The Blood Debt

Chapter 34

Ayla

Nora calls me while Roman's in Maine. It's a welcome distraction from an uneasy afternoon spent thinking about Roman and my Mom and all the ways Roman could seriously damage the relationship he flew out to repair. Nora tells me that now that I have endless babysitters at my disposal we need to make the most of it and have a girls night out. She suggests I leave Noah with Rejab and Emina and call Lou and Holly too for a night out in the East Village.

"There's a new club in the East Village called the Cigar Lounge. It's really boujee and exclusive. It's all over the gram and it's supposed to be really hard to get into but Fatmire's brother runs security there and he said he'll get us in."

"Seems like a lot of effort to get into a club Nora," I tell her.

"You sound like my mom Ayla," she huffs. "It's not just any club - it's the Cigar Lounge. It's sophisticated and sexy and only the super cool hang out there. It's impossible to get into and Ismail's literally giving us a free pass."

"Fine. I'll tell Holly," I tell her.

"Ohh I'm so excited," she chirps enthusiastically. "I've been wanting to go since it opened. When's Roman getting back?" she asks.

"Tonight I think. I'm not sure. I don't want to call and ask. He hasn't messaged and I've had this uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach all morning. I don't know if it was the right thing to do, sending him off on his own. I hope he doesn't make things worse."

"Umm. I'd love to be able to say I'm sure it'll be fine but this is Roman we're talking about so I can understand why you're worried, but to be fair he really has come a long way lately. Some days I can't even recognise him."

"Neither can I," I tell her truthfully.

"You know that if she doesn't accept your offer it has nothing to do with you, right? Her issue isn't with you Ayla. It's with Roman and your father, and it might take a little more effort to repair the kind of trauma that connects you all to one another."

"I know," I huff into the phone. "I know."

I come downstairs feeling tired and a little deflated only to find Rejab moving the lounge room furniture around.

"What's going on here?" I ask, turning to Noah who's watching Rejab from the sidelines with excitement.

"Uncle Rejab's going to make an 'arena' so we can WWE wrestle."

"WW what?" I ask, trying to speak over the scraping furniture in the background.

"Wrestle Mania Mom!" he says like he's just discovered that maybe I'm not as cool as he thought I was.

Emina comes in with two tall glasses of homemade lemonade and two face towels, placing them on opposite ends of the 'arena.'

"For the wrestlers," she says, rolling her eyes like this isn't her first rodeo.

Since I've been back, it's moments like these when I begin to appreciate the importance of family and why people say it takes a village to raise a child. For all my love, I know these are experiences Noah might never have had in his sheltered little life with me. I see now that what I thought was right, what I thought he needed protection from, is actually the very place where he's flourishing and thriving and it's humbling in the most bitter-sweet of ways.

"Mommy look at me," he yells.

Rejab falls backward letting Noah pin him to the ground before he taps out breathlessly making Noah's eyes light up.