Just Make Du'aa

• n i n e t e e n •

Dina

"Storytime!" I sing songed when Farouz stepped out of the bedroom and plopped on the couch next to me.

"Agh," he cringed, "aren't you hungry? Let's go find something to eat."

"You're trying to change the subject and it won't work!" I tugged on his shirt, making him unable to stand up or move away, "tell me."

Farouz locked eyes with me and held the gaze for a few long seconds, then he smiled, "let's go in the pool."

"The pool?" I scoffed, "you're joking. We just got back from the beach. You just walked out of the shower like 30 seconds ago."

My husband stood up and pulled me with him, "live life spontaneously my dear." When he saw that I was still not convinced her crouched down to my height, "Dina? Please? Live a little, we've been here for three days and we haven't been in the pool yet!"

"Farou-" he straightened up, widening his big brown eyes and giving me a solid pout, "oh, fine!"

He smiled, "I'm irresistable huh?" Before I could utter a reply he turned me towards the bedroom and patted my back, "go change I'll beat you there."

I took a few steps towards the room before turning around, "why would I change?" Then I stepped out of my pajama pants and pulled my shirt over my head, "I'm already wearing enough."

Gaping, Farouz raised his eyebrows at me, "you're going to swim in your underwear?" A catlike smile spread across his features, "look at you, stepping out of your shell after six whole months."

My face flushed, "maybe I should go put something on, people could-"

"No one can see the pool, the houses are too far apart and the windows don't go past the fence. I checked. It's okay, really." I believed him, knowing Farouz would never let me do something against my religion. "Here, I'll even do the same."

I laughed as he stepped out of his clothes, "I have a feeling you were going to do that anyway."

"True," then, in a swift motion, Farouz picked me up and ran to the pool through the door we opened earlier for some fresh air. "Hold your breathe!" And he jumped in, my face was below water for only a few seconds, but as Farouz stood up he lifted me with him.

"Now," I said, finding the ground and standing on my own, "tell me."

He tilted his head, feigning cluelessness, "tell you what, dearest?"

"Nice try, you promised you'd tell me how you felt."

"Okay," he sighed, "but you first." Farouz swam circles around me, "when did you realize your feelings for me?"

For a few seconds I considered pulling the whole I-asked-first ordeal, but then realized that I actually wanted to tell him."Remember the first time I saw you at that cafe? When you ran out?"

Farouz's ears turned a deep red, "I never actually explained myself did I?'

"No you didn't," I laughed, "and you definitely should, later." He nodded, perching himself against the wall beside me. "I was having a really bad day then. I had failed a biology test, my dad and I got into a fight about I don't know what on the phone, and I could not for the life of me understand my math lesson. Amity was actually talking to me about going to see you, just to calm myself down, when I turned and there you were: sitting with your friends who were waving Amity over."

Farouz smiled at the memory, his hand finding mine under the water and intertwining our fingers. I placed my head on his shoulder and watched as my wet hair stuck to his skin, as if we were one, connected by body and soul. "As we were walking up I told myself I wouldn't address you, because the nervousness I was feeling couldn't mean anything good. But my mouth worked on it's own and I called out to you. When you looked up." I closed my eyes and recalled his face from that day. When our eyes met and he recognized me, his mouth opened a little in surprise. The action of lifting his head up to look at me caused his hair to shift and a lock fell onto his forehead, grazing the top of his eyebrow. "My heart, which had been erratic all day, stopped. And for the first time all day I felt like I could breathe. The logical side of my brain told me to look away, that looking at you like that wasn't the muslim thing to do. But then my eyes felt rested on you, and my chest felt lighter. And I knew that only you could make me feel so calm, that no one else in the world could manage to break through my anxiety as easily as you do, by just looking at me! I went home that night and prayed that Allah give me the Muslim man that I will walk with through the gates of heaven. And I prayed that it was you."