Zayn Malik's Long Lost Sister (Unedited)

59. The Big House

We arrived at the Malik's house hold an hour before noon, the place smelling of delicious food in ways prepared that I've never smelt before.

"Vas Happ'ning?" Zayn exclaims as he enters into the kitchen, the breeze blowing in through the open sliding glass door that led to the large back deck that held the garden.

I look at Zayn as if he's lost his mind. "Nice accent." I mumble to him.

"It used to be my thing." He winks before going over and kissing his moms cheek. "Can I help with anything?"

"We." I correct, Safaa coming in through the glass door. I clear my throat. "Can we help with anything?"

"Oh," Patricia smiles at us both. "I don't need much help in here, Doniya was just running out to pick up more syrup for the maple cookies. It's all that needs to be finished. I'm making it at over at grandma and grandpas place."

"Help dad load the car, Zayn." Safaa says after she finishes a cup of water. "We'll be ready to go when it's all in."

"Okay, sure." Our brother picks up a pot that he took to be lighter than it actually was. He embarrassingly struggled with the heavier weight and carried it out the front door.

"Your sister should be back any minute, why don't you help me clean?" Patricia asks.

I turn my attention back to her and begin to help, but I stopped when Patricia and Safaa froze to look at me.

"What?" I ask, pink splashing my cheeks.

"Uhm, you don't have to help, Marley." Patricia says with a light smile.

"But you just asked me....." I look back to Safaa and realized, Patricia wasn't asking me to help. "Sorry, I thought you were asking me."

"You already think of us as your real sisters?" Safaa asks, her grey eyes watching mine as she carries a dirty pot cover to the sink, her mother washing the dishes that are brought over.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" I answer.

"I don't know." Safaa answers honestly, grabbing a cloth and wiping down a sauce that spilt on to the counter even before Zayn and I showed up. "But I like it."

* * *

The house to this place was massive. Patricia's parents must be rich. The have a front yard didn't have much space, but the grass made a path along both sides of the house, going into the back. Their white picket fence was gorgeous and well painted. It went around the whole lot and separated only in the front where an arch created the entrance, beautiful green vines cascading all over it.

I step out of Zayn's car that seemed to be one of many that's parked along the side of the road, the large driveway full.

Yaser calls for our help to take in the dishes that Patricia prepared.

As we all walked up the stone path, with everyone holding something, the house began to get bigger and bigger as we approach it. I wouldn't be surprised if it had three stories like my home back in Florida.

"Don't let anyone intimidate you, pet." Patricia says quietly from close behind me. I only nod.

Yaser balances the heaviest dish and pushes the fancy doorbell to the right of the double doors. We waited and heard hurried footsteps getting louder. Just then, with a sharp pull of the white front door, an elderly woman squeals in delight.

"Yaser!" She exclaims, stepping aside and opening the door wider. Her accent was profound in just saying one word. "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, mum." Yaser smiles. Stepping inside the house, he leans down to his mother-in-law and they touch cheeks in a greetings kiss.

"Waliyha!" The lady says in greeting, giving her a one armed hugged that would probably feel as tight as a two armed one.

"Safaa!" Another tight hug.

"Doniya!" Another tight hug.

"Zayn! My, have you grown! Finally, we get to have a gathering with you here." Another tight hug.

I was in the line next, before Patricia, and the lady took in air to continue her name greetings, but she didn't know my face, my name. She didn't know me.

I made no advance to step through the front door.

"Hi, I'm Marley." I introduce, somewhat shyly. I stood five large steps from the ground, the stairs were taller than I would categorize as normal.

I drop my gaze from hers because she was looking down at me as if she couldn't believe what she saw. Then, she stepped out of the house, her shoes coming into my line of vision.

"Marley," She says as if she's letting the name roll around on her tongue. I felt soft hands caress my face and I quickly look up into the eyes of Patricia's mother. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"You..." I blink rapidly out of sheer disbelief. "You know who I am? I mean, about me?"

"Of course." The lady smiles and gives me the first two armed hug that I've seen since seeing her. "Patricia kept you a secret from Yaser and her three girls, but not from me or any one else in the rest of her family. We just had to be sworn to secrecy."

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you." I repeat her words from earlier after she pulls away, her hands dropping from my shoulders. "Uhm, who else knows-?"

"About you?" She finishes. "Everyone in my house, dear. Come inside."

I move around her, stepping over the threshold and nothing really catches my eye because everything is too interesting. So much so that I'm not sure where to look first. It may not have been as massive as my parents house, but it was more decorative, more lively.

I wait for Patricia and her mother to come in, and I followed them toward the kitchen, where excited voices were coming from. I could've easily found this area by myself but I didn't want to be alone.

Yaser was busy chatting with someone in the doorway of the sliding glass door that opened up widely to the large back deck. The deck separated into two flights of stairs; a bachelor staircase that led down to a large patch of green luscious land, a pool directly in the center. It stretched from the back deck to the picket fence, its water beautifully blue and clear.

"Gloria," Patricia's mother scolded. "What did I tell you about leaving the gas stove unattended?"

The girl who was being scolded was on her phone- texting rather quickly, her light brown hair pulled into a high ponytail.

"I was watching it." The girl sighs, placing her phone down to look up. Her eyes caught mine and they become more focused than when she had her phone in hand. "Marley Richards?"

"You know me?" I ask quietly as Patricia's mother takes the dish I was holding and places it on the counter. I wonder when I will get used to everyone having an accent. But here, I'm know I'm the foreigner.

"Are you kidding me?" Gloria stands, inching around the table to stand in front of me. "You're the one trying to steal my boyfriend."

"You must have made a mistake," I say with an amused chuckle, looking over at Zayn with slightly wide eyes. He chuckles quietly. "I'm not a man stealer and I haven't been interested in anyone-"

"But I saw you two." Gloria folds her arms. Before her face became a pout, she looked maybe eighteen, now she looks about as young as I am. "And I'm not the only one who is mad. Countless others are, too."

"Gloria," Patricia's mom sighs frustratingly. "You and Liam are not an item, now accept that fact and come watch the stove before you burn my house down."

I fight the urge to roll my eyes as Gloria pointedly looks me up and down. Why haven't I heard an insane warning about her?

Cousin Gloria: Comically insane with relationship imagines.