Beautiful Things (A Muslim Love Story)

Chapter Twenty-Two: When you see the River

"See your face on a photograph but I can't kiss you." -Shannon Saunders

"Dina!" Hannah exclaims, wrapping her arms around my mom.

"Oh my God, Hannah, you're such a big girl!" my mom cries. "I've missed you so much, sweetie."

"I've missed you too, Dina," Hannah tells her. I notice that she isn't wearing her engagement ring.

My mom lets go and wanders into the house. Emma comes in next.

"Emma?" Hannah blinks. "Look how much you've grown!"

"Hardly an inch," Emma weakly smiles, pulling Hannah into a hug.

"So, you're seventeen?" Hannah asks, pulling away. "You can drive?"

"Yep," Emma grins. "I have my driver's license. Feels pretty awesome."

Hannah starts to say something but then stops. She's looking straight at the door. I look and see my dad, just standing there and grinning.

"Daddy!" Hannah cries, running to my dad and hugging him tightly. They hug for a really long time, and I think I might of heard my dad sniff.

He pulls away with tears and his eyes.

"I've missed you so much, baby girl," my dad tells her, wiping away stray tears.

"I've missed you too, daddy." They say you can't see human glow with a naked eye, but Hannah's face was shining.

My dad then turns to me and I suck in my breath.

"Asiyah," he smiles. He walks over and hugs me. After a while I pull away, surprised.

"You're not mad?" I ask.

"Of course not," he assures me. "I was just tired, and very stressed out. I overreacted a bit. And besides, you're my daughter. It's my job to love and care for you."

"Thanks," I grin. "I love you too, daddy."

He smiles and leaves the room to see his mother with mom and Emma. I hear them greet Esther happily, and I turn to Hannah.

"Where's your ring?" I ask. "Is the engagement off? Oh God, I hope not..."

"Calm down, Asiyah!" she laughs. "I would never leave Shawn. I just didn't want them to see it now. I wanted to announce it over dinner."

I sigh of breath of relief. "Okay. Thank God."

"Yeah," she grins. "You're so weird, Aussie." She shakes her head and puts her arm around me, leading me out of the room.

"Well, what was I supposed to think?" I laugh, putting my arm around her as we walk out. "That it was kidnapped by ninja turtles?"

"You would think that. That's how weird you are!"

"Shut up!" I giggle, and then we're both laughing and having a great time. It only lasts for about ten seconds, though, because at that same moment my family comes downstairs, their faces white. Especially my dad's.

"Mom isn't moving," he pants. "She isn't breathing properly, either."

Hannah gasps. "Oh my. Okay, her nurse is supposed to be here soon."

My mother takes my dad's hand and holds it tightly.

All of a sudden we hear a loud knocking at the door and Hannah lets go of me to open it. She runs out of the room and I hear talking, then both Hannah and the nurse rush in.

"Is she upstairs, in bed?" the short-haired nurse asks. We all nod vigorously.

She runs upstairs and my dad tries to follow, but she stops him.