When Love Blooms

Epilogue: 4

The house is the same as before, same with the structure. But is even bigger and more luxurious now.

They brought about 3 of the surrounding houses and all were converted to foam a giant bungalow which they now live in. Same structure, just more spacious and more rooms to accommodate them when they're in town and for moment like this.

Summer holidays, since they all spend it here in Kaduna with all their kids including Shuraim's wife.

Among the occupant of the spacious sitting room which is connected to the dinning and could pass for a sitting room fit enough for a king, is Aaliya.

Now in her middle age, she had aged but beautiful just like her sister Humaira whom had her face buried on her phone while complaining about a payment that was made for hand bag since morning which she haven't received yet.

Then there are 3 more of her kids, all between age 7-15 her last born being 7. Then 4 of Humaira's which are almost same age with hers follow by 2 of Shuraim's. A boy and a girl 10 and 8 respectively.

At the other side of the room, where the dinning is located are Amir, Ayush and Rauda, deep in their conversations as usual. Those three have always being inseparable ever since they attended the same school together which then Aaliya doesn't have a problem with... well untill now.

Humaira once mentioned it when the kids are a bit younger which both she and Layla dismissed saying she is delusional.

But now they aren't children anymore. Teenager to be precise, nonetheless isn't it the age when feelings start to develop?

Amir 23 years of age, Ayush 20 and Rauda 16 whom is over the moon about her upcoming sweet 16 birthday.

They arrived a week ago and if her calculations in right, Layla should also be arriving today or tomorrow.

That all aside, she has being sitting there for more than an hour but each time she raises her head, she found her son staring right at his cousin with the most innocent puppy eyes ever.

Then there is the subtle way which he dismissed Ayush ideas whenever Rauda disagree with them, helping her to her feet earlier when she step away after her phone rang or the lovely way he drag her chair for her when she came back and most importantly, him pealing rosted groundnuts for her and cleaning it before he give it to her.

This is something that she should be happy about right? Is a good thing Rauda is Layla's child and she love the girl not less than she love Ayush.

But why does it terrifies her? Why do her heart skip a beat whenever Amir face soften with a smile when he looks at Rauda?

She and Layla have always being super close since they were kids. 8 and 10 to be precise. They grow up having to depend on each other until Humaira joined them.

They went through unspeakable things and are able to endure it and even forget about it as they grow up but then their relationship changed.

At least for her, she have an excuse, 5 kids and a demanding husband's family that never really appreciate you. Then there is the work life balance which she have to find.

But for Layla, she have one child and a life whom none of them would have fathom at younger age.

And that made her become so distant to her own family and it hurt. It hurt so much that she gets so angry at Layla sometimes.

Their relationship has deteriorated to the extend that they learned about her divorce and marriage 10 good years after it happened.

Turns out, the whole reason she left the country wasn't because of scholarship thing. Well, little bit because of that but mainly because her husband wanted them to start afresh.