LUCENT

56

NADIRA

Sitting crisscross on the gym bench, I watched Tayyib do his third set of pull-ups, my gaze captivated by the rhythmic motion of his muscles flexing under the strain of each repetition. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and admiration as I watched him. This man was my husband, mine alone. I could pick fights wherever and whenever because I knew he would back me up.

I'd never been awake early enough to tag along, but I was up bright and early today because I couldn't wait to tell everyone the news. Tayyib and I had spent the rest of the week keeping the secret so we could soak it in.

Despite seeing the babies with our own eyes, Tayyib and I were still in disbelief. However, as the hours passed and the magnitude of the moment slowly dawned on us, washing away any lingering doubts, we became overjoyed.

I admit that, alongside being joyful, I was scared of what would come. With each heartbeat, I felt a profound sense of purpose and wonder, marvelling at the miracle unfolding inside me. In this moment of revelation, every worry and fear is eclipsed by an indescribable feeling of love and anticipation for the journey ahead.

As for Tayyib, his happiness knows no bounds. The babies are all he can talk about. He even reminded me of how we agreed on two kids, and I laughed while thinking about it. God works in the most magical ways.

He pulls me out of my thoughts when he finally lets go of the pull-up bar. He grabs the bottle of water on the floor and chugs it, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he does so. "I'm very tempted to jump your bones," I say, standing.

He chuckles as he closes the bottle. "Don't say that when the kids are present."

I roll my eyes. "I won't be able to speak for a while then because they go everywhere I go," I say, pointing to my belly.

Smiling, he walks over, bends and kisses my tummy. "let's go shower," he says, pulling me towards the door.

"No! You can't be done already. Do one more set or lift weights again, please," I whine.

He raises a brow at me. "You can't be serious."

I cross my arms and frown. "I am! I like watching," I reply.

"Not happening. Let's go," he says, pulling me gently.

Reluctantly, I allow him to lead us up to the room. When we reached, I was still sulking, and Tayyib noticed. "I'm sorry for not giving you what you want. I'll make it up to you," he says.

"How?" I ask.

He motions for me to come, and I walk over to him. He spins me around and puts me in a gentle headlock. I grin, and he chuckles. "Happy?"

"Very," I confirm.

He lets go and spins me back around to face him. "You have strange tastes," he says, and I shrug. I like what I like and won't be shamed out of it. I stand on my tippy toes and give him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Let's shower."

After our shower, I helped Tayyib pick a suit for work, which took over an hour. I had mistakenly said they all looked the same, which drove him to explain different cuts and styles to me. It was tiring, but I can confidently differentiate between a single and double-breasted jacket if I ever find myself in a conversation about suits.

I was on cloud nine, so I chose a colourful dress to support the notion before heading to the kitchen with Tayyib. He made the pancakes I craved before downing a cup of coffee and rushing out. I did odd things around the house to pass the time, then napped until lunchtime finally came.