Against The Tide

99: Finding Peace

"I'm so happy to see you after all this time, Amal!" Afrah said, cradling her newborn daughter. "It's been so long."

"I know right!" Amal laughed. They were both seated in Afrah's room. "I have missed you so much, Afrah. I can't believe you're already a mother of two! It feels like yesterday when we were young girls, dreaming of what our future would look like." She leaned forward, her gaze fixed on the tiny infant in Afrah's arms. "She's absolutely beautiful."

Afrah smiled warmly, a gentle glow in her eyes. "Thank you, Amal. I still can't believe it sometimes. Life moves so fast." She couldn't believe how much her life had changed over the years. Her two beautiful, innocent souls were her whole world. Her life now revolved around them. "How's your husband?"

"He's good! How's yours?" Amal asked, returning the question. "I haven't seen him around."

Afrah's smile faded slightly. "He traveled. He went to see Najah."

Amal paused, her gaze fixed on Afrah disbelievingly. "Najah? His ex wife?"

Afrah nodded. "Precisely. He said he wants to talk to her about the NGO she named after his mother."

"And you allowed it?" Amal asked, surprised.

Afrah shrugged. "What could I have done? It's not like I can stop him or monitor his movement. He can do whatever he wants. He even told me he still has feelings for her."

"You're lying!" Amal exclaimed. "He told you? I can't believe this. How could he be so insensitive? I have never seen such a thing before."

Afrah shrugged again. She was mentally over the conversation.

"After everything you've been through with him, he wants her back?"

Afrah sighed, her gaze darting to the sleeping infant in her arms. "I know, Amal, it's a lot to take in."

"It's ridiculous, Afrah! I'm sorry, but is he out of his mind?"

Afrah gulped. She felt some type of way about how Amal was speaking about her husband, but at the same time, she couldn't say anything because Amal was simply defending her.

"Why are you so calm about this, though?" Amal asked.

"Because I'm tired, Amal," Afrah confessed. "I'm tired of fighting, I'm tired of the endless drama, I'm tired of the constant stress. I just want peace, especially for my kids. They don't deserve to be caught in the middle of our problems."

"I understand, Afrah, trust me, I do, but what about you? You don't deserve this. You deserve a man that loves you, and only you."

Afrah smiled weakly. This had been her mantra for the longest time, but now? She had learned to do away with it. It didn't matter anymore. "I have happiness, Amal. I have my children. They are all I need."

Amal was stunned. Sitting beside her was the same woman who had fought tooth and nail for her love.  "I can't believe you're the one saying this, Afrah. What has happened to you? Have you perhaps lost feelings for him?"

Afrah chuckled softly. Maybe Amal was right. Maybe her intense love for Jameel had indeed mellowed with the arrival of her children. They were now the center of her universe, and they were more than enough. She found herself more at peace now. Her once fierce jealousy had dwindled.

"What happened to you?" Amal asked again, her voice filled with concern.

"Motherhood, and I'd say growth too. It doesn't bother me that much anymore, Amal. You should let it go too."

Amal shook her head. "Where's Afrah? What have you done to her?"

Afrah chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Amal's dramatic flair always managed to lighten the mood. She'd always been effortlessly funny. "I'm serious, Amal, it doesn't bother me like it used to before. I have found peace within myself. I have been praying, and I have surrendered all my affairs to Allah. He knows what's best for all of us."