Dare You To Love Me

«51» bridges across time

October, 2023

Abdul-Aziz had a heart attack earlier today, he requested your presence at his side.

The text message that had appeared on her notification bar at midnight over three days ago was as cold and clinical as the woman who had sent it.

Yaseerah was yet to respond to the summons, or to acknowledge the fact that her father, her personal boogeyman had asked for her.

For three days, she had wrestled with the ghosts of her past, replaying every bitter encounter and cruel word exchanged between them.

Every time she reached for her phone to call the hospital, the weight of her anger and hurt held her back.

The filial loyalty she felt towards him was ridiculous, all things considered but despite her thoughts and reservations, he was her father, and that mattered still.

She read the message again, her finger hovering over the call button on the screen, as she debated on whether to call Lubna or not.

How many times had she wished for an apology, a sign of regret, or even just a moment of vulnerability from him?

How many times had she found herself crying in sujood, praying for even a glimmer of the father he’d once been?

How many times had she desperately sought for his love, bent herself backwards to accommodate his inane requests because deep down she was still a child who only wanted her father to love her?

Memories of her childhood replayed through her mind—the moments of fear, anger, and the endless yearning for a father who had always kept her at arm’s length.

The thought of facing him now, in his moment of weakness–when he’d abolished even the word ‘weak’ from his vocabulary except when he referred to her–sent a shiver down her spine.

Yaseerah had never given much thought about it, but the more she replayed back her memories, the more she came to the realization that she had built a fortress of resentment towards him, and she had no idea how to go about it.

When her phone buzzed with a call from her husband, Yaseerah didn’t hesitate to answer.

When his face popped into her screen a second after she’d accepted the FaceTime call looking so absurdly stunning and boyish, her lips tilted up into an involuntary smile.

“Hello Albi,” he greeted, his smile infectious, as he waved at her through the screen.

“Hey you,” she greeted back, stretching her legs on the settee as she reclined into a more comfortable position. “How’s it going over there?”

“Not so well,” he pouted, his nose doing an adorable scrunch that made Yaseerah let out a soft laugh. “I’ve missed you.”

“You just left here like an hour ago,” she teased, her voice light despite the heaviness in her heart. “How could you miss me already?”

“I know,” Fou’ad grinned, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “An hour feels like an eternity without you, Albi.”

“You’re such a drama king,” Yaseerah chuckled, feeling a warmth spread through her chest despite the heavy emotions she’d been dealing with, before his call came through.

“Only for you,” Fou’ad grinned unapologetically.

She shook her head, a light chuckle escaping past her lips. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“Impossible, yes,” he shot back wiggling his eyebrows playfully. “But definitely irresistible though, right?”

Yaseerah rolled her eyes, but couldn’t suppress a grin at his playful antics. “Definitely irresistible,” she replied, her eyes sparkling with affection.