The Two of Us

Epilogue

"He kicked!" Emaan squealed, her hands flying to her swollen abdomen and resting against  it. 

Sabrina looked over her shoulder, covering the pot of tea on the stove as Leila leaned forward and watched her pregnant friend stare wide eyed while waiting for her unborn child to kick again. The kitchen was silent for a moment until Emaan exploded into a sigh and went back to digging into her pudding.

"Okay, but I felt it." She said, one hand still on her stomach.

"'He?'" Sabrina questioned, aware that Emaan hadn't had her baby's gender checked yet.

"I hope it's a boy." Emaan said softly. "But whatever they are, I'll love them."

Leila smiled sweetly and Sabrina was just about to check the tea when a loud scream echoed throughout the house.

"Ya Allah!" Sabrina cried. "What happened?"

"Maaaaaaaa!" A wail answered as a child entered  into the kitchen. "Zaid threw my Elsa doll in the toilet! And then he peed on it!"

Sabrina groaned as her five year old daughter grabbed her by the hand, face red and covered by dark brown curls. The child led Sabrina into her son's room where the boy innocently built a tower of legos, purposely avoiding his mother's gaze.

"Zaid." Sabrina said in a low, I-want-answers voice. "Did you throw Maryam's doll in the toilet."

"And pee on it!!" Maryam added, intent on not allowing this detail to be forgotten.

"And pee on it?" Sabrina sighed.

Zaid pouted, proud even at the delicate age of six. He stubbornly blinked his large blue eyes, framed by long eyelashes. "No."

Maryam threw up her arms, pulled her mother into the hallway, and stomped her way to the bathroom where Sabrina peered into the toilet and saw that there was indeed a very assaulted Elsa doll floating in urine. Sabrina slapped on a glove, rescued the ruined blonde doll before her sniffling daughter and flushed the toilet. 

Back in Zaid's room, they discussed this event and discovered that Zaid's actions had been the result of jealousy, for Maryam often got new things and Zaid felt as if he was being left out. Sabrina assured her son that he was very much loved and that Maryam having more toys than him did not mean that she was more cared for. Maryam, taking pity on her brother's emotions, now that she understood why he peed on her doll, gave him a hug and made her mother promise to buy her a new Elsa doll.

When Sabrina was finally able to return to her friends, Maryam was sitting on Leila's lap, listing down all of her favourite Pokemon and Emaan was talking to Jamaal on the phone. Sabrina snorted as Emaan giggled sweetly into her phone, thinking back to the time when she and Khalid had been newly wed and the cliché lovestruck couple. According to her children, they were still a cliché lovestruck couple.

After Maryam had finished explaining her favourite Pokemon along with their colors, types and moves, she jumped off an exhausted Leila's lap and darted back into her room, most likely to bring said Pokemon back in their plushie forms. While the child was absent, Sabrina and Leila both shot Emaan a look.

"Stop flirting with your husband." Leila groaned. "This is girl time."

"Hoes before bros." Sabrina laughed.

Emaan shushed them and continued to blush and giggle over whatever Jamaal was saying. Leila made gagging noises and turned to Sabrina.

"Kick me if I ever do this." She told Sabrina.

"Leila, I can't even imagine you giving a boy your attention let alone turning into a puddle over him." Sabrina answered honestly. 

She'd known Leila forever and yes the girl was slightly boy-crazy but as soon as a guy looked her way, she would make him grovel for her affection. Even after her two best friends had gotten married, no man has been able to impress Leila enough to catch her interest. Sabrina continued to make dua for her friend, of course, hoping she would find her significant other one day.

"Yeah, true." Leila shrugged, pleased with this response. "Unless he was Zayn Malik."

_ _ _ 

Sabrina's equivalent of "Zayn Malik" came home that evening, when Sabrina was catching up on the latest episode of an Indian drama while testing Zaid on the Arabic alphabet. He'd developed a great interest in the language, after watching a rapid fire conversation take place between his grandparents in Arabic and he was intent on mastering it, ever since.

As the door slid shut and Khalid followed it with a "Salaam," Maryam instantly came running out of her room, and into her father's arms.

"Papa, look what I made!" She began, launching into a stream of chatter involving a bracelet she made out of flowers and dandelions, while her father listened intently and laughed, making the right faces at the right time, causing the five year old to giggle and continue in enthusiasm.

Sabrina watched them lovingly, and sat up and smiled at Khalid who came over to the couch where she and Zaid were practising Arabic. Khalid waited for Maryam to finish her story before turning to his son, who was happy to see his father but visibly nervous, in case today's events were brought up. It seemed, however, that Maryam had forgotten all about her damaged doll and Zaid's self respect was spared.

"How's my favourite son?" Khalid asked, as he always did and Zaid grinned.

"I'm your only son, dad!" He said and laughed as he dodged his father's attempts to tickle him.

_ _ _

That night, after the children were put to bed, involving a large fuss and many arguments on why they should be allowed to stay up and binge watch Teen Titans, Sabrina and Khalid retreated into the kitchen for a late night snack. There, Sabrina told her husband about her day, Zaid's shenanigans and Emaan's pregnancy. 

"I never thought having kids would change, like, everything." She sighed when she finished and rested her head against Khalid's shoulder.

"Want another one?" He teased, biting her ear and she scowled, trying to hide a laugh.

"I'm serious!" She said, even though her heart still fluttered and Khalid's lazy, half smile was doing nothing to stop heat from flooding to her cheeks.

Khalid dropped his smile and brought his hand up to her face, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger. He stared at it for a moment, thinking, and then leaned forward to kiss her.

"You're right." He agreed, when he pulled back. "But it's good change. It's the type of change that makes it all worth it."

Sabrina nodded, unable to form words because sometimes, there were moments that didn't need words. Sometimes there were moments when you sat back and realized how happy you were and how great life was in that one moment. Even though it may not seem like it between work and school and kids and friends. But if you took one moment to just sit back and think. That life is okay. That life is more than okay. That your entire life had led up to this one moment and you're satisfied and content and it was all worth it.

Sabrina smiled at that great thought.

It was all worth it.

____________________________________________________________________

I'm not crying your crying.

Vote, comment, pay for my heart replacement! Jk, but ah, if there is one thing that I think was worth it all then it is writing and writing this book and writing this book for all of you who have continued to support me with your love and comments and messages.

Jazak'Allahu kairan and may Allah bless you all <3