Better Late Than Never

11

"You look extremely happy, Ayra. That makes me feel really, really good."

Smiling brightly, Ayra wrapped her fingers tighter around her mug of ginger and lime tea, keeping her line of sight on the light brown liquid which was a change – a good one – from the citrus tea she'd learned to associate with her therapy sessions with Dr Zainab Hashim.

"I am happy." She said sincerely. "This week has been really productive and with every day that passes, I fall deeper in love with my office." She raised her head and her smile widened even further. "It's honestly the best thing."

Zainab, who loved it so much that Ayra's aura was beautifully bright, crossed one leg over the other and made herself more comfortable in her seat. She had a smile on her face. "Tell me about it then."

Ayra obliged. "I was really, really nervous on my first day but thankfully, Ayman got to me before I could run away and he honestly made that day better. He's made every single day good for me."

"Ayman is one of the owners of Ayneese, right? The cousin of your best friend's unofficial fiancé."

Ayra nodded, grinning. "Yes! He's my boss, you know that already, and he's one of the best people to work with. He's been really kind and he's really patient, especially when I mess something up." Her cheeks darkened. "I did that a lot this week, making little errors here and there and then turning to him for help."

"You're a first timer, Ayra, so those mistakes are normal. It's all part of the learning process. Surely you won't make those mistakes again."

"No, I won't. I got better with his corrections."

"See?"

Ayra nodded. "Yes, I see...But Alhamdulillah, he doesn't get frustrated or angry with me and he ensures I get everything to the best of my ability. Moving on from Ayman, Ayneese is a dream and it's feeling so much like another home of mine with every single day that passes. We all have everything we'll need to work well and there's this ease around the company that allows everyone speak freely with each other, regardless of one's position. We're more of friends than mere colleagues and yes, there are people who prefer their space but everyone's carried along. I didn't think that sense of belonging would hit deep but it really did and I'm so grateful."

Zainab did not stop smiling. "I'm happy for you, Ayra. You're thriving."

Ayra smiled bashfully, lowering her head. "I'm just doing my best."

"And I have no doubt that it's going to be more than enough. We're still taking it one day at a time and in good faith."

Ayra nodded. "We are."

"Have you gotten in touch with Maya from the masjid? She was the one who recommended the job to you after all."

"Oh I spoke to her over the phone on Wednesday. I wanted to go over to say hi but she said she and her husband are visiting her parents in Okina Bay so I had to reschedule. I made sure to tell her thank you and I checked in on her too. She's doing well, Alhamdulillah, and her baby's growing well in her belly too."

"Does her pregnancy affect you in any way?"

Ayra shook her head, so much sober. "No, no."

"It's a therapy question so I'm sorry if it offends you."

"No, it doesn't offend me and I can understand why you're asking. Apart from the time she let me know she was having a baby when I wondered how it would have been if Ibrahim and I had one of ours, Maya's pregnancy has never affected me. I am sincerely happy for her and I'll make time to go see her once in a while In Shaa Allah. I'll make time to partake in some of the masjid's community activities too. They played a huge role in my life and I'm not shrugging them off so easily."