* * *
A month later

With slumped shoulders, I made it into the flat and leaned against the wall as I waited for the lift. Work was just dragging on and on and I was tired of working later than I had to just to finish off these damn spreadsheets. I looked down at my watch only to realise that the bloody thing wasn't working. I groaned and stepped into the lift.

Two minutes later, I opened the front door, stepping into the empty house. Aisha was at her mum's, looking after the kids because Priya and Jamil had just gone on their honeymoon two days ago. So now Aisha is going to bring the kids over tomorrow and they will stay for the week since it was their holiday.

I threw my bag onto the sofa and shoved my blazer off, it landing on the floor. I looked up at table full of food and slowly smiled. Aisha must have come over whilst I was at work because there was no other way food would just magically appear like that, especially if there was nothing in the house. My eye then caught the navy box on the table with a little bow on it. I picked it up only to see my name on it. Curious, I slowly opened the box.

My smile only grew when I saw the new silver watch in the box. I shook my head with a laugh as I opened the tiny envelope inside the box.

'Cooked you some food so you wouldn't starve yourself. I've only been gone a day and you managed not to eat anything.

And the next time you look down at your watch, I hope it will work because I know how grumpy you get with that old watch. I hope you like the new one because it took me forever to finally pick one for you.

Anyways, I will see you tomorrow. The kids are gonna stay at mums because Hasna and them are coming over so they wanted to stay. So you get me all to yourself! I miss you and love you.

-the best woman in the world, Aisha.'

I looked back at the food, sighing. I was so used to eating with her on the table that I felt weird if she wasn't there. Instead, I fell onto the sofa, calling her. It rung a couple of times and eventually went to voicemail. I then looked at the time to see it was past one in the morning. She was bound to be asleep. Not having anything else to do, I dragged my body to the bedroom, got changed and then staggered into bed.

* * *

My eyes snapped open at the sound of the door slamming shut. I heard the footsteps outside the door. I was about  to get up and when the door suddenly opened. I sighed in relief when I saw Aisha standing there with a small smile.

"Sorry I woke you up."

I fell back onto the pillow with a groan. I heard her say something but the headache I had was killing me. I closed my eyes and put  a hand over my head, trying to make it go away. Aisha sat down beside me and I opened my eyes to see her smiling at me. "Sorry. When did you come? What time is it?"

"I came around eleven but you were still sleeping so I just went to go and spend time with Carly and now I'm back. It's almost three by the way."

"Fuck. Almost three?"

"Yeah." I frowned as I pulled her into a hug. She giggled as I pulled her into me and under the blanket. "What's wrong with you? You never sleep this late."

"I know. I'm just so tired of work," I mumbled against her shoulder. She ran her hands through my hair and I sighed. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." She kissed my cheek and I slowly opened my eyes. "But I'm mad at you. You didn't eat anything even though I came back and cooked for you."

"I know babe. I'm sorry but I wasn't really that hungry and I came back at like one yesterday so I didn't feel like it." She hummed into my hair and I closed my eyes again. "Thank you for the watch, babe. You didn't have to get it."

She just kissed the top of my head again before getting up. "I'll go and make you some breakfast."

"No, come back! I missed you."

"No, you need to eat something first. By the time I make you breakfast, I want you out of bed and in the kitchen." Before I could even say anything, she was out the room. I laughed to myself as I rolled off the bed. I stretched on my way to the bathroom, groaning at the release of the tension in my muscles.

"Babe?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you start making a list of what we need?"

"Already did it. Just check over and add anything else you need."

By the time I got out the shower, Aisha was putting the glass of orange juice down on the table. I smiled at her before sitting down.

"You not gonna eat?"

"Aneel, it's three so I'm pretty sure I've eaten already." She kissed my cheek as she walked past me and through the hallway. "The list is beside you on the table so can you just look through and see what you need." I picked up the list from the table and scanned through it. Once I added the few things I needed, I put the list back where it was and continued with my breakfast. Aisha stepped back into the room with a smile on her face.

"Can you at least come and sit next to me? I've missed you for the last couple of days."

"It's only been two days." Nonetheless, she pulled the chair beside me closer and sat down. I raised the toast to her mouth but she shook her head. "I've already eaten."

"You going to refuse your loving husband?" She huffed before leaning over and taking a small bite. "Thank you. And as for the two days, you've been neglecting me since me for the last month. You made yourself busy with the two weddings that you forgot about me." I continued to eat my scrambled eggs and toast as I looked at her from the corner of my eyes, waiting for her reaction. She frowned and put her head on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. I laughed softly and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm just kidding babe. I'm glad I have a wife who would do anything to make others happy," I whispered against her hair. I then turned to her and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you for helping my family and friends." She looked up with a small smile.

"Your friends and family are part of you and if they are unhappy that makes you unhappy. And you, my loving husband, your happiness is my happiness so if you're not happy, I have to fix that." She leaned back, putting a hand on my cheek. It was the small gestures from her that I loved the most and made me love her more. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I felt her lips on the top of my head and closed my eyes.

"Finish your breakfast. I'll get ready and clean the bed." I watched her go with a smile before returning to my breakfast. It didn't take long for me to finish since I ate pretty quickly.

* * *

I followed Aisha whilst pushing the trolley. Once she stopped, I nudged her with a smirk. She turned around to glare at me before huffing and turning back around.

"Can you stop that?" I shrugged my shoulders even though she wasn't looking. "God, that is all you have been doing for the last half hour," she mumbled to herself. "Sometimes I wonder if you're actually five years older or not."

"Actually, four and a half. Don't make me sound a half year older than I am." She turned to me giving me a bored look. I then pushed the trolley to the side before taking her hand in mine. "I'm sorry. Now can you stop being so grumpy?" She gasped and shook her hand off.

"I am not grumpy!"

"Really, Aneel? Still annoying her?" I looked over at Chris who had Lea's daughter standing beside him. I looked down at the blue eyed girl and smiled. She smiled back before waving at me.

"Hey Lilly! You having fun?"

"Yes. We came shopping to get away from mummy. She's shouting a lot today," she said innocently. I looked at Chris, confused. He only laughed as he looked down at Lilly. Lea and Chris had only started going out a week ago and I was really happy for him because he was actually finally happy. "She said she is bleeding to death and I told Chrissy to call the doctor to help my mummy but he said chocolate will help. Will chocolate help make my mummy feel better?" Aisha laughed to herself as she looked up at me. I shook my head at the innocence of the little girl.

"Yes. Chocolates will make your mummy happy again. And you know what else will? A big great  hug from a cute little girl who loves their mummy very much." Her small eyes widened and a huge smile spread across her face.

"Me!" I chuckled and nodded my head. "Chrissy, we need to hurry up. I need to give my mummy a big hug." Before Chris could even say anything, she started to pull him to the next aisle.

"That girl is too cute. But thank you for setting them up together. It means a lot to see Chris happy because he deserves it." She just gave my hand a squeeze with a smile. "Are we done?"

"Almost. Just need to get some blades and face wash." We made our way past the busy aisles and when we finally made it to our aisle, I saw it was completely empty. I sighed in relief since the rest of the shop was filled with too many people. I wrapped my arms around Aisha and sighed in comfort. "You okay there?"

"Yes. I just missed you."

"I'm sorry I left-"

"Shut up. I told you I was only joking this morning. Everything just feels so much better when I'm with you," I whispered as I let go of her. I smiled at her before throwing in a packet of my blades. "I love you."

* * *

I glanced over at Aisha who was sleeping. I smiled at her as I moved the hair away from her face. After kissing her cheek, I got up from bed and into the kitchen. With a steaming cup of tea in my hand, I sat outside in the balcony, looking at the streets beneath me.

After a while, Aisha pulled the door open. I looked up at her and then moved slightly on the chair to give her enough room to sit down. She smiled at me before sitting down on my lap. So much for the moving.

With a laugh, I secured my arms around her. I buried my head in her shoulder and sighed. "Can you tell me what's wrong now?"

"Nothing babe. I just missed you." She turned around and cupped my face. I looked at the frown on her face and sighed. "Okay, I do have something to tell you." She dropped her hands and nodded her head. "Okay...you know how I was telling you that Chris, Bhai and Rashid all went for a month to New York for work?" She nodded her head again and I sighed. "It's my turn now...if I do this, I get to move onto the next step and get the promotion I always wanted. The other guys already got the promotion because they did the course that time and Uncle offered it to me but we were busy organising our wedding so I couldn't leave."

"What the hell is wrong with you, Aneel? Why are you thinking about this? Just go. Don't let me stop you again. This is what you always wanted so I say go for it."

"You don't understand, Aisha. I can't take you with me because it will be in a house full of guys and we will hardly be in so I can't leave you alone like that. It's a fucking month, Aisha. I miss you like crazy when you're away for a bloody day and you think I can go a month without being with you?"

"Aneel..." She leaned down to kiss me softly. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. You go and come back and I'll still be here waiting for my perverted husband."

"I don't want to leave you all alone," I whispered.

She shook her head with a smile. "Does your mum know about this? Is that why she said I'm welcome to pack my bags and stay there for however long I want?" I slowly nodded my head and she shook her head with a laugh. "Then that's what I'll do. If it's gonna make you feel any better, I'll go and stay here until you return."

"You will? I just don't want you to be alone while I'm gone."

"If that is gonna make you feel more relaxed while you're away, then I'll do it. But I might come back during the last week so I can clean the house, do some shopping and make everything nice for you when you return." She kissed me again and I pulled her in closer.

"Fuck, I'm gonna miss this," I whispered against her lips.

"When do you go?"

"In two weeks..." Her eyes widened and I smiled sheepishly. "I know I should have told you before-"

"What the hell, Aneel?" She stood up quickly and went back in. I groaned as I followed after her.

"Aisha..."

"What? Were you planning to tell me when you luggage was all packed and you were at the bloody airport? If I didn't bug you to tell me all day, you wouldn't have, right?"

"I know you're angry-"

"I'm fucking pissed, Aneel!" I took a step back in shock. She was never one to swear unless she was really angry or upset. I put my head down as the guilt washed over me. "You're going away for a month and I only get two weeks to prepare myself to say goodbye? You're not the only one who is going to miss the other one because I'm going to miss you too..." I looked back at her and saw the tears in her eyes. "I won't have anyone to wake up next to for a whole month. I won't have to wait for a whole entire day, lazing around waiting for you to come back and hold me like you always do. I won't have anyone hitting me with the bloody trolley all the time whilst shopping." She sniffed and I took the risk of standing beside her. I expected her to push me away but she wrapped her arms around tightly. Damn, this was way too tight. I heaved as I wrapped my arms around her. "Two weeks is not enough for me to say goodbye to you."

"I won't go. I'll tell-"

"No, you're going." I buried my head into her shoulder and sighed as I closed my eyes. "We just make these two weeks worthwhile. Only the two of us, Aneel."

"Only the two of us," I whispered.