Eternity

Epilogue

As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu

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The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden hue across the living room, but the air inside felt far from serene. Toys were scattered across the floor, remnants of Murad’s playtime chaos, and the faint sound of his little voice came from the bedroom, where he was finally settling into his nap. But the house, though quiet now, carried the weight of a long, exhausting day.

Ayzal stood in the kitchen, her fingers gripping the edge of the counter as she stared out the window, her mind swirling with frustration. Her son, though he was the light of her life, had been especially demanding all day, refusing to nap, throwing tantrums over the tiniest things, and clinging to her every moment. It had been one of those days where nothing seemed to go right, and she was at her wits’ end. Her energy was spent, her patience thin, and she felt like she was about to explode.

Zayan walked into the room, his presence calm and steady as always. He glanced at the mess of toys, his eyes following the path to where Ayzal stood. He could sense the tension radiating off her, the exhaustion in her posture, the frustration bubbling just beneath the surface.

“Hey,” he said softly, stepping closer, but keeping his tone light, as though testing the waters. “Everything okay?”

Ayzal didn’t turn to face him. Instead, she let out a deep breath, her hands still gripping the counter. “No, Zayan. Everything is not okay,” she said, her voice tight with the frustration she had been holding in all day.

He raised an eyebrow, instantly recognizing the storm brewing. “What happened?”

“What happened?” She spun around, her eyes flashing as the words rushed out of her. “What didn’t happen, Zayan? Murad has been impossible today. He wouldn’t nap, he screamed at everything, he threw his toys everywhere—” She gestured around the room in exasperation. “I haven’t had a moment to myself, not even to breathe! And you—” She pointed at him, the words spilling out before she could stop them. “You just walk in like everything is fine, like nothing is going wrong!”

Zayan took a step back, hands raised slightly in surrender, but his expression remained calm, almost amused. “Whoa, okay. I see you have had a challenging day.”

“A challenging day?” Ayzal threw her hands up, feeling the frustration climb higher. “Zayan, this isn’t just a challenging day. This is exhausting! Do you know how hard it is to deal with Murad all day when he is like this? And you—” She paused, her breath coming in sharp bursts as she glared at him, trying to put her feelings into words. “You just come home, all relaxed, as if you have no idea what it is like!”

Zayan watched her for a moment, his lips twitching as if trying to hold back a smile. “Well, I did have a long day at work too, but… yeah, it sounds like Murad has been quite the handful today.”

“Quite the handful?” she repeated, incredulous, her eyes narrowing. “That is all you have to say?”

He stepped closer, his voice gentle but teasing. “Well, what do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know!” She threw her arms up in frustration, the pent-up emotions spilling out all at once. “Say something! Anything!”

Zayan tilted his head, a playful glint in his eyes. “Keep talking. I love listening to you.”

Ayzal blinked, caught off guard by his response. “What?”