Amidst Our Hearts

Forty two.

Cairo, Egypt.

Hajiya Ruqayya exited her room, closing the door quietly so as not to make any sound that'll wake her husband and her two children from sleep. On her way to the kitchen to get a cup of water to quench her thirst, she made sure to stop at Sakeena's room.

The lights are on giving her chance to see Khalifa and Sakeena cuddled up with each other on the carpet. The two have been through enough right from the time Khalifa has a seizure till now. Sakeena may not show it but it shows in her body language.

She has been walking around with slumped shoulders and a frown marinating her face. Hajiya Ruqayya may not know what really transpired between those two but she hopes it's not something that'll lead to a huge fight. She just hopes that the girl will forgive them once everything unravels because the truth won't stay hidden forever.

The future of her son's sanity lies under Sakeena's feet, that is if she'll get to have one. Haaya's death didn't do him good, losing Sakeena will be awfully terrible as well, much worst than before.

Khalifa moved in his sleep. The sudden movement caused Sakeena to jerk up from her sleep because she thought he's going to have another seizure. The look in his eyes broke her heart into a thousand pieces. It's a look of emptiness. She wants him to know that she'll always be here for him, she's got him no matter what.

Placing her palm on his right cheek, she caressed the skin there softly with her thumb. "You know that it's okay to cry, right?" Then the waterworks started.

Now she understand why Haaya is a very sensitive topic. What happened really left him broken but she's glad she get to see him at his worst, his not so good vulnerable side.

Sakeena held him tight to her chest, rubbing his arms as his body shook, the tears falling more and more. "We'll get through this." Her voice came out in a whisper but he heard her. How can they get through this when someome is threatening to destroy the little peace he has finally found?

Cradling Khalifa's face in her hands, Sakeena let him let it all out on her pajama top. "Crying isn't a sign of weakness, it shows that you've been holding on for too long. I'm here with you and you should know that." Sakeena whispered in his ears, trying her best to calm him down.

His cries die down but they both couldn't go back to sleep, they sat in utter silence till fajr time. After praying two raka'ats of nafil together and the main prayer, Sakeena managed to get Khalifa to sleep after swallowing down some pain relief pills but she couldn't go back to sleep though.

Sakeena exited the room quietly and head straight to the kitchen for something to feed her empty stomach. From the confession to the Khalifa's breakdown, everything is weighing her down. Areez's words slowly creep into her head.

You don't know what you signed up for. Sakeena is feeling it deep in her soul that he's trying to warn her about something but there aren't signs of looming danger anywhere. She gets that he just doesn't get along with Khalifa from their weak bond unlike the rest but she can't just ignore the feeling, not when it's increasing each passing second.

Our family is complicated.  Can it get anymore worst? They all get along quite well from what she has noticed. The bond between them is strong, stronger than the one she has with her cousins so what's so complicated about them?

Sakeena shook her head when the thoughts got too intense. No, she can't just let Areez's words get into her head and start creating doubts. Had it been there's anything wrong then they would've returned to Nigeria. When it comes to Khalifa, he has been through a lot and just needs mental support to get over Haaya.

Her phone lit up, the vibrations spreading thought the marble top. "Hi yaya." Sakeena answered immediately the call connected.

"Sakeena Naisa Ibrahim Abdulmaleek." Fahad called her complete full name.