Haseena closes her bedroom door and aims for her destination, the couch where Alice is already at with her laptop on her lap and her feet on the coffee table. She is working on something that she has taken back from work. Karishma is with her study group after shift today so Haseena has no choice but to proceed her evening like she usually does without having her on the phone. They haven't properly seen each other after that day but they haven't missed a day talking to one another on facetime. Haseena takes a seat at one end of the couch and rests her feet on the coffee table like Alice. She doesn't say anything for a while but she does look over at Alice who has taken a notice since the very first glance. Haseena has something to say and she is trying to order the words properly but Alice is more nervous than annoyed with those glares. She is scared of what Haseena has to say. She is scared that it will involve someone she accidentally ran into a week ago.
"What is it?" Alice asks without looking up from her laptop and her fingers are still busy on the keyboard. She tries to appear unbothered but it seems to be harder than she thought when there is something on her mind also.
"How are you?" Haseena turns towards Alice.
Alice scoffs with a smirk. The usual question doesn't sound so usual coming off Haseena's mouth. She decides to put her laptop down on the coffee table and turns towards Haseena. Something is up and it is important. "I am fine. How are you?"
"I'm good." Haseena responds. Her fingers are intertwined on her lap and she keeps her eyes closely on them to make sure that she will not break her own fingers. Words are more difficult to articulate today: especially with the topic that she has been avoiding for forever. "Thank you for asking."
"I don't mind if you want Karishma to move in." Alice speaks up after a while of silence. She guesses the topic of this weird conversation. She hopes that it'll be correct because if it's not about Karishma, this conversation will go from weird to wild.
"She told you she wanted to move in?" Haseena enters a phrase of panic almost right away. She loves having Karishma around but moving in together is a little too soon; way too soon. Her mind is still a bit foggy from the girlfriend situation and if the moving in situation emerges, she is not sure how well she will handle it.
"Then, what is it? You're all weirded out." Alice pays full attention to her best friend and she can see that Haseena is gradually possessed with nervousness. Her intertwined fingers form some sort of a fist ball and her leg starts to shake.
"Okay." Alice responds. It's not an approval. It's more like an acknowledgement and a relief. She now understands why Haseena gets all weirded out. It's about Karishma and it's about Haseena's sister, Mira. Those are names she hasn't thought of coming together in a same sentence.
"There are a bunch of holidays coming up." Haseena starts laying out what has been on her mind for days. Coming out to her family has never been something Haseena wanted to consider. She was raised by an old-fashioned Indian mom who wants everything to go by the book. Her sister, on the other hand, is more supportive of Haseena in every aspects of life so far and she believes that Mira will be supportive of this also. The idea of telling Mira is more at ease to her but still, it isn't entirely a piece of cake. "I don't want Karishma to feel like I'm hiding her here."
Alice reaches over to touch Haseena's shoulder and holds her hand. "You are still you; no matter what happens, okay?"
"Okay." Haseena responds quietly. This is what she wants; not a yes or a no but an encouragement. They both have been through almost everything together to the point where nothing can stop them anymore. Alice has a long speech ready for anyone who disapproves of who Haseena is. It shouldn't matter and no one is allowed to make Haseena think less of herself because of who she is.
