My Mother in Law

A First

I was rapping at the door so hard, I feared it would come off its hinges. But the more I thought of a worst case scenario, the harder that drove me to knock.

My heart was beating so hard I couldn't breathe properly. I placed a hand on top of it, fearing it would pop out any minute which still didn't stop me from calling out my cousin's name frantically between each ragged breath and each knuckle-bruising knock. No one came for the door.

After Zachary delivered the message Rana had bestowed upon him, it wasn't a full minute later that I was bursting through the door, in a hurry to get to her place. The whole drive here, wild thoughts ricocheted around my head, each one more freaky than the the next. Pretty sure I broke - Maybe bent - some rules out there.

I was nearing a panic attack. "Rana!" I screamed one desperate last time before the door flew open. Not taking a moment to catch my breath, I rushed in. There was Rana. Unlike my ungodly imagined violent list of possible scenarios, there wasn't blood pouring out of a hole on her head. She wasn't lying on the floor a bloody paste. She wasn't missing any particularly visible limb and there definitely wasn't a murderer's axe sticking in the middle of her head.

Yes, I do tend to have an overactive imagination. Particularly when I'm scared my ugly thoughts, more often than not, result in an uncontrollable anxiety attack.

If Rana was here, standing in front of me in a single, complete body, then that left only one possibility of another person getting hurt.

Faris!

Before I blew out into a new, fresh attack, Rana grabbed my shoulders, forcing me out of my frantic eye-search and making. me look at her.

"What the heck, Talia?"

"Oh my God. What happened? Where is Farris?"

"What? He's sleeping! Nothing happened."

Oh thank God. But then how...

"Then why did you call?"

"Call?" She looked puzzled before realization dawned on her, "I sent you a text. Told you to call, I had something to talk about. I was excited."

"Then why did..." and then it clicked. He was getting back at me, the asshole. This was too far though, I'll get back at him twice as hard.

Cutting me out of my thoughts was a curly headed little boy, walking into the living room. First rubbing sleep out of his eyes lazily, then, once he sees me standing there, he runs up to me and throws his arms around my neck.

"Auntie Talia!" He radiates excitement as he tightens his hold. "You're coming to stay with us?"

The fond smile, previously etched on my face, slowly dissipates. The reminder that I'm not the overly free woman anymore hitting me full force. No Talia, I muse, you are now a married woman with responsibilities. I almost scoff aloud at the pathetic irony but decide against it. Rana doesn't need to further worry.

"No sweetheart," it breaks my heart to see the disappointment marring his features. "I'm just visiting, but if Rana agrees, I can take you to the ice cream parlour later." I try to sound overly excited.

And it works too, seeing as his face brightens up and he gives me the cutest grin. I felt satisfied, turning to Rana and raising an eyebrow; a silent permission for her consent.

"Okay," she agrees then looks over at Faris. "Why don't you go brush your teeth and freshen up honey, auntie and I'll make breakfast."

"Pancakes?" He pleaded.

"Pancakes." She confirmed, smiling at the excited "yaaaaayy" he lets loose.

***

"So," I sighed when Faris was some distance away, in the sofa with a plate of a mountain of pancakes, syrup and cream perched on the coffe table in front of him.