Enemy [Kaveh x Al Haitham]

23: Faranak

Kaveh just froze.

His mother who left him years ago to start a new life in Fontaine was standing there.
Right in front of him.
After all these years.

She looked different. Her style had completely changed, and she had dyed her brown hair blonde just like Kaveh did.

Kaveh wanted to say something to his mom. Every year, since his mom left, he was hoping he would randomly bump into her some day. He always thought of the things that he would say to her. He wanted to tell her how he finally felt more comfortable for being transgender. He wanted to tell her that he was doing better.

But as he grew older, he slowly forgot about his dream of meeting his mother again.

And there he was, standing in front of her.

„ Kaveh, I'm so happy you're here too.", Faranak said with tears in her eyes, „ I haven't been back here since I left that day. What a coincidence that you came back too. Your old nanny told me you were at university now. How is it?"

Kaveh wanted to answer, but he couldn't.

He felt a mixture of different emotions: Happy, sad, and angry. Happy, because he finally saw his mom after over 10 years. Sad, because he he didn't expect to be so emotional after seeing her again. And angry, because she had left him...and now was acting as if nothing happened.

Finally, Kaveh opened his mouth.
„ Why are you talking to me?", he said. Those were the words he didn't want to say, but any other words wouldn't come out.

„ Kaveh, you're my son. I know we lost contact but-!", Faranak began.

„ Son? Don't act like you're my mother suddenly after all these years.", Kaveh yelled, „ I'm so used to you not being part of my life, and I don't want you being part of my life now."

Kaveh stormed off as fast as he could. As he was far away from his mother, he burst into tears.
Deep inside, he wanted his mother by his side. Especially seeing how close Alhaitham and his mother were.
But the other side if Kaveh was angry at his mother for leaving him at only 8 years old.

After she left him, things went downhill for Kaveh when he came out as transgender.
He had no parent to talk to about his trauma.

Meanwhile, Alhaitham left the kiosk. He looked up and noticed Kaveh wasn't there in the spot he was waiting in.

Instead, there was a blonde woman wearing a blue dress sobbing.

Alhaitham wanted to approach the woman and ask her if she was ok, but he could never start a conversation. He was too anxious to make the first move in any type of conversation.

„ Kaveh! Are you hiding as a joke?", Alhaitham called, trying to find his boyfriend.

He noticed the woman look up at him.
„ Excuse me.", she called.

Alhaitham noticed the woman trying to get his attention.
He approached her.

„ Hi. I'm sorry to bother you but I noticed you were calling "Kaveh"...and I know where he went.", the woman said, „ I think he went outside. I saw him run out of here."

Alhaitham smiled.
„ Thank you.", he said. He wanted to leave and find Kaveh, but he knew he couldn't leave the woman cry.

„ By the way, how do you know Kaveh? Did he say anything mean to you? Because if he did it's his kind of humor, so don't take it personally.", Alhaitham said.

The woman took a deep breath.
„ I'm Faranak, his mother.", she said.

Alhaitham's eyes opened widely.
He instantly understood why Kaveh must have ran off.

Kaveh always got upset when talking about his mother. Alhaitham always noticed that Kaveh felt betrayed and hurt that his mother left him at such a young age.

„ Nice to meet you. I'm Alhaitham, Kaveh's boyfriend.", Alhaitham said.

Faranak smiled.
„ I'm sorry you had to see me cry...Kaveh wasn't happy to see me, but I do understand him.", she said, „ I never wanted to leave him. But I had no choice. After my husband died shortly after Kaveh's birth, I started making less money. When I lost my job, I got an eviction notice. I didn't want Kaveh being homeless at such a young age. Thanfully, a guy agreed to help me out. He said Fontaine had great job offers, and I could live with him. But sadly, the schools in Fontaine were too expensive, so the guy gave me money to hire a nanny to look after Kaveh. I would have done anything to bring him with me...but I couldn't."

Faranak broke into tears.

Alhaitham sighed.
„ I totally understand you.", Alhaitham said, „ And trust me, Kaveh doesn't hate you. He was upset that you left him, but he doesn't know the real reason. By the way he talks to me about you, deep down, he loves you. I think it will take Kaveh some time to come around, but trust me, he eventually will."

Faranak wrapped her arms around Alhaitham.
„ No wonder why my son is dating you. You seem to be so sweet.", she said smiling. Alhaitham smiled too.

„ I will go now. I won't talk to Kaveh today, but I would appreciate if you did try and talk to him for me.", Faranak said.
„ I definitely will.", Alhaitham said smiling.

Faranak left.
Alhaitham went outside the mall. He found Kaveh sitting down on a bench. He wasn't crying, but he looked quite upset.
„ Hey Kaveh.", Alhaitham said.

Kaveh immediately faked a smile.
„ Hey Hayi. So, should we head back to your mom's house?", Kaveh said, as if nothing had happened.

Alhaitham smiled.

He decided he wouldn't tell Kaveh about Faranak that day, since he didn't want it to ruin their last day of vacation.

But eventually, he would bring it up with him.