The Weight of Silence

Chapter 17

As Malik and I made our way downstairs, the familiar hum of conversation filled the air. When we entered the living room, I saw Armin's face on the screen of the phone, smiling widely. He was on FaceTime with his beautiful Portuguese wife, Sofia. Her dark, long hair framed her face as she laughed at something Armin had said, and I could hear the warmth in her voice as she spoke.

"Hey, you two!" I called out, grinning as I made my way toward the couch where my mom was sitting. Malik quickly joined her, and I sat down beside them, feeling the comfort of family settle in.

"Adma!" Armin greeted me, his smile lighting up the screen. "How are you?"

Sofia waved at me from the screen, her bright smile making me feel like I was right there with her, even though she was on the other side of the world.

"I'm good!" I said, still grinning. "How are you two? How's everything in Sicily?"

Sofia's face lit up at the mention of their home.

"We're doing great, Adma!" she said, her accent thick but full of love. "It's so beautiful here, as always. We miss you guys."

Armin nodded, his eyes softening as he looked at the screen.

"Yeah, we miss you. How's everything going there in England?"

Before I could answer, I felt a soft pat on my shoulder. I turned to see my mom, who had been sitting quietly beside me. She was holding something in her hands, and she smiled at me knowingly.

"Adma," she said gently.

She handed me a stack of papers, and I looked down, confused at first. As I flipped through them, my eyes widened when I realized what they were—plane tickets to Sicily. My heart skipped a beat.

"Sicily?" I whispered, almost not believing it. I looked up at my mom, my voice trembling. "Wait, are you serious?"

Mom nodded, her smile full of warmth and understanding.

I couldn't believe it. The idea of going back to Sicily, the place where we lived before we moved to England, felt like a dream. I had missed it so much, and now we were going back. I jumped up from the couch, my heart racing with excitement.

"Oh my God, thank you! Thank you so much!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around my mom in a tight hug. She laughed softly, her arms wrapping around me as I held her close.

I pulled back slightly, still grinning like a fool. I couldn't stop smiling as I looked at the tickets again, feeling a sense of excitement and joy fill me up. Sicily—our home before everything changed. It was where Armin and Sofia still lived, and now we were going back. I felt like everything had shifted in that moment—like the weight of everything I'd been carrying was suddenly lighter. A trip to Sicily was exactly what I needed, and I couldn't wait to see what memories we would make when we got there.

I stared at the plane tickets in my hands, the excitement still bubbling inside me. But as I looked closer, I realized something that made my heart race even faster—our flight was in just three days. I blinked, my mind processing the information.

"Three days?" I whispered, almost in disbelief.

Mom chuckled softly at my reaction.

"Yes, we leave soon."

I looked up at her, my eyes wide.

"Three days... I can't believe it's so soon. That's so... fast!"

I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. A part of me was thrilled, but another part felt like I wasn't quite ready for such a big change. It had been so long since we left Sicily, and now, in just a few days, we would be back.

Armin's voice cut through my thoughts, his smile still wide on the screen.

"You'll be fine, Adma. It'll be great to have you back here. We can't wait to see you."

Sofia nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling.

"Yes, yes! It'll be so much fun. We'll show you around, introduce you to all the new things that have changed since you left. It'll be like a little vacation, yes?"

I couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm, even though the suddenness of it all was a bit overwhelming.

"I need to get everything ready."

"Don't worry, we'll help you get everything sorted," my mom said, her voice soothing.

I nodded, trying to calm the storm of thoughts racing through my head. Three days. I could do this. It was just... so fast. But then again, maybe that's exactly what I needed—a little spontaneity, a break from everything.

"Alright," I said, my voice more confident now.

Armin and Sofia cheered from the phone, their excitement contagious. I could already picture us walking through the streets of Sicily again, breathing in the warm air, seeing the places we had once called home. It was going to be a whirlwind, but somehow, that felt like the perfect way to start something new.