain!" She punched him so hard on his chest and he chuckled, holding her wrist to stop her from throwing another punch at him. "Not throwing punches too, I could help you join a taekwondo class if you want. But atleast, push my baby out."

She hissed and pulled her wrist away from his hold, rolling her eyes fiercely at him. "I think by I've always hated you, but now, I'm certain that I hate you."

"You can't hate me, we both know that." They began walking side by side, with a smile on his face and a frown adjoined with a pout on hers. "Atleast, so long as I have this face, don't you think?" She only deepened her frown without looking at him, and Hussain smiled at her. He wanted to tease her for how she walked with such difficulty and her baby bump larger than ever, but that might make her actually hate him.

They walked back home in silence until she heaved a sigh and slightly looked up at him, "How have you been?" She asked with a soft look in her eyes and the joking part of Hussain has vanished.

He wanted to lie at first, say 'I'm fine' with a broad smile on his face. Wasn't that lie at least approved? Everyone did that, right? But instead, he smiled softly and shook his head, "I haven't been fine, just surviving. And you?" She smiled back, "I think it's same for me."

•

At dinner, they all got seated, the smile on Hajia's lips was wider than Nadia had ever thought she would these days. "I've never thought you'd be back this soon, Hussain. I'm so happy that you're back, thank you."

"And now she's making me feel bad, don't you all think?" He turned to both Sohila and Nadia that were staring at them with a smile.

"You've once ditched her because she wanted to give you a wife, maybe she's been anxious about it since then." Before he could reply, she cut him off, "Between, Aunt Nadia, doesn't he give you First H's vibe? He acts like he did, friendly, all joking and stuff."

Their eyes met with Nadia and she smiled as she turned to Sohila, "Maybe he's trying to make us not forget about him, and in his ways, to feel that Hassan was still alive somewhere in him. I guess you've always had him in you, just suppressed it to make yourself all grumpy and bad." He looked hurt, turning to Hajia for support but she chuckled away the pain they all felt at Nadia's words. "I guess at this point I'd be jealous of Mufeeda if she gets married to Hussain with a part of my Twin inside. Hide it well, the him in you, I mean." She knew she was hurting herself by saying this, but she had to, anyway.

To ease the pain they all felt, Hajia spoke, "I think you should get married before you go back this time, Hussain." He looked up at her with a look of protest and she smiled, "You should find the woman you love, don't you think? It doesn't have to be Mufeeda, even though I might get you married behind your back if things keep on going like this."

They all burst into a pits of laughter with his exception, of course. "Should I contact the wedding planner already? I think a big wedding is in the corner."

He kept eating his food even though all he wanted to do was to smash her face down into her plate, but he restrained himself. He heard the small jokes they all kept throwing which were about him and he ignored them, fully focused on his meal until he was done and he looked at them all.

"Hajia, you can get me married to any woman you want, but with the exception of Mufeeda. You see, I'm a family man as it is, I'll be having a child in less than a week now. I want a wife that's matured, a mother perhaps." He turned to look at Nadia and their eyes met, "Maybe the mother of my child will make the best wife for me."

They all kept silent as his words resonated through the thick and dark walls of Nadia's heart. And with an eased smile, he bade Hajia goodnight whom could hardly bid him back and left the chamber, that was too much.

•

It had been two days after he came back but they hardly see him. He always go out and came back late at night when they both were sleeping, she only saw what the junks he ate at night in the morning and it was still wonders to her how they still lived in the same chamber and no one seemed to care.

She was in the garden when she watched his car drove through and he walked out holding some shopping nylons that she didn't have to wait to see what was in them, the baby's clothes of course. Sohila ran toward him and collected some of them before they walked to his room together.

She dropped them and he was about to walk to the bathroom when she cleared her voice and he turned, "I think I could keep silent about this, but it's so hard not to spilling the tea. And it's better to tell you than Hajia."

He motioned for her to come over, "Come here, what have you seen?"

They sat on the sofa and he held her hand, "Which tea are we going to sip now, Sohi? I've always know you love gossip." They both chuckled and she sighed.

"The day you came back, I saw what happened between you and Aunt Nadia." She observed his expression before she continued, "Tell me, Second H, do you love her?"

Silence.😅❤️

Just enjoy the love and chemistry🥰