The Two of Us

Chapter 35 - The Two of Us

Chapter Thirty Five - The Two of Us

Sabrina liked to think of herself as a dignified young woman, capable of making smart decisions and compromising her self worth to a degree that gave her image a respectable portrayal. Unfortunately, her dignity had been hastily pummelled to the back of her mind and this was why she found herself pressed up against her father's office door, eavesdropping on his conversation with Khalid. Even though she couldn't hear Khalid's side of the conversation, she still wanted to get a feel of what the discussion was about.

It seemed to Sabrina, who was trying to listen to her father's conversation and also make sure her mother didn't stumble upon her lingering outside her dad's office, that the "words" her father wished to discuss with Khalid were mostly just him threatening Khalid. Sabrina could have sighed in exasperation, but before she could, her father suddenly fell silent and she heard him get up and begin to pace the room. 

Suddenly he demanded "Wait...what did Sabrina do for your mother?"

Sabrina's heart almost stopped. She hadn't informed her parents that she'd donated her blood to Khalid's mother the night she was attacked, but Khalid didn't know that. She bit her lip, tense as she strained to hear what her father would say next. What had Khalid even said to bring up such a topic, she wondered anxiously. She expected she'd have some explaining to do after her dad got off the phone. 

Footsteps behind her snapped her attention away from what her father's response. Her mother was making her way up the stairs and as she reached the top, Sabrina had safely escaped to her room. She grumbled in annoyance and decided to busy herself until her father got off the phone.

As she'd expected, half an hour later, her mother knocked on her door.

"Sabrina, your father would like to ask you something." Her mother told her, stepping inside her room, followed by her father.

Sabrina's father peered at his daughter carefully, and Sabrina closed her laptop and turned to him, keeping her expression neutral, as if she hadn't been stuck to his office door earlier that evening. She glanced quickly at her mother, wondering if he'd spoken to her about Khalid's mother yet. 

"I've spoken to Khalid, and he said something that caught my attention. About his mother and how you donated blood to her last year. And also about some kind of misunderstanding in junior high." Her father explained, sitting down on the edge of her bed, but not breaking his intense gaze.

Sabrina's mind worked. Misunderstanding? Is that what Khalid called their issues back in grade school? Or was he just trying to soften their past in front of Sabrina's dad so he wouldn't decide then and there that a boy who'd caused such grief to his daughter had no business being married to her? Either way, Sabrina had to fight to keep the irritation from seeping into her expression. She sighed and decided to go for the truth. Or as close as she could while keeping Khalid in her dad's good books. Assuming he was in his good books to begin with. She still didn't know the conclusion her father had reached on the topic of their marriage.

"We might have...fought in Junior High." She began, choosing her words carefully. "I kind of said something rude to him and after that Khalid sort of got other kids to pick on me. He's apologized for it, though." She added the last part quickly. 

Her father narrowed his eyes. "How come you never told us all this?"

Sabrina looked away and shrugged. "I guess I didn't want to make it a big deal."

Sabrina's father sighed and looked over at her mother, who stared thoughtfully at her. "What changed? Why did you help his mother?"

Sabrina sighed, slightly annoyed. "Why couldn't I? I was there. I was able. I wasn't expecting anything from it - I didn't even think Khalid would find out!" She explained. "I guess I just...felt bad for her. Khalid may not have been great to me in the past but that doesn't mean I have anything against his mom."