Woo! Two updates in one day? I'm on a roll - a sushi roll, to be precise. Really craving one right now, even though it's 1am...Anyway I'll let you get on with the chapter! Pic above of Huda's lil bro, Haydar.
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"Who's a cute little boy? You are!" I tickled Imran's belly, enjoying the sound of his gurgling laugh as his mother set a tray of coffee on the table.

"Don't boost his ego too much, Hud-Hud," Mariam joked, sliding into an armchair and picking up a steamy mug. I would drink some coffee too but my hands were full.

"You think he'll end up like his dad?" I chuckled as Imran pressed a tiny palm to my cheek.

"Well, he's already got the looks, so who knows?" Mariam smiled, and it was in that moment I could truly see how content she was with her life. Lucky girl got hitched early to a hunk of a guy who reverted to Islam in his last year of high school, thanks to her. I was still waiting for a guy to sweep me off my feet - not literally, of course, because haram. But I was in no hurry.

"So, I came here today because I'm leaving tomorrow," I divulged, and for a second I thought Mariam didn't hear me, because she just sipped her coffee, until she said, "I know."

"You know?"

"News travels fast in the Barakat family," Mariam shrugged. "I just wish you could take me with you. I'd do anything for a break from medical school."

"Well, aren't you on your summer break now?" I asked, setting Imran on my lap where he played with the hem of my blouse.

"Yeah, but I still got to catch up on a lot of work. Being a mum and being in uni is hard to juggle," Mariam sighed. It was then that I noticed how tired she looked, even though she was a year older than me, that extra year seemed to have really made a difference. Mariam was one of the strongest people I knew - probably the strongest - and she was such a great influence on me. But she was still only human and could only take so much, and getting married and losing her mother-in-law within a year made her seem older beyond her years in more ways than one.

"You're doing a great job, masha'allah," I appraised as Imran made cooing noises. I smiled down at this small human being on my lap and stroked his brown silky locks. He was just too cute!

"Thank you, Huda. And I'm so proud of you, for coming this far, and finally maturing," Mariam grinned.

"Couldn't have done it without you, Mimi," I beamed back at my beautiful cousin. I then glanced at the clock and realised the time. "Oh, no, I gotta go! I haven't finished packing, and it's probably going to take me all afternoon."

"I remember when I had to pack for my honeymoon, I literally started a week in advance because I thought I'd take so long," Mariam recalled wistfully. "Turned out, it didn't take that long at all, so I spent the days until the flight living out of my suitcase!"

"Typical Mariam, always trying to get things done quickly," I laughed with her, standing up with Imran in my arms. I might be a little obsessed with this boy, but that was okay, since he was basically my nephew or something like that. I felt sad that I had to hand him back to his mother.

"Well, I wish you well on your holiday. Remember your prayers, and don't go to any forbidden parties, alright?" Mariam lectured, and I nodded my head as if to say, "Yeah, yeah."

"And don't forget to take lots of pictures," Mariam added sarcastically, and I rolled my eyes.

"That's one thing I won't forget," I laughed.

Once we got to the door, Mariam embraced me and whispered into my ear, "Stay safe, Huda, and remember, if you get tempted to do anything you shouldn't, Allah is always watching."

"Yeah, I know."

Mariam was my sensei, and every word she said to me always replayed in my head, constantly reminding me to be good, and not go back to my old ways, not that I could. Old Huda was dead and buried, long gone, finished with three years ago. The new, rightly guided Huda was here to stay.

"Say bye-bye, Imran. Bye-bye," Mariam waved Imran's little hand at me as I walked to my car, and I blew kisses back to the both of them, a little disappointed that I didn't get to see Damian. Seeing him was always a pleasure, since he was so nice to look at - I mean, astaghfirullah. Go away, old Huda. Seriously.

"I can't believe you're going to Fiji without me."

"I can't believe you just walked into my room without even knocking. Ya Allah, Haydar, what happened to your manners? You used to be such a sweet kid," I shot back at my fourteen-year-old pain in the - heart because he was so lovable! Oh, who was I kidding?

Haydar swooped his eyes over my overflowing suitcase and mess of clothes strewn all over the carpet and shook his head pitifully. "You really suck at packing, Huda."

"Yeah, well, you suck at -" I stopped myself just in time before I said something I'd regret. I really didn't need Haydar dobbing on me and ruining my chances at paradise - a.k.a. Fiji.

"I just don't see how it's fair that you get to go, and I don't. Why am I always stuck at home?" Haydar whined as usual.

"Because you're too young to go anywhere," I retorted. "Plus, Elif's my friend and she invited me to go, not you."

"She's my friend too, you know. She loves me. I mean, who wouldn't love this cute face?" Haydar gestured to his supposed cute face that was slowly expiring as puberty made its debut.

"That face ain't gonna get you nowhere once puberty has its fun," I warned. "I used to be just like you, you know. Now look at me." I turned to him with a slightly wild spark in my eyes. "I'm hideous."

"Glad we could agree on something," Haydar said dryly.

I faked a laugh. "Wow, you're so funny! But I was just joking, idiot. I'm gorgeous and I know it. Now get out so I can finish packing!" I pointed to the door, and Haydar sighed, trudging towards it, but then he stopped.

"You're still going to buy me souvenirs, right?"

"I don't need to spend money on you, I'll just bring you a stick from a palm tree or something and you can have that," I replied. "No, wait, I'll bring you something more your style - dirt."

"How nice of you. I have the best sister in the world!" Haydar exclaimed sarcastically.

"You know it!" I called at his receding back. I turned back to my packing, but just as I did, I got a call from none other than Amir.

"Well, well, if it isn't the prince himself. What do you want?" I demanded, cutting straight to the chase. Whenever Amir called, it was always to talk about himself. And if I was lucky, I could get a word in about my fabulous life, if he ran out of things to tell me. And if I bored him, he'd spontaneously hang up without a word.

"That's no way to greet your favourite cousin," Amir said in mock-hurt. "I was just calling to see how you were doing."

"Well, first of all, Mariam's my favourite cousin, not you. And second of all, where have you been? I thought you said you were coming back to Melbourne this month?" At least he had managed to show his face at my graduation, otherwise he would've really felt my wrath.

"Yeah, I just came last week."

"And you didn't even bother visiting the family?" I criticized.

"I was caught up, okay? Jet lag takes me double the time that it takes an average human to recover from," Amir replied.

"Well, that's because you're not an average human. In fact, sometimes I doubt you're even human," I teased.

"I mean, with my Greek god-like looks, super strength and other-worldly charm, I sometimes doubt it too," Amir said smugly.

"Pfft, you wish."

"Anyway, the real reason I called wasn't to check up on how you were, because that stuff is boring and tedious and a complete waste of time." I rolled my eyes at his words, knowing that he was only half-joking. Sort of. "No, the real reason is because I want to rub something in your face."

"You can't exactly do that if you can't see my face, now, can you?" I pointed out.

"Yes, I am aware of that," Amir chuckled. "But I can still try. So guess what, Huda?"

"What?"

"I'm going to Fiji with my mates!"

"Say WHAT now?" This couldn't be happening. Coincidences like this were way too coincidental. I could barely utter a word until I was prompted by Amir.

"Uh, Huda? You still alive or did I blow you away with my exciting news?"

"When are you going?" I blurted.

"Oh, you know. Tomorrow."

"TOMORROW?!"

"Yeah, I know, right? It's so exciting. Ever since I returned from Germany I've had to repack my suitcase from winter clothes to summer, cause it's gonna be HOT in Fiji! And the best part is, I don't gotta pay for anything thanks to my rich best mate -"

Please don't say Ilyas. Please don't say Ilyas -

"Ilyas! I swear, that guy is a legend! He invited me, out of all his friends, since he has a lot of them - what a popular guy - to come with him. I knew rooming with him in Germany would come in handy!"

I just listened to Amir's babble in dumbfounded silence. Who would've thought that my best friend's brother was best friends with my cousin? "What a small world," I murmured.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Miraculously, Amir had stopped talking, and a sly grin spread across my face.

"I also have something to rub in your face, my dear Amir, because I too am going to Fiji. Tomorrow. With my best friends."

"Wait a minute...you're friends with Ilyas' hot sister?" Amir sounded surprised.

"Okay, first of all, never call his sister hot, even if she is gorgeous," I said. "And second of all, yes, I am."

"So does that mean we are going on the same holiday...together?" Amir seemed to still be piecing it all together.

"Oh, yeah."

"Well, that sucks," Amir grumbled, and I cocked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought I was going to Fiji with a bunch of hot girls, but now that I know one of the girls is you...ew."

"Excuse me?"

"You're going to kill my vibes, Huda. I wanna have fun, not be dobbed on by my own family," Amir moaned. "Damn, I was so excited before, now I just feel all down in the dumps."

"I am offended, Amir. I thought the idea of me going on holiday with you would bring you joy, and excitement, but I guess I was wrong," of course, I never thought any of these things, because I felt the same way. With Amir there with us, there was no way I would be able to enjoy myself fully. Especially if he was with a group of friends.

"Hopefully we won't have to see each other that much," Amir said.

"Well, how about let's make a deal, then," I proposed. "We'll pretend we don't know each other, and stay out of each other's way. Deal?"

Amir hummed in approval. "Hm. I like the sound of that. Okay, then, Hud-Hud, we have a deal."