Better Late Than Never

27

The henna party was crazy but successful. The bridal shower held in Ibtihaj's favour turned out crazier than planned but beautiful all the same. The highlight, for the Adeolas, was Ibtihaj trying to hold back her tears until she gave in to them. She continued – even between sobs – threatening to kill whoever recorded her.

It made them all laugh and Ayra hugged her best friend a lot, especially when the tears kept coming when each person brought forth the gifts they'd gotten for her to take along to the next phase of her life.

While the games were fun, Ayra found it amazing how hyped up Amna and Aabidah were despite all that was going on in their lives. Aneesa was extremely hyped up too. Although their other female cousins present were more on the quieter side, they eventually let loose with the influence of the Adeolas.

Everything came to an end at way past midnight and Ibtihaj locked herself in the bathroom to talk to Adil without any disturbances while the drivers of the Adeola family took the Bellos back to their apartments. Ayra stayed in the living room with the others who chatted excitedly about anything and everything. She didn't say much but she smiled at beautiful statements and laughed at funny ones.

She got really irritated when Ayman's name came up as some of the female Adeolas found him beautiful and didn't mind walking up to talk to him before everything about the wedding came to an end.

Barely even realising she was doing it, Ayra sized each woman up. She then concluded none fit Ayman as they were either too much for him to handle or too involved in something she was certain he wouldn't like. Her conclusion pettily made her very happy to know they didn't measure up. Trying to imagine Ayman's expression as each woman tried to flirt with him made her even happier and she snickered more than once as quietly as possible just so she didn't get weird looks.

When Ibtihaj finally emerged from the bathroom, Ayra pulled her into the room they shared and locked the door. Ibtihaj, who already knew what was coming, did her best to glare. "If you make me cry with all those your speeches that you prepared ehn..."

Ayra smiled innocently. "I make no promises, Ibty."

Barely an hour later, Ayra laughed while Ibtihaj bawled her eyes out and threatened to kill her and throw her off her favourite bridge. Her laughter dying down to a smile, Ayra closed the space between and held Ibtihaj close. She then blinked back her tears that surfaced. "I love you, Ibty, and no matter what happens, I'm always going to do so In Shaa Allah. I'm always going to be here for you too so let's have a lot of better days, okay?"

Ibtihaj nodded. "Okay." She sniffled. "I love you, Ayra. I'm always grateful for the fact that I met you."

Ayra smiled a little wider. "I love you too, Tosin. I am also always going to be grateful that I met you too."

At the serviced apartments' complex, the Bello men (the youngsters, as their parents called them) were having the pool party Mahmoud had managed to convince them to give into.

Although he'd been reserved about it all, Ayman sat on a lounger and watched with happiness and contentment sitting prettily in his chest as Adil dove into the water with an excited scream while the others cheered. He was grateful Adil was getting his happy ending and he wished him well in every way possible.

He noticed when Hammad and Hayder got off the lounge chairs on the opposite side of the wide pool. He watched them wear their thobes over their vests and shorts before picking their phones and heading in the direction of the pool house's exit. Through the glass doors, Ayman saw his sister and his cousin, and there was no missing the lovely smile Amna gave Hammad and the small, shy yet hesitant one Aabidah gave Hayder.