His Second Addiction

Epilogue 2

Aaidah

After four years~

I'm running around the house. Yes running. After two little creatures. Actually - humans. But I call them creatures. My creatures. My daughters - Malak and Inara.

“Ya Allah, these two girls!” I huff in annoyance, nearly tripping over a toy on the floor. I always have to run after them just to make them eat. They don't eat at all. And I'm a foodie! I don't get it. Whose genes did they get? They should've been like me - dreaming about biriyani in their sleep, crying over melted chocolate.

If they only liked food like I do... life would be so much easier. I wouldn’t have to worry about their health all the time - or break into a full cardio session every day trying to feed them.

I slump onto the couch with a deep sigh. Wallahi, Zaria never had to go through this much trouble feeding her twins. They used to eat properly - like decent humans. And mine? Mine are certified troublemakers.

Well... Inara is the quiet one. She listens most of the time - except when it's time to eat. Then suddenly, it's like both of them form an alliance. An anti-food alliance. As if eating is some kind of crime and they are the most wanted rebels in the house. It feels like they hate food more than anything else in the world.

“Ammu tired?” Inara asks while looking up at me. She is standing in front of me, between my legs. I can't even scold her after she asked so cutely if I'm tired. “Hm. I'm tired because you two are being bad girls.”

Inara pouts slightly at my response, her tiny hands now resting gently on my knees. “But we not bad... we just not hungry.” She says in the softest little voice, her eyes wide and innocent - like she didn’t just made me run across the whole house like a madwoman.

I sigh, leaning forward and resting my forehead against hers. “If you are not bad, then prove it. Eat just a little bit for ammu, hm?” She blinks. “Little bit?”

“Just a little.” I nod, holding up my fingers to show the tiniest pinch. Inara looks over her shoulder - checking if Malak is watching - and then gives me the smallest nod. Victory? Maybe. But with these two, I better not get too hopeful too quickly.

But surprisingly, both of them started eating quietly without showing any tantrums. I look at them suspiciously while feeding them. “Why are you two being so obedient today?” I ask softly. They both look up at me - chewing quickly, probably to answer. “Eat slowly, then answer.” I tell them gently.

“Abbu told us not to trouble you.” Malak answers, her voice loud as usual. Inara nods, then adds, “He said we should always listen to you and behave nicely because you are our ammu.” I smile.

Oof, that man... he always tells our daughters to treat me kindly, not to trouble me or throw tantrums - because I work both at the office and at home. He doesn’t want me to suffer more. But he lets them show all their tantrums to him, even though he works just as hard as I do.

He always tells me that he works hard at the office, in his business... just to give me and our daughters a better future. Alhamdulillah, we are already well off, but he still pushes himself - because he wants to save enough so that if he ever gets too old or sick to work, neither I or Malak and Inara would have to suffer.

“Dadu!” Malak's loud scream snaps me back to reality. She jumps off the couch and runs toward maa. Inara doesn’t bother getting down - she just stretches out her arms as baba walks over and picks her up, already knowing exactly what she wants.

“I missed you.” Inara says, resting her head on baba's shoulder, her tiny fists clutching the sleeve of his shirt tightly. Well, baba and maa had gone to Bangladesh to attend a wedding - one of our relative's daughter's. That's why both Malak and Inara missed them so much.