Too Little, Too Late

25

Ayra and Ibrahim did not do anything else until they'd caught up on everything that'd happened in each other's life. It took them the first two days in Santorini to get that done as there was a lot to catch up on and a lot to talk about as to the future of their marriage.

They celebrated the little wins they had in their time apart and when Ayra said Ibtihaj recommended content creation for her to go into now that she didn't have to go to school anymore, Ibrahim was all for it and his support was everything Ayra never knew she actually needed.

He chuckled when she blushed, her dimples deep. Leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Let me know everything you need when you're ready to get started and you can be rest assured I'll personally scout every store in Aomi to be sure we get nothing but the very best."

She giggled like a giddy child. "Okay!"

They spoke about kids; both of them agreeing they still weren't ready to have little versions of themselves although their marriage was slowly inching towards a year. They agreed to come back to the discussion by their first year anniversary to know what the other person felt and until then, they were still going to take contraceptives very seriously.

They set out goals for themselves; communication goals as a couple, periodical games that came with rewards such as date nights or trips to the most beautiful cities in the world, days to just be with each other...All of it. They made an agreement to sign up for couple therapy if things ever got to the point where they were – once again – growing apart because one person wasn't satisfied and was hurting because of the actions of the other person. As they made that agreement, Ibrahim apologised over and over and when Ayra got tired, she kissed him until he shut his mouth and kept the remaining apologies to himself.

Once all of that was put behind them and they were both freer and happier, they went on to enjoy all Santorini had to offer. They went on the Santorini Classic Catamaran cruise which offered the island's sights from the water, went on a private tailor made half-day tour, went on a luxurious cruise ride on the caldera where they were served full Greek meals and drinks, caught sunrises and sunsets, visited wineries for tastings...They did it all. When they weren't outside, they did a lot indoors and they ended up going at each other once clothes were off the same way Ibtihaj always described: like rabbits in heat season, but Ayra loved every single moment. She loved the pillow talks they had once they were done too.

Like everything else, the trip came to an end and she didn't look forward to heading back to Aomi one bit; something that made Ibrahim laugh heartily. On their last night, she sat by the edge of the pool while he lazily swam. Inside the suite, their boxes were packed and the outfits they were to wear for their morning flight were already laid out. Their passports and plane tickets were in their carry-on bags.

Ayra sighed, her small pout returning as Ibrahim swam her way. "I really don't want to go home."

He easily got out of the water, sitting beside her with very little space between them. "We can always come back. Once my schedule's clear and you're good with it, we can always come back. Just not to this hotel."

She looked at him. "Why?"

His smile was warm. "We should try out other ones. What if there's one that's better? We won't know if we decide to remain here." He turned back to the pool. "Also, there are other islands we can explore. I'm not against us coming back here to Oia but let's get the full Greek experience before we start returning to places we've visited before."

She smiled then, toying with her legs in the water. "I'm going to look forward to that. Hurry up and free up your schedule."

He laughed. "I will."