Heaven From Here

*Happy Eid!*

One Year After Epilogue

"Hey Pari, Layla all ready for tomorrow?" Saif asked as he walked into the living and paused as he felt the tension of the day ease seeing his wife, his Hanna, sitting on the couch surrounded by their cats, Babli and Bunty. What he didn't notice yet was the pensive mood she was in.

Plastering a smile on her face, Hanna nodded. She watched as Saif crossed the room to plant a sweet kiss on her forehead. Straightening up, he walked into the kitchen and started to fill the kettle up.

"You want some tea, Pari?" he asked from the kitchen.

"No," Hanna answered, absentmindedly stroking the silky black fur between Bunty's ears. She could feel the vibrations from his purrs on her lap.

Fixing up his tea, he slowly walked to the couch and knew something had happened today as she had gone over to his father's house. Concealing a sigh, he sat next to Hanna on the couch placing his tea on the side table, ignoring the dirty looks the cats gave him as he pushed them gently off. Wrapping his arms around Hanna, he planted kisses on her temple and saw her smile as she cuddled into his side.

"What happened, Pari?" Saif whispered in her ear and felt her tense up immediately.

"How do you know something happened?" she asked guarded, her eyes low.

"Because I love you that much, to just know," Saif smiled down charmingly at Hanna.

"Choti Maa, asked me yet again when we would be having babies in front of all the other aunties. And all the other aunties decided then and there that they knew better, and started giving advice," Hanna sniffed as she fiddled with the hem of her jumper. "One even gave me the number of a fertility clinic; said her daughter in law got treatment over there. What if she's right? What if there is a problem with me?" Hanna looked up Saif, her green eyes bright with tears.

Saif closed his eyes and leaned back on the couch. He hated it whenever Hanna went over to visit his family simply because his stepmother would start mouthing off to Hanna. But Hanna was adamant at trying to keep a cordial relationship between all of them.

"Pari, I love you. You know that right?" he said and felt relieved when he saw a small smile playing on Hanna's lips at his words as she nodded slowly.

"I know for everyone else, we've been married for the longest time –"

"Four and half-ish years is not the longest time," Hanna protested with a frown.

"Sorry, sorry, for just four and a half years-"

"Half-ish..." Hanna rolled her eyes at Saif sullenly.

"Yes, that...but we haven't actually been trying for a baby all those years," Saif said seriously. "I mean honestly let's just say if there was a problem with either one of us, it would take us at least two to three years of trying to have baby before seeking medical intervention."

"You think so?" she asked with wide hopeful eyes. He could feel see some of the tension melt away from her body.

"I know so, Pari. Please stop worrying. What happens between the two of us, in our house, in our bedroom; is between us isn't it? We aren't going around shouting about what birth control methods we were using. Plus, you had a doctorate to complete, we were long distance; imagine the stress having a baby would put on us at that time," He said gently, brushing her red hair away from her face.