Unexpected But Mine

chapter-21

The soft rustle of the curtains and the faint hum of the city beyond the windows barely stirred the air, but Emira's eyes fluttered open gently.

Morning had long arrived-it was already 10 a.m.-but she hadn't the heart to pull herself from the warmth of the bed. Laziness wrapped around her like a second blanket, comforting and sweet.

She lay on her side, facing the wall, and felt Shaheer's steady breaths against the back of her neck. His arm was draped over her, hand resting gently on her belly, and his chest moved with a slow rhythm.

Her fingers traced slow circles on the bedsheet for a moment before she reached for her phone from the nightstand without shifting too much.

Careful not to wake him, she tapped into the family group chat-"Happy People Club," named by Alize-and scrolled through the messages with sleepy eyes. She smiled at the flurry of texts from the night before, then selected a few pictures from dinner: her, Shaheer, and Baba sitting around the garden table, mid-laughter, Baba's hand resting proudly on their joined hands. She captioned the photo, "Last night's trio" and hit send.

Almost immediately, Alize replied:
"Awww Emii, you guys look so cute. Love you three!"

And Ahmed added,
"Tell Baba I approve of the mustache. 10/10 uncle vibes."

She chuckled silently, letting the phone drop gently back onto the nightstand.

Emira's eyes softened as she felt the weight of Shaheer's hand shift slightly, now resting just below her chest. She placed her hand over his instinctively, gently caressing his knuckles with her thumb, her mind drifting between memories of the dinner, Baba's laughter, and the warmth of the man behind her.

A few minutes passed before Shaheer stirred, a deep breath rising from his chest as he nuzzled slightly closer to her. His voice came out gravelly, low from sleep, "You're awake?"

"Mhmm," she replied, still not turning around, "for a while now."

"Why didn't you wake me?" he asked, his lips brushing against her shoulder lightly.

"Because I like this," she whispered. "This moment... just us."

Shaheer hummed in agreement, eyes still closed. "Same." His hand slid a little higher, fingers tangling with hers beneath the sheets.

She smiled over his touch.

" i shared the pictures on the group. Alize says we look cute.Ahmed wants Baba's mustache tips."

He chuckled softly against her skin. "Of course they do."

They lay there a while longer, wrapped in silence that didn't feel empty. Her head rested against the pillow, and his forehead brushed against the back of hers as their bodies naturally molded together under the sheets.

Shaheer finally cracked one eye open. "We should probably get up soon," he murmured.

"Probably," she echoed, still unmoving.

He pressed a soft kiss to the back of her shoulder, then rested his forehead there. "Five more minutes?"

She grinned. "Ten. And pancakes for breakfast?"

"You're the boss," he whispered sleepily.

Wrapped in warmth, memories, and unspoken love, the morning carried on slowly, just the way they liked it-no rush, just peace.

The morning air in Malaysia was crisp and sweet, still tinged with dew as Shaheer led Emira through the luxurious shopping district. It wasn't planned, really-he'd noticed her flipping through her suitcase the night before, fingers grazing over fabrics with a quiet frown on her face.