Better Late Than Never

57

The first thing that told Ayra that she and Ayman's honeymoon would go well was how much rest they were able to get before they left for Raven Isle.

The second? Ayman's outfit; faded blue wide legged jeans, a tucked in white shirt, a faux leather jacket, and comfy sneaker boots. He left his hair in its naturally tussled state and whenever she could, she messed it up further, loving how he looked at her with so much love, allowing her do what she wanted. Coordinating her outfit with his was something she'd done without thinking twice and they looked adorable. He made sure to say so himself.

The third sign was how seamless the trip was; the check-in process, the flight to Paris where they had a four hour layover, the flight from Paris to the Adolfo Suarez Airport in Madrid, and then the trip from the airport to Toledo; a district that hadn't changed much since the last time they were there.

Ayra kept her face by the tinted window of the moving vehicle, recognising the places they drove past as they got closer and closer to the residential area where she and Ayman had rented an apartment for their five day stay. She smiled at the sight of the houses they'd occupied during vacation and turned to Ayman who'd sighted them too. "They're still there."

Amused eyes met hers. "Were you expecting them to disappear?"

She shook her head, laughing. "Of course not." She turned back to the window. "It's just nice to know that they're still there. We're definitely revisiting, even if we don't go in."

Ayman didn't object; not when it was already placed on their schedule. It didn't take long to get the residential building located just a few minutes away from the popular Plaza de Zocodover, a square in Toledo that dated way back in history. The building that housed their temporary home had three floors and the manager, a man named Sergio, was there to warmly welcome them.

Ayra let Ayman do the talking; swooning inwardly at his Spanish while smiling politely each time Sergio looked her way. Ayman introduced her – and had been introducing her all day – as 'la reina de mi corazon' which she'd learned translated to 'the queen of my heart'. Sergio, who was a hopeless romantic, loved it and there was no stopping Ayra's blush and soft laughter.

He led them to their apartment which was one of two on the middle floor. Ayra had loved the pictures she'd seen but the real life space was so much better and she fell in love all over again. The apartment had a living room with an open plan that made it bleed into the kitchen, a spacious bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, and a balcony that gave them a lovely view of the area and the Plaza de Zocodover in the distance.

The apartment was mainly painted white which accents of sea blue. There were wooden touches too and other aesthetic elements on many walls; the painting of a black tree with leaves falling off the branches on one wall, the large clock painted on another wall with the hands moving from one painted number to the other, the hanging faux flowers on another wall, and then the multi-canvassed paintings that hung in certain spaces.

The bedroom had touches of pink going with the white instead of sea blue and Ayra loved it a lot. Ayman loved that she loved it and he thanked Sergio for getting the place in order for them; from ensuring that everything was neat to helping them stock up the cabinets and the fridge with every grocery item they'd need throughout their stay.

Sergio waved it away. "It was no problem at all. If there's anything, please do not hesitate to call me."

Ayman nodded, pulling Ayra closer when she stopped in place beside him. He didn't stop smiling back at Sergio. "We will. Muchas gracias, Sergio. Buenas noches."

Ayra, who understood that part, smiled sweetly at the house manager. "Goodnight, Sergio."

Sergio happily said goodnight and let them be. All alone, the newlyweds faced each other. Ayra's smile widened. "What now?"