The town had been somewhat submerged in rainwater for a few days, trapping the residents inside with whatever they had at home. Sana told Sarah over the phone how her father's car was stuck midway through the main road to the city. He was fed up with waiting, so he half ran, and half swam back home. Sarah couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.

This was the first gathering after the rainstorm had locked everyone inside.

Umm Ayyub has been preparing lunch since last night, with Abu Ayyub and Ayyub's help. Sana prefers to help in other ways. Sana, with the help of Ismail and Ayyub when he wasn't in the kitchen, they cleaned up the house and readied it for welcoming guests.

Sana carried a pile of clothes and handed it to her little brother, "Ayyub, fold your clothes,"

"I was going to – but Jazakillahu Khairan for bringing them to me, I guess." He held the pile of clothes and placed them down on his bed. "I'm done vacuuming and mopping my room by the way," he informed. Sana nodded in approval and left to perform a final inspection before deciding the house was ready for welcoming guests.

"Is everything alright, Sana?" Umm Ayyub asked. She was free finally, and the food was ready.

"Yeah, Alhamdulillah, the house is clean and organized," Sana reported. "When is everyone coming?"

"They should be here soon, go get ready!" Umm Ayyub instructed. Sana then went upstairs to get ready.

Ismail ran downstairs when he heard the doorbell. "I'll get it! I'll get it!" he repeated as his tiny figure descended the stairs. Ayyub followed his little brother to the main door and watched as he opened the door.

"Hania!" Ismail exclaimed, with the brightest smile. Hania returned the bright smile.

"Let them come inside first, Ismail," Ayyub smiled at his excited little brother.

Hasan and his family were the first to arrive.

"Where is everyone else?" Umm Hasan asked Umm Ayyub after going upstairs to join the ladies.

"Sarah is probably making everyone in her family late, again," Sana speculated. The mothers laughed. Their hearty laughter was interrupted by the doorbell. Abu Ayyub opened the door to Sarah and her family.

When Sarah and her mother joined the ladies upstairs, they were already expecting them. "Finally," Sana sighed, relieved her best friend was early for once.

"I couldn't find my niqab at the last minute, and you know where it was?" Sarah explained as she sat down next to Sana on the floor.

"Don't tell me it was already around your head," Sana rolled her eyes.

"It was already around my head..." Sarah admitted, nonetheless. Her best friend just sighed. Umm Ishaaq joined the sigh while the other mothers just laughed.

Soon after, the doorbell rings one last time. Hasan went out to open the door, with Ishaaq, Ayyub, Hussein, and even Ismail following him.

"Where are you guys going?" he asked, noticing the crowd behind him.

Ishaaq looked at the door eagerly, "Brother Ibrahim is here, right?" he exclaimed, holding back the urge to jump around.

"Are you all a part of his fan club?" Hasan asked, jokingly.

"Yes," they all replied without hesitation. Hasan just laughed. Once Ibrahim entered the house for the first time, the boys settled down in the living room. Maryam joined the girls upstairs with her mother.

Sarah and Sana were engrossed in conversation when Maryam walked over to them. They were sitting on the floor carpet of Sana's room while the mothers discussed life lessons in the master bedroom.

"Ishaaq keeps talking to me about gear ratios and physics formulas..." Sarah sighed remembering how her little brother yaps at her about complicated engineering lingo and concepts, expecting her to understand.

"Ayyub never yaps at me, he has Ishaaq," Sana smiled, relieved she doesn't have to deal with her brother's yapping and complicated lore talk about Minecraft maybe.

Maryam then sat down on the floor, with her back against the wall. She faced Sarah and Sana and smiled fondly. Her elder sisters were such lovely friends. She hoped to meet a friend who'd share a bond with her like Sarah and Sana. She then greets Sarah and Sana – who greet her back and welcome her to join in the conversation. She too admits her elder brother, Ibrahim, keeps yapping to her about business terms like break-even and SOFP and whatnot.

She was quite surprised to know that Ishaaq was also pretty smart.

Meanwhile, the guys were downstairs. Ayyub was showing Ibrahim around the ground floor and his fan club was following them everywhere. Hasan joined too.

First, the living room – where there is a majlis and some sofas to sit on – whatever you prefer. Hasan looked around the familiar surroundings. He's the last person to need the tour. He saw Sana's house when he was a baby. He has seen the walls change from white to gray to black. Toys everywhere to no toys at all. And the living room? The middle of the Majlis area? That's where they got married unofficially. Hasan relaxed into a small smile remembering those times.

Ismail and Hania just then ran into the majlis. Hania was chasing Ismail, and he was escaping her. Hasan's gaze followed their chase and soon he was no longer seeing Ismail or Hania. He was seeing Sana and himself.

Sana was calling out his name while chasing him, commanding him to stop. He was climbing on the sofas, doing a bit of parkour, and running away from her. Then a moment later, he was back in the present. And Hania had tagged Ismail it.

Hasan's smile faded as quickly as it came. The childhood he loved... the childhood friend he cherished... was now only a memory. Both her and him have grown up now. No longer the carefree menaces they were back then. He sighed deeply, feeling the depth of nostalgia. The despair of losing something so precious – his childhood friend, who was his childhood.

They were now in the kitchen counter area where there were so many of Umm Hasan's baking placed on it. Ibrahim was surprised to see Hasan's melancholic expression in such a happy place. Even if you were feeling sad, you'd see Ishaaq's sparkly eyes and him radiating sparkles like a beam or something and then light up.

"Hasan, we won't eat everything, we'll share with you," Ibrahim nudged Hasan lightly. Hasan snapped out of his daze and furrowed his brows at Ibrahim.

"Oh, so you'll only share?" Hasan raised a brow. "I'll be the one sharing,"

Ibrahim smiled, glad to see his friend back. "Oh sorry, your Highness. I misspoke,"

Ayyub and Ishaaq were grinning at their banter. Hussein ran off into the kitchen to get some bakery items for himself.

After the tour, the boys joined the fathers' discussion right in time for their announcement.

"Okay, boys, the fathers and I have concluded a long round of discussion and planning..." Abu Ayyub started, "We're going to the hills this weekend!"

Ishaaq's eyes lit up and he was grinning ear to ear. The rest of them nodded and smiled, I guess. No one's as excited as Ishaaq.

"We'll stay for two nights at the resort, then one of those days we will barbeque in the hills–" Abu Ayyub was gushing until Abu Ishaaq stopped him.

"Muhammad, that is enough spilling, leave some suspense," he advised. Abu Ayyub nodded, understanding the point.

"So, the rest of the plan is for you guys to find out," Abu Hasan added. "And for us to know,"

"Aww, Abbi come on, you know I'm impatient with surprises!" Ishaaq complained at the suspense.

"You will find out in due time," Abu Ibrahim teased Ishaaq.

Soon, the news reaches the moms. They were half ecstatic and half exhausted by the mention of the trip. They discussed the food and the clothes they would have to pack to ensure they were not frozen in the biting cold of the mountains beyond the hills. It was still well into winter.

As it was time to leave, the women donned their covering khimars and Abayas and went downstairs to reunite with their families. But of course, they were halted by some before-leaving-stay-back talk that lasted for more than twenty minutes sometimes. The men were standing outside the doorway while the women tried to conclude their discussion in the living room.

Sarah was talking to Maryam while sitting down at the bottom of the stairs. Sana was standing a few feet in front of them with her back turned towards them. She was making sure the house was alright while also keeping an eye on her youngest brother, Ismail.

Just then, Hania came up to her with Ismail.

"Ukhti Sana, you're so pretty!" she gushed. "Akhi Hasan is also pretty; you would make prettier babies!"

Sana cleared her throat as she registered the innocent girl's words, her eyes widening in surprise at the unexpected comment. Hasan was beside her, maintaining a respectful distance, but close enough to hear what Hania said. He was struggling to hold in his laugh. Sana noticed Hasan's presence and quickly turned her head back to the kids.

"Biologically, that is right," Ismail nodded in thought. He learned about the basics of genetics in his last class. He was in grade 4.

Sana cleared her throat once again. How come there is so much mucus in her throat today? Hasan turned his face away and laughed quietly.

"All of Allah's creations are beautiful, Hania," Hasan smiled at his little sister's innocence. "If only they knew," he muttered.

"You're the prettiest, Hania, Allahumma Barik," Sana returned her compliment. "Jazakillahu Khairan, cutie," she ruffled Hania's hair. She then walked back to join Sarah – who, by the way, heard everything and was giggling silently with Maryam.

Sarah was going to say something mischievous.

"Don't you dare," Sana glared at her, making her laugh even more.

"I think we will have a wedding soon," Maryam said on behalf of Sarah, grinning up at Sana.

"In Sha Allah," Sana said, rolling her eyes at them both.

She needed to remember. This wasn't the seven-year-old Hasan she once knew. He was now grown up, and an adult. Not only that but more distant and closed-off. She couldn't help but remember his smile when he tried to hold back his laughter. She remembered how much they laughed and ran around. The past was beautiful when she was carefree and full of hope. Now she has responsibility grounding her and reality lifting the blinds of wishful thinking.

Soon after the doorway talk, everyone returned to the warm embraces of their own families and homes to reflect on their day.

And to mentally prepare themselves for a staycation trip.

dw the cats were safe because Hasan took them all in his room to shelter them ❤️

there's not much about Sarah and Ibrahim here because last chapter was only about them... and some developments are coming up soon~ so they're prepping in the break room.

as for what inspired this chapter is one of my teacher's villa that I visited and I saw some of my classmates sitting at the bottom of the stairs and chatting. i was very confused where I should put Sarah and Maryam since they're both pretty shy but they'd have to listen in on to Hania's words so I put them at the bottom of the stairs.

as to why Hasan was there... let's say he was there to get himself a cup of water (yk like Ibrahim in the first chapter hehehe~)

and if there is too much mention about missing childhood... i just miss my childhood 🥹❤️

alright, see you next week ❤️
love you alll